Marvin Harrison likes to do his talking on the field, but all that had to change on Tuesday.

The perennial All-Pro wide receiver had to sit in front of a throng of journalists for a full hour and answer question after question about football's greatest show on earth.

Harrison's no fan of interviews, so this was probably the thing he looked forward to least about Super Bowl week.

But number 88 did his duty and talked about his love of the quiet life, his Super Bowl dream and his perfect partnership with Peyton Manning.

Harrison admits he's never taken to the limelight - unusual for a position that tends to breed prima donnas - and even needed coaching in the art of public speaking to get used to talking to the media.

But on Tuesday he opened up and said: "I don't mind doing interviews, especially when there's something good to talk about. I think this week is definitely worth the while to talk about. I don't have any problems doing interviews."

Many people think the Colts' appearance in the biggest game of all is overdue, and Harrison certainly agrees with them.

"Getting to the Super Bowl is not something that I planned on this year, it's something that I came to Indianapolis with on day one when they drafted me with their first-round pick.

"I've just always wanted to reward the city and the owner and my teammates for the opportunity to come here and be a part of an elite team.

"I think at this point, that's what the payoff is for me after 11 seasons, is to be able to be out here and play in one of the biggest games ever."

Harrison's partnership with quarterback Peyton Manning has been simply astonishing in recent years, threatening to rewrite every NFL record. He puts it all down to hard work.

"We've worked hard from day one. I'd been here a couple of years before Peyton so he knew what I was like. I wanted him to feel comfortable back there as a rookie quarterback."

Harrison's first reception from Manning went for a TD and since then the pair have enjoyed season after season of success, but without that Super Bowl ring.

Manning himself said: "I heard Marvin say recently that he play the games for free, he gets paid to practice. What other marquee player would say that."

Bears cornerback Charles Tillman, who will try to shut down Harrison on Sunday, calls him "the best receiver in the NFL today." Few would disagree.

Harrison's personal achievements are there for all to see, but they aren't something he dwells on.

"It's hard to not think about it when people start talking about it. You have to look at it. But I have a lot of years left to play and when the time comes I'll sit back and think about all the things I've accomplished."

"I don't need to be more famous. At the end of the day, I just want my teammates to know that I was a great player that did a lot to help us win football games. Hopefully I'll have the opportunity to do what a lot of other receivers haven't, which is winning the Super Bowl. It's going to mean a lot to a lot of people in a lot of different ways."

So Harrison is just 60 minutes away from that elusive Super Bowl ring, but don't let the quiet demeanour fool you.

He says: "I've always said throughout the whole course of the week, when everyone says 'congratulations,' that we're happy to be here but this is not our final chapter. It's not what we set out to accomplish this year - to get to the Super Bowl. The main thing is to go out there and win a Super Bowl."

On Sunday night you get the feeling he wouldn't mind facing the cameras one more time.