INDIANAPOLIS — Being a Pittsburgh Steelers fan comes easy to Jaime Phillips Goins.

Even in Indianapolis.

The 1995 Knoch graduate has been living in Indianapolis for 12 years. Her passion for the Steelers has only grown during that time.

Since Jan. 15, 2006 — when she attended the Steelers' 21-18 playoff win over the Colts in Indianapolis — Goins has seen the Steelers play in 23 different cities.

“It all started when I bumped into some Steelers fans tailgating in the parking lot that day,” Goins recalled. “It was a cold day and they had a grill with a nice flame that attracted me.

“Two of the fans there had attended Duquesne (University), I attended Duquesne, so we got to talking that way. There were three fans there from Aliquippa.

“I went to the Super Bowl in Detroit that year, was walking around a corner and bumped into the three again. They told me about a trip they were making the next year to see the Steelers play, that I should come ... That's how it all started,” she added.

And it hasn't stopped.

To date, Goins has been to Steeler games in London (this year), Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cleveland, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Arizona, Dallas, Houston, Tennessee, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, New England, Buffalo, Denver, Jacksonville, Kansas City, New York, Washington D.C. and New Orleans.

“Every Steeler game is a road game for me, so why not?” she said of making the trips.

Goins makes her living running the bypass machine during open-heart surgery at a hospital. Her husband of 18 months, Bryan, is co-owner of a construction business.

The couple has been together for three years. Bryan Goins is a New England Patriots fan.

“That was almost a deal breaker,” he said, laughing. “I never knew a woman could be as into football as she is.”

Goins has accompanied his wife on at least seven Steelers trips, including London this year, New Orleans and Dallas.

“We went to New Orleans on Halloween,” Jaime said. “That was memorable ... so much fun.”

The trips usually last from Thursday through Sunday “so we can take a day or two and see the city,” she said.

Jaime Goins wears the same outfit to the game each time, painting her face black and gold with the Steelers emblem, donning a Steelers jersey, tights, a Steelers skirt and long, gold eyelashes.

She finds a fan of the home team — similarly decked out in that team's colors — and has a picture taken with that person every time.

“I've got quite a collection of photos,” she said.

Her outfit is so unique that fellow traveling Steeler fans have recognized her.

“I was in Cleveland at the game and a fan walked up to me and said, 'Hey, I saw you in Arizona,'” Goins said, laughing.

“Jaime owns more than 30 Steeler jerseys and has a closet full of Steeler T-shirts, well over 100 of them,” her husband said.

“I support what she does 100 percent. She's turned me into a Steelers supporter. I even wear a Steelers jersey when they play New England — but I have a Patriots shirt on underneath.”

When the couple were married, they got matching Steelers jerseys with the name “Goins” on the back.

When the Steelers are not on regular network TV in the Indianapolis area or the pair didn't travel to the game, they attend a Steelers bar in the city.

“It's like going to a home game,” Jaime said. “There's 150 to 200 people there, all wearing Steelers gear, totally into the game the whole time. It's awesome.”

Coordinating time off work to travel to games has not been a problem.

“My schedule's flexible and Jaime goes to work on travel plans the day the Steelers schedule comes out for the following season,” Bryan said.

“Plans are usually set up before that day is over,” Jaime said of the day the NFL schedule is released. “I'm already anticipating possible trips to Atlanta and Miami next year.”

She'll also be going to Canton, Ohio, for the Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions as part of the Professional Football Ultimate Fan Association.

The organization — featuring fans from all over the country representing different NFL teams — congregates for Hall of Fame weekend each year and does charity work and participates in the Hall of Fame parade.

“I only joined last year, but the organization goes back to 2000 or so,” Goins said. “They don't accept everybody. I went through an hour-and-a-half interview process over the phone, filled out a bunch of forms.

“They make sure you're a good person,” she said.

“There's between 110 and 120 of us, and I'm the first Steelers fan to join,” Goins said proudly. “We all come in for the weekend wearing the colors of our teams. It's so much fun.

“It is amazing. I'm a bigger Steeler fan now than I was when I lived back home. I absolutely love it,” she said.