Miller, other Steelers nurse minor injuries
Friday, July 31, 2009
By Ed Bouchette Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin today revealed that tight end Heath Miller, who signed a six-year, $35.3 million contract this week, had surgery in June to repair a sports hernia and will be limited in practice at training camp for a while.
Tomlin, though, said the team is merely being cautious with Miller and he expects him to be fine for the regular season. Miller had surgery to repair a sports hernia after his senior season at Virginia and before the Steelers drafted him in the first round in 2005.
Also, Tomlin said several veterans will be limited in practices with various injuries: safety Troy Polamalu and cornerback Deshea Townsend with hamstring problems, center Justin Hartwig with a toe injury and guard/center Darnell Stapleton with swelling in his knee.
Running back Stefan Logan, signed from the Canadian League, will open camp on the physically unable to perform list with a mid-foot sprain.
Avoiding repeat of ’06 nightmare is issue for Steelers
Friday, July 31, 2009
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Sometime tonight, after the Steelers report to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, after coach Mike Tomlin puts them through their run test, after their first dinner of training camp together, a senior member of the roster will talk about being a Super Bowl champion.
He won’t talk much about Super Bowl XLIII, nor even so much about Super Bowl XLIV, but of what occurred in the aftermath of Super Bowl XL. No Steelers team ever fell so flat as reigning champion than did the 2006 edition, and many from that team hope there is a lesson there for this one.
“Coming back after that Super Bowl,” said one captain, Hines Ward, “I think we had that cockiness where [we thought] we could just walk in and walk over anybody.”
Instead, the Steelers turned into welcome mats, losing six of their first eight games. Despite a second-half surge, they finished 8-8 in 2006 and out of the playoffs. Coach Bill Cowher topped off one of their most unsatisfactory seasons when he resigned.
“That’s the most disappointing thing,” Ward said. “You win the Super Bowl and come out the next year and don’t even make the playoffs. A lot of guys are still on the team, and we reflect on that.”
The current 80-man roster includes 21 who experienced both a Super Bowl victory followed by an 8-8 season. That should be enough to recall the pitfalls and to point out different paths for them to follow this time.
“A lot of guys on this team have experience winning a Super Bowl and seeing what happened the following season,” cornerback Deshea Townsend said. “With experience, it makes you better. I’m sure we’ll take that experience we have from the first time and try to make it better.”
And what did they learn?
“We definitely can’t walk into anybody’s stadium and think just because we’re champs we can go out and not practice and not put in the time and energy and go out and prepare ourselves like we’re going in for a battle,” Ward said.
Five times, the Steelers have entered a season as Super Bowl champions. Twice, they did not reach the postseason (1980, 2006) and once they lost in the AFC championship game (1976). Twice, they followed with a second consecutive Super Bowl victory (1975, ’79).
Today, they report to training camp for the sixth time as reigning champions, and some might say they are due to make it again. Ward was outspoken all spring about how that 2006 team did not take its task seriously enough, and he promised things would be different this season.
“I just think the guys we have on this team — not to knock the guys we had on our other team, but there’s a purpose. The last time we went there, we really didn’t come out and do what we were supposed to do the following year, and I think a lot of guys remember that.”
Ward also thinks that keeping the Super Bowl team of last season mostly intact should help. The Steelers return 20 of 22 starters from the team that lined up against the Arizona Cardinals in Tampa Feb. 1.
The only ones missing are cornerback Bryant McFadden, who shared time with new starter William Gay, and linebacker Larry Foote, who likely would have given way to first-round 2007 draft choice, Lawrence Timmons, anyway.
They also lost No. 3 wide receiver Nate Washington, whose job may be the most difficult to fill. Among the candidates are Limas Sweed, their second-round draft choice in 2008, and a third-round pick from this year, Mike Wallace.
“Both of those guys are right in the mix, along with Dallas Baker and all those guys,” said Ward. “With the loss of Nate Washington, we don’t have the guy who has the experience to go out there and play if Santonio [Holmes] or I were to go down.”
Holmes and Ward are the only experienced wide receivers besides Shaun McDonald, signed in May as a free agent from the Detroit Lions. All looked good in the spring, but, starting this weekend, the playing field changes.
“It’s different when you put the pads on — going across the middle, getting hit, going one on one, it’s a totally different ballgame,” Ward noted. “We’ll see what type of talents and skills they have in training camp.”
Harrison, Steelers roll into camp
Jim Wexell SteelCityInsider.com
Posted Jul 31, 2009
No Ben Roethlisberger interviews at Rooney Hall, but Casey Hampton, Trai Essex and Willie Colon showed up in good shape. So did James Harrison, who rolled up in a two-seat Smart car and answered these questions:
Q: What are the benefits of driving that?
A: Not that much on gas. Other than that, there’s a lot of room, but not for the suitcases. It’s fast, too. It’ll go 90, 95.
A: I’m just happy to be here to get started and trying to duplicate what we did last year.
Q: Will that mean another big interception return?
A: If that’s what it takes, so be it. If not, so be it, too.
Q: Do you have any more perspective on that play with the time off?
A: Uh…
Q: How did it happen?
A: How did it happen? Well, everything kind of came together with a little bit of luck.
Q: Catch your breath yet?
A: Yeah. I caught my breath about two weeks after.
Q: You’d told reporters before the game you didn’t like the game plan because you would be dropping too much. Dropping kind of paid off there, didn’t it?
A: That was just a bunch of lies to tell you all, get you all writing something the other team might believe.
Q: So, it worked, right?
A: I actually wasn’t supposed to drop on that play.
Q: You weren’t supposed to drop?
A: I was supposed to blitz. I figured all night we were a step late, and we had an all-out blitz and I figured if I stepped I could hold my tackle and just drop out in case of a quick slant, in or out, and I just happened to be right there. I guess my height helped me that time.
Q: Do you have the freedom to do that?
A: You know, technique, opportunity and all that other stuff met, with a little bit of luck. Sometimes you feel that might be the play that will do it. Coach LeBeau didn’t mind it.
Q: Do you expect to see a lot of spread-the-field, quick-throw offenses this year?
A: I’m not really too worried about what offenses are doing. As long as we play our defense the way it’s supposed to be played, we’ll be fine.
Q: Last Super Bowl team fell flat. How do you guard against that this year?
A: I feel like we guarded against that this year in preparation. I think last time we won the Super Bowl a lot of guys were real lax and took too much time off in getting back to what needed to be done. I feel this year everybody stayed focused and got back to it.
Q: Were you as maniacal in your training as you usually are?
A: Yeah.
Q: And did any more teammates join you in your workouts?
A: Not really. A few guys work out with the same trainer that I do, but everybody got their own things that help them.
Q: Did you bulk up?
A: Actually I lost a little weight. Do I look thick?
Q: Yes.
A: My legs got big. You should see my legs. Wait till we put the pads on.
Q: How much weight did you drop?
A: A few pounds to about 250.
Q: Do you feel that after last year people will be looking at you differently?
A: Yeah. I know they do. Look at these cameras. Other than that, I don’t really feel any different.
Q: Do you expect any more respect from the officials in regard to holding?
A: They really watched it in the Super Bowl, so hopefully that’s a start.
Q: Do you worry about your quarterback’s state of mind?
A: Nah.
Q: How’s your son?
A: He’s doing good, real good.
Q: Is he 100 percent, ready to go?
A: Hundred percent. He has a few scars, but he was back walking in like six days. He’s just got a few scars, but he’s fine.
Q: James, what do you do for an encore?
A: I do whatever it is I need to do to make the defense better. It’s not about me. It’s the Pittsburgh Steelers, not James Harrison. My numbers may not be as good as last year’s, but as long as we get better as a total defense, I’m happy.
Q: You get that big contract and you buy a Smart car?
A: I didn’t buy the car. I got it on, let’s say lease or loan, something like that.
Q: The picture’s going to be everywhere. They accomplished their objective, didn’t they?
A: Maybe. We’ll see.
About the Author Jim McMillen
The Editor & Chief, the brains so to say, behind Pittsburgh Blitz. Jim is a rabid sports fan who just loves his Stillers, Pens and Buccos. Feel free to contact us at steelerguy26[@]yahoo.com if you have any questions or comments or would like to join our staff and write for Pittsburgh Blitz.
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