Chris Adamski stories, Page 155
Undrafted Steelers rookie QB Devlin Hodges draws rave reviews
As Devlin Hodges spoke to reporters after practice Wednesday at Saint Vincent, a pair of rookie teammates laughed and made loud quacking noises as they walked past. Hodges didn’t miss a beat, remaining undeterred, similar to a quarterback patiently staying on his reads while pass-rushers approach. It takes a lot...
Brian Allen, Jerald Hawkins added to Steelers’ lengthy injury list, albeit most considered minor
Another practice at Saint Vincent, another large group of Pittsburgh Steelers players who were not in pads and watching from the sidelines. Other than the scare caused by Joe Haden leaving the field on a cart, the list of those who sat out practice Wednesday on Chuck Noll Field mostly...
Steelers specialists to split time with rookies in preseason opener
The Pittsburgh Steelers are giving equal time to each of the candidates in their kicking and punting competitions. Embattled incumbent kicker Chris Boswell will alternate kicks with rookie Matthew Wright during Friday’s preseason opener, coach Mike Tomlin said Wednesday. And Tomlin said fifth-year punter Jordan Berry will handle every other...
Josh Dobbs to start at QB in Steelers’ preseason openerVideo
The competition for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ No. 2 quarterback job will take center stage Friday night at Heinz Field. During a Wednesday news conference at Saint Vincent, coach Mike Tomlin cleared up the division of labor at quarterback for the preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As expected, it...
Steelers Inside the Ropes: Devlin ‘Duck Dynasty’ Hodges making plays
“Let’s go, ‘Duck Dynasty,’ ” coach Mike Tomlin yelled toward his offense on the sidelines before the final drill of Tuesday’s Pittsburgh Steelers practice. So Devlin Hodges ran into the huddle and took over the hurry-up, late-game simulation between second-teamers. Earlier in practice and for the second time in recent...
Alejandro Villanueva among 3 starters, 2 rookie draft picks to leave Steelers practice
It was a display of, as Mike Tomlin puts it, “the bumps and bruises associated with this point in the journey.” Tuesday’s Pittsburgh Steelers practice at Saint Vincent was the most attrition-rattling of training camp. Eight players left the session early because of injuries of varying severity and to different...
Steelers sign St. Francis (Pa.)’s Jermaine Ponder in roster swap of cornerbacks
For the second time in six days, the Pittsburgh Steelers swapped out cornerbacks. On Tuesday, they announced the signing of former St. Francis (Pa.) defensive back Jermaine Ponder and waived/injured Derrek Thomas. Thomas was signed Thursday but lasted only three practices before suffering an undisclosed injury. Thomas had replaced Herb...
Mammoth guard Fred Johnson hard to miss at Steelers training camp, gets shot at tackle
Fred Johnson might be the tallest guard who’s ever attended a Pittsburgh Steelers training camp. And in what might have been a sign of just how much Johnson intrigues the Steelers, they even threw him into the proverbial fire at tackle, too. For the 2-minute drill simulation at the end...
Maurkice Pouncey, Artie Burns leave Steelers Heinz Field practice with minor injuries
Maurkice Pouncey, Artie Burns and Dionate Johnson were among Pittsburgh Steelers who left Sunday’s practice at Heinz Field because of injuries that are not expected to be serious. Veteran cornerback Burns and rookie receiver Johnson had previously been dealing with groin injuries, but each had taken part of some drills...
In 2nd camp with Steelers, WR Tevin Jones getting look
Though Tevin Jones began Pittsburgh Steelers training camp toward the bottom of the wide receivers depth chart and getting scant reps, in recent days the big and athletic receiver has been opening eyes. At 26 and his fourth NFL training camp, Jones has been with the Steelers for 19 months....
Dan McCullers used more, shows versatility in 6th Steelers camp
Big Dan is no longer just the big man taking up space in the middle of the defense. In his sixth Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, Dan McCullers is being used more often and getting more reps than he typically did in his previous five. While his time at nose tackle...
Steelers Inside The Ropes: Light practice salvaged by 2-minute drill conclusion, JuJu’s TD
No shoulder pads. No Big Ben, nor almost half of the other offensive and defensive starters. Half-speed drills, lots of special teams. In short, it was largely a dud of a practice from an entertainment perspective for the big Saturday crowd on hand at Saint Vincent. Until, that is, the...
Steelers’ Mike Hilton shows versatility taking snaps at free safety
Getting reps at free safety during this training camp? That’s nothing to Mike Hilton. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ slot cornerback the past two seasons, Hilton was highly recruited to SEC colleges as a running back. “I got (to Ole Miss) and kinda realized in looking at the other college backs,” the...
Steelers Inside the Ropes: Chris Boswell, Jordan Berry put on notice
Thursday’s Pittsburgh Steelers practice proved rookies Ian Berryman and Matthew Wright are pushing five-year incumbent punter Jordan Berry and kicker Chris Boswell, respectively. Berryman and Wright were signed as priority undrafted free agents after the draft in April, and both have shown they possess NFL-worthy potential. Berry and Berryman each...
Steelers embrace annual ‘Friday Night Lights’ in Latrobe
For Cameron Heyward, it was a little girl who approached him to autograph a program. To Alejandro Villanueva, what stands out about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ annual Friday Night Lights practice is the ride on the caravan of buses weaving through Latrobe. “It’s cool to sort of drive around in the...
Alejandro Villanueva/Cameron Heyward Steelers practice scuffle all about ‘Game of Thrones?’
A day after the first on-field scuffle between teammates at this year’s Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, the two affable veteran players involved in it were able to laugh it off. Alejandro Villanueva’s tongue-in-cheek explanation for the punch he threw toward Cameron Heyward after Heyward had lunged at him? It was...
Spirited practice includes 1st skirmish of Steelers camp: Cam Heyward, Alejandro Villanueva
The first practice of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp was Friday, and the first that included pads was Sunday. Wednesday is when the intensity ramped up a notch. Perhaps it was the off day Tuesday that recharged the competitive juices, maybe it was the 98-degree heat index or now that camp...
Steelers Inside the Ropes: JuJu Smith-Schuster vs. Joe Haden this camp’s marquee matchup
Two years ago, Antonio Brown vs. Artie Burns was the must-see individual battle of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp. Things change quickly in the NFL, but the 2019 version of No. 1 WR and shutdown cornerback features, arguably, an even better matchup: JuJu Smith-Schuster against Joe Haden. Though Haden’s reps are...
Steelers Inside the Ropes: Receiver Diontae Johnson shows his skillsVideo
It wasn’t quite a day that a reasonable fan should be saying, “AB who?” — as a spectator from the Chuck Noll Field bleachers was heard saying Monday. But Diontae Johnson showed off some of the skills that compelled the Pittsburgh Steelers to spend a high third-round pick on him....
Steelers union representative Ramon Foster endorses expanded NFL playoff format
In agreement with his union brethren, Ramon Foster again said Monday he was against the NFL’s reported proposal of an 18-game regular season in which players appear in only 16 of those games. But, surprisingly, Foster isn’t against ALL additional games. “I’m all for expanding the playoffs,” the Pittsburgh Steelers...
Steelers injury update: Donte Moncrief leaves practice with finger injury
T.J. Watt and Sean Davis remained out of practice Monday at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp. Another starter joined them, but it does not appear to be serious. Veteran receiver Donte Moncrief left toward the end of practice at Saint Vincent after he collided with Artie Burns on deep ball that...
The Trib’s Steelers depth chart through the first 4 training-camp practices
Coming into Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, not many starting positions were up for grabs. Right tackle is the only obvious one, though inside linebacker needs sorting out, too. Receiver roles need defined, but unlike offensive tackle, being designated “starter” does not guarantee a majority of snaps, similar to how being...
Steelers camp primer: Ben Roethlisberger likely gets a full day, but which veterans sit?
Each day of Steelers training camp, the Trib rounds up some things to pay attention to during practice at Saint Vincent: WHAT TO WATCH Ben is back: Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is settling into his usual camp routine of full day/half day/day off. Well, Monday is practice No. 4, which means...
Artie Burns gets 1st-team reps on day his Steelers $800,000 roster bonus was due
It apparently was so far off the radar Mike Tomlin would not even entertain the thought. “I didn’t know that he was in adversity,” the Pittsburgh Steelers coach said Sunday of his former first-round draft pick cornerback Artie Burns. Over a span of about 14 months between ending in late...
Ben Roethlisberger, Maurkice Pouncey among veterans given day off at Steelers camp
During the Pittsburgh Steelers regular season under Mike Tomin, Wednesday traditionally has been Veteran’s Day. In training camp, the holiday is spread out more evenly, and it began Sunday. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, center Maurkice Pouncey and linebacker Mark Barron were excused from the first padded practice at Saint Vincent. Cornerback...
