Joe Rutter stories, Page 114
Steelers’ Mike Tomlin mum on QB rotation against Titans
Ben Roethlisberger is going to start Sunday night against the Tennessee Titans. Beyond that, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin won’t reveal which backup quarterback will enter the game immediately after Roethlisberger wraps up his preseason debut. Could be Mason Rudolph. Could be Josh Dobbs. Heck, it could even be Devlin...
How much time? Steelers debate Ben Roethlisberger’s preseason playing time
If recent history is any indication, Ben Roethlisberger will put on his helmet Sunday night and play two series – three tops – when the Pittsburgh Steelers play at Tennessee in their third preseason game. Then, the veteran quarterback will slip on a baseball cap and wait until the season...
Ray Sherman added to Steelers staff as interim wide receivers coach
The Pittsburgh Steelers formally added Ray Sherman to the coaching staff for the 2019 season, naming him interim wide receivers coach Thursday. Sherman will replace Darryl Drake, who died Aug. 11. Sherman, 67, had been working with the Steelers since the start of training camp as a consultant. Coaching assistant...
NBC to use ‘High Sky’ play-by-play camera for Steelers-Titans game Sunday
The Steelers’ preseason game Sunday night in Tennessee will offer a different viewpoint for television viewers. Instead of using the traditional sideline camera angle, NBC will implement the “High Sky” camera as the primary play-by-play angle. The camera will be positioned at the line of scrimmage and 50 feet above...
Steelers receivers grateful to have Ray Sherman on board until vacancy is filled
When James Washington reported to his second training camp with the Pittsburgh Steelers, it didn’t take long to discover Darryl Drake wasn’t the only veteran coach providing wisdom in his position room. Ray Sherman, who served as the team’s offensive coordinator in 1998, was back at Saint Vincent from the...
Steelers’ JuJu Smith-Schuster wears wristbands to honor late coach Darryl Drake
First, Donte Moncrief bought hooded sweatshirts for the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers with one of Darryl Drake’s favorite sayings printed on the front. Now, JuJu Smith-Schuster has found a way to remember the team’s late receivers coach. As he met with the media Wednesday morning, Smith-Schuster sported a pair of...
Steelers get back to routine as they prep for 3rd preseason game
Training camp at Saint Vincent gave way Monday to the Pittsburgh Steelers returning to their practice facility at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side. The transition coincides with preparation for the third preseason game, otherwise known as the “dress rehearsal” for the regular-season opener. It’s the game in...
Steelers pull out preseason win over ChiefsVideo
The day began with coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert attending Darryl Drake’s funeral in Tennessee. It ended with the Pittsburgh Steelers, observing a moment of silence and wearing decals on their helmets Saturday night to honor their late wide receivers coach, carving out a 17-7 victory against...
Coaches, friends share wisdom, values taught by Darryl Drake
Darryl Drake was more than a football coach. He was a husband, father and grandfather. He was a proud singer and occasional prankster. He was spiritual and loyal — to his family, friends and vocation. Drake was 62 when he died last Sunday morning, passing away in his sleep a...
Benny Snell leads pack of 5 Steelers to watch in 2nd preseason game
Mike Tomlin sounded like he was narrating the introduction to “Days of Our Lives” on Thursday when he talked about how the “sand is running through the hourglass” for players to make the Pittsburgh Steelers roster. “Guys are losing the opportunities to state the case for themselves,” Tomlin said, “so...
Steelers OLB Ola Adeniyi reveals surgery for unspecified injury
Outside linebacker Ola Adeniyi, one of the early stars for the Pittsburgh Steelers in training camp, had surgery Friday morning for an unspecified injury, according to his social media accounts. Adeniyi posted a post-surgery photo from his hospital bed on his Instagram account but later deleted the post. Adeniyi also...
Steelers Inside the Ropes: Kickers take center stage at final camp practice
Coach Mike Tomlin’s intention is to have kickers Chris Boswell and Matthew Wright alternate attempts Saturday when the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Kansas City Chiefs in their second preseason game. Circumstances, however, could lead to Tomlin changing his mind. “We have a couple more days of work,” Tomlin said Thursday...
Ryan Switzer: Steelers WRs were sons Darryl Drake never had
Darryl Drake was blessed to have three daughters with wife Sheila. What he lacked in male offspring, he made up for with the wide receivers he coached during his lengthy NFL and college career. That was especially true during Drake’s 18-month tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers, when he touched the...
Steelers daily preview: Last chance to catch workouts at Saint Vincent
Each day of Steelers training camp, the Trib rounds up some things to pay attention to during practice at Saint Vincent: WHAT TO WATCH End of the road: The 54th consecutive season of the Steelers training at Saint Vincent will conclude with the team practicing without pads. It is the...
Steelers’ Devin Bush, Zach Gentry sit out final padded practice of camp
The Pittsburgh Steelers broke out the pads for the final time at training camp Wednesday, but three members of the team’s draft class were not a part of the hard-hitting workout. The most notable absence was first-round draft pick Devin Bush, who was in uniform but watched practice while sporting...
Alejandro Villanueva: Darryl Drake wouldn’t want Steelers to ‘dwell’ on his passingVideo
As the only player on the Pittsburgh Steelers roster to serve in the military, left tackle Alejandro Villanueva has experienced tragic loss, watching young boys in his platoon die while fighting overseas. An Army Ranger who was deployed three times to Afghanistan, Villanueva was awarded a Bronze Star, among other...
Steelers daily preview: Ray Sherman steps in to help out wide receivers
Each day of Steelers training camp, the Trib rounds up some things to pay attention to during practice at Saint Vincent: WHAT TO WATCH Filling a void: For the rain-abbreviated practice Tuesday, the first for the Steelers since the death of wide receivers coach Darryl Drake, the position was overseen...
Mike Tomlin ‘devastated’ by death of Steelers WR coach Darryl DrakeVideo
With a heavy heart and speaking at times while his a voice crackled with emotion, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin tried his best Tuesday to articulate what Darryl Drake meant to players, coaches and himself. Drake, the team’s wide receivers coach, died early Sunday morning in the college dorms, leaving...
Steelers WRs coach Darryl Drake dies at 62
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers coach Darryl Drake died Sunday morning at age 62, the team announced. Drake was entering his second season with the Steelers. No cause of death was immediately released. “We are at a loss for words following Darryl Drake’s passing this morning,” Steelers president Art Rooney II...
Steelers daily preview: Wide receivers try to build off productive preseason opener
Each day of Steelers training camp, the Trib rounds up some things to pay attention to during practice at Saint Vincent: WHAT TO WATCH Unsung wide receivers: While JuJu Smith-Schuster, Donte Moncrief and rookie third-rounder Diontae Johnson were rested for the preseason opener against Tamp Bay, fringe players such as...
Towering Zach Gentry gives Steelers clarity in tight end pecking order
A familiar scene unfolded in the third quarter Saturday night at Heinz Field. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback scrambled around in the pocket, searching for a target in the back of the end zone. He let loose a high throw, and the tall, lanky tight end wearing a No. 81 jersey...
Backup QBs, Washington help Steelers win preseason opener vs. BuccaneersVideo
The chance to be No. 2 was twice as nice for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday night at Heinz Field. Joshua Dobbs and Mason Rudolph did little to hurt their chances of winning the No. 2 quarterback job, and wide receiver James Washington took a step toward earning the second...
Chris Boswell among 5 players to watch in Steelers’ preseason opener
Since the day the 2018 season ended short of a playoff appearance, the Pittsburgh Steelers have waited for the opportunity when they could start making amends. That process begins Friday in the form of the preseason opener that will help define the makeup of the 53-man roster the Steelers will...
Woodland Hills’ Trevon Mathis joins Steelers; RB Ralph Webb waived
Beset by injuries at cornerback during training camp, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed free agent Trevon Mathis, a Western Pennsylvania native who attended Woodland Hills before enrolling at Toledo. Mathis is 5-foot-10, 186 pounds. He was signed to provide depth in the wake of injuries to Justin Layne, Brian Allen, Artie...
Steelers Inside the Ropes: Boswell sharp again, makes 2 beyond 50 yards
In the final practice before the preseason opener, the Pittsburgh Steelers put their kickers to one more test Wednesday at Saint Vincent. Chris Boswell and rookie Matthew Wright alternated attempts toward the goalpost at the hillside of Chuck Noll Field. The kickers then concluded practice by kicking in simulated “mayday”...
