Steelers/NFL category, Page 442
Cameron Sutton shows off his versatility in Steelers’ secondary
In the slot. As the dime linebacker. At outside cornerback, strong safety or free. If it’s in the secondary, Cameron Sutton has played it during his two full seasons plus one preseason with the Pittsburgh Steelers. “Any position feels like home,” Sutton said before practice Wednesday at Saint Vincent. Sutton...
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...
Tim Benz, Chris Adamski discuss mood at Steelers camp, Mike Tomlin’s praise of Devin Bush
Wednesday’s “Breakfast With Benz” podcast comes to you from a rainy Saint Vincent College. Steelers practice was washed out halfway through the afternoon session. It was a gloomy day to go along with the dour mood on campus as the team was clearly still thinking about the passing of wide...
Tim Benz: Steelers’ Mike Tomlin compares Devin Bush to Ryan Shazier
Typically, coaches are prone to tamping down this sort of thing. However, if Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is willing to go there, don’t let me stop him. I’m willing to follow. During a news conference Tuesday, Tomlin — unprompted — offered a comparison between first-round draft choice Devin Bush and...
Tim Benz: Are Penguins or Steelers a better bet to win a title?
Here’s something I noticed while hosting Mark Madden’s show on 105.9 the X. It spawned a lot of responses on the phone lines. I keep thinking about it. So I figured it was worthy of following up. I clicked on a story about the Tampa Bay Lightning being the 2020...
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...
Kevin Gorman: The Steelers intend to march on but, first, they prayedVideo
The raindrops fell just as Pittsburgh Steelers players in white jerseys took a knee at Chuck Noll Field, sharing a prayer before position drills in their first practice without Darryl Drake. The wide receivers, the position Drake was in charge of coaching for the Steelers, were first to kneel. The...
NFL preseason debut ‘looked a little big’ for Steelers CB Justin Layne, who vows to adjust
Justin Layne acknowledged nerves all day Friday leading to his NFL preseason debut. “Oh yeah,” the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie cornerback said of being nervous. “Everything about it — walking into the stadium, driving in, checking in — all that. It’s crazy. “But hey, I got to learn.” By his appraisal...
Steelers injury notes: Sean Davis returns to practice, Joe Haden has ‘contusion’
For the first time in more than two weeks, Sean Davis took part in Pittsburgh Steelers practice. The veteran starting free safety took all the regular team reps in Tuesday’s session that was abbreviated by rain. Davis hadn’t practiced since July 28 because of a dislocated finger. Also taking part...
Mike Tomlin: Play from Steelers 3 QBs in preseason opener ‘above the line’
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin didn’t mention any of his three backup quarterbacks by name, but during Tuesday’s news conference he offered an unsolicited hearty endorsement of Josh Dobbs, Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges during the Steelers’ preseason opener four days prior. “I thought, generally, the quarterback play was positive,”...
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 LB Devin Bush draws praise from fellow 1st-rounder Devin White
In Tuesday’s “Breakfast With Benz” podcast, I speak with linebackers Devin White and Devin Bush. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round draft choice, White will forever be linked with Bush, the Steelers’ first-rounder. Same name. Same draft class. Same position. For the entire draft process, they were discussed as if they...
Tim Benz: James Washington’s production for Steelers more important than title
James Washington had a very nice performance in the preseason opener against Tampa Bay. The second-year Steelers wide receiver caught four passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. He got high praise from observers locally and nationally. Now some are wondering whether he is going to supplant Donte Moncrief as...
Tim Benz: New info shows Antonio Brown’s helmet tantrum might have been unnecessary
The details surrounding Antonio Brown’s helmet holdout keep getting more amusing. According to one national report, Brown’s meltdown might have been even more needless than originally thought. Via ProFootballTalk.com: “Brown can’t use his preferred helmet — a Schutt AiR Advantage — in 2019, because that specific helmet is more than...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Steelers great Rocky Bleier ‘grateful’ for ESPN film
SC Featured producer Jon Fish approached Rocky Bleier a decade ago about the idea of doing a documentary where the Pittsburgh Steelers great would return to Vietnam for the first time in 40 years and revisit sites from his tour. “To some degree,” Bleier said, “I kind of poo-pooed it.”...
Steelers Inside the Ropes: Mike Tomlin pushes team to practice through rain
Three-and-a-half hours after he’d held back tears in discussing the loss of his longtime friend Darryl Drake, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin put on a jovial, defiant face at practice Tuesday. On a gray and largely miserable outdoor day at Saint Vincent, it was almost as if Tomlin was insistent...
Kevin Gorman: Rocky Bleier’s return to Vietnam gives new perspectiveVideo
When Rocky Bleier surveyed the open rice paddy at Hiep Duc in the Que Son Valley last August, the Pittsburgh Steelers great tried to visualize the differences of nearly five decades. “Jesus Christ,” Bleier said, stopping in his tracks. “You think about those guys that got killed.” Bleier sniffled, then...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden sound off on Pirates, Antonio Brown
In this edition of “Madden Monday,” Mark Madden and I try to figure out what the Pirates will do in terms of cleaning out the management structure. Mark shares my skepticism that Bob Nutting will act harshly. We both expect a few minor scapegoats, and that’s it. Then we recap...
Steelers WR coach Darryl Drake’s autopsy shows ‘nothing suspicious’
The Westmoreland County Coroner’s office is awaiting the result of toxicology tests to formally rule on the cause of death of Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver coach Darryl Drake who was found Sunday in his dormitory room at Saint Vincent College, Coroner Ken Bacha said Monday. Bacha said an autopsy on...
Tim Benz: Raiders should already regret trading for Antonio Brown
Should any of us be surprised at the nature of the latest Antonio Brown debacle? I’m not even talking about his allegedly cryotherapy-frostbitten feet. I’m talking about him pitching a fit and reportedly staying away from the Raiders in part because he’s mad that the NFL is forcing him to...
Steelers, NFL players and coaches pay tribute to Darryl Drake on social media
The death of Darryl Drake on Sunday morning at training camp at Saint Vincent College stunned the NFL. Tributes to the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers coach on social media from players and coaches were heartfelt. Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who blossomed into a 100-catch, 1,000-yard Pro Bowl pick under Drake,...
Fans construct memorial to late Steelers coach Darryl Drake at Saint Vincent
Eileen Smalley had been parked second in line near Saint Vincent for three-plus hours Sunday morning when a Pittsburgh Steelers training camp staffer informed her practice was canceled. “None of us believed the guy because it’s a beautiful day,” said Smalley of Stahlstown, who arrives to park on Brouwers Road...
John Steigerwald: NFL preseason games give empty feeling to many
Exhibition games used to be for the fans. Now they’re for the coaches, and they’re tough to watch. Unless you’re watching them like a coach, purely as a way to evaluate players. And they were called exhibition games before they were called preseason games. Somewhere along the line, somebody at...
Steelers to also take Monday off to mourn loss of Darryl Drake
The Saint Vincent campus will again be closed to the public Monday as the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to mourn the loss of wide receivers coach Darryl Drake. Drake, 62, died Sunday morning. The Steelers immediately canceled their practice Sunday, and that session will not be made up. The team announced...
Kevin Gorman: Darryl Drake’s death leaves stunned Steelers at a loss for words
The serene setting at Saint Vincent suddenly felt like an eerie silence — save the occasional caws of crows flying among the trees — when the church bells rang at Saint Vincent Basilica to signal Sunday Mass was soon to start. A sudden pall was cast over the site of...
