Steelers embrace hoopla of night practice before 14,000 fans in Latrobe

Steelers players at large were in light and cheerful moods as they boarded buses — in full uniform, carrying helmets — on the Saint Vincent campus.

A convoy of eight buses that carried players, coaches, staffers and the media meandered through cramped streets in downtown Latrobe over the latter stages of the 10-minute ride from the Unity campus.

Fans on the sidewalks or their front porches waved and cheered, some sounding off noisemakers or honking the horns in their cars as the buses rode past.

Once the buses arrived at Memorial Stadium, players entered through a gate in the northwest corner to cheers. Fans lined the 4-foot chain-link fence that borders the running track that surrounds the grass field, calling players over to sign autographs for an allotted 15 minutes prior to the practice’s start.

After stretching and some light individual drills, practice began in earnest as the sun was setting. That left a subtle orange hue over the east side auxiliary bleachers, with puffy light-gray clouds among a hazy sky looming above.

Latrobe officials said the crowd numbered 13,957 — an unofficial record. Both side’s bleachers were full, and the fence around the track was about 90% shoulder-to-shoulder around the stadium with the exception of behind a trio of trucks beyond the south end zone.