July 26, 2025 • 43 mins
Wes Uhler steps in for hour 2, as he and Max Starks continue coverage and lead into the Hall of Honor Class announcement.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
Iheartradios. Live coverage of about twenty twenty five Steelers training
camp is presented by FedEx where Now meets Next and
also brought to you by CGR Wholesale, Roofing and Sighting
Supply Center, by Tom's Appliances, by Always Saint Flagging and
Traffic Control by Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, by Schneider Downs,
(00:28):
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by Castle Rock, by Clearview Federal Credit Union, and by
US Steel.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Back in the locker room here at Saint Vincent College,
Another beautiful day in Latrobe. A little bit of rain
over the last hour, but now blue skies, sunshine, humidity,
all that good stuff that makes stuff.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
That we love in the Laurel Highlands.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Right, could be South Carolina, could Florida. You'd have me fooled.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Yeah, you don't know the difference. I mean, except for
when you hear the accents. That's the only thing that
do we hear banjos or no banjos.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
That's exactly right. Yeah, I was in I was in
Hilton Head the week before training camp with the family,
and it's hilarious. The weather is very similar here you
get that random half an hour of tough rain, but
then the rest of the day it's eighty eight degrees
and sunny, yes, slogging at you as the as the
guys are slogging through another walk through this morning down
(01:31):
on the turf field as to keep the grass conditions
dry and pristine here of course, before today's first Saturday
practice Max. One fifty five as they are throughout this
camp except for the Friday Night lights one a week
from today obviously, which will be a Friday night practice
over at latrob Memorial Stadium today. The first Saturday practice
(01:52):
always a crazy one in terms of like this is always,
you know, usually one of the two or three biggest
attended practices of the year. First Saturday of training camp
and it's the whole welcome back the football Saturday. So
Mike Toman will take the microphone and address the crowd
at some point during practice. First two days have been fun,
but today is when it really starts to pay It.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Starts to ramp up. So NFL Network will be over
there stationed in the football field, sorry, the baseball field area.
They'll get their set probably started, starting build probably in
the next about half hour or so, so you'll get
all of all of the personalities there. Obviously, we're expecting
on Tuesday, Pat McAfee show will be out here as well,
and that's going to be its own circus. That's gonna
(02:33):
be that actually will probably be I would put that
up there in top two attended practices.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
I there is a chance that at least in and
this is my eighth year, so I'm not I'm not
pursuita And you know who's covered thirty some of these,
Dale Wawlly, Who's covered thirty some of these? But eight,
it's a pretty pretty solid size.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
It is a good measuring sting there.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
You know, we'll be in middle school in a couple
more years. Yeah, I bet you that'll be the highest
attended weekday practice that I've ever seen out here.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Absolutely, I would concur easily be the highest attended because
we know the cult following that Pat brings. And he's
also another Western Pa boy right plumb Borough.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
I mean yeah, about forty five minutes away.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
From exactly, so half of the attendance will just be
his family, uh up there. Yeah, a bunch of plums
out here, Yeah, Missy as well. So yeah, which I
still can't wait on because I know Missy and I
are going to do a couple of the training camp
live shows together. Can't wait to see Missy make her
way up here, probably next week. So you know, excited
(03:35):
to get the band completely back together again, because I mean,
she she is team mom, She's she's radio broadcast team
mom and uh and just wonderful. But you know, when
we think about just these practices and how they'll ramp up,
and especially with knowing that pads are going to be
on Tuesday totally, so you get McAfee and pads, it's
going to be electric. I'm not saying take a sick day.
(03:58):
I'm not saying that at all. Yeah, pto, you know,
or if you have a cough that morning, that's like.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
The Monday when you leave work, you're like, God, guys,
don't don't come near me. I think I might have
something coming on. I'm starting to feeling in my spine.
I got that weird twig and don't don't don't come
too near me.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
I see how felt a little chess thing, A little
chess thing going on.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
I need some tissues, my noses run a little bit.
Just stay away. I'll text you in the morning and
let you.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Know how I'm feeling exactly that. So I think that
day you'll see a lot less production in the in
the business world going on around Western PA. But I mean,
but that, but that, and that's the whole thing about
just this training came environment, things ramp up. There's milestones
ahead totally that chart the progress of the formation of
(04:42):
this team, because right now it's not a team. It's
a collection of ninety five bodies and they are sprawled
out all across that turf field right now warming up,
doing leg swings and everything. But you've got to whittle
that group down to almost half to get to your
fifty three. And then, like you said, you're still trying
to find also those six gyms that you can put
in the stable in the practice squad chamber.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Keeping your eyes around the rest of the league as
well too it who's available, who might get cut, who
else you could be.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Adding managing your injuries as well. Yeah, I'm just saying,
we just got Chuck Clark out there practice. Yeah, so
it's like it's like, yeah, he's on the field ready
to go. How many times did we see that, like
over the last number of years with Omar Khan like,
wait a second, we got like two new guys out
here signed.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Ten minutes later, he's out there running down the hill.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Here comes Mason Rudolf taking a shot right at exactly so.
So that's that's also the fun kind of check. I
call it the chess match, right, because you're you're swapping
pieces and they have different values within the team structure.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
And you know what to that that whole like ecosystem.
It's very there's a lot of school calendar references that
we can make that are kind of adjacent to this.
When you show up for the first day of school,
the first week of school, the first month of school,
you don't sit down and it's like, all right, let's
get right into advanced trig here, okay, exactly the whole
(06:04):
first nine weeks when you were in middle school in
high school. Right, it's reinforcing everything you learned the previous year.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Yeah, it's to prevent the summer drop that you're gonna
have a knowledge because you've been off for two months
and you haven't had to be on your A game.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
You don't come right into school in August or Labor
day September and right after syllabus week you're dissecting a
frog right away, you know what I mean, Like you
got to in biology class. You got to ramp up
to it a little bit. You gotta that first nine
weeks get everybody back.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
In the repetition, right. Repetition is reinforce.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Your fundamentals, your baseline, what you already know, what you've
already been taught, what you already do well, and then
start to build on it from there. And you're right,
this Saturday, the welcome back to football Saturday, the Hall
of Honor stuff that comes with all of that kind
of feels like that first real.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Milestone, as the first real milestone a camp. And like
you said, this is where the fans start to get excited,
right because now you're getting the bigger venue of people.
You're starting to feel the pressure that were one day
closer to the regular season than we were yesterday.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
It's gonna be here next week.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
It's gonna be here quick and fast. And you know
you and you also have to put a group together
to go out there and play a preseason game, you know,
August ninth, right.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Two weeks from tomorrow, Yeah, two weeks.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
From tomorrow, we will be in uh where we're going
to Jacksonville. Gosh, I'm so happy I'm not gonna be
on the field for that. And that's that's the one
time where it's like being in the booth. I'm like, yes, Like,
Florida in August is the worst. You know, growing up
as a kid in Florida and playing high school football
in August, and then of course college at the University
(07:37):
of Florida, which is not that far about forty five
minutes from Jacksonville. When you get into preseason camp, it
is miserable. It is muggy as sweating. We had the
preseason game down there a couple of years ago and
I'm sitting down there, me and aj Ross and we
are just melting. And I'll never forget this. I'm sure
Reggae will appreciate it, because like, hey, Max, we need
to we need to wear pants. I said, I said
(07:59):
pants in Florida on the sidelines first weekend August, first
week in August. Are you sure we can't just get
like a chest up type of thing for TV. He's like, no, no,
we need pants. And then afterwards, when they realized that
the size differential to me and aj it was I
was like, I was like I'm where I am dying
down here.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Okay, So funny story for you from that same game.
That was my first game ever when I got the
promotion into the booth.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Okay, yeah, so no longer it.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
You know, my first four years with the team and
with with Steelers Nation Radio and everything, I was in
our DVE studios. You're the man in the studio with
Brian with Tom on on on game days. Home game, away,
game didn't matter. I was in the preseason playoffs. I
was in the DV studios. But then I got the
traveling promotion that now I'm in the booth forever.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
You're the engineer home.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Away preseason playoffs, America, Dublin. It don't matter.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
I'm there.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
I'm there in the booth. I do the halftime show
as well too. That Jacksonville game that you just referenced
in the preseason was my first ever game traveling with
the team, and it was my first ever as the
broadcast engineer. Like that was game number one of my promotion.
So I'm nervous. I'm anxious about all the equipment, all
the setup, just the whole process of it. I figured
(09:15):
like I gotta look decent, like I'm part, you know
what I mean, Like, yeah, so I wore slack. I
brought slack. You know, I had like a white Steelers poem.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
I remember that, Yeah, and slacks, and I.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Think you were part of this. I get into the
booth for the game and it's like you and Missy
and Quinnlan and Wolf and and Billy, and everyone looks
at me and they're like you, what are.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
You doing.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Pants?
Speaker 3 (09:37):
You're the engineer.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
No one's gonna.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
After this game that you have to look presentable.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
I'm like, I was like, I didn't know if I
had to dress nice for every game, if I could
wear shorts.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
I didn't know. And that was the one where we
were headed to the team playing because you know, I
was confectionately talked to Aiden Hennessy the.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Best except for being a Washington Capitals and an Alexandrovtchkin guy,
he's the best.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Yeah, other than that part. So I just remember for
the first so I'm driving, I had to stop by
like the DXL because I don't have pants, because I'm like,
why would I wear pants if I'm on radio, right,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
But in the first weekend, wee.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
August Florida, Florida. But Reagan is like, no, You're on TV.
And I was like, you know, because that was my
first time figuring out like doing the pre TV for
the television broadcast, and so I'm like, I'm like scrambling,
and He's like, just be at the plane. Just be
at the plane at this time, Max, And so I'm
like rushing. I'm driving, you know, I hadn't made that
(10:32):
FBO trek and ten years ten years easy. So I'm
sitting there, I'm like, do I get through the first
one or the second exit? Like wh're the Moon exit?
I'm like, oh God. And then I'm trying to like
get off the exit to get the DXL was like
in that weird corner on was it Thompson Run or whatever.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
It's a weird kind of interchange exactly. And so I
rmu's campus and the airport and everything.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
So I get it and I'm rushing to the airport
and then I can't find parking. Yeah exactly, I'm driving
around the garage here and then I.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Because I'm like there's gonna be nothing.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
So I just wedged myself like in between like like
like like a like a pillar and like a half spot.
I'm just like, you know, what if they if they
toll my car, God bless them, you know, And I
just run and get on the plane. Uh. And then
it was so bad because that was the game. Remember
I wasn't flying back with you guys because I had
to drive down to the University of Florida and ye
go Gators and speak to the team. And so I'm like,
(11:30):
I got all my travel stuff from training camp with
me and I get on and I walk up the
front of the plane because not knowing my seat assignment
or anything, but I'm like, I know I'm in the back.
And then I just remember Omar just being like Max,
what are you doing? Because I'm like sweating, I've been running.
I got this DXL bag on top of my other
bags August and it's August in Pittsburgh as well, and
(11:51):
He's like, man, just just sit here. So they gave
me a first class on that one. Now fast forward
to year two. I'm in the back left corner. Yeah,
Quinland is sitting right in front of me. He's not small.
I'm like, hey, you do not do not let this
seat back. I'm just telling you, And I think were
you sitting next.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
To me, Yes, yeah, it was supposed to be you
and Wolf next to each other and Land and we
were like, we gotta swap it. So yes, you and
I I think, yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
And then Wolf and Quinland were sitting in front of us.
And then and then remember halfway through the flight, somebody
sitting in that back room, so I so I moved
to the back to get to give to give Wes
some breathing room because he was like wedged up against
the wind. Appreciate it exactly. He was like the kid
that gets pressed up against the window, you.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Know, trying. I'm trying to eat like a faheta, a faheita. Yeah,
and I are like, you know, like the handsome brothers,
like just putting elbows into each other.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
Oh my god. And just think about how far we've come,
how far we've come.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
You called me in the middle of the off season
just to check in and see how everything's doing. Exactly,
fix my leaky faucets on my garden house.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
And then we got to send some memes. You know,
we we exchanged the memes in the off season. So
but it's a lot of fun. But yeah, that's what
pree season brings.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
At first. This is this is a good story time
and there's not much going on here now.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
People.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
I think people enjoy this kind of stuff during training
camp that first trip as well too. When I was
traveling with the team. You know, I'm kind of like
picking Motes's brain, Like when I get there, where should
I park? What do I need to know? Tell me
all the things?
Speaker 3 (13:19):
What? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (13:19):
All the like done the private airport and that, you know, yeah,
is this tsa?
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Do I go through like a metal.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
He's like, He's like, dude, it's it's it's so easy.
He's like, do not stress about that. He's like, but
just do not be late? Yes, And he like we're
like in break in the studio and he like put
his arm on my shoulder and he's like, I've seen
them leave a ton of people behind, he said. In fact,
and my four years with the Steelers, I only ever
saw that plane delayed for one person, and that was
for seven all right. One time we waited about twenty
(13:49):
extra minutes.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Because seven was late.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
He said. But Wesley, you Benjamin Roethlisberger, all right, so
they ain't waiting for you, he said. The only thing
that matters is don't be late. He said, Other than
that it'll all be final, it will all be easy.
It's it's nice, it's simple. He's like, but just do
not be late. He's like, be on that plane half
an hour early. Sit there.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
You know you were like wallpaper exactly right. Nobody notices
it until they look at it, right, So it's just
be there and be wa And like you said, I
mean Ben was one, and I would say James Harrison
was the only other one because there was like something
he had to he had to drive home from. Because
you know we all go down to the facility on
Saturday or do the walk through and then you leave
(14:28):
from walk through and you drive to the to the airport. Well,
James had forgotten something once and so he had to
go all the way back home up in Wexford and
then get to the FBO. And that was the only
other time I think a guy that we waited for him.
But I've seen a ton of guys left. I've seen
a ton of dudes left and they gotta go. Okay,
they got they got people like us, like non players.
(14:50):
But I've seen players, no players all left.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Absolutely. So I've seen almost like every time we like
almost every time we go to the West coast.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
If someone gets left somebody letting, it's like, hey you
go get that spirit flight budd, It's like, hey you
fly exactly, Yeah, enjoy enjoy that. By the way, Yeah
you still got to go through TSA and check your
bags and whatever. But I mean, but it's one of
those things I like, I prided myself. I was like, Nope,
I am not going to be left behind. I'm not
going to be the reason because you're It's like and
I also, I was a sandwich guy, so I was
(15:18):
I was bringing the meal for the offense line. So
I would leave our facility and I drive down into
the strip.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Where'd you pick up at?
Speaker 3 (15:25):
I mean, where, where's the best sandwich ever made? Pepi peppies,
pepi cheese.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
I didn't know if I had to give the politically
correct Pittsburgh answer or the truthful.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
Yeah I was you mean the tourism answer.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
Yeah, you don't get me wrong.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
I do love that's great. I just peppies is the
I can't say.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
I think I've eaten a Primanny sandwich once while the
sun was out in my entire life.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
I see where you're going with this. I am picking
up what you are putting down.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Yeah, but Peppies late nights. Yeah, I mean, Peppies is
my institution. And then and back then they also had
the cheese ultra Starks, so that was my sandwich.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
The Rofe.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
Roethlisberger was already there, Joey was already there. I mean, so,
so it's so good, and I'm like, I can't wait
for Monday because I may drive into the city. I'm
not gonna lie and grab one.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
You better make sure they're open on Mondays. They open
on Mondays.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
They should be open on Mondays. I think it's Sundays
there close, Okay, yeah, except for the one by the stadium.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
They are they are, Yes, that's what I'm thinking.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Yeah, that's what exactly. So yeah, so no, I might
sleep by and now it's just you know, the cheese
ultra steak is what they call it. So I was like,
I was like, cold, stay at.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
The Primos down there now. The Primo hogis down in
the Strip district now as well too.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
Really okay, well, you know, so.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
You could get a cold one at Primo, get your
cold cuts of Primo, get your hot sandwich.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Pet peppies, and be ready to rock and roll. Yeah, no,
I mean so, so I would always have to pick
up ten of those and bring them to the plane
for the offensive line. And then and then you'd have
guys trying to poach you, like, hey man, you know,
let me get one. Yeah, exactly, let me get one.
So the one time I bartered, so one time I
bartered these sandwiches was and I was only reminded of
(17:02):
it because I was looking, I was hanging out. We
had dinner last night, Troy, and I.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Saw him in the camp office this morning when I
went to get a coffee, half asleep.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
And yeah, he's just sitting there.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
Yeah exactly, Jesus just sitting on the couch, sipping his coffee.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Just chilling. I mean so, so Troy, Ike so, Troy
palam Malu I liked. I realized to say these names. Ike, Taylor,
Willie Colonna and I we went and had dinner last night,
and uh, we were just sitting there. We were just
talking about crazy stories, and we talked about the we
brought the I was like, Max, she always brought the
peppies on the plane. I was like, but Troy, you
you the Theodora HOGI the Poala Malu hogy was was
(17:39):
stuff of legend. And so that was the one time
I traded Troy for for a Theodora Hogy. Ok, and
it's it's still you didn't regret it, No, definitely, I
would never regret that. I love Theodore. I've known Theodora
shoots since I've been eighteen years old, so I knew.
I knew Theodora before her and Troy dated because her
brother Alex and I were both recruit at the same
(18:00):
time and we were good friends Alex Holmes. So, so
I traded for a Theodore or Hogy and so Troy
was like, man, funny story about this. So you know,
I'm talking about, you know, back in the day stuff
with the boys because Paios and f from are up
here as ball boys, and so the boys over here
is like and they're like, Mom, why have you never
made this sandwich for us? And so she was like, okay, fine,
(18:22):
I'll make it. And and so the boys she makes
the sandwich for and the boys just looking at them like,
why have you never made this sandwich for us before?
This is amazing? So now they ask for it all
the time. Yeah, exactly, They're like, Mom, you gotta make
this sandwich. And it's like you opened up the wormhole. Troy. Thanks,
but Troy was like, I get the sandwich now too.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Not just a good sandwich in the summertime. Nothing, Nothing
hits like a good sandwich in the summertime.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
Absolutely not. And I mean it's a good hogy. Like
you said, hogies are Hogies are a year round thing.
I mean they work for any meal, time of the day,
and it's always satisfied. It's a complete meal in a
handheld version. So it's a happy thing. But yeah, it's
fun to tell those type of stories, like a little
behind the seats. So it was great to be reintroduced
to that because it just unlocks like a new memory
(19:09):
last night as we were sitting there. It's kind of
talking and having fun and and uh and and and
breaking bread together.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
It is fantastic. That's awesome. That's one of those dinners
Max that every all of Steeler Nation right now who's
listening is like.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
Where are you guys at? Yeah, because we were pretty
under the radar.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
I would I would people are like, I'd pay a
thousand dollars just to be a fly on the wall
while you guys, oh.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
My god, and and and we were not like quiet
about our stories. But but the place was empty, which was.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Nice later like later in the evening.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
Later, Yeah, it was later because obviously the scouts have
their meetings and everything, so it's not like you can
rush and go do it anyway. So you know, they're
all they're they're all in the scouting. So Ike is
an actual, you know, scout for the team. Troy's a
consultant that comes in during training camp. And then Will
he's doing Will he's doing the the nun wooten. It's
awesome scouting in.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Yeah, I didn't know that. I was. I was gonna
ask him when we went to break what he was
doing here, that's all.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
Yeah, So and he got in yesterday, so so so
we were all happy to be good. And like I
said that, those are my brothers, man. I mean, it's
like a family reunion when we come up here every time.
And I'm looking forward to all the guys. I saw
Jeff Harding's yesterday down on the field. He was doing
the Steelers youth football camp earlier in the day. You know,
obviously Charlie's always around bumping around here somewhere. He wasn't
(20:23):
up here yesterday though. I was surprised, but you know,
Keyzel came in two days ago and he did a
photo op. Trey Essex will be here Friday night lights,
so he'll actually be over at La Trobe Memorial doing
some signings before the night practice, so I'll get to
see him that evening because obviously we do our stuff
here and we do the Steelers training Camp live show,
(20:43):
and then we bust over right afterwards. So it's just
fun having all the guys here. And then of course
we'll hear about who the new Hall of Honor class.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Is soon, very soon. We talk about that a little
bit when we come back obviously. Yeah, no, that's I
I remember. You know this Usually once during camp, like
Mike Tomlin, Omar con Bert, they'll invite some of the
media people out to a dinner and you know, kind
of hang out and buy dinner for everybody. It's really
nice and and and Tomlin will tell a bunch of
(21:11):
good stories and everything, and and I remember him one yeah,
because you're usually still flying in He was telling a
story about like going on vacation with John Lynch and
Rendez Barber and a couple of those Buccaneers guys, and
he said a line that like when you talk about
the dinner that you had, you know, with Iken Troy
and those guys. It always like reminds me. I remember
(21:33):
one of these years at dinner, Mike Tomlin telling a
John Lynch and a Rendez Barber story and saying, there's
nothing like getting back together with the guys that you
want a super Bowl with. Yeah, like, there's nothing like
getting back together with the guys you want to super
Bowl with.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
And it could because there's going to be stories that
you're going to forget that someone else brings up. And
it's like somebody brings up Oh my god, and then
it like it floods your memories and then it becomes
like ever present at the friend, remember what was doing?
Oh god, he was greased up that day. Hawaiian came
in and you know, it's like you start having all
these things, you know, talking because I remember one of
(22:07):
the times, uh PZ, we were out in La for
for the Chargers game, and we were we were all
about to go out. So James Ferry, you know, we
called we've actually called him Potzy. Potzy comes to the
hotel and like, so Pz's out there and watching Joey
when Joey was a rookie, and there's just a bunch
of our guys that are in l A Marvel came out,
(22:28):
I mean, and we're trying to figure out where to
go to eat dinner, right, And so Pz had never
had an uber on his phone. He never knew what
the how to do the app or any So I'm
setting the app up for him. And because he didn't
have like location enable, I'm like, why are change? I
had to change like everything, and Piz's just like, here,
just do it, Max. He's like so and then I'm.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
I was like, you like your seventy year old grandparents.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
This out come on, young buck. You got it. You
got good eyes. And so I said it, I'll never
forget this. And he's like, all right, call it, man,
you know, call Because I was like, I can just
do it, right, So I hit uber Excel by the way,
of course, because.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
I'm like, I was a large group of gentleman Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
So I hit the Uber Excel. Well, Pozzi called the
other one in and Potzy hit the Black Excel and
I wasn't thinking about it because I'd just been through
doing all this. I was just trying to get the
first large vehicle and I knew it and I saw
that it was faster at the time, so I just
hit the Uber Excel and Potzi. They pull up this
Expedition Max and everything is a black car. You know,
it's a huge but ours rolled up. It was a
(23:34):
it was a dog on caravan. The dude like you know,
the dude you know, because it's like there's levels right.
PC's like, Max, I will never let you order over.
I said, listen, it was an accident. I was like,
I'm mad for making me do it. I was like,
I was like, listen, listen. First, first of all, you're
setting was in Taiwan when I first started with this,
and now we at least got it too Los Angeles, Okay.
So I was like I was like, listen, Mia Cooppa,
(23:55):
I'll tell I'll take the blame for this. He's like
he's like, absolutely, give me that phone back. It's like,
how do you do again? So me peasy. H Clark
Hay is all. We're all rolling in the minivan and
like everybody rolling up to the big black suv like
they're like they're about to be VIPs. It was hilarious.
(24:16):
But yeah, but those are the stories like you like,
you know, you remember, and and it's just like you said,
it's great to be with your brother, especially guys that
you won a Super Bowl with. And this year obviously
coming up on the twentieth anniversary of Super Bowl forty
for our squad, which is so crazy to think that
it's been twenty years fresh and I was a second
year player. That was my first year starting for the
team at right tackle, and so I was like, man,
(24:39):
the memories. So I'm looking forward to that. That'll be
later and later this season, but I can't wait to
get back with those guys because it's just it's so
good to just reunite, like you said, have those stories,
break bread. We'll do a dinner probably Saturday night, you know,
before a game. I can't. I don't think they released
the game yet, so I'm not sure which game it is.
But I'm like, I'm make sure I have to be
in town Saturday, so I probably won't do a college
(25:00):
game that weekend, just to make sure I get to
enjoy all the festivities absolutely as a normal And then
you know, I probably will be in the booth for
the halftime presentation in the stadium, but.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
You'll probably go down to the field for I would.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
Hope there will be a way for us to figure
out a Usually the biggest thing is the elevators, right
because they reserve them for the coaches, So it's like,
how do you get in and then get back to
the broadcast on times? But I'm sure we'll figure that out.
But I'm looking forward to getting with all the guys
again this season.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Oh I can imagine, and I didn't even think that
that would be this year twenty years. That gets me excited.
That'll be a fun weekend whenever, whenever that all goes down,
walk through. Still going on to our right, we do
have Hall of Honor stuff coming out coming up in
about a half an hour. You could hear that right
here on Steelers Nation Radio. Talk a little bit about
that when we return. Keep the stories going West, Shuler,
Max Starks, You are in the locker room here on
(25:49):
the campus of Saint Vincent College, Steelers Nation Radio on
the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
Radios.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
Live coverage ob DOT twenty twenty five Steelers Training Camp.
He's presented by FedEx Where Now meets Next and also
brought to you by bud Light Independence Health System by
Pennsylvania One Call System by Live Casino, Calciente Pizza and
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and by us steel.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
Coming down the home stretch here in the locker room.
Penultimate segment on this Saturday, first Saturday practice looming for
the Pittsburgh Steelers, finishing up their first Saturday walk through
as the sun is back out and shining and it
looks great for the rest of the day. As Max
and I mentioned, this kind of feels like a report day, right,
But then the first real milestone is this welcome back
(26:55):
to football. Then you get the pads on next week,
you get Friday Night Lights, next week you get the
first preseason game and onward. But another huge part of today, Max,
maybe just as big as the practice, honestly is every
year now this is when the Steelers announced their newest
Hall of Honor class. Of course, this will be the
twenty twenty five edition and that will happen at high
(27:16):
noon right here on Steelers Nation Radio, Steelers dot Com.
All your different social media profiles, Rob King, Bob Labriola,
and Art Rooney the second will be part of the
panel that will unveil this year's class. Last year's Cat
class Casey Hampton, Fast, Willie Yeah, Dick Lebo and who
am I forgetting Jason Gilden Yeah, JG. Jason Gilden A
heck of a class last.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
Year as a wonderful class.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
It's a wonderful class. And that's I think an important
thing to note in last year's class is a good example.
The Steelers want multiple eras represented in the Hall of Honor. Yes,
they don't want all seventies guys going in one year.
They don't want all your era guys going in one year.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
And they want coaches, they want contributors, they want a
class that represents all the history of the franchise. And
so I think that's always important to note with these
as well too.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
Yeah, it is. It is to note. But I mean,
you definitely focus on the early history of this team.
You know, you're thinking of the Ernie Stottner years, and
then you try and move into that Chuck nol Era absolutely,
and then we know about the four Super Bowls in
the seventies, and then you want to get eighties eras,
guys who kind of carried the torch and bridge, and
(28:28):
then you get to the nineties guys like we had JG.
Yep in there last, and then you get to the
contemporary twenty first century second kind of kind of culmination
of like Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Like the Ben Era.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
Yeah, yeah, well we'll just call it the Ben Era
because it happened literally all while Ben was playing here
and then now you and then obviously you know, there's
at least like a five year wait.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
I believe that that's what it is. This is the
first year that Ben is eligible.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
I believe, Yeah, first year Ben is eligible for this award.
So you start to see those type of things trickle in.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
But there's also the what what we always jokingly called
the Kevin Green rule, which is that you must have
played for the franchise for at least three years.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
You had three years had to be invested within it.
You can't just be a one year wanderer trying to
take all the record books.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
You know, like if Darius Slay comes here this year
and it's the best corner in the NFL and the
Steelers win the Super Bowl, he still wouldn't be I mean,
they might make an arrangement or something.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
Exception if the guy leads the team interceptions and we
just Super Bowl three year minimum. So you want guys
who who have left an impact totally, say on the Steelers,
on the Steelers organization and community as a whole. So,
like you said, Ben Ben's probably one of those guys.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
His names up there two of his former offensive linemen
who are now eligible as well too.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
Yes, that's right. The Castro and Marquis are both in
that book, I mean, and we could throw some other
names out there, like Ali Villa and Nuaiva totally is
another guy that would be eligible this year. And then
of course we got other guys from other eras that
they're you know, Joey Porter's.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
A name that that feels like one to me, it
has to come at some point. The biggest thing for me,
for like Hall of Fames and museums and all that stuff,
is can you tell the story of the league or
the team without that person exactly? Like as much as
I kind of grind my teeth about Eli Manning, you
cannot tell the story of the National Football League without
(30:17):
his name coming up in multiple big moments.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
And the biggest of moments, I mean, not a team
that he beat in the Super Bowl, but two Super
Bowl appears against Tom Brady head to head, he won
and got the.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
MVP in the biggest market in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
And the NFL. So it's like that you might not
like you know now, mind you I like him a
lot more now doing like Franks, him and his brother
both hilarious. Gene and when they're fighting over the Hawaiian.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
Rules, this is Sports Center commercial where they're like kicking
each other exactly.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Walk Dad's like, come on, boys, quit it. So, I mean,
you know you have to tell that story. I think
for Joey Porter, he's one you cannot tell. The history
of the Steelers, especially in the late nineties early two
thousands are super Bowl for I mean, you know the
William Green fight before before the Cleveland games.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
That birth debo.
Speaker 3 (31:11):
Yeah at birth and you are now no longer allowed
to go to the forty nine and a half yard
like like they.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
For this team for four years.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
Yeah exactly, coach the team. So I'm like, the dude
changed the NFL rules. He was a guy that is
a legendary player, personalities in the history the run. Yeah exactly,
shot me an exactly. I'm just saying there's so many
moments we can point in. I think that's where I'm like,
I'm hoping that he's one of those guys that gets
unveiled and then you talk about just another other guys
(31:41):
like Aaron Smith is already in there, Casey Hampton went
in last year, Dick Lebow. I'm like, it would have
been great to see if he would have went in
last year with those guys, but it would have been
all defense. So it's like, I'm glad we got I'm
glad we got basketball FW PEP in there. But I
think you're gonna see probably a couple more offensive than
defensive guys this year, just a balance out from.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
Last from last year was a defense heavy class. Yeah,
that makes sense.
Speaker 3 (32:04):
Yeah, and then I think there's still a lot of
guys out there like that are eligible. I mean, you
think of the Marvel Smiths, you think of the Kendall Simmons.
Ernie Holmes is still not Yeah, you're right.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
Santonio Holmes super Bowl MVP is not in the Hall
of Honor.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
Yeah. And there's another wide receiver, but we're not gonna
say his name.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
I think he's although technically I don't know if he's
hit his retirement point yet, right, does he have one
more year or did he retire the same year as
Ben I can't remember when he exited MetLife Stadium stage left.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
Yeah, yeah, Disrobed tarps Off. I think I think that
was the same the same year year. So he might
be in, but he's not allowed back in the States anyways.
We're gonna move on. But but yeah, but there's a lot.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
Of those were some of the names that I came
up with, Ben Pouncy De Castro, Joey Porter, Ernie Holmes,
Santonio Holmes. I think there were there were There were
maybe like a couple more that that really stand out.
Speaker 3 (32:59):
I mean, just town it would be one.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
It was another one that I was on my line
that could be on the list.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
Brian McFadden yep, you know, I think you know. Ryan Clark.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
Ryan Clark was another one that I thought of.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
Is another one.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
Chris Hope Chris Yep, yep. And Hokey Brow as well too.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
Chris Hope. So there's a lot of guys.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Antoine Randall l is a guy who could get in
one day.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
Yeah exactly, I mean, you know, you think about like
what and even Frenchie.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
Fuqua was not in yet. He was because I remembered
Ernie Holmes was one of the older time guys. Frenchie
was the other one that I was like, Oh, I
bet you he'll get in one day.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
That would be one to keep an eye on. And
Frenchie's still out there kicking. Dick Hoke from a coaching perspective.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
The special teams guy to Gary Anderson was another one
that I am a special team's perspective, I mean, one
of the if not the greatest kicker of the eighties. Yeah, exactly,
and he's got the most points in NFL history. He
still does when you combine his time with the Falcons
and the Vikings as well.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
Yeah. Yeah, but I mean I would also, I mean
another guy that you could think of, I mean, Jeff Reid.
I mean totally a lot of totals for us.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
So there's a lot of I mean there's and we
have to mention Craig Wolfly like we have.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
Wolf is one that legendary when you think of the
combination of career time and just time serve with this organization.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
For five decades with the organization as a player and
a broadcaster.
Speaker 3 (34:16):
Yeah, So I mean Craig would be one. I don't
know if they would do so soon.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
Right, but I think this is a long process with
the committee and nominations and.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
The names have to be tossed in at that time.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Yeah, I mean it's been three or four months since
Wolf passed away, so it's they could have been very
far along in the process of this class.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
But this class was already vetted and they were they
were whittling it down.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
So but I got to imagine we won't be wedding
very long for now.
Speaker 3 (34:42):
No, And what a tremendous day because like I said,
and that's why I mentioned like a name like Dick Hook,
Like that's the same thing, Like Dick Hoke was a
player for this team and went straight into coaching and
gave like forty five years, you know, and of concurrent service,
and the same thing with Wolf and what he's meant
to this community and as a player, his contributions on
the field off the I mean, yeah, he would be
(35:04):
a shoeing in.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
My mind, someone like Billy Hillgrove I feel like deserves
to be in the Steelers Hall of Honor at one point. Yeah,
thirty years is the broadcaster a voice of four super
Bowl teams, two super Bowl champions, four teams that went
to the Super Bowl. Yeah, and just I mean he
was one of the best in the business for decades
at what he did, and.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
His voice is legendary. So I mean, we have a lot.
We just threw out about forty names, which.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
Is good because they're gonna continue to do this every year.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
Do this, so you know, you're not you're not gonna
have like the NFL like, oh, we're back loged, let's
throw fifty guys into the Hall of Fame. We're not.
We're never gonna get that. But the four that come out,
just know that they've earned their way into it because
it is a very distinguished and a very long list,
And you know, I don't I don't envy their decision
making process because, like you said, you could get up there,
(35:51):
and you can. You could stand on the table for
every single one of the guys that we just talked about.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
And probably another handful that we forgot to mention or yeah,
that we have to realize about it.
Speaker 3 (35:59):
Yeah. Yeah, but that's also what happens when you have
six Super Bowls that you have, it's because it's stayed success.
It's a very good problem to have.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
It's like the New York Yankees right now. I don't
think you can get a single digit number if you
play for the New York Yankees anymore because they're retired.
Not Yeah, that's a good problem to have a break problem.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
And then you think about it, like even some of
the other like more popular numbers, like hey, I don't
care if you were ninety nine. It's like this Aaron
Judges And guess what when Aaron Judge is done? So yeah,
that numbers going to retire, so yeah, have fun. Hey,
I can't wait for the day when like you have
to have like triple digit numbers, Like it's gonna happen,
so you stop retiring people.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
Well, we can't help these teams like the Yankees and
the Montreal Canadians.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (36:37):
You won twenty something instant, you get it. Yeah, the
Celtics won twenty something championships.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
Yeah, and there's only so many numbers that you know,
if you go from zero and now you have zero,
so technically zero's now in play. You go zero to
ninety nine.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
You also have now the popular thing of like guys
whose number is retired will give their blessing like Warren
Moon gave his blessing to cam Ward to war number one,
even though it's retired type thing.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
Exact. Yeah, they can do, but Lawrence Taylor ain't giving
that number up.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
You'll laugh too. Thirty years from now. I don't see
Ben telling somebody you could wear number seven seven. Good
on you seven forever, all right.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
And also you know for here, like the Steelers only
have two numbers retired officially officially, but there's numbers you
just can't wear, so you don't ask.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
Bates tells a great story of his first time going
down to the facility after he signed and going to
meet with the equipment guys and they're like, we got
all these numbers you can have, and most is like,
what about fifty two. Nobody wears fifty two, Like that's
that's what he had been wearing in Buffalo and they
and He's like, I got my arm put around men,
I'd let me tell you about Mike Webster and why
(37:40):
we don't give that number out around here.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
And that happened to me. That happened to me because
I was on the phone and I was talking to
Rogers Frey Bogel, who was our former equipment manager. At
the time, it was it was Richie Roger and now
it's funny it's Pat and Adam and Pat. I remember
when they were ball boys. So they called him, hey man,
you know, in advance of you getting up here, you know,
(38:02):
we wanted to see you know, what number do you
want to wear? Obviously you wore seventy seven in college.
Seventy seven is taken because Marvel Marmith. So I was like,
oh okay. I was like, well, you know my dad
wore seventy nine for the Bengals. Do you have seventy
it now? Oliver Ross has number seventy nine? Okay, all right,
Well well my best friend in college, you know, he
(38:23):
had number seventy five? Can I get seventy five? It
went dead silent on the phone, and they said, Max,
you're from Florida, right, He's like, yeah, you're about twenty
two years old. Yes, yes, sir, I am twenty two
years old. You don't know any Steelers history yet, do you.
(38:44):
I was like, nah, I mean, this is like the
day after I got drafted. I'm like, no, I I
have no idea.
Speaker 2 (38:50):
You can grow up wrapped in a terrible towel like all.
Speaker 3 (38:52):
Of us exactly. You know, I didn't get that blessing.
And so he's like, I mean, as you go do
a history lesson, but I'm just gonna say no right
now and not embarrass you on the phone right now.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
That is the greatest Pittsburgh Steelers. That number will never
If there's one number that could never be worn again
in the organization, yeah, seventy five is that one.
Speaker 3 (39:10):
And even for Ernie Sottner, who was the first official
retired number at seventy you know, that one was the
next you know, next one in line. And so so
he was like, just know that that number will never
be available for anybody.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
You get twelve before you could get seventy five, exactly, get.
Speaker 3 (39:25):
Eighty eight before you you know, thirty two, maybe four,
you can get seventy five. Yeah and so and so yeah,
so he says that. So then that's that's why I
was like, well, you know, I'll go in between my
number and my dads Nay might have seventy eight. You know,
I'm like, I'm like, at this point, you should just
give me a number because I'm obviously guessing horribly right now.
And so seventy eight was available because Matthias Naquinte was
(39:47):
here before me the year before, but you know he
got he got released before I got to the team.
So that's why I was able to get number seventy eight. Then,
of course, not realizing that seventy eight is a very
significant number.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
Three Steelers super Bowl champion has had a seventy eight
starting starting in the trench Bomber a few years ago.
Speaker 3 (40:05):
That's right, the great Dwight mad Dog White, White Man,
I mean, four super Bowl championships on that steel curtain,
I mean a very big point. The first man to
ever get the first player to ever get in a
safety in a Super Bowl, that's right, White. So there
you go for nine super Bowl nine. Yeah. So so
it's like when you think about like those type of
(40:26):
moments and like, so it's like there's only so many numbers.
But then when you do get a number and you
start looking at the and I was blessed to know
mister White for a very long time before his passing.
Just a tremendous human being. So it was great to
know that you're carrying that honor, and so so it's
been great. You know, I might have told a player
that's currently wearing it. Hey, pressure's on, pressures on. You
(40:48):
got to you gotta finish off what we started.
Speaker 2 (40:50):
He's a pretty big guy, he is. I like his
chances to carry that weight on his shoulders.
Speaker 3 (40:55):
I think he's gonna be a little prominent in the
previous seventy eight that was wearing it. And I'm not
going nothing against James Daniels, but uh, you know, anyho,
I think.
Speaker 2 (41:03):
A little Ya Black's gonna make some noise literally and
figuratively in that in that jersey number. For sure, we're
overdue for a break. We'll come back for a quick
wrap up tee up for the Hall of Honor announcement
coming up here in just about ten minutes. So don't
you go anywhere you are in the locker room. Another
day at training camp here in Latrobe on Steelers Nation
Radio on the Steelers Audio.
Speaker 1 (41:22):
Network, Iheartradios. Live coverage OB twenty twenty five Steelers Training
Camp is presented by FedEx where Now meets Next and
also brought to you by CGR Wholesale Roofing and Siding
Supply Center, by Tons Appliances, by Always Safe Flagging and
(41:46):
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Downs by Has's Steak and Seahouse, by your neighborhood, Forward Store,
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us Steal.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
Well, we got just about two minutes here until we
have to kick it to the Hall of Honor announcement
the class of twenty twenty five. We're very excited to
see who's going in here in just a few minutes
max before we go. Breaking news for you. Former Bengals corner,
former Steelers corner of this parish, Mike Hilton just signed
a one year deal with the Miami Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (42:26):
Oh, going down there with Minca.
Speaker 2 (42:28):
So him and Mink Mink down there in Miami.
Speaker 3 (42:30):
Oh did you see his Minka's picture at practice?
Speaker 2 (42:33):
I did not what happened?
Speaker 3 (42:34):
Oh, he looks so miserable down there, Teddy. Oh, it
was like one of those things where it's.
Speaker 2 (42:38):
Like I do kind of feel bad for him in
that way, like it's a business. It is a business,
but you know, like he loved being in an area
where football is everything. Yes, and there's only a couple
areas in this country that are on the same level
as Western Pennsylvania as where football is everything. Yeah, and
it's not South Beach, Miami.
Speaker 3 (42:57):
And he got traded from that place and now he's
back at the same place that he started. It's like, no,
you run this race to go to other places, not
to regress back. So yeah, he was not a happy camper.
But you know, maybe Mike Hilton will make up, you know,
give us some AFC North memories and.
Speaker 2 (43:15):
I'm sure when December and January roll around.
Speaker 3 (43:17):
He won't be too up, so he won't exactly.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
You still go to the beach in December, Rob King,
Bob Labriola, Arnt Rooney, the second coming up next to
your Hall of Honor announcement. That'll do it for in
the locker room today. Big thanks to Rob and Max
and Justin for producing everything for us back at the Ranch.
I'll be back at two o'clock with Matt Williamson for
the practice edition of the Drive. So plenty more to
(43:40):
get to and you know where to hear it all
right here on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.
Iheartradios. Live coverage of about twenty twenty five Steelers training
camp is presented by FedEx where Now meets Next and
also brought to you by CGR Wholesale, Roofing and Sighting
Supply Center, by Tom's Appliances, by Always Saint Flagging and
Traffic Control by Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, by Schneider Downs,
(00:28):
by Hassa's Steak and Seahouse, by your Neighborhood Forward Store,
by Castle Rock, by Clearview Federal Credit Union, and by
US Steel.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Back in the locker room here at Saint Vincent College,
Another beautiful day in Latrobe. A little bit of rain
over the last hour, but now blue skies, sunshine, humidity,
all that good stuff that makes stuff.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
That we love in the Laurel Highlands.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Right, could be South Carolina, could Florida. You'd have me fooled.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Yeah, you don't know the difference. I mean, except for
when you hear the accents. That's the only thing that
do we hear banjos or no banjos.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
That's exactly right. Yeah, I was in I was in
Hilton Head the week before training camp with the family,
and it's hilarious. The weather is very similar here you
get that random half an hour of tough rain, but
then the rest of the day it's eighty eight degrees
and sunny, yes, slogging at you as the as the
guys are slogging through another walk through this morning down
(01:31):
on the turf field as to keep the grass conditions
dry and pristine here of course, before today's first Saturday
practice Max. One fifty five as they are throughout this
camp except for the Friday Night lights one a week
from today obviously, which will be a Friday night practice
over at latrob Memorial Stadium today. The first Saturday practice
(01:52):
always a crazy one in terms of like this is always,
you know, usually one of the two or three biggest
attended practices of the year. First Saturday of training camp
and it's the whole welcome back the football Saturday. So
Mike Toman will take the microphone and address the crowd
at some point during practice. First two days have been fun,
but today is when it really starts to pay It.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Starts to ramp up. So NFL Network will be over
there stationed in the football field, sorry, the baseball field area.
They'll get their set probably started, starting build probably in
the next about half hour or so, so you'll get
all of all of the personalities there. Obviously, we're expecting
on Tuesday, Pat McAfee show will be out here as well,
and that's going to be its own circus. That's gonna
(02:33):
be that actually will probably be I would put that
up there in top two attended practices.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
I there is a chance that at least in and
this is my eighth year, so I'm not I'm not
pursuita And you know who's covered thirty some of these,
Dale Wawlly, Who's covered thirty some of these? But eight,
it's a pretty pretty solid size.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
It is a good measuring sting there.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
You know, we'll be in middle school in a couple
more years. Yeah, I bet you that'll be the highest
attended weekday practice that I've ever seen out here.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Absolutely, I would concur easily be the highest attended because
we know the cult following that Pat brings. And he's
also another Western Pa boy right plumb Borough.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
I mean yeah, about forty five minutes away.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
From exactly, so half of the attendance will just be
his family, uh up there. Yeah, a bunch of plums
out here, Yeah, Missy as well. So yeah, which I
still can't wait on because I know Missy and I
are going to do a couple of the training camp
live shows together. Can't wait to see Missy make her
way up here, probably next week. So you know, excited
(03:35):
to get the band completely back together again, because I mean,
she she is team mom, She's she's radio broadcast team
mom and uh and just wonderful. But you know, when
we think about just these practices and how they'll ramp up,
and especially with knowing that pads are going to be
on Tuesday totally, so you get McAfee and pads, it's
going to be electric. I'm not saying take a sick day.
(03:58):
I'm not saying that at all. Yeah, pto, you know,
or if you have a cough that morning, that's like.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
The Monday when you leave work, you're like, God, guys,
don't don't come near me. I think I might have
something coming on. I'm starting to feeling in my spine.
I got that weird twig and don't don't don't come
too near me.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
I see how felt a little chess thing, A little
chess thing going on.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
I need some tissues, my noses run a little bit.
Just stay away. I'll text you in the morning and
let you.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Know how I'm feeling exactly that. So I think that
day you'll see a lot less production in the in
the business world going on around Western PA. But I mean,
but that, but that, and that's the whole thing about
just this training came environment, things ramp up. There's milestones
ahead totally that chart the progress of the formation of
(04:42):
this team, because right now it's not a team. It's
a collection of ninety five bodies and they are sprawled
out all across that turf field right now warming up,
doing leg swings and everything. But you've got to whittle
that group down to almost half to get to your
fifty three. And then, like you said, you're still trying
to find also those six gyms that you can put
in the stable in the practice squad chamber.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Keeping your eyes around the rest of the league as
well too it who's available, who might get cut, who
else you could be.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Adding managing your injuries as well. Yeah, I'm just saying,
we just got Chuck Clark out there practice. Yeah, so
it's like it's like, yeah, he's on the field ready
to go. How many times did we see that, like
over the last number of years with Omar Khan like,
wait a second, we got like two new guys out
here signed.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Ten minutes later, he's out there running down the hill.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Here comes Mason Rudolf taking a shot right at exactly so.
So that's that's also the fun kind of check. I
call it the chess match, right, because you're you're swapping
pieces and they have different values within the team structure.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
And you know what to that that whole like ecosystem.
It's very there's a lot of school calendar references that
we can make that are kind of adjacent to this.
When you show up for the first day of school,
the first week of school, the first month of school,
you don't sit down and it's like, all right, let's
get right into advanced trig here, okay, exactly the whole
(06:04):
first nine weeks when you were in middle school in
high school. Right, it's reinforcing everything you learned the previous year.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Yeah, it's to prevent the summer drop that you're gonna
have a knowledge because you've been off for two months
and you haven't had to be on your A game.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
You don't come right into school in August or Labor
day September and right after syllabus week you're dissecting a
frog right away, you know what I mean, Like you
got to in biology class. You got to ramp up
to it a little bit. You gotta that first nine
weeks get everybody back.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
In the repetition, right. Repetition is reinforce.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Your fundamentals, your baseline, what you already know, what you've
already been taught, what you already do well, and then
start to build on it from there. And you're right,
this Saturday, the welcome back to football Saturday, the Hall
of Honor stuff that comes with all of that kind
of feels like that first real.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Milestone, as the first real milestone a camp. And like
you said, this is where the fans start to get excited,
right because now you're getting the bigger venue of people.
You're starting to feel the pressure that were one day
closer to the regular season than we were yesterday.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
It's gonna be here next week.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
It's gonna be here quick and fast. And you know
you and you also have to put a group together
to go out there and play a preseason game, you know,
August ninth, right.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Two weeks from tomorrow, Yeah, two weeks.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
From tomorrow, we will be in uh where we're going
to Jacksonville. Gosh, I'm so happy I'm not gonna be
on the field for that. And that's that's the one
time where it's like being in the booth. I'm like, yes, Like,
Florida in August is the worst. You know, growing up
as a kid in Florida and playing high school football
in August, and then of course college at the University
(07:37):
of Florida, which is not that far about forty five
minutes from Jacksonville. When you get into preseason camp, it
is miserable. It is muggy as sweating. We had the
preseason game down there a couple of years ago and
I'm sitting down there, me and aj Ross and we
are just melting. And I'll never forget this. I'm sure
Reggae will appreciate it, because like, hey, Max, we need
to we need to wear pants. I said, I said
(07:59):
pants in Florida on the sidelines first weekend August, first
week in August. Are you sure we can't just get
like a chest up type of thing for TV. He's like, no, no,
we need pants. And then afterwards, when they realized that
the size differential to me and aj it was I
was like, I was like I'm where I am dying
down here.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Okay, So funny story for you from that same game.
That was my first game ever when I got the
promotion into the booth.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Okay, yeah, so no longer it.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
You know, my first four years with the team and
with with Steelers Nation Radio and everything, I was in
our DVE studios. You're the man in the studio with
Brian with Tom on on on game days. Home game, away,
game didn't matter. I was in the preseason playoffs. I
was in the DV studios. But then I got the
traveling promotion that now I'm in the booth forever.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
You're the engineer home.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Away preseason playoffs, America, Dublin. It don't matter.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
I'm there.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
I'm there in the booth. I do the halftime show
as well too. That Jacksonville game that you just referenced
in the preseason was my first ever game traveling with
the team, and it was my first ever as the
broadcast engineer. Like that was game number one of my promotion.
So I'm nervous. I'm anxious about all the equipment, all
the setup, just the whole process of it. I figured
(09:15):
like I gotta look decent, like I'm part, you know
what I mean, Like, yeah, so I wore slack. I
brought slack. You know, I had like a white Steelers poem.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
I remember that, Yeah, and slacks, and I.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Think you were part of this. I get into the
booth for the game and it's like you and Missy
and Quinnlan and Wolf and and Billy, and everyone looks
at me and they're like you, what are.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
You doing.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Pants?
Speaker 3 (09:37):
You're the engineer.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
No one's gonna.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
After this game that you have to look presentable.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
I'm like, I was like, I didn't know if I
had to dress nice for every game, if I could
wear shorts.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
I didn't know. And that was the one where we
were headed to the team playing because you know, I
was confectionately talked to Aiden Hennessy the.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Best except for being a Washington Capitals and an Alexandrovtchkin guy,
he's the best.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Yeah, other than that part. So I just remember for
the first so I'm driving, I had to stop by
like the DXL because I don't have pants, because I'm like,
why would I wear pants if I'm on radio, right,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
But in the first weekend, wee.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
August Florida, Florida. But Reagan is like, no, You're on TV.
And I was like, you know, because that was my
first time figuring out like doing the pre TV for
the television broadcast, and so I'm like, I'm like scrambling,
and He's like, just be at the plane. Just be
at the plane at this time, Max, And so I'm
like rushing. I'm driving, you know, I hadn't made that
(10:32):
FBO trek and ten years ten years easy. So I'm
sitting there, I'm like, do I get through the first
one or the second exit? Like wh're the Moon exit?
I'm like, oh God. And then I'm trying to like
get off the exit to get the DXL was like
in that weird corner on was it Thompson Run or whatever.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
It's a weird kind of interchange exactly. And so I
rmu's campus and the airport and everything.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
So I get it and I'm rushing to the airport
and then I can't find parking. Yeah exactly, I'm driving
around the garage here and then I.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Because I'm like there's gonna be nothing.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
So I just wedged myself like in between like like
like like a like a pillar and like a half spot.
I'm just like, you know, what if they if they
toll my car, God bless them, you know, And I
just run and get on the plane. Uh. And then
it was so bad because that was the game. Remember
I wasn't flying back with you guys because I had
to drive down to the University of Florida and ye
go Gators and speak to the team. And so I'm like,
(11:30):
I got all my travel stuff from training camp with
me and I get on and I walk up the
front of the plane because not knowing my seat assignment
or anything, but I'm like, I know I'm in the back.
And then I just remember Omar just being like Max,
what are you doing? Because I'm like sweating, I've been running.
I got this DXL bag on top of my other
bags August and it's August in Pittsburgh as well, and
(11:51):
He's like, man, just just sit here. So they gave
me a first class on that one. Now fast forward
to year two. I'm in the back left corner. Yeah,
Quinland is sitting right in front of me. He's not small.
I'm like, hey, you do not do not let this
seat back. I'm just telling you, And I think were
you sitting next.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
To me, Yes, yeah, it was supposed to be you
and Wolf next to each other and Land and we
were like, we gotta swap it. So yes, you and
I I think, yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
And then Wolf and Quinland were sitting in front of us.
And then and then remember halfway through the flight, somebody
sitting in that back room, so I so I moved
to the back to get to give to give Wes
some breathing room because he was like wedged up against
the wind. Appreciate it exactly. He was like the kid
that gets pressed up against the window, you.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Know, trying. I'm trying to eat like a faheta, a faheita. Yeah,
and I are like, you know, like the handsome brothers,
like just putting elbows into each other.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
Oh my god. And just think about how far we've come,
how far we've come.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
You called me in the middle of the off season
just to check in and see how everything's doing. Exactly,
fix my leaky faucets on my garden house.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
And then we got to send some memes. You know,
we we exchanged the memes in the off season. So
but it's a lot of fun. But yeah, that's what
pree season brings.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
At first. This is this is a good story time
and there's not much going on here now.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
People.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
I think people enjoy this kind of stuff during training
camp that first trip as well too. When I was
traveling with the team. You know, I'm kind of like
picking Motes's brain, Like when I get there, where should
I park? What do I need to know? Tell me
all the things?
Speaker 3 (13:19):
What? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (13:19):
All the like done the private airport and that, you know, yeah,
is this tsa?
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Do I go through like a metal.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
He's like, He's like, dude, it's it's it's so easy.
He's like, do not stress about that. He's like, but
just do not be late? Yes, And he like we're
like in break in the studio and he like put
his arm on my shoulder and he's like, I've seen
them leave a ton of people behind, he said. In fact,
and my four years with the Steelers, I only ever
saw that plane delayed for one person, and that was
for seven all right. One time we waited about twenty
(13:49):
extra minutes.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Because seven was late.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
He said. But Wesley, you Benjamin Roethlisberger, all right, so
they ain't waiting for you, he said. The only thing
that matters is don't be late. He said, Other than
that it'll all be final, it will all be easy.
It's it's nice, it's simple. He's like, but just do
not be late. He's like, be on that plane half
an hour early. Sit there.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
You know you were like wallpaper exactly right. Nobody notices
it until they look at it, right, So it's just
be there and be wa And like you said, I
mean Ben was one, and I would say James Harrison
was the only other one because there was like something
he had to he had to drive home from. Because
you know we all go down to the facility on
Saturday or do the walk through and then you leave
(14:28):
from walk through and you drive to the to the airport. Well,
James had forgotten something once and so he had to
go all the way back home up in Wexford and
then get to the FBO. And that was the only
other time I think a guy that we waited for him.
But I've seen a ton of guys left. I've seen
a ton of dudes left and they gotta go. Okay,
they got they got people like us, like non players.
(14:50):
But I've seen players, no players all left.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Absolutely. So I've seen almost like every time we like
almost every time we go to the West coast.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
If someone gets left somebody letting, it's like, hey you
go get that spirit flight budd, It's like, hey you
fly exactly, Yeah, enjoy enjoy that. By the way, Yeah
you still got to go through TSA and check your
bags and whatever. But I mean, but it's one of
those things I like, I prided myself. I was like, Nope,
I am not going to be left behind. I'm not
going to be the reason because you're It's like and
I also, I was a sandwich guy, so I was
(15:18):
I was bringing the meal for the offense line. So
I would leave our facility and I drive down into
the strip.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Where'd you pick up at?
Speaker 3 (15:25):
I mean, where, where's the best sandwich ever made? Pepi peppies,
pepi cheese.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
I didn't know if I had to give the politically
correct Pittsburgh answer or the truthful.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
Yeah I was you mean the tourism answer.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
Yeah, you don't get me wrong.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
I do love that's great. I just peppies is the
I can't say.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
I think I've eaten a Primanny sandwich once while the
sun was out in my entire life.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
I see where you're going with this. I am picking
up what you are putting down.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Yeah, but Peppies late nights. Yeah, I mean, Peppies is
my institution. And then and back then they also had
the cheese ultra Starks, so that was my sandwich.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
The Rofe.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
Roethlisberger was already there, Joey was already there. I mean, so,
so it's so good, and I'm like, I can't wait
for Monday because I may drive into the city. I'm
not gonna lie and grab one.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
You better make sure they're open on Mondays. They open
on Mondays.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
They should be open on Mondays. I think it's Sundays
there close, Okay, yeah, except for the one by the stadium.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
They are they are, Yes, that's what I'm thinking.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Yeah, that's what exactly. So yeah, so no, I might
sleep by and now it's just you know, the cheese
ultra steak is what they call it. So I was like,
I was like, cold, stay at.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
The Primos down there now. The Primo hogis down in
the Strip district now as well too.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
Really okay, well, you know, so.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
You could get a cold one at Primo, get your
cold cuts of Primo, get your hot sandwich.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Pet peppies, and be ready to rock and roll. Yeah, no,
I mean so, so I would always have to pick
up ten of those and bring them to the plane
for the offensive line. And then and then you'd have
guys trying to poach you, like, hey man, you know,
let me get one. Yeah, exactly, let me get one.
So the one time I bartered, so one time I
bartered these sandwiches was and I was only reminded of
(17:02):
it because I was looking, I was hanging out. We
had dinner last night, Troy, and I.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Saw him in the camp office this morning when I
went to get a coffee, half asleep.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
And yeah, he's just sitting there.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
Yeah exactly, Jesus just sitting on the couch, sipping his coffee.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Just chilling. I mean so, so Troy, Ike so, Troy
palam Malu I liked. I realized to say these names. Ike, Taylor,
Willie Colonna and I we went and had dinner last night,
and uh, we were just sitting there. We were just
talking about crazy stories, and we talked about the we
brought the I was like, Max, she always brought the
peppies on the plane. I was like, but Troy, you
you the Theodora HOGI the Poala Malu hogy was was
(17:39):
stuff of legend. And so that was the one time
I traded Troy for for a Theodora Hogy. Ok, and
it's it's still you didn't regret it, No, definitely, I
would never regret that. I love Theodore. I've known Theodora
shoots since I've been eighteen years old, so I knew.
I knew Theodora before her and Troy dated because her
brother Alex and I were both recruit at the same
(18:00):
time and we were good friends Alex Holmes. So, so
I traded for a Theodore or Hogy and so Troy
was like, man, funny story about this. So you know,
I'm talking about, you know, back in the day stuff
with the boys because Paios and f from are up
here as ball boys, and so the boys over here
is like and they're like, Mom, why have you never
made this sandwich for us? And so she was like, okay, fine,
(18:22):
I'll make it. And and so the boys she makes
the sandwich for and the boys just looking at them like,
why have you never made this sandwich for us before?
This is amazing? So now they ask for it all
the time. Yeah, exactly, They're like, Mom, you gotta make
this sandwich. And it's like you opened up the wormhole. Troy. Thanks,
but Troy was like, I get the sandwich now too.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Not just a good sandwich in the summertime. Nothing, Nothing
hits like a good sandwich in the summertime.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
Absolutely not. And I mean it's a good hogy. Like
you said, hogies are Hogies are a year round thing.
I mean they work for any meal, time of the day,
and it's always satisfied. It's a complete meal in a
handheld version. So it's a happy thing. But yeah, it's
fun to tell those type of stories, like a little
behind the seats. So it was great to be reintroduced
to that because it just unlocks like a new memory
(19:09):
last night as we were sitting there. It's kind of
talking and having fun and and uh and and and
breaking bread together.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
It is fantastic. That's awesome. That's one of those dinners
Max that every all of Steeler Nation right now who's
listening is like.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
Where are you guys at? Yeah, because we were pretty
under the radar.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
I would I would people are like, I'd pay a
thousand dollars just to be a fly on the wall
while you guys, oh.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
My god, and and and we were not like quiet
about our stories. But but the place was empty, which was.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Nice later like later in the evening.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
Later, Yeah, it was later because obviously the scouts have
their meetings and everything, so it's not like you can
rush and go do it anyway. So you know, they're
all they're they're all in the scouting. So Ike is
an actual, you know, scout for the team. Troy's a
consultant that comes in during training camp. And then Will
he's doing Will he's doing the the nun wooten. It's
awesome scouting in.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Yeah, I didn't know that. I was. I was gonna
ask him when we went to break what he was
doing here, that's all.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
Yeah, So and he got in yesterday, so so so
we were all happy to be good. And like I
said that, those are my brothers, man. I mean, it's
like a family reunion when we come up here every time.
And I'm looking forward to all the guys. I saw
Jeff Harding's yesterday down on the field. He was doing
the Steelers youth football camp earlier in the day. You know,
obviously Charlie's always around bumping around here somewhere. He wasn't
(20:23):
up here yesterday though. I was surprised, but you know,
Keyzel came in two days ago and he did a
photo op. Trey Essex will be here Friday night lights,
so he'll actually be over at La Trobe Memorial doing
some signings before the night practice, so I'll get to
see him that evening because obviously we do our stuff
here and we do the Steelers training Camp live show,
(20:43):
and then we bust over right afterwards. So it's just
fun having all the guys here. And then of course
we'll hear about who the new Hall of Honor class.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Is soon, very soon. We talk about that a little
bit when we come back obviously. Yeah, no, that's I
I remember. You know this Usually once during camp, like
Mike Tomlin, Omar con Bert, they'll invite some of the
media people out to a dinner and you know, kind
of hang out and buy dinner for everybody. It's really
nice and and and Tomlin will tell a bunch of
(21:11):
good stories and everything, and and I remember him one yeah,
because you're usually still flying in He was telling a
story about like going on vacation with John Lynch and
Rendez Barber and a couple of those Buccaneers guys, and
he said a line that like when you talk about
the dinner that you had, you know, with Iken Troy
and those guys. It always like reminds me. I remember
(21:33):
one of these years at dinner, Mike Tomlin telling a
John Lynch and a Rendez Barber story and saying, there's
nothing like getting back together with the guys that you
want a super Bowl with. Yeah, like, there's nothing like
getting back together with the guys you want to super
Bowl with.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
And it could because there's going to be stories that
you're going to forget that someone else brings up. And
it's like somebody brings up Oh my god, and then
it like it floods your memories and then it becomes
like ever present at the friend, remember what was doing?
Oh god, he was greased up that day. Hawaiian came
in and you know, it's like you start having all
these things, you know, talking because I remember one of
(22:07):
the times, uh PZ, we were out in La for
for the Chargers game, and we were we were all
about to go out. So James Ferry, you know, we
called we've actually called him Potzy. Potzy comes to the
hotel and like, so Pz's out there and watching Joey
when Joey was a rookie, and there's just a bunch
of our guys that are in l A Marvel came out,
(22:28):
I mean, and we're trying to figure out where to
go to eat dinner, right, And so Pz had never
had an uber on his phone. He never knew what
the how to do the app or any So I'm
setting the app up for him. And because he didn't
have like location enable, I'm like, why are change? I
had to change like everything, and Piz's just like, here,
just do it, Max. He's like so and then I'm.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
I was like, you like your seventy year old grandparents.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
This out come on, young buck. You got it. You
got good eyes. And so I said it, I'll never
forget this. And he's like, all right, call it, man,
you know, call Because I was like, I can just
do it, right, So I hit uber Excel by the way,
of course, because.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
I'm like, I was a large group of gentleman Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
So I hit the Uber Excel. Well, Pozzi called the
other one in and Potzy hit the Black Excel and
I wasn't thinking about it because I'd just been through
doing all this. I was just trying to get the
first large vehicle and I knew it and I saw
that it was faster at the time, so I just
hit the Uber Excel and Potzi. They pull up this
Expedition Max and everything is a black car. You know,
it's a huge but ours rolled up. It was a
(23:34):
it was a dog on caravan. The dude like you know,
the dude you know, because it's like there's levels right.
PC's like, Max, I will never let you order over.
I said, listen, it was an accident. I was like,
I'm mad for making me do it. I was like,
I was like, listen, listen. First, first of all, you're
setting was in Taiwan when I first started with this,
and now we at least got it too Los Angeles, Okay.
So I was like I was like, listen, Mia Cooppa,
(23:55):
I'll tell I'll take the blame for this. He's like
he's like, absolutely, give me that phone back. It's like,
how do you do again? So me peasy. H Clark
Hay is all. We're all rolling in the minivan and
like everybody rolling up to the big black suv like
they're like they're about to be VIPs. It was hilarious.
(24:16):
But yeah, but those are the stories like you like,
you know, you remember, and and it's just like you said,
it's great to be with your brother, especially guys that
you won a Super Bowl with. And this year obviously
coming up on the twentieth anniversary of Super Bowl forty
for our squad, which is so crazy to think that
it's been twenty years fresh and I was a second
year player. That was my first year starting for the
team at right tackle, and so I was like, man,
(24:39):
the memories. So I'm looking forward to that. That'll be
later and later this season, but I can't wait to
get back with those guys because it's just it's so
good to just reunite, like you said, have those stories,
break bread. We'll do a dinner probably Saturday night, you know,
before a game. I can't. I don't think they released
the game yet, so I'm not sure which game it is.
But I'm like, I'm make sure I have to be
in town Saturday, so I probably won't do a college
(25:00):
game that weekend, just to make sure I get to
enjoy all the festivities absolutely as a normal And then
you know, I probably will be in the booth for
the halftime presentation in the stadium, but.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
You'll probably go down to the field for I would.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
Hope there will be a way for us to figure
out a Usually the biggest thing is the elevators, right
because they reserve them for the coaches, So it's like,
how do you get in and then get back to
the broadcast on times? But I'm sure we'll figure that out.
But I'm looking forward to getting with all the guys
again this season.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Oh I can imagine, and I didn't even think that
that would be this year twenty years. That gets me excited.
That'll be a fun weekend whenever, whenever that all goes down,
walk through. Still going on to our right, we do
have Hall of Honor stuff coming out coming up in
about a half an hour. You could hear that right
here on Steelers Nation Radio. Talk a little bit about
that when we return. Keep the stories going West, Shuler,
Max Starks, You are in the locker room here on
(25:49):
the campus of Saint Vincent College, Steelers Nation Radio on
the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
Radios.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
Live coverage ob DOT twenty twenty five Steelers Training Camp.
He's presented by FedEx Where Now meets Next and also
brought to you by bud Light Independence Health System by
Pennsylvania One Call System by Live Casino, Calciente Pizza and
Draft Outs by Don's Appliances, South Hills Auto, Laurel, Highlands
(26:22):
Visitors Bureau, Wemax, Select Realty, the Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Shop,
and by us steel.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
Coming down the home stretch here in the locker room.
Penultimate segment on this Saturday, first Saturday practice looming for
the Pittsburgh Steelers, finishing up their first Saturday walk through
as the sun is back out and shining and it
looks great for the rest of the day. As Max
and I mentioned, this kind of feels like a report day, right,
But then the first real milestone is this welcome back
(26:55):
to football. Then you get the pads on next week,
you get Friday Night Lights, next week you get the
first preseason game and onward. But another huge part of today, Max,
maybe just as big as the practice, honestly is every
year now this is when the Steelers announced their newest
Hall of Honor class. Of course, this will be the
twenty twenty five edition and that will happen at high
(27:16):
noon right here on Steelers Nation Radio, Steelers dot Com.
All your different social media profiles, Rob King, Bob Labriola,
and Art Rooney the second will be part of the
panel that will unveil this year's class. Last year's Cat
class Casey Hampton, Fast, Willie Yeah, Dick Lebo and who
am I forgetting Jason Gilden Yeah, JG. Jason Gilden A
heck of a class last.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
Year as a wonderful class.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
It's a wonderful class. And that's I think an important
thing to note in last year's class is a good example.
The Steelers want multiple eras represented in the Hall of Honor. Yes,
they don't want all seventies guys going in one year.
They don't want all your era guys going in one year.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
And they want coaches, they want contributors, they want a
class that represents all the history of the franchise. And
so I think that's always important to note with these
as well too.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
Yeah, it is. It is to note. But I mean,
you definitely focus on the early history of this team.
You know, you're thinking of the Ernie Stottner years, and
then you try and move into that Chuck nol Era absolutely,
and then we know about the four Super Bowls in
the seventies, and then you want to get eighties eras,
guys who kind of carried the torch and bridge, and
(28:28):
then you get to the nineties guys like we had JG.
Yep in there last, and then you get to the
contemporary twenty first century second kind of kind of culmination
of like Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Like the Ben Era.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
Yeah, yeah, well we'll just call it the Ben Era
because it happened literally all while Ben was playing here
and then now you and then obviously you know, there's
at least like a five year wait.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
I believe that that's what it is. This is the
first year that Ben is eligible.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
I believe, Yeah, first year Ben is eligible for this award.
So you start to see those type of things trickle in.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
But there's also the what what we always jokingly called
the Kevin Green rule, which is that you must have
played for the franchise for at least three years.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
You had three years had to be invested within it.
You can't just be a one year wanderer trying to
take all the record books.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
You know, like if Darius Slay comes here this year
and it's the best corner in the NFL and the
Steelers win the Super Bowl, he still wouldn't be I mean,
they might make an arrangement or something.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
Exception if the guy leads the team interceptions and we
just Super Bowl three year minimum. So you want guys
who who have left an impact totally, say on the Steelers,
on the Steelers organization and community as a whole. So,
like you said, Ben Ben's probably one of those guys.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
His names up there two of his former offensive linemen
who are now eligible as well too.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
Yes, that's right. The Castro and Marquis are both in
that book, I mean, and we could throw some other
names out there, like Ali Villa and Nuaiva totally is
another guy that would be eligible this year. And then
of course we got other guys from other eras that
they're you know, Joey Porter's.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
A name that that feels like one to me, it
has to come at some point. The biggest thing for me,
for like Hall of Fames and museums and all that stuff,
is can you tell the story of the league or
the team without that person exactly? Like as much as
I kind of grind my teeth about Eli Manning, you
cannot tell the story of the National Football League without
(30:17):
his name coming up in multiple big moments.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
And the biggest of moments, I mean, not a team
that he beat in the Super Bowl, but two Super
Bowl appears against Tom Brady head to head, he won
and got the.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
MVP in the biggest market in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
And the NFL. So it's like that you might not
like you know now, mind you I like him a
lot more now doing like Franks, him and his brother
both hilarious. Gene and when they're fighting over the Hawaiian.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
Rules, this is Sports Center commercial where they're like kicking
each other exactly.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Walk Dad's like, come on, boys, quit it. So, I mean,
you know you have to tell that story. I think
for Joey Porter, he's one you cannot tell. The history
of the Steelers, especially in the late nineties early two
thousands are super Bowl for I mean, you know the
William Green fight before before the Cleveland games.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
That birth debo.
Speaker 3 (31:11):
Yeah at birth and you are now no longer allowed
to go to the forty nine and a half yard
like like they.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
For this team for four years.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
Yeah exactly, coach the team. So I'm like, the dude
changed the NFL rules. He was a guy that is
a legendary player, personalities in the history the run. Yeah exactly,
shot me an exactly. I'm just saying there's so many
moments we can point in. I think that's where I'm like,
I'm hoping that he's one of those guys that gets
unveiled and then you talk about just another other guys
(31:41):
like Aaron Smith is already in there, Casey Hampton went
in last year, Dick Lebow. I'm like, it would have
been great to see if he would have went in
last year with those guys, but it would have been
all defense. So it's like, I'm glad we got I'm
glad we got basketball FW PEP in there. But I
think you're gonna see probably a couple more offensive than
defensive guys this year, just a balance out from.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
Last from last year was a defense heavy class. Yeah,
that makes sense.
Speaker 3 (32:04):
Yeah, and then I think there's still a lot of
guys out there like that are eligible. I mean, you
think of the Marvel Smiths, you think of the Kendall Simmons.
Ernie Holmes is still not Yeah, you're right.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
Santonio Holmes super Bowl MVP is not in the Hall
of Honor.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
Yeah. And there's another wide receiver, but we're not gonna
say his name.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
I think he's although technically I don't know if he's
hit his retirement point yet, right, does he have one
more year or did he retire the same year as
Ben I can't remember when he exited MetLife Stadium stage left.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
Yeah, yeah, Disrobed tarps Off. I think I think that
was the same the same year year. So he might
be in, but he's not allowed back in the States anyways.
We're gonna move on. But but yeah, but there's a lot.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
Of those were some of the names that I came
up with, Ben Pouncy De Castro, Joey Porter, Ernie Holmes,
Santonio Holmes. I think there were there were There were
maybe like a couple more that that really stand out.
Speaker 3 (32:59):
I mean, just town it would be one.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
It was another one that I was on my line
that could be on the list.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
Brian McFadden yep, you know, I think you know. Ryan Clark.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
Ryan Clark was another one that I thought of.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
Is another one.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
Chris Hope Chris Yep, yep. And Hokey Brow as well too.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
Chris Hope. So there's a lot of guys.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Antoine Randall l is a guy who could get in
one day.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
Yeah exactly, I mean, you know, you think about like
what and even Frenchie.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
Fuqua was not in yet. He was because I remembered
Ernie Holmes was one of the older time guys. Frenchie
was the other one that I was like, Oh, I
bet you he'll get in one day.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
That would be one to keep an eye on. And
Frenchie's still out there kicking. Dick Hoke from a coaching perspective.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
The special teams guy to Gary Anderson was another one
that I am a special team's perspective, I mean, one
of the if not the greatest kicker of the eighties. Yeah, exactly,
and he's got the most points in NFL history. He
still does when you combine his time with the Falcons
and the Vikings as well.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
Yeah. Yeah, but I mean I would also, I mean
another guy that you could think of, I mean, Jeff Reid.
I mean totally a lot of totals for us.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
So there's a lot of I mean there's and we
have to mention Craig Wolfly like we have.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
Wolf is one that legendary when you think of the
combination of career time and just time serve with this organization.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
For five decades with the organization as a player and
a broadcaster.
Speaker 3 (34:16):
Yeah, So I mean Craig would be one. I don't
know if they would do so soon.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
Right, but I think this is a long process with
the committee and nominations and.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
The names have to be tossed in at that time.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Yeah, I mean it's been three or four months since
Wolf passed away, so it's they could have been very
far along in the process of this class.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
But this class was already vetted and they were they
were whittling it down.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
So but I got to imagine we won't be wedding
very long for now.
Speaker 3 (34:42):
No, And what a tremendous day because like I said,
and that's why I mentioned like a name like Dick Hook,
Like that's the same thing, Like Dick Hoke was a
player for this team and went straight into coaching and
gave like forty five years, you know, and of concurrent service,
and the same thing with Wolf and what he's meant
to this community and as a player, his contributions on
the field off the I mean, yeah, he would be
(35:04):
a shoeing in.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
My mind, someone like Billy Hillgrove I feel like deserves
to be in the Steelers Hall of Honor at one point. Yeah,
thirty years is the broadcaster a voice of four super
Bowl teams, two super Bowl champions, four teams that went
to the Super Bowl. Yeah, and just I mean he
was one of the best in the business for decades
at what he did, and.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
His voice is legendary. So I mean, we have a lot.
We just threw out about forty names, which.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
Is good because they're gonna continue to do this every year.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
Do this, so you know, you're not you're not gonna
have like the NFL like, oh, we're back loged, let's
throw fifty guys into the Hall of Fame. We're not.
We're never gonna get that. But the four that come out,
just know that they've earned their way into it because
it is a very distinguished and a very long list,
And you know, I don't I don't envy their decision
making process because, like you said, you could get up there,
(35:51):
and you can. You could stand on the table for
every single one of the guys that we just talked about.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
And probably another handful that we forgot to mention or yeah,
that we have to realize about it.
Speaker 3 (35:59):
Yeah. Yeah, but that's also what happens when you have
six Super Bowls that you have, it's because it's stayed success.
It's a very good problem to have.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
It's like the New York Yankees right now. I don't
think you can get a single digit number if you
play for the New York Yankees anymore because they're retired.
Not Yeah, that's a good problem to have a break problem.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
And then you think about it, like even some of
the other like more popular numbers, like hey, I don't
care if you were ninety nine. It's like this Aaron
Judges And guess what when Aaron Judge is done? So yeah,
that numbers going to retire, so yeah, have fun. Hey,
I can't wait for the day when like you have
to have like triple digit numbers, Like it's gonna happen,
so you stop retiring people.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
Well, we can't help these teams like the Yankees and
the Montreal Canadians.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (36:37):
You won twenty something instant, you get it. Yeah, the
Celtics won twenty something championships.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
Yeah, and there's only so many numbers that you know,
if you go from zero and now you have zero,
so technically zero's now in play. You go zero to
ninety nine.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
You also have now the popular thing of like guys
whose number is retired will give their blessing like Warren
Moon gave his blessing to cam Ward to war number one,
even though it's retired type thing.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
Exact. Yeah, they can do, but Lawrence Taylor ain't giving
that number up.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
You'll laugh too. Thirty years from now. I don't see
Ben telling somebody you could wear number seven seven. Good
on you seven forever, all right.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
And also you know for here, like the Steelers only
have two numbers retired officially officially, but there's numbers you
just can't wear, so you don't ask.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
Bates tells a great story of his first time going
down to the facility after he signed and going to
meet with the equipment guys and they're like, we got
all these numbers you can have, and most is like,
what about fifty two. Nobody wears fifty two, Like that's
that's what he had been wearing in Buffalo and they
and He's like, I got my arm put around men,
I'd let me tell you about Mike Webster and why
(37:40):
we don't give that number out around here.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
And that happened to me. That happened to me because
I was on the phone and I was talking to
Rogers Frey Bogel, who was our former equipment manager. At
the time, it was it was Richie Roger and now
it's funny it's Pat and Adam and Pat. I remember
when they were ball boys. So they called him, hey man,
you know, in advance of you getting up here, you know,
(38:02):
we wanted to see you know, what number do you
want to wear? Obviously you wore seventy seven in college.
Seventy seven is taken because Marvel Marmith. So I was like,
oh okay. I was like, well, you know my dad
wore seventy nine for the Bengals. Do you have seventy
it now? Oliver Ross has number seventy nine? Okay, all right,
Well well my best friend in college, you know, he
(38:23):
had number seventy five? Can I get seventy five? It
went dead silent on the phone, and they said, Max,
you're from Florida, right, He's like, yeah, you're about twenty
two years old. Yes, yes, sir, I am twenty two
years old. You don't know any Steelers history yet, do you.
(38:44):
I was like, nah, I mean, this is like the
day after I got drafted. I'm like, no, I I
have no idea.
Speaker 2 (38:50):
You can grow up wrapped in a terrible towel like all.
Speaker 3 (38:52):
Of us exactly. You know, I didn't get that blessing.
And so he's like, I mean, as you go do
a history lesson, but I'm just gonna say no right
now and not embarrass you on the phone right now.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
That is the greatest Pittsburgh Steelers. That number will never
If there's one number that could never be worn again
in the organization, yeah, seventy five is that one.
Speaker 3 (39:10):
And even for Ernie Sottner, who was the first official
retired number at seventy you know, that one was the
next you know, next one in line. And so so
he was like, just know that that number will never
be available for anybody.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
You get twelve before you could get seventy five, exactly, get.
Speaker 3 (39:25):
Eighty eight before you you know, thirty two, maybe four,
you can get seventy five. Yeah and so and so yeah,
so he says that. So then that's that's why I
was like, well, you know, I'll go in between my
number and my dads Nay might have seventy eight. You know,
I'm like, I'm like, at this point, you should just
give me a number because I'm obviously guessing horribly right now.
And so seventy eight was available because Matthias Naquinte was
(39:47):
here before me the year before, but you know he
got he got released before I got to the team.
So that's why I was able to get number seventy eight. Then,
of course, not realizing that seventy eight is a very
significant number.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
Three Steelers super Bowl champion has had a seventy eight
starting starting in the trench Bomber a few years ago.
Speaker 3 (40:05):
That's right, the great Dwight mad Dog White, White Man,
I mean, four super Bowl championships on that steel curtain,
I mean a very big point. The first man to
ever get the first player to ever get in a
safety in a Super Bowl, that's right, White. So there
you go for nine super Bowl nine. Yeah. So so
it's like when you think about like those type of
(40:26):
moments and like, so it's like there's only so many numbers.
But then when you do get a number and you
start looking at the and I was blessed to know
mister White for a very long time before his passing.
Just a tremendous human being. So it was great to
know that you're carrying that honor, and so so it's
been great. You know, I might have told a player
that's currently wearing it. Hey, pressure's on, pressures on. You
(40:48):
got to you gotta finish off what we started.
Speaker 2 (40:50):
He's a pretty big guy, he is. I like his
chances to carry that weight on his shoulders.
Speaker 3 (40:55):
I think he's gonna be a little prominent in the
previous seventy eight that was wearing it. And I'm not
going nothing against James Daniels, but uh, you know, anyho,
I think.
Speaker 2 (41:03):
A little Ya Black's gonna make some noise literally and
figuratively in that in that jersey number. For sure, we're
overdue for a break. We'll come back for a quick
wrap up tee up for the Hall of Honor announcement
coming up here in just about ten minutes. So don't
you go anywhere you are in the locker room. Another
day at training camp here in Latrobe on Steelers Nation
Radio on the Steelers Audio.
Speaker 1 (41:22):
Network, Iheartradios. Live coverage OB twenty twenty five Steelers Training
Camp is presented by FedEx where Now meets Next and
also brought to you by CGR Wholesale Roofing and Siding
Supply Center, by Tons Appliances, by Always Safe Flagging and
(41:46):
traffic Control by Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank by Schneider
Downs by Has's Steak and Seahouse, by your neighborhood, Forward Store,
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us Steal.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
Well, we got just about two minutes here until we
have to kick it to the Hall of Honor announcement
the class of twenty twenty five. We're very excited to
see who's going in here in just a few minutes
max before we go. Breaking news for you. Former Bengals corner,
former Steelers corner of this parish, Mike Hilton just signed
a one year deal with the Miami Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (42:26):
Oh, going down there with Minca.
Speaker 2 (42:28):
So him and Mink Mink down there in Miami.
Speaker 3 (42:30):
Oh did you see his Minka's picture at practice?
Speaker 2 (42:33):
I did not what happened?
Speaker 3 (42:34):
Oh, he looks so miserable down there, Teddy. Oh, it
was like one of those things where it's.
Speaker 2 (42:38):
Like I do kind of feel bad for him in
that way, like it's a business. It is a business,
but you know, like he loved being in an area
where football is everything. Yes, and there's only a couple
areas in this country that are on the same level
as Western Pennsylvania as where football is everything. Yeah, and
it's not South Beach, Miami.
Speaker 3 (42:57):
And he got traded from that place and now he's
back at the same place that he started. It's like, no,
you run this race to go to other places, not
to regress back. So yeah, he was not a happy camper.
But you know, maybe Mike Hilton will make up, you know,
give us some AFC North memories and.
Speaker 2 (43:15):
I'm sure when December and January roll around.
Speaker 3 (43:17):
He won't be too up, so he won't exactly.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
You still go to the beach in December, Rob King,
Bob Labriola, Arnt Rooney, the second coming up next to
your Hall of Honor announcement. That'll do it for in
the locker room today. Big thanks to Rob and Max
and Justin for producing everything for us back at the Ranch.
I'll be back at two o'clock with Matt Williamson for
the practice edition of the Drive. So plenty more to
(43:40):
get to and you know where to hear it all
right here on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.
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