August 3, 2025 • 45 mins
Rob and Max continue coverage from Latrobe talking all things training camp before Sunday's practice.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
Iheartradios. Live coverage of about twenty twenty five Steelers training
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(00:29):
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Speaker 2 (00:40):
And welcome back inside the Locker Room, m King and
Stark's present of our neighborhood Fords Store on the Steelers'
audio network. Once again, want to thank Mick McQuaid, host
of the Irish Steelers podcast and of Pro Football Ireland,
the founder of Pro Football Island, for coming on with
us in that first hour of Inside the Locker Room.
And you know, Max, I wanted to ask you about
(01:03):
you know what you're talking about with opportunities. Yesterday was
an opportunity day. Injuries are opportunities for players and everybody's
a little bit different part of their progression. So a
young Max Starks, look your third round draft choice, third round.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Right, Yeah, you're gonna be five, Ye, You're gonna make
the team.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
Right, did not feel that way.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Ralph did feel okay, interesting, interesting, you're playing with a
little bit of that.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
That's good.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah, yeah, But you're also waiting for your opportunity. You
don't wish anybody to get hurt, but you're waiting for
your opportunity. There are guys on this roster who everybody's
fighting for something, right, So.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
If you're a if.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
You're a player who's got a pretty good chance of
making the roster, you want.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
To solidify that.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
If you're a guy with a definite chance but you're
a backup, you want to show Hey, listen, don't forget
about me. I need a helmet on game day and
I need to get a few more reps. And you're
and you're trying to plant those seeds. You've mentioned some
of the young offensive linemen. They're trying to be either
the next guy up if there's a more permanent injury,
or maybe they're they're making the roster at the end.
(02:15):
You know, again we talked about this before. You might
be battling, you know, when you get down to the
last two or three roster spots, not necessarily somebody from
inside your position group, but somebody else on the roster
everybody's in there stumping to get an extra defensive back
or an extra tight end, or an extra running back
or an extra offensive lineman. You know, you want to
put your name there, or now you want to be
(02:37):
that guy who's on the practice squad who gets called
up and down, or maybe you're trying to get out
there in Jacksonville in the next couple of games. And hey,
it's a it's a crowded situation on the Steelers. Let's
pick a position, defensive line group. But another team says, hey, listen,
maybe he's not good enough to be one of the
Steelers eight or nine, but he's certainly good enough to
be one of our eight or nine. There's just so
(02:59):
much to play for. And it's not just about those
preseason games. You have to make your mark now, No,
you absolutely have to.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
You're you're right, king, or I think and I think
the other thing that you have to be wary of,
Like you said, there's also young guys, you know, fighting
head to head. You know, one guy we didn't mention
that is also on the practice report, but Dante Kent
was a young guy looking to try to trying to
break into the corner position, but also the return game.
So now a guy who we thought was gonna get
(03:29):
a lot of returns, you know in these preseason games,
he's down right now.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
We don't know how long. Now.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
You wonder if you're you know, a Cam McCutcheon and
you're trying trying to trying to carve out a role
on this team, or you know, you're a wide receiver,
right you know, you think of guys down the list,
if you're Max Hurlman, Keshawn Williams and Rock Taylor, maybe
you could show an opportunity in special teams as a
return guy because the guy they had slated for those
(03:57):
returns is down. You know, an Austin. You know, we said,
who's normally our punt returner? You know he's not. He's
not in there, you know, for right now, he's he's on,
he's on the day to day. So you're looking at Okay,
there's other opportunities and it doesn't have to come from
the likely position areas.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
But if you could, like you said, show your show your.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Skills and special teams, now you get a little second
look in those opportunities. So they can present themselves in
a multitude of different ways. But it's taking advantage of
these opportunities when they present themselves.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Yeah, and it's you know, I think it's easy to
look at it in terms, you know, depending upon which
lens you're looking through. Like for example, okay, so who's
the next punt returner? You know, I mean I've seen
listed on the depth charts. You know that that that
different you know, different groups that that do those sort
(04:48):
of things put out and you see Calvin Austin, Dante Kent.
That's what you see. You don't see anybody else. So
who's going to be that guy? And like you said,
you know you didn't feel totally secure in your spot
on the roster. If you're a veteran, you know you
might still be fighting for a spot on the roster.
(05:09):
Maybe the fact that you know you can put one
more you know, arrow in your quiver and say, hey, listen,
I could be that guy who returns a punt for you,
because there's no assurance that you know. Again, let's just
again we're gonna use names, but it's just as an example.
Let's say Calvin Austin's your punt returner. Dante Kent makes
(05:31):
the roster, but he's not dressed on game days.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
For exit. Just use that as an example.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Yeah, well if Calvin Austin, we saw him take a
big wallop in Cincinnati last year. Okay, that happens, and
as he's trying to get ready, now you know it's
it's three minutes later in Cincinnati's punting the ball back
to you who's running out there.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
Well, you know, you want to be that guy. You
want to be that guy that says, hey, it's me.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
I might be listed as number three in the depth chart,
but there might be things that happened that me out
on the field. So it is you know, we talk
about one hundred and or ninety and it seems.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
Like a lot, and then.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
You know, you spread it out over you know, uh,
you want to say twenty two different positions on offense,
but there's a slot receiver, there's an h back, there's
potentially a fullback. It's really you're really starting to look
at thirteen positions. You got a nickelback on defense, you're
really looking at twelve positions. Uh, suddenly you're going three
or four deep and not you know, five or six deep.
(06:30):
Like it looks like when you talk about ninety guys,
these are opportunities, These are chances for guys to excel,
and whatever point of your career you're in, I should
be out in the field as a backup. I should
be on the roster. I should be on the practice squad.
There's something to play for, a reason to come out clean.
Like you said, you're looking for a clean practice today,
(06:51):
a reason for every single player, for whatever the purpose is.
If you're TJ. Watt, you're using that practice for condition
or or honing your craft. I mean, there's always something
to be working on, but just in terms of absences,
that is an absence equals an opportunity.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
No, you're absolutely right.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
And then you also remember these preseason games, a lot
of your frontline starters aren't gonna be playing at all,
so you're you know, you want to put yourself to
the best foot forward to be conditioned for a lot
more snaps than.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
You're getting in practice as well. I think that's the other.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
Thing, king, you know, when we think about that, like
even though Calvin oss is listed as a punt returner, right,
he's we already know he's a punt returner, so I
don't think he's gonna catch any punts in practice. So
you should already thinking if you're number three four on
a depth chart, like, no, I'm gonna get my shots
in preseason just now, I get more practice cuts at
it before I get to the game. And guys have
(07:46):
to think about that, Like Cam Hayward is not gonna
be taking snaps, you know in the preseason. Aaron Rodgers
maybe maybe takes a you know, a series or two maybe,
but you know, kind of wit through this drill with
with pursued yesterday. You know, last year with the Jets,
Aaron Rodgers took zero snaps in the preseason. The first
(08:07):
year with the Jets, he took two series. Last year
with Green Bay took zero. So it's not guaranteed. So
you know, if you're Skylar Thompson and Will Howard, you
need to be ready to play in those moments, just
to give one example. And then, like you said, with
the D line, Ya Black and Derek Harmon are gonna
get a lot of reps at the D line interior position,
(08:29):
and that's gonna be another one where you're gonna be like, Okay,
you know, I need to get myself conditioned. I've been
doing two's rest, but man, I'm gonna be out there
with the ones come game day against Jacksonville, and I
need to be prepared and ready to go. The Logan Lees,
you know, the young guys that are further down the
depth chart, they're gonna be elevated by game day to
get more reps.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
And just some of the examples.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
And we talked about the offensive line, So I don't
want to exhaust it because I know fans want to
hear about the guys I actually get more stats, so
you know, but the offensive line is gonna get a
lot of gonna get a lot of reps in rotation
in there, so you want to prove that you were
able to do it.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
I'm thinking Steven Jones.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
I talked about one of the guys on my list, Yeah,
Camp Phenoms. He's gonna get a lot of reps and
they're gonna move him in a couple of different positions.
So how do you handle that increased workload and the
position flexibility to see can he be a guard tackle?
Because in season, if you're a swing guy and you
got a helmet, it doesn't matter. Like ill like I
go back to this famously. You know, I was a
(09:24):
tackle swing and Chuck Yakobe was our interior swing on
game day. We only dressed seven back then, and Jeff Hardings,
you know, we're fourteen and one going into Buffalo. Jeff
Hardens like, you know what, I don't need to play
this and I already won my Pro Bowl bid. So yeah, Chuck,
you're in. So now, Alan Fannicas says, hey, same boat here,
(09:45):
get in there, rookie. You're just like, uh, sorry, sir,
I only played tackle. Doesn't matter. It's like I'm out,
you're in. Figure it out. And my first first game
action and start was was really at left guard or
I went to the tach. So you have to be
flexible in those situations. And that was at the end
of the regular season. Imagine going, you know, all a
(10:07):
training camp all.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
Of the season.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
You get the last game of the season and like,
I've been practicing, you know, right and left tackle, and
now I'm just a left guard. You in a game
against freaking Sam Adams and Pat Williams. You know, I'm
like fat Pat and big Sam and it's it's awakening.
But these guys get a chance to do a little
bit more of that. So you could be prepared for.
Speaker 4 (10:28):
Those because you don't know when it's going to hit
right when.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
That opportunity comes, so be ready for whatever opportunity comes
your way.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
And by the way, if you are a veteran, it's
not that you don't want to be generous. And I've
always been amazed at the culture in sports, and not
everybody does this right, but the whole teaching of the
young guys.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
Like I think I said this before us.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
You know, we talked about at the end of practice
some of the veteran offensive linemen last year working with
the young guys one on one.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
You're working with a guy who might take your job.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
I saw Cam Sutton like Papa Bear and the little
baby Bear, rookie and undrafted you know, wide cornerbacks and
Beanie Bishop and stuff over there, all all working with
Cam Sutton after practice. He trotted him over into a
different field, knowing that he's probably grooming his successor. Right,
But you don't, I think, at the bottom of your heart,
(11:24):
you don't want to give that guy an opportunity. You
want to be healthy, you know. I go back I
remember in baseball, back many years ago when our station
in Pittsburgh. I don't know if people know this, but
we were covering the Cardinals too for a brief period
of time, and the Bobby Benie was supposed to be
the Cardinals left fielder and he had a hamstring injury,
(11:46):
and there was a rookie and Tony the RUSI didn't
really want to start him, you know, I don't even
know if he was going to make the team. And
Bobby Benia gets his hamstring and Larussis says, well, I
guess I got to play the rookie. And that rookie's
Albert Poohols, you know, and Bobby he never got back
out of the field again.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
That's just the way, you know.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
So you don't I think, you know, as much as
there's this there's this camaraderie and trying to help the
guy around, you don't want to be you know. The
most famous example is Wally Pip Right, Yeah, I got
a headache, we got hey, we got this rookie first
baseman Lou Gareg, and Lou Garrick steps down to the
field and plays two and thirty consecutive games. You know,
(12:25):
you don't want to be that guy providing the opportunity
because you're in the tub or whatever the case may be.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
Yeah, and think about Kerry Collins right when Tom Brady right,
that's right. Yeah, that's I mean, that's that.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
That's another famous example of oh sorry, Drew Bletsoe, you're right, Bledsoe.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
I keep getting the mixed up.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Sorry, a lot of quarterbacks in my head. But yeah, no,
Drew Bletsoe, right right. You know, he's like, hey, we're
let the sixth rounder get in, you know, and I'll
be back in a couple And it was like, now
we're gonna ride this out.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
Like sorry, you're don't hurry back.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
Yeah, yeah, exactly, We're not going to hurry you back
because he's doing a fan and he ends up being
Tom Brady. So I mean there's a lot of examples
out there, and I think that's what you have to
kind of take, take residents in. Like if you're a
young guy or even you're a veteran guy that's been
a journeyman, you know, you could find a home somewhere else,
and you know you have to take these these reps.
(13:18):
You know, I know when we get into camp and listen,
I was I was guilty of it, you know, middle
of my career, Like ah, it's another practice, okay, another
rep of course, a little bit tougher than these circumstances.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
Because we had two practices a day shoulder pads.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
But you know, if if you're a guy that gets
an opportunity and when you're numbers called, you got to
be ready to go, like you can't ease your way
into it. You've got to dive all the way in
tint's in so to speak, and you have to take
advantage of make if that's your last rep, make sure
you leave a lasting impression. And knowing that these games
are on the precipice and a lot of guys aren't
gonna play, they're you're quote unquote frontline guys, you have
(13:55):
an opportunity to make a stake for your claim to
be one of the second line or if not even
a first line guy, if the starter hasn't been practicing
a lot, you might be able to jump him in
those opportunities. And we kind of listed that list. Same
thing can happen here if you got and you you
ball out. And I'll just take a name for example,
h Spencer Anderson who's beenking a lot of starter reps
and I don't see heiaac ciamolo playing in a lot
(14:17):
of preseason games. No, maybe maybe you impress it and
maybe say, hey, maybe we need to take a second
look at this guy. Not putting that out there saying
that that's a possibility, but I'm just giving an example,
and it gets Starter's not there.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
And he's a good example of a guy with perhaps
something else to play for. Not only first guy up
this year right at multiple positions, but a guy. You know,
if you're the Steelers and if you're Spencer Anderson, I'm
guessing here that you want to send the message to
Steelers brass that, hey, you know, don't worry about if
(14:51):
we lose an offensive lineman next year. You know, contracts
are up, we know this. Maybe somebody doesn't perform up
to expectations. Look at me, I'm ready to go. You
don't need to spend that second round pick next year
on an offensive lineman.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
I'm your guy.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
So again, everybody's at a different point of their football journey.
And look, we talked a little bit about it, and
we'll talk more about the game coming up against Jacksonville
next week. Not everybody plays in a preseason game. I mean,
there are guys on the roster who won't get in.
You know, just you know, all you have to do,
you know, is look at you know, the training camp,
(15:27):
specially the hard knocks they always have on. They're always
following one guy and sometimes that guy doesn't even get
into a game. Right up, next thing you know, you're
in the coach's office turning in your playbook. So you
want to make sure that you're at least going to
get an opportunity in a game, because that might not
happen either. So again, there's just so much to play
(15:48):
for for all of these guys. And it's not just
play for in the game, it's practiced for us who
you have an opportunity to play for a.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Spot, absolutely, and I think that's what it is. You
have to be able to be ready at a moment's
notice and when you are. And you know, that's why
I think Mike Toalman never calls guys backups.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
He calls them starters in waiting. That's how he lists them.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
So he's like, yeah, He's like, here's our starters, and
there's our starters in waiting, And that's how you have
to really approach that. I think it's a great mentality
to have that doesn't matter when it's going to happen,
just know it's going to happen, and it's not a
matter of if, it's a matter of when, and when
it happens, you need to.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
Be ready, you know, to pull the card.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
You know, you can't sit there and hesitate and guess
about it because your future, you know, and how people
view you.
Speaker 4 (16:40):
You know, you're only good as your last snap.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
That's that was ad as we've always told each other,
you know, as players, you know, you are what you
put on tape. And so there's all these kind of
axioms or cliches however you want to look.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
At it that apply.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
But there's truth in all of those. And I think
that's where you know, you can't get caught up in
the minutia. Just know you got to turn it on
for the next play, and you never know when the
next play might be your last play. So how what
impression are you leaving on the coaches, on scouts, on
the front office, on ownership? And you know, do you
(17:14):
show the characteristics at the end of the day to
be a stealer? You have the qualities that they desire,
and are you putting those those qualities on display?
Speaker 4 (17:23):
That's easily consumable.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
I don't have to look and glean something from it,
or guess and postulate about it.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
It's like, no, now, he just blew that dude up.
You know that guy, that guy's a Steeler, or that
he just he just.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
Snatched the ball out of the air and you know,
stiff armed the guy and went into the end zone.
That's a Steeler, right, Make it easy for everybody. Don't
sit there and leave it up to postulations and you know,
trying to predict the variability. Pull out some type of
equation to figure out if it's a good idea or not. Now,
if you go hit a guy in the mouth, it's
very evident, very quickly. You know, I do want to
just quickly. And this probably happens for camp. I'm just
(18:00):
guessing maybe it doesn't.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
My guess would be that an agent, you know, you're
an undrafted guy or you're a veteran guy looking to
make a team. I'm sure the agents are going through
the roster and saying, hey, what's your best opportunity to
make a roster. But one thing we do know about
the Steelers. The Steelers are not a CYA organization. And
(18:22):
by that I mean cover your fiduty right does not
start with an ag We got it. Got you will
if you perform, you will get an opportunity to make
the team. And you only have to look at the
Steelers history. You know, James Harrison, Willie Parker, the list
goes Donnie shell h. It has been a long history
(18:47):
of allowing and giving opportunity for players to come in
and beat somebody out who might be a draft pick
and might have more pedigree because you earned a spot. Now,
working against that is if I'm looking at Studs roster,
I'm like, there's not that many that that not that
many spots up for grabs, and I don't know if
a player feels that, I'm guessing again that's more of
(19:07):
an agent thing placing a guy, and that no matter
what camp you're in, you're gonna play hungry. But when
we talk about these guys on the edges of the roster,
we do so thoughtfully because we know from Steeler's history
there is an opportunity to make a team. There is
an opportunity for you to beat out somebody else because
you have merited that by your play in the field exactly,
(19:32):
and you don't want to be a consolation, right, you know.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
And then there's this drop off and then now there's
a worry.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
It's like, no, this guy.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
Has been studying for this moment, and he took advantage
of the opportunity given to him.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
You know, I think, you know, I just look.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
At myself and I'm like, you know, I was behind
Oliver Ross in training camp when I came here as
a rookie. You know, Kendall Simmons goes down and allows
for Kettrick Vincent to come in, and he was a
starter for the whole season, oh four season. But then
at the end of the years, like, you know, we're
getting kindled back and you know what, Max, I was like,
you're gonna fight for a starting job. We're not going
to resign Oliver Ross. He went to the Cardinals. They
(20:09):
drafted Tree Essex in the third round that following year.
But it was like, hey, you know, let's you know,
let's put this competition out and there was an opportunity
to go grab to go grab a shot. I had
to wait a year before getting that opportunity, and you know,
you can't, can't take it for granted, you know, I remember,
you know, when I started the season. You know, Barrett
Brooks was our swing tackle, twelve year guy in the
(20:32):
NFL at that point, and by week five, I finally
I finally got my helmet. I finally passed him, and
you know, he said to me, he was like, hey,
I'm just holding this spot for you until you're ready
enough to speed to take this opportunity.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
And after week five, I got my opportunity.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Then I got in. I was a jumbo tight end
against the Philadelphia Eagles, and I went in and then
you know, lay in the game, We're beating the Eagles,
who were undefeated at the time, and then I got
to go in at.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
Left tackle for Rvel Smith.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
And then the following week we played we play the Patriots,
another undefeated I think at that point they were eighteen
and oh or or no, no, I'm sorry, they're like twenty
one straight, you know, twenty one and oh or something
like that. And you know, lay in that game, we're
beating them. Boom, I get to go in. I get
my first welcome to the NFL rookie moment against Willie McGinnis.
But you know, went in and played my first games,
(21:22):
and then from there that led to the opportunity the
very next year to say, hey, you can you can
buy for the starting job on the other side, and
we know, hey, history, history did what it did, and
I was able to win that job and play play
a long time here in Pittsburgh because of those But
it took those opportunities, and you have to sometimes get
into speed, but you can't let the opportunity slip through
(21:43):
your hands when.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
It comes, and you've got to be able to catch
up in gravity, leading Max Starks right here to the
locker room. So delighted that that happened, ye, and so
delighted to watch you play, Max Starks. He's Max Starks,
I'm Rob King. You're inside the locker room with kingon Star,
presented by your neighborhood Ford Store. Here on the Steelers Audio.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
Network, Iheartradios Live coverage twenty twenty five Steelers Training Camp.
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Speaker 2 (22:41):
And Welcome back inside the locker room at King and Stark,
presented by your neighborhood Ford Store here on the Steelers
Audio Network.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
And uh, I just.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Wanted to ask you quickly, Max before we move on
to some other topics, your thoughts on what you saw
yesterday in practice. We started to talk about it and
then we were joined by the great Mick McQuaid from
Football Ireland. So your thoughts and what you saw. Great
to see JPJ Joey Porter Junior back on in the
practice field.
Speaker 4 (23:07):
Yeah, it was great to see him.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
And you know he had the two picks in the
in the seven on seven period, so let you know that.
Speaker 4 (23:13):
He is he is doing alright. He is just fine.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
And you know I listed kind of some of the
other guys Stephen Jones having an elevated role with Calvin
Anderson being down, Dylan Cook as well getting more reps
at the tackle position. You know, we talked about Dominique Davis,
Daniel Aqualey with the trio of of of a defensive
lineman being down. I thought they had some really good
as Once again my one of my Camp Feno'm candidates
fifty three Echulota.
Speaker 4 (23:38):
Showing up on film again. He just he just keeps
showing up on there, keeps popping his.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
Face in, making you, you know, think about the number
fifty three on the.
Speaker 4 (23:47):
Outside of edge pass rush.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
So, I mean, there's just so there was there was
a lot of good work, a lot of young guys
getting enhanced reps. You know, we talked about Aaron Rodgers
being being taking his first VET day here at Steelers
training camp yesterday for a helmets practice. I imagine he'll
be back out. Saw him doing some stuff and walk
through over here on field two. So just you know,
(24:10):
it's great to see the opportunities coming. And we got
to see a little bit more enhanced role for Isaac
c Amalu and Broderick Jones working together, and then they
still got subbed out. You know, they didn finish out
all the ones reps, which you're not gonna be upset about,
right because you need to get other guys opportunities because
when we get to the preseason games, those guys probably
aren't gonna be playing. So getting them up to speed
(24:33):
and giving the younger guys opportunities to step in there
and kind of kind of.
Speaker 4 (24:36):
Prove their worth. I thought was really nice.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
See Troy Fatanu getting better and better trusting that knee
and looking good, I mean really smooth and his pass protections,
you know, and Jack Sawyer, Jack Sawyer has been looking
really solid. He like I said, it doesn't necessarily look pretty,
but he's effective with some of his pass rush moves.
And it's like, Okay, this is a guy who's coming
(25:01):
on getting better. He's gonna get a lot of reps
in the preseason as well. So I thought it was
a very clean practice for a helmet's practice. So you
saw guys getting better in the process, and I was
really happy to watch kind of their progression. So there's
a lot of things to glean from a kinger that
even though you don't have pads on, you can still
get good work in. And I thought that was on
(25:22):
display for the young guys and enhanced roles, I guess
should say for the guys who aren't young, more enhanced opportunities.
Speaker 4 (25:28):
So it's been it was a really good day.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
I'm really excited for today, especially like I said, goal
line and short yardage is coming in.
Speaker 4 (25:36):
It's also I think is it family day today too?
It is family Day? Yeah, I believe it's family Day.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
So you know what what it tell us? What is
family Day and what doesn't mean to the players.
Speaker 3 (25:46):
So for the players, I mean, you know, it means
that you know your significant others and your kids if
you have them, get to come up.
Speaker 4 (25:53):
And sometimes for the young guys.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
Like you know mom and dad, and then you know
some siblings might be there as well.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
So the sidelines will be crowded today.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
For family Day, and then afterwards there'll be a big dinner,
will be in the gym. It's a big barbecue day,
so Wes and I will make sure we have a
couple of ribs for you Kinger in those moments. But
and you know they bring out the big lemonades and everything.
That's always a big hit there. So you know, you
get a barbecue afterwards, and you know you don't have
(26:21):
night meetings because you have the day off.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
So guys usually can hang out.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
With their family and then if they want, if they
have a place in Pittsford, they'll drive and get the
day off. And really is your first time to really
spend time away from camp on this day because it's
usually paired up with the day off the next day.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
Yeah, that's nice.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
So I mean, is it a bit of a mental
break to have the family up here sometimes, you know.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
Oh my goodness, gracious, you hate to say.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
It's in golf, you know, Scottie Scheffer came out and said, hey,
you know, my family's more important than winning a tournament.
Speaker 4 (26:56):
And Tom Brady came out and said, why can't you
have both?
Speaker 2 (26:58):
And so you know now that this sort of subtext
of hey, the families, you know, uh, they're a distraction.
Well they're not a distraction, They're my family. So how
do you kind of balance all that? I suppose it's
probably a little bit different for each player.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
Yeah, it's a little different for each player, but I
mean the running constant is is to show that, you know,
at the end of the day, we're all human, right,
I mean you are you know, you are these professional athletes,
you do compete, you are you know, quote unquote you know,
careemed away from your normal life and you're plopped right
here in the middle of late Trobe on a college campus.
(27:34):
But you know, it allows an opportunity, I feel like
for a lot of guys to really refocus, to recenter
your why in the dog days of training camp. You
get this opportunity to kind of say, Okay, this is
what I'm doing it for right when you when you
get your baby, you know, out there and you're you're
holding your baby on the field after a hot, sweaty
practice and you're holding you got grass, you know, you
got grass on your arms, You got grass stays on
(27:55):
the jersey. But to see that smile and you know,
it does something to you mentally, And then of course
to see your spouse you hadn't seen in a while,
you know, just to give a hug and just you know,
sometimes you get to decompress some things. I mean, yeah,
we spend a lot of time on our teammates and
you create bonds, but there's sometimes you just you want
to just talk and you want to be free in
(28:16):
your thoughts. And so it just gives you those opportunities.
If you're a person who's really close to your parents,
you know, you don't get to see your parents really
that much up here, you know, because after practice you're
going here, rushing to dinner, then you're rushing to meetings.
Then you have a little bit of time to even
maybe get on the phone, and then it's curfew time
and then rinse, wash, repeat, you know, And so I
(28:37):
think that's where it gives you a little chance to
kind of reset yourself and recenter yourself. Like you said,
take a breath, take a tick where you get to
do something that's not football, And that's what I feel like.
Family Day really provides that type of calibration for guys
and allows you to kind of just get back to
basics and just being a human for at least, you know,
(29:01):
thirty thirty two hours before you.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
Have the comeback up here.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
You got to report and you got get in the night
meetings Monday night and then be ready for Tuesday.
Speaker 4 (29:08):
And like you said, it's game week. Even though they're
not going to game plan.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
For the Jacksonville Jaguars, you still feel the intensity kind
of ratchet up because, like I do, have to get
ready for a game. This is a game that it
might not count on the record books, but people will
be keeping score, referees will be present, and you will
still have to go out and do battle because another
guy that's trying to make his respective team.
Speaker 4 (29:32):
So it just it ratches up the gladiator nature of
it all. But this is a moment to kind of
take a breath. So great and it is, it's a
wonderful thing Family Day, but let me ask you this Max.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
As we get back to today's practice, it is a
padded practice. So you go padded practice Friday night, and
then yesterday you go helmets and you know, it's obviously
not a padded practice. Guys still getting out there is
getting an opportunity. Now everybody re emerges again, right, the
veterans are going to be back out there again.
Speaker 4 (30:06):
What are you looking to accomplish? And I will also
ask you this.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
You know, if it's a you have a day off
coming up tomorrow, I would suspect, you know, mentally, for
some guys, you're like, man, my family's here and you know,
and maybe your mind isn't laser focused on today's practice,
which would be a mistake obviously. Other guys that think
are wired like, hey man, I'm gonna forget about everything
(30:34):
except this practice. Now, laser focus and then I can
enjoy myself. Is it an emotional challenge for the guys
out there today.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
Yeah, it's emotional, But I think it's also Man, I
got my kids over here. I can't get embarrassed, I.
Speaker 4 (30:47):
Can't get whipped right right. I gotta show them the
dad has the goods, you know.
Speaker 3 (30:54):
I mean, there's a lot of pride in that, like
I don't only get my butt kicked in front of
my baby, you know what I'm saying, Like, like I
gotta go out there. The chest might pop out a
little bit more, the bravado might come out, might be
a little more vocal. To make sure everybody can spot
me on the field, you know, because if everybody's kind
of crammed on one end and you're doing a drill
in the opposite. In had to make sure that those
(31:14):
that came to see me and that love me and
bear the last name, they know that, hey, Pops is
doing this thing out here, nothing to worry about, nothing
to see here, and then you get to enjoy a
little bit, a little bit of relaxation afterwards.
Speaker 4 (31:25):
But you know, that's that's another aspect of it.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
I mean definitely when my wife when we were dating,
you know, she would come up and you know, her
family would come up, and my family would come up.
I was like, no, I want to make sure she
knows she she made the right choice.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Exactly, just like everybody did a different point of their career.
Everybody did a different point of their relationships. Some people
have kids, some people have girlfriends, some people have wives,
some people have pregnant wives. You know, it's not and
on and coach. Everybody's in a little bit different. Some
people got you know, mom and dad, there, cousins or whatever.
Speaker 4 (31:59):
There's there.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Always everybody's at a different point of their football journey
and everybody's at a different point of their life journey.
Speaker 4 (32:05):
And that's part of family day today at at La Trope. Yeah, no,
it definitely is.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
And you know and and and I don't know about
your family, right, but I got I got, I got
smack talkers in my family. So my cousins come up,
and you know, there's always that one cousin that thinks
that he should have he should have been there before
over you.
Speaker 4 (32:22):
Type of deal.
Speaker 3 (32:23):
And he's like, oh man, I could do this, and
back I'm like, no, bro, you can't do this.
Speaker 4 (32:27):
And he's like, and I don't.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Want to give him any ammunition for any family holidays
where he can talk about but remember that one time
at camp. I was like, no, there never was that
time because you know it, because I dominated every time.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
What did you do?
Speaker 3 (32:39):
You watched you drank gatorade and you're trying to get autographed,
So stick to your role.
Speaker 4 (32:43):
I'll stick to mine. You know you got.
Speaker 3 (32:46):
Yeah, I mean because at the end of the day,
I mean, and I grew up with a lot of cousins.
Speaker 4 (32:50):
I have a ton of cousins.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
They're from Detroit to Ohio, you know, all the way
down to DC, all the way to California. So it's like,
you know, the cousin game is pretty And then I
played against one of my cousins because he was drafted
to the Texas and so my last preseason with the
Cardinals we play against each other at Houston. So I
was like, I gotta win the cousin battle. I gotta
(33:12):
win the cousin battle. My other cousin he played, he
played for the Texas as well, and we beat him
very badly, and uh in O five. So I did
have that hanging over my head. And he also went
to f s U, a secondary college apparently in uh
you know, in the state of Florida, not a primary school.
But yeah, I mean, you definitely don't want to be
the one that got got or you don't want to
(33:34):
be the one that has that embarrassing moment. So you're
fighting for a lot of pride and a lot of
a lot of unknowns, you know. Uh in In the
family rankings, because don't want to get knocked down or
wrung in front of the family, right, Uh, for sure.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
So always something to compete for.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
We're gonna talk a little bit more about that, a
little bit more about this padded practice. What Max is
expecting to see out of this practice. Uh, you are
listening to the Locker Room It King, It's it is
presented by our neighborhood Ford Stour here on the Steelers
Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
I Heart Radios live coverage about twenty twenty five Steelers
training Camp. He's presented by Vedex where now meets Next
and also brought to you by First National Bank, by
Kamlucy Chevrolet, iron Workers Union Number three, by Easy Home Exteriors,
by SMT Bank, Remax Select Realty, by Tom's Appliances, the
(34:32):
Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Shop, by Always Safe Flagging and Traffic Control,
and by us.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
Steel Well, thank you very much for being with us
once again inside the Locker Room and King and Stark,
presented by your neighborhood Fords Stour here on the Steelers
Audio Network. You know, always interested to hear the questions
that are being asked about players after camp. Max to
Mike Tomin and the other coaches. Sometimes their reactionary to
(35:00):
what somebody saw in practice. Sometimes they are, Hey, I
got to write a feature. I'm gonna choose player X,
and I'm gonna interview that guy, you know, after practice.
So let me get Mike Tomlins thoughts on him so
I can write a good cohesive article or talk about
it on a podcast or talking about it on a
radio show.
Speaker 4 (35:18):
What have you.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
So one of those guys that's popped up in the
last day or two is a guy that I think
is interesting for a number of reasons, and that's Kenneth Gainwell.
Speaker 4 (35:28):
And Gamewell is a guy who obviously is coming off.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
A Super Bowl championship, right, So, and the Steers have
added some super Bowl champions right. They've gone out and
gotten guys in this offseason who Darius Slave was his
teammate in Philadelphia, Jalen Ramsey won a Super Bowl. They've
got They've gone out and gotten guys who have super
Bowl pedigree, which I think you know, again from the
(35:54):
outside looking in, we talk about that, you know, and
about the importance of that inside of a locker room.
Speaker 4 (36:00):
I'd like you to comment on that.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
But also one of the big things is you know,
a year or so ago after the you know, they
the sort of the string of events Max went, they
announced the new kickoff rule, and at the at the
winter meetings and the GM meetings and the you know,
the team meetings that happens in March, and within seconds
(36:23):
to Steelers that announced that the signing of Cordero Patterson,
the greatest kick returner in history, who subsequently been let
go and just did not have a good year. In fact,
his numbers I believe were last in the NFL and
kick returning. Now you bring in Kenneth Gainwell, who has
won a Super Bowl, provides you some great versatility to
running back position. We know he can go out in
(36:44):
pass patterns. We know he can run. You know, presumably
he can block, and so you know he gives you
those sort of options. But he is also going to
be a guy that you know, now with the new
kickoff rules, hey you don't get to kick return. You
know you kick it in the end zone. Have ball's
coming out to the thirty five? I think now the
(37:05):
intention to the rule to get more kickoffs. Yeah, there
were more kickoffs. Now you have this new rule that's
I think could create even more kickoffs around the league.
I think Kenneth Gainwell is a guy that could be
really interesting for the Steers this season.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
Yeah. No, I'm really excited about the opportunity.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
We saw it up live in personal Kinger right back
back in December when we went to Philly and we're like, hey,
we got to worry about the Saquon Barkley guy. But
then Kenneth Gamewell came in as a change up guy
and he cut us up from the screen, from the
passing game, the checkdown game, and he had.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
Some really explosive plays.
Speaker 3 (37:48):
So I think when it came the opportunity, hey, we
need to add some you know something to the to
the room because we weren't re signing Najie Harris and
we knew we were probably gonna go in the draft
and get somebody, but you still wanted some veteran presence there.
And I think Ken Gamewell made a big name for himself.
And like you said, the versatility, Like this is a
guy who catches the ball. It's not just a guy
who gets the ball put you know, shoved into his
(38:09):
stomach for a run play. Only he's just a ground
and pound guy. So like you said that versatility comes
to play, especially with how this new dynamic kickoff rule is.
You know, this is a guy who can go catch
catch a kickoff and can use you know, he has
the vision as a running back. I mean, but that's
one of the things you look at. You kind of
need that type of vision in that in that specific instance.
So why not give him a crack at those opportunities.
(38:32):
He's already a third down back, so you know, he's
a blocking back, so that means he can get in
there for blitz protections and and and not only just
run normal plays, but he can be in there for
all three downs potentially. And he's a good switch up guy.
So there's a lot of versatility with Kenneth Game. I know,
we haven't talked that much about him king because he's
just been doing his job, which we talk about this.
(38:55):
That's not an indictment, that's not a negative phrase. That's
actually a compliment that he does. Doesn't stick out in
a bad way, but he fits in. Like when he
makes a run, you know, and he and he can
bend it back and he knows he has the vision
for it. You're like, all right, he's doing what we
expect him do, like Mike Tomlins said, like I don't
get excited about you know, guys that I expect to
make plays making plays like that's what you're here for.
(39:17):
And I think that's why I haven't really talked about
him a lot. But he has been a very nice
addition to the versatility in that room. And he's a
veteran who can fit right in that and I see
him squarely in that top three rotation for the running
back position. But like you said, the more you can
do creates even more utility on game day and being
(39:37):
a kick returner potentially and taking some of those kicks.
I think he'll probably get a couple this preseason, just
to see how it looks, especially with the new rules
that we kind of outlined last week.
Speaker 4 (39:48):
As far as about how the rule has changed.
Speaker 3 (39:51):
You know what the penalties are with it now it
moves from the thirty to the thirty five. Our team's
gonna be more likely to kick now that you lose
five more yards on it to stimulate returns. And then
with the offset of linemen you know on that front
line for that kickoff, you know you can now stagger
three of them, but they have to be equally dispersed
around the field. You can't concentrate it. So I mean,
(40:12):
I just it's a lot of possibilities, and once again,
you just come back to utility. That's what training camps
here for. It's for the opportunity to see what we
can and can't do, what can we get away with,
what personnel groupings can can have more function to them,
but also what players can have more function to them,
so that when I am giving a guy a hat,
(40:34):
I'm giving them a hat for three different.
Speaker 4 (40:35):
Positions, not just one position.
Speaker 3 (40:38):
And I think that's what we're trying to see out here,
and that's where these opportunities, especially when you have like
we said, you know Dante Kent was listed up there
with Calvin Austin.
Speaker 4 (40:45):
Well, both those guys are on the shelf right now.
So who's the next man up.
Speaker 3 (40:48):
Who's gonna next person going to take that opportunity and
literally run with it?
Speaker 4 (40:54):
Agreed?
Speaker 2 (40:55):
And I think it's it's a really interesting, really fascinating question.
And you know, when you look at a guy like
Game one, and part of the part of what we're
not seeing is we're not seeing live kickoff return drills, right,
It's not it's not part of practice. It's not something
that's going to be out there all the time, you
(41:15):
know it. It's so we're gonna see what it looks
like a lot of it live. You know, last year
we were talking about with Danny Smith and and just
amongst ourselves, you know, what is it going to look like?
Speaker 4 (41:29):
Right?
Speaker 2 (41:29):
So, you know, teams are having running starts, uh, you
know in the past, and so you have certain personnel
out there to block them. Well, now they're kind of running.
You know, they're starting from a standstill, and you know there's.
Speaker 4 (41:41):
Gonna be more returns. You know, you think about putting offensive.
Speaker 2 (41:44):
Linemen out on your kick return team and and setting
up a wall and almost having be like a running play.
Speaker 4 (41:50):
Like a running play.
Speaker 2 (41:51):
Obviously you know longer periods of guys running up and
having collisions. But what's the personnel going to look like?
And so we didn't really know that until we started
to get into games. And then you know, then there
was even more talk in preseason games. Why are they
are they holding something back? Is just a bit of
a cat and mouse game, you know, schematically to the
do these special teams. Coaches not want to give away
(42:13):
what they're doing all those questions. But for me, you know,
gain Well as a guy that averaged over twenty five
yards per kickoff return last year for the Eagles, He's
gonna get more returns and this could be that aspect
of it. You know, hey, you return one, it might
be the difference between winning and losing a game. And
(42:35):
so that can be And you know, we have seen
we saw the special teams. You know, we've seen him
excel under Danny Smith. They had a great season for
most of the season last year. They were spectacular. I
think they still wound up around the top of the
rankings in in special teams units around the league. But again,
maybe something we'll see a little bit more of when
(42:56):
the game start. But I think it's gonna be an
exciting new component. And I think, just like the students
thoughtfully went after Cordero Patterson and hoped he could have
that magic, I wonder if maybe that was part of
the reason you went out and got Kenneth Gainwell, in
addition to the versatility out of the backfield, in addition
to the fact that he brings that Super Bowl pedigree
(43:16):
with him.
Speaker 3 (43:17):
Yeah, I think you have to consider that. I think
that's a realistic expectation for him, and you know, and
hopefully he's also given guidance to some guys that will
be taking those punts later in the game, because he'll.
Speaker 4 (43:31):
Be sitting on the sidelines, and you hope that you can.
Speaker 3 (43:33):
Glean some knowledge from him right by inundating him into
that room, and of course, knowing that there's a special
team's aspect to him, you hope that that can kind
of rub off and these young guys hopefully are taking
advantage of that, just like a Will Howard with Aaron Rodgers, right,
you bring in a guy of that level, how could
you not utilize you know that quote unquote Encyclopedia Britannica
(43:53):
of Football that he except there's no missing volumes, at
least not yet. I would say I have a good
volume in my head, but I'm sure that I'm sure
there's a couple of pages that have been ripped out
and I don't know about it yet.
Speaker 2 (44:08):
Uh, Max Starks, I certainly hope you enjoy your experienced
family day today, and I know you're looking just to
kind of wrap it up real quick.
Speaker 4 (44:17):
I know you're looking for.
Speaker 2 (44:17):
A good clean bit of practice here today is a
Steelers get back in pads before the day off.
Speaker 4 (44:24):
Yeah, I need the offense to win seven shots today.
That's That's what I'm hoping is the case with the UH.
Speaker 3 (44:31):
With now the introduction of gold line in short yardage packages,
I'm hoping that we now we now get back into
fighting contention, even though it is close. Defense has taken
it the last couple of days, and that just gets
me a little itchy. I feel like Ricky Bobby's dad
right now, you know, shaking the can as you know,
they're getting a little bit too comfortable here and I
(44:51):
needed to shift back in my direction. So I need
I need to take the onions off my Salisbury steak.
Speaker 4 (44:57):
That is Max Starks, I am Rob.
Speaker 2 (45:00):
We want to thank Mick McQuaid for being with us,
is always Wes Euler for being part of this group,
and for Justin Miller back in our iHeart Studios, and
we of course always thank you for listening in the
locker room. Max and I off tomorrow as the team
is off. We will be talking to you again on
(45:20):
Tuesday morning at ten o'clock. Thanks for being with us
in the locker room with King and Starks. Presented by
your neighborhood Ford stour here on the Steelers Audio Network.
Iheartradios. Live coverage of about twenty twenty five Steelers training
camp is presented by fadex where Now meets Next and
also brought to you by First National Bank, by Kulucy Chevrolet,
iron Workers Union Number three, by Easy Home Exteriors, by
SNT Bank, we Max Select Realty, by Tom's Appliances, the
(00:29):
Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Shop, by Always Safe Flagging and Traffic Control,
and by US Steel.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
And welcome back inside the Locker Room, m King and
Stark's present of our neighborhood Fords Store on the Steelers'
audio network. Once again, want to thank Mick McQuaid, host
of the Irish Steelers podcast and of Pro Football Ireland,
the founder of Pro Football Island, for coming on with
us in that first hour of Inside the Locker Room.
And you know, Max, I wanted to ask you about
(01:03):
you know what you're talking about with opportunities. Yesterday was
an opportunity day. Injuries are opportunities for players and everybody's
a little bit different part of their progression. So a
young Max Starks, look your third round draft choice, third round.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Right, Yeah, you're gonna be five, Ye, You're gonna make
the team.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
Right, did not feel that way.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Ralph did feel okay, interesting, interesting, you're playing with a
little bit of that.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
That's good.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah, yeah, But you're also waiting for your opportunity. You
don't wish anybody to get hurt, but you're waiting for
your opportunity. There are guys on this roster who everybody's
fighting for something, right, So.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
If you're a if.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
You're a player who's got a pretty good chance of
making the roster, you want.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
To solidify that.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
If you're a guy with a definite chance but you're
a backup, you want to show Hey, listen, don't forget
about me. I need a helmet on game day and
I need to get a few more reps. And you're
and you're trying to plant those seeds. You've mentioned some
of the young offensive linemen. They're trying to be either
the next guy up if there's a more permanent injury,
or maybe they're they're making the roster at the end.
(02:15):
You know, again we talked about this before. You might
be battling, you know, when you get down to the
last two or three roster spots, not necessarily somebody from
inside your position group, but somebody else on the roster
everybody's in there stumping to get an extra defensive back
or an extra tight end, or an extra running back
or an extra offensive lineman. You know, you want to
put your name there, or now you want to be
(02:37):
that guy who's on the practice squad who gets called
up and down, or maybe you're trying to get out
there in Jacksonville in the next couple of games. And hey,
it's a it's a crowded situation on the Steelers. Let's
pick a position, defensive line group. But another team says, hey, listen,
maybe he's not good enough to be one of the
Steelers eight or nine, but he's certainly good enough to
be one of our eight or nine. There's just so
(02:59):
much to play for. And it's not just about those
preseason games. You have to make your mark now, No,
you absolutely have to.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
You're you're right, king, or I think and I think
the other thing that you have to be wary of,
Like you said, there's also young guys, you know, fighting
head to head. You know, one guy we didn't mention
that is also on the practice report, but Dante Kent
was a young guy looking to try to trying to
break into the corner position, but also the return game.
So now a guy who we thought was gonna get
(03:29):
a lot of returns, you know in these preseason games,
he's down right now.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
We don't know how long. Now.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
You wonder if you're you know, a Cam McCutcheon and
you're trying trying to trying to carve out a role
on this team, or you know, you're a wide receiver,
right you know, you think of guys down the list,
if you're Max Hurlman, Keshawn Williams and Rock Taylor, maybe
you could show an opportunity in special teams as a
return guy because the guy they had slated for those
(03:57):
returns is down. You know, an Austin. You know, we said,
who's normally our punt returner? You know he's not. He's
not in there, you know, for right now, he's he's on,
he's on the day to day. So you're looking at Okay,
there's other opportunities and it doesn't have to come from
the likely position areas.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
But if you could, like you said, show your show your.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Skills and special teams, now you get a little second
look in those opportunities. So they can present themselves in
a multitude of different ways. But it's taking advantage of
these opportunities when they present themselves.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Yeah, and it's you know, I think it's easy to
look at it in terms, you know, depending upon which
lens you're looking through. Like for example, okay, so who's
the next punt returner? You know, I mean I've seen
listed on the depth charts. You know that that that
different you know, different groups that that do those sort
(04:48):
of things put out and you see Calvin Austin, Dante Kent.
That's what you see. You don't see anybody else. So
who's going to be that guy? And like you said,
you know you didn't feel totally secure in your spot
on the roster. If you're a veteran, you know you
might still be fighting for a spot on the roster.
(05:09):
Maybe the fact that you know you can put one
more you know, arrow in your quiver and say, hey, listen,
I could be that guy who returns a punt for you,
because there's no assurance that you know. Again, let's just
again we're gonna use names, but it's just as an example.
Let's say Calvin Austin's your punt returner. Dante Kent makes
(05:31):
the roster, but he's not dressed on game days.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
For exit. Just use that as an example.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Yeah, well if Calvin Austin, we saw him take a
big wallop in Cincinnati last year. Okay, that happens, and
as he's trying to get ready, now you know it's
it's three minutes later in Cincinnati's punting the ball back
to you who's running out there.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
Well, you know, you want to be that guy. You
want to be that guy that says, hey, it's me.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
I might be listed as number three in the depth chart,
but there might be things that happened that me out
on the field. So it is you know, we talk
about one hundred and or ninety and it seems.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
Like a lot, and then.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
You know, you spread it out over you know, uh,
you want to say twenty two different positions on offense,
but there's a slot receiver, there's an h back, there's
potentially a fullback. It's really you're really starting to look
at thirteen positions. You got a nickelback on defense, you're
really looking at twelve positions. Uh, suddenly you're going three
or four deep and not you know, five or six deep.
(06:30):
Like it looks like when you talk about ninety guys,
these are opportunities, These are chances for guys to excel,
and whatever point of your career you're in, I should
be out in the field as a backup. I should
be on the roster. I should be on the practice squad.
There's something to play for, a reason to come out clean.
Like you said, you're looking for a clean practice today,
(06:51):
a reason for every single player, for whatever the purpose is.
If you're TJ. Watt, you're using that practice for condition
or or honing your craft. I mean, there's always something
to be working on, but just in terms of absences,
that is an absence equals an opportunity.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
No, you're absolutely right.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
And then you also remember these preseason games, a lot
of your frontline starters aren't gonna be playing at all,
so you're you know, you want to put yourself to
the best foot forward to be conditioned for a lot
more snaps than.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
You're getting in practice as well. I think that's the other.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
Thing, king, you know, when we think about that, like
even though Calvin oss is listed as a punt returner, right,
he's we already know he's a punt returner, so I
don't think he's gonna catch any punts in practice. So
you should already thinking if you're number three four on
a depth chart, like, no, I'm gonna get my shots
in preseason just now, I get more practice cuts at
it before I get to the game. And guys have
(07:46):
to think about that, Like Cam Hayward is not gonna
be taking snaps, you know in the preseason. Aaron Rodgers
maybe maybe takes a you know, a series or two maybe,
but you know, kind of wit through this drill with
with pursued yesterday. You know, last year with the Jets,
Aaron Rodgers took zero snaps in the preseason. The first
(08:07):
year with the Jets, he took two series. Last year
with Green Bay took zero. So it's not guaranteed. So
you know, if you're Skylar Thompson and Will Howard, you
need to be ready to play in those moments, just
to give one example. And then, like you said, with
the D line, Ya Black and Derek Harmon are gonna
get a lot of reps at the D line interior position,
(08:29):
and that's gonna be another one where you're gonna be like, Okay,
you know, I need to get myself conditioned. I've been
doing two's rest, but man, I'm gonna be out there
with the ones come game day against Jacksonville, and I
need to be prepared and ready to go. The Logan Lees,
you know, the young guys that are further down the
depth chart, they're gonna be elevated by game day to
get more reps.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
And just some of the examples.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
And we talked about the offensive line, So I don't
want to exhaust it because I know fans want to
hear about the guys I actually get more stats, so
you know, but the offensive line is gonna get a
lot of gonna get a lot of reps in rotation
in there, so you want to prove that you were
able to do it.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
I'm thinking Steven Jones.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
I talked about one of the guys on my list, Yeah,
Camp Phenoms. He's gonna get a lot of reps and
they're gonna move him in a couple of different positions.
So how do you handle that increased workload and the
position flexibility to see can he be a guard tackle?
Because in season, if you're a swing guy and you
got a helmet, it doesn't matter. Like ill like I
go back to this famously. You know, I was a
(09:24):
tackle swing and Chuck Yakobe was our interior swing on
game day. We only dressed seven back then, and Jeff Hardings,
you know, we're fourteen and one going into Buffalo. Jeff
Hardens like, you know what, I don't need to play
this and I already won my Pro Bowl bid. So yeah, Chuck,
you're in. So now, Alan Fannicas says, hey, same boat here,
(09:45):
get in there, rookie. You're just like, uh, sorry, sir,
I only played tackle. Doesn't matter. It's like I'm out,
you're in. Figure it out. And my first first game
action and start was was really at left guard or
I went to the tach. So you have to be
flexible in those situations. And that was at the end
of the regular season. Imagine going, you know, all a
(10:07):
training camp all.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
Of the season.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
You get the last game of the season and like,
I've been practicing, you know, right and left tackle, and
now I'm just a left guard. You in a game
against freaking Sam Adams and Pat Williams. You know, I'm
like fat Pat and big Sam and it's it's awakening.
But these guys get a chance to do a little
bit more of that. So you could be prepared for.
Speaker 4 (10:28):
Those because you don't know when it's going to hit
right when.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
That opportunity comes, so be ready for whatever opportunity comes
your way.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
And by the way, if you are a veteran, it's
not that you don't want to be generous. And I've
always been amazed at the culture in sports, and not
everybody does this right, but the whole teaching of the
young guys.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
Like I think I said this before us.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
You know, we talked about at the end of practice
some of the veteran offensive linemen last year working with
the young guys one on one.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
You're working with a guy who might take your job.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
I saw Cam Sutton like Papa Bear and the little
baby Bear, rookie and undrafted you know, wide cornerbacks and
Beanie Bishop and stuff over there, all all working with
Cam Sutton after practice. He trotted him over into a
different field, knowing that he's probably grooming his successor. Right,
But you don't, I think, at the bottom of your heart,
(11:24):
you don't want to give that guy an opportunity. You
want to be healthy, you know. I go back I
remember in baseball, back many years ago when our station
in Pittsburgh. I don't know if people know this, but
we were covering the Cardinals too for a brief period
of time, and the Bobby Benie was supposed to be
the Cardinals left fielder and he had a hamstring injury,
(11:46):
and there was a rookie and Tony the RUSI didn't
really want to start him, you know, I don't even
know if he was going to make the team. And
Bobby Benia gets his hamstring and Larussis says, well, I
guess I got to play the rookie. And that rookie's
Albert Poohols, you know, and Bobby he never got back
out of the field again.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
That's just the way, you know.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
So you don't I think, you know, as much as
there's this there's this camaraderie and trying to help the
guy around, you don't want to be you know. The
most famous example is Wally Pip Right, Yeah, I got
a headache, we got hey, we got this rookie first
baseman Lou Gareg, and Lou Garrick steps down to the
field and plays two and thirty consecutive games. You know,
(12:25):
you don't want to be that guy providing the opportunity
because you're in the tub or whatever the case may be.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
Yeah, and think about Kerry Collins right when Tom Brady right,
that's right. Yeah, that's I mean, that's that.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
That's another famous example of oh sorry, Drew Bletsoe, you're right, Bledsoe.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
I keep getting the mixed up.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Sorry, a lot of quarterbacks in my head. But yeah, no,
Drew Bletsoe, right right. You know, he's like, hey, we're
let the sixth rounder get in, you know, and I'll
be back in a couple And it was like, now
we're gonna ride this out.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
Like sorry, you're don't hurry back.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
Yeah, yeah, exactly, We're not going to hurry you back
because he's doing a fan and he ends up being
Tom Brady. So I mean there's a lot of examples
out there, and I think that's what you have to
kind of take, take residents in. Like if you're a
young guy or even you're a veteran guy that's been
a journeyman, you know, you could find a home somewhere else,
and you know you have to take these these reps.
(13:18):
You know, I know when we get into camp and listen,
I was I was guilty of it, you know, middle
of my career, Like ah, it's another practice, okay, another
rep of course, a little bit tougher than these circumstances.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
Because we had two practices a day shoulder pads.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
But you know, if if you're a guy that gets
an opportunity and when you're numbers called, you got to
be ready to go, like you can't ease your way
into it. You've got to dive all the way in
tint's in so to speak, and you have to take
advantage of make if that's your last rep, make sure
you leave a lasting impression. And knowing that these games
are on the precipice and a lot of guys aren't
gonna play, they're you're quote unquote frontline guys, you have
(13:55):
an opportunity to make a stake for your claim to
be one of the second line or if not even
a first line guy, if the starter hasn't been practicing
a lot, you might be able to jump him in
those opportunities. And we kind of listed that list. Same
thing can happen here if you got and you you
ball out. And I'll just take a name for example,
h Spencer Anderson who's beenking a lot of starter reps
and I don't see heiaac ciamolo playing in a lot
(14:17):
of preseason games. No, maybe maybe you impress it and
maybe say, hey, maybe we need to take a second
look at this guy. Not putting that out there saying
that that's a possibility, but I'm just giving an example,
and it gets Starter's not there.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
And he's a good example of a guy with perhaps
something else to play for. Not only first guy up
this year right at multiple positions, but a guy. You know,
if you're the Steelers and if you're Spencer Anderson, I'm
guessing here that you want to send the message to
Steelers brass that, hey, you know, don't worry about if
(14:51):
we lose an offensive lineman next year. You know, contracts
are up, we know this. Maybe somebody doesn't perform up
to expectations. Look at me, I'm ready to go. You
don't need to spend that second round pick next year
on an offensive lineman.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
I'm your guy.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
So again, everybody's at a different point of their football journey.
And look, we talked a little bit about it, and
we'll talk more about the game coming up against Jacksonville
next week. Not everybody plays in a preseason game. I mean,
there are guys on the roster who won't get in.
You know, just you know, all you have to do,
you know, is look at you know, the training camp,
(15:27):
specially the hard knocks they always have on. They're always
following one guy and sometimes that guy doesn't even get
into a game. Right up, next thing you know, you're
in the coach's office turning in your playbook. So you
want to make sure that you're at least going to
get an opportunity in a game, because that might not
happen either. So again, there's just so much to play
(15:48):
for for all of these guys. And it's not just
play for in the game, it's practiced for us who
you have an opportunity to play for a.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Spot, absolutely, and I think that's what it is. You
have to be able to be ready at a moment's
notice and when you are. And you know, that's why
I think Mike Toalman never calls guys backups.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
He calls them starters in waiting. That's how he lists them.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
So he's like, yeah, He's like, here's our starters, and
there's our starters in waiting, And that's how you have
to really approach that. I think it's a great mentality
to have that doesn't matter when it's going to happen,
just know it's going to happen, and it's not a
matter of if, it's a matter of when, and when
it happens, you need to.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
Be ready, you know, to pull the card.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
You know, you can't sit there and hesitate and guess
about it because your future, you know, and how people
view you.
Speaker 4 (16:40):
You know, you're only good as your last snap.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
That's that was ad as we've always told each other,
you know, as players, you know, you are what you
put on tape. And so there's all these kind of
axioms or cliches however you want to look.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
At it that apply.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
But there's truth in all of those. And I think
that's where you know, you can't get caught up in
the minutia. Just know you got to turn it on
for the next play, and you never know when the
next play might be your last play. So how what
impression are you leaving on the coaches, on scouts, on
the front office, on ownership? And you know, do you
(17:14):
show the characteristics at the end of the day to
be a stealer? You have the qualities that they desire,
and are you putting those those qualities on display?
Speaker 4 (17:23):
That's easily consumable.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
I don't have to look and glean something from it,
or guess and postulate about it.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
It's like, no, now, he just blew that dude up.
You know that guy, that guy's a Steeler, or that
he just he just.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
Snatched the ball out of the air and you know,
stiff armed the guy and went into the end zone.
That's a Steeler, right, Make it easy for everybody. Don't
sit there and leave it up to postulations and you know,
trying to predict the variability. Pull out some type of
equation to figure out if it's a good idea or not. Now,
if you go hit a guy in the mouth, it's
very evident, very quickly. You know, I do want to
just quickly. And this probably happens for camp. I'm just
(18:00):
guessing maybe it doesn't.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
My guess would be that an agent, you know, you're
an undrafted guy or you're a veteran guy looking to
make a team. I'm sure the agents are going through
the roster and saying, hey, what's your best opportunity to
make a roster. But one thing we do know about
the Steelers. The Steelers are not a CYA organization. And
(18:22):
by that I mean cover your fiduty right does not
start with an ag We got it. Got you will
if you perform, you will get an opportunity to make
the team. And you only have to look at the
Steelers history. You know, James Harrison, Willie Parker, the list
goes Donnie shell h. It has been a long history
(18:47):
of allowing and giving opportunity for players to come in
and beat somebody out who might be a draft pick
and might have more pedigree because you earned a spot. Now,
working against that is if I'm looking at Studs roster,
I'm like, there's not that many that that not that
many spots up for grabs, and I don't know if
a player feels that, I'm guessing again that's more of
(19:07):
an agent thing placing a guy, and that no matter
what camp you're in, you're gonna play hungry. But when
we talk about these guys on the edges of the roster,
we do so thoughtfully because we know from Steeler's history
there is an opportunity to make a team. There is
an opportunity for you to beat out somebody else because
you have merited that by your play in the field exactly,
(19:32):
and you don't want to be a consolation, right, you know.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
And then there's this drop off and then now there's
a worry.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
It's like, no, this guy.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
Has been studying for this moment, and he took advantage
of the opportunity given to him.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
You know, I think, you know, I just look.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
At myself and I'm like, you know, I was behind
Oliver Ross in training camp when I came here as
a rookie. You know, Kendall Simmons goes down and allows
for Kettrick Vincent to come in, and he was a
starter for the whole season, oh four season. But then
at the end of the years, like, you know, we're
getting kindled back and you know what, Max, I was like,
you're gonna fight for a starting job. We're not going
to resign Oliver Ross. He went to the Cardinals. They
(20:09):
drafted Tree Essex in the third round that following year.
But it was like, hey, you know, let's you know,
let's put this competition out and there was an opportunity
to go grab to go grab a shot. I had
to wait a year before getting that opportunity, and you know,
you can't, can't take it for granted, you know, I remember,
you know, when I started the season. You know, Barrett
Brooks was our swing tackle, twelve year guy in the
(20:32):
NFL at that point, and by week five, I finally
I finally got my helmet. I finally passed him, and
you know, he said to me, he was like, hey,
I'm just holding this spot for you until you're ready
enough to speed to take this opportunity.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
And after week five, I got my opportunity.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Then I got in. I was a jumbo tight end
against the Philadelphia Eagles, and I went in and then
you know, lay in the game, We're beating the Eagles,
who were undefeated at the time, and then I got
to go in at.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
Left tackle for Rvel Smith.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
And then the following week we played we play the Patriots,
another undefeated I think at that point they were eighteen
and oh or or no, no, I'm sorry, they're like twenty
one straight, you know, twenty one and oh or something
like that. And you know, lay in that game, we're
beating them. Boom, I get to go in. I get
my first welcome to the NFL rookie moment against Willie McGinnis.
But you know, went in and played my first games,
(21:22):
and then from there that led to the opportunity the
very next year to say, hey, you can you can
buy for the starting job on the other side, and
we know, hey, history, history did what it did, and
I was able to win that job and play play
a long time here in Pittsburgh because of those But
it took those opportunities, and you have to sometimes get
into speed, but you can't let the opportunity slip through
(21:43):
your hands when.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
It comes, and you've got to be able to catch
up in gravity, leading Max Starks right here to the
locker room. So delighted that that happened, ye, and so
delighted to watch you play, Max Starks. He's Max Starks,
I'm Rob King. You're inside the locker room with kingon Star,
presented by your neighborhood Ford Store. Here on the Steelers Audio.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
Network, Iheartradios Live coverage twenty twenty five Steelers Training Camp.
He's presented by Vedex 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
(22:26):
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US Steel.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
And Welcome back inside the locker room at King and Stark,
presented by your neighborhood Ford Store here on the Steelers
Audio Network.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
And uh, I just.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Wanted to ask you quickly, Max before we move on
to some other topics, your thoughts on what you saw
yesterday in practice. We started to talk about it and
then we were joined by the great Mick McQuaid from
Football Ireland. So your thoughts and what you saw. Great
to see JPJ Joey Porter Junior back on in the
practice field.
Speaker 4 (23:07):
Yeah, it was great to see him.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
And you know he had the two picks in the
in the seven on seven period, so let you know that.
Speaker 4 (23:13):
He is he is doing alright. He is just fine.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
And you know I listed kind of some of the
other guys Stephen Jones having an elevated role with Calvin
Anderson being down, Dylan Cook as well getting more reps
at the tackle position. You know, we talked about Dominique Davis,
Daniel Aqualey with the trio of of of a defensive
lineman being down. I thought they had some really good
as Once again my one of my Camp Feno'm candidates
fifty three Echulota.
Speaker 4 (23:38):
Showing up on film again. He just he just keeps
showing up on there, keeps popping his.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
Face in, making you, you know, think about the number
fifty three on the.
Speaker 4 (23:47):
Outside of edge pass rush.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
So, I mean, there's just so there was there was
a lot of good work, a lot of young guys
getting enhanced reps. You know, we talked about Aaron Rodgers
being being taking his first VET day here at Steelers
training camp yesterday for a helmets practice. I imagine he'll
be back out. Saw him doing some stuff and walk
through over here on field two. So just you know,
(24:10):
it's great to see the opportunities coming. And we got
to see a little bit more enhanced role for Isaac
c Amalu and Broderick Jones working together, and then they
still got subbed out. You know, they didn finish out
all the ones reps, which you're not gonna be upset about,
right because you need to get other guys opportunities because
when we get to the preseason games, those guys probably
aren't gonna be playing. So getting them up to speed
(24:33):
and giving the younger guys opportunities to step in there
and kind of kind of.
Speaker 4 (24:36):
Prove their worth. I thought was really nice.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
See Troy Fatanu getting better and better trusting that knee
and looking good, I mean really smooth and his pass protections,
you know, and Jack Sawyer, Jack Sawyer has been looking
really solid. He like I said, it doesn't necessarily look pretty,
but he's effective with some of his pass rush moves.
And it's like, Okay, this is a guy who's coming
(25:01):
on getting better. He's gonna get a lot of reps
in the preseason as well. So I thought it was
a very clean practice for a helmet's practice. So you
saw guys getting better in the process, and I was
really happy to watch kind of their progression. So there's
a lot of things to glean from a kinger that
even though you don't have pads on, you can still
get good work in. And I thought that was on
(25:22):
display for the young guys and enhanced roles, I guess
should say for the guys who aren't young, more enhanced opportunities.
Speaker 4 (25:28):
So it's been it was a really good day.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
I'm really excited for today, especially like I said, goal
line and short yardage is coming in.
Speaker 4 (25:36):
It's also I think is it family day today too?
It is family Day? Yeah, I believe it's family Day.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
So you know what what it tell us? What is
family Day and what doesn't mean to the players.
Speaker 3 (25:46):
So for the players, I mean, you know, it means
that you know your significant others and your kids if
you have them, get to come up.
Speaker 4 (25:53):
And sometimes for the young guys.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
Like you know mom and dad, and then you know
some siblings might be there as well.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
So the sidelines will be crowded today.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
For family Day, and then afterwards there'll be a big dinner,
will be in the gym. It's a big barbecue day,
so Wes and I will make sure we have a
couple of ribs for you Kinger in those moments. But
and you know they bring out the big lemonades and everything.
That's always a big hit there. So you know, you
get a barbecue afterwards, and you know you don't have
(26:21):
night meetings because you have the day off.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
So guys usually can hang out.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
With their family and then if they want, if they
have a place in Pittsford, they'll drive and get the
day off. And really is your first time to really
spend time away from camp on this day because it's
usually paired up with the day off the next day.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
Yeah, that's nice.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
So I mean, is it a bit of a mental
break to have the family up here sometimes, you know.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
Oh my goodness, gracious, you hate to say.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
It's in golf, you know, Scottie Scheffer came out and said, hey,
you know, my family's more important than winning a tournament.
Speaker 4 (26:56):
And Tom Brady came out and said, why can't you
have both?
Speaker 2 (26:58):
And so you know now that this sort of subtext
of hey, the families, you know, uh, they're a distraction.
Well they're not a distraction, They're my family. So how
do you kind of balance all that? I suppose it's
probably a little bit different for each player.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
Yeah, it's a little different for each player, but I
mean the running constant is is to show that, you know,
at the end of the day, we're all human, right,
I mean you are you know, you are these professional athletes,
you do compete, you are you know, quote unquote you know,
careemed away from your normal life and you're plopped right
here in the middle of late Trobe on a college campus.
(27:34):
But you know, it allows an opportunity, I feel like
for a lot of guys to really refocus, to recenter
your why in the dog days of training camp. You
get this opportunity to kind of say, Okay, this is
what I'm doing it for right when you when you
get your baby, you know, out there and you're you're
holding your baby on the field after a hot, sweaty
practice and you're holding you got grass, you know, you
got grass on your arms, You got grass stays on
(27:55):
the jersey. But to see that smile and you know,
it does something to you mentally, And then of course
to see your spouse you hadn't seen in a while,
you know, just to give a hug and just you know,
sometimes you get to decompress some things. I mean, yeah,
we spend a lot of time on our teammates and
you create bonds, but there's sometimes you just you want
to just talk and you want to be free in
(28:16):
your thoughts. And so it just gives you those opportunities.
If you're a person who's really close to your parents,
you know, you don't get to see your parents really
that much up here, you know, because after practice you're
going here, rushing to dinner, then you're rushing to meetings.
Then you have a little bit of time to even
maybe get on the phone, and then it's curfew time
and then rinse, wash, repeat, you know, And so I
(28:37):
think that's where it gives you a little chance to
kind of reset yourself and recenter yourself. Like you said,
take a breath, take a tick where you get to
do something that's not football, And that's what I feel like.
Family Day really provides that type of calibration for guys
and allows you to kind of just get back to
basics and just being a human for at least, you know,
(29:01):
thirty thirty two hours before you.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
Have the comeback up here.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
You got to report and you got get in the night
meetings Monday night and then be ready for Tuesday.
Speaker 4 (29:08):
And like you said, it's game week. Even though they're
not going to game plan.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
For the Jacksonville Jaguars, you still feel the intensity kind
of ratchet up because, like I do, have to get
ready for a game. This is a game that it
might not count on the record books, but people will
be keeping score, referees will be present, and you will
still have to go out and do battle because another
guy that's trying to make his respective team.
Speaker 4 (29:32):
So it just it ratches up the gladiator nature of
it all. But this is a moment to kind of
take a breath. So great and it is, it's a
wonderful thing Family Day, but let me ask you this Max.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
As we get back to today's practice, it is a
padded practice. So you go padded practice Friday night, and
then yesterday you go helmets and you know, it's obviously
not a padded practice. Guys still getting out there is
getting an opportunity. Now everybody re emerges again, right, the
veterans are going to be back out there again.
Speaker 4 (30:06):
What are you looking to accomplish? And I will also
ask you this.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
You know, if it's a you have a day off
coming up tomorrow, I would suspect, you know, mentally, for
some guys, you're like, man, my family's here and you know,
and maybe your mind isn't laser focused on today's practice,
which would be a mistake obviously. Other guys that think
are wired like, hey man, I'm gonna forget about everything
(30:34):
except this practice. Now, laser focus and then I can
enjoy myself. Is it an emotional challenge for the guys
out there today.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
Yeah, it's emotional, But I think it's also Man, I
got my kids over here. I can't get embarrassed, I.
Speaker 4 (30:47):
Can't get whipped right right. I gotta show them the
dad has the goods, you know.
Speaker 3 (30:54):
I mean, there's a lot of pride in that, like
I don't only get my butt kicked in front of
my baby, you know what I'm saying, Like, like I
gotta go out there. The chest might pop out a
little bit more, the bravado might come out, might be
a little more vocal. To make sure everybody can spot
me on the field, you know, because if everybody's kind
of crammed on one end and you're doing a drill
in the opposite. In had to make sure that those
(31:14):
that came to see me and that love me and
bear the last name, they know that, hey, Pops is
doing this thing out here, nothing to worry about, nothing
to see here, and then you get to enjoy a
little bit, a little bit of relaxation afterwards.
Speaker 4 (31:25):
But you know, that's that's another aspect of it.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
I mean definitely when my wife when we were dating,
you know, she would come up and you know, her
family would come up, and my family would come up.
I was like, no, I want to make sure she
knows she she made the right choice.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Exactly, just like everybody did a different point of their career.
Everybody did a different point of their relationships. Some people
have kids, some people have girlfriends, some people have wives,
some people have pregnant wives. You know, it's not and
on and coach. Everybody's in a little bit different. Some
people got you know, mom and dad, there, cousins or whatever.
Speaker 4 (31:59):
There's there.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Always everybody's at a different point of their football journey
and everybody's at a different point of their life journey.
Speaker 4 (32:05):
And that's part of family day today at at La Trope. Yeah, no,
it definitely is.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
And you know and and and I don't know about
your family, right, but I got I got, I got
smack talkers in my family. So my cousins come up,
and you know, there's always that one cousin that thinks
that he should have he should have been there before
over you.
Speaker 4 (32:22):
Type of deal.
Speaker 3 (32:23):
And he's like, oh man, I could do this, and
back I'm like, no, bro, you can't do this.
Speaker 4 (32:27):
And he's like, and I don't.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Want to give him any ammunition for any family holidays
where he can talk about but remember that one time
at camp. I was like, no, there never was that
time because you know it, because I dominated every time.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
What did you do?
Speaker 3 (32:39):
You watched you drank gatorade and you're trying to get autographed,
So stick to your role.
Speaker 4 (32:43):
I'll stick to mine. You know you got.
Speaker 3 (32:46):
Yeah, I mean because at the end of the day,
I mean, and I grew up with a lot of cousins.
Speaker 4 (32:50):
I have a ton of cousins.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
They're from Detroit to Ohio, you know, all the way
down to DC, all the way to California. So it's like,
you know, the cousin game is pretty And then I
played against one of my cousins because he was drafted
to the Texas and so my last preseason with the
Cardinals we play against each other at Houston. So I
was like, I gotta win the cousin battle. I gotta
(33:12):
win the cousin battle. My other cousin he played, he
played for the Texas as well, and we beat him
very badly, and uh in O five. So I did
have that hanging over my head. And he also went
to f s U, a secondary college apparently in uh
you know, in the state of Florida, not a primary school.
But yeah, I mean, you definitely don't want to be
the one that got got or you don't want to
(33:34):
be the one that has that embarrassing moment. So you're
fighting for a lot of pride and a lot of
a lot of unknowns, you know. Uh in In the
family rankings, because don't want to get knocked down or
wrung in front of the family, right, Uh, for sure.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
So always something to compete for.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
We're gonna talk a little bit more about that, a
little bit more about this padded practice. What Max is
expecting to see out of this practice. Uh, you are
listening to the Locker Room It King, It's it is
presented by our neighborhood Ford Stour here on the Steelers
Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
I Heart Radios live coverage about twenty twenty five Steelers
training Camp. He's presented by Vedex where now meets Next
and also brought to you by First National Bank, by
Kamlucy Chevrolet, iron Workers Union Number three, by Easy Home Exteriors,
by SMT Bank, Remax Select Realty, by Tom's Appliances, the
(34:32):
Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Shop, by Always Safe Flagging and Traffic Control,
and by us.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
Steel Well, thank you very much for being with us
once again inside the Locker Room and King and Stark,
presented by your neighborhood Fords Stour here on the Steelers
Audio Network. You know, always interested to hear the questions
that are being asked about players after camp. Max to
Mike Tomin and the other coaches. Sometimes their reactionary to
(35:00):
what somebody saw in practice. Sometimes they are, Hey, I
got to write a feature. I'm gonna choose player X,
and I'm gonna interview that guy, you know, after practice.
So let me get Mike Tomlins thoughts on him so
I can write a good cohesive article or talk about
it on a podcast or talking about it on a
radio show.
Speaker 4 (35:18):
What have you.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
So one of those guys that's popped up in the
last day or two is a guy that I think
is interesting for a number of reasons, and that's Kenneth Gainwell.
Speaker 4 (35:28):
And Gamewell is a guy who obviously is coming off.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
A Super Bowl championship, right, So, and the Steers have
added some super Bowl champions right. They've gone out and
gotten guys in this offseason who Darius Slave was his
teammate in Philadelphia, Jalen Ramsey won a Super Bowl. They've
got They've gone out and gotten guys who have super
Bowl pedigree, which I think you know, again from the
(35:54):
outside looking in, we talk about that, you know, and
about the importance of that inside of a locker room.
Speaker 4 (36:00):
I'd like you to comment on that.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
But also one of the big things is you know,
a year or so ago after the you know, they
the sort of the string of events Max went, they
announced the new kickoff rule, and at the at the
winter meetings and the GM meetings and the you know,
the team meetings that happens in March, and within seconds
(36:23):
to Steelers that announced that the signing of Cordero Patterson,
the greatest kick returner in history, who subsequently been let
go and just did not have a good year. In fact,
his numbers I believe were last in the NFL and
kick returning. Now you bring in Kenneth Gainwell, who has
won a Super Bowl, provides you some great versatility to
running back position. We know he can go out in
(36:44):
pass patterns. We know he can run. You know, presumably
he can block, and so you know he gives you
those sort of options. But he is also going to
be a guy that you know, now with the new
kickoff rules, hey you don't get to kick return. You
know you kick it in the end zone. Have ball's
coming out to the thirty five? I think now the
(37:05):
intention to the rule to get more kickoffs. Yeah, there
were more kickoffs. Now you have this new rule that's
I think could create even more kickoffs around the league.
I think Kenneth Gainwell is a guy that could be
really interesting for the Steers this season.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
Yeah. No, I'm really excited about the opportunity.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
We saw it up live in personal Kinger right back
back in December when we went to Philly and we're like, hey,
we got to worry about the Saquon Barkley guy. But
then Kenneth Gamewell came in as a change up guy
and he cut us up from the screen, from the
passing game, the checkdown game, and he had.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
Some really explosive plays.
Speaker 3 (37:48):
So I think when it came the opportunity, hey, we
need to add some you know something to the to
the room because we weren't re signing Najie Harris and
we knew we were probably gonna go in the draft
and get somebody, but you still wanted some veteran presence there.
And I think Ken Gamewell made a big name for himself.
And like you said, the versatility, Like this is a
guy who catches the ball. It's not just a guy
who gets the ball put you know, shoved into his
(38:09):
stomach for a run play. Only he's just a ground
and pound guy. So like you said that versatility comes
to play, especially with how this new dynamic kickoff rule is.
You know, this is a guy who can go catch
catch a kickoff and can use you know, he has
the vision as a running back. I mean, but that's
one of the things you look at. You kind of
need that type of vision in that in that specific instance.
So why not give him a crack at those opportunities.
(38:32):
He's already a third down back, so you know, he's
a blocking back, so that means he can get in
there for blitz protections and and and not only just
run normal plays, but he can be in there for
all three downs potentially. And he's a good switch up guy.
So there's a lot of versatility with Kenneth Game. I know,
we haven't talked that much about him king because he's
just been doing his job, which we talk about this.
(38:55):
That's not an indictment, that's not a negative phrase. That's
actually a compliment that he does. Doesn't stick out in
a bad way, but he fits in. Like when he
makes a run, you know, and he and he can
bend it back and he knows he has the vision
for it. You're like, all right, he's doing what we
expect him do, like Mike Tomlins said, like I don't
get excited about you know, guys that I expect to
make plays making plays like that's what you're here for.
(39:17):
And I think that's why I haven't really talked about
him a lot. But he has been a very nice
addition to the versatility in that room. And he's a
veteran who can fit right in that and I see
him squarely in that top three rotation for the running
back position. But like you said, the more you can
do creates even more utility on game day and being
(39:37):
a kick returner potentially and taking some of those kicks.
I think he'll probably get a couple this preseason, just
to see how it looks, especially with the new rules
that we kind of outlined last week.
Speaker 4 (39:48):
As far as about how the rule has changed.
Speaker 3 (39:51):
You know what the penalties are with it now it
moves from the thirty to the thirty five. Our team's
gonna be more likely to kick now that you lose
five more yards on it to stimulate returns. And then
with the offset of linemen you know on that front
line for that kickoff, you know you can now stagger
three of them, but they have to be equally dispersed
around the field. You can't concentrate it. So I mean,
(40:12):
I just it's a lot of possibilities, and once again,
you just come back to utility. That's what training camps
here for. It's for the opportunity to see what we
can and can't do, what can we get away with,
what personnel groupings can can have more function to them,
but also what players can have more function to them,
so that when I am giving a guy a hat,
(40:34):
I'm giving them a hat for three different.
Speaker 4 (40:35):
Positions, not just one position.
Speaker 3 (40:38):
And I think that's what we're trying to see out here,
and that's where these opportunities, especially when you have like
we said, you know Dante Kent was listed up there
with Calvin Austin.
Speaker 4 (40:45):
Well, both those guys are on the shelf right now.
So who's the next man up.
Speaker 3 (40:48):
Who's gonna next person going to take that opportunity and
literally run with it?
Speaker 4 (40:54):
Agreed?
Speaker 2 (40:55):
And I think it's it's a really interesting, really fascinating question.
And you know, when you look at a guy like
Game one, and part of the part of what we're
not seeing is we're not seeing live kickoff return drills, right,
It's not it's not part of practice. It's not something
that's going to be out there all the time, you
(41:15):
know it. It's so we're gonna see what it looks
like a lot of it live. You know, last year
we were talking about with Danny Smith and and just
amongst ourselves, you know, what is it going to look like?
Speaker 4 (41:29):
Right?
Speaker 2 (41:29):
So, you know, teams are having running starts, uh, you
know in the past, and so you have certain personnel
out there to block them. Well, now they're kind of running.
You know, they're starting from a standstill, and you know there's.
Speaker 4 (41:41):
Gonna be more returns. You know, you think about putting offensive.
Speaker 2 (41:44):
Linemen out on your kick return team and and setting
up a wall and almost having be like a running play.
Speaker 4 (41:50):
Like a running play.
Speaker 2 (41:51):
Obviously you know longer periods of guys running up and
having collisions. But what's the personnel going to look like?
And so we didn't really know that until we started
to get into games. And then you know, then there
was even more talk in preseason games. Why are they
are they holding something back? Is just a bit of
a cat and mouse game, you know, schematically to the
do these special teams. Coaches not want to give away
(42:13):
what they're doing all those questions. But for me, you know,
gain Well as a guy that averaged over twenty five
yards per kickoff return last year for the Eagles, He's
gonna get more returns and this could be that aspect
of it. You know, hey, you return one, it might
be the difference between winning and losing a game. And
(42:35):
so that can be And you know, we have seen
we saw the special teams. You know, we've seen him
excel under Danny Smith. They had a great season for
most of the season last year. They were spectacular. I
think they still wound up around the top of the
rankings in in special teams units around the league. But again,
maybe something we'll see a little bit more of when
(42:56):
the game start. But I think it's gonna be an
exciting new component. And I think, just like the students
thoughtfully went after Cordero Patterson and hoped he could have
that magic, I wonder if maybe that was part of
the reason you went out and got Kenneth Gainwell, in
addition to the versatility out of the backfield, in addition
to the fact that he brings that Super Bowl pedigree
(43:16):
with him.
Speaker 3 (43:17):
Yeah, I think you have to consider that. I think
that's a realistic expectation for him, and you know, and
hopefully he's also given guidance to some guys that will
be taking those punts later in the game, because he'll.
Speaker 4 (43:31):
Be sitting on the sidelines, and you hope that you can.
Speaker 3 (43:33):
Glean some knowledge from him right by inundating him into
that room, and of course, knowing that there's a special
team's aspect to him, you hope that that can kind
of rub off and these young guys hopefully are taking
advantage of that, just like a Will Howard with Aaron Rodgers, right,
you bring in a guy of that level, how could
you not utilize you know that quote unquote Encyclopedia Britannica
(43:53):
of Football that he except there's no missing volumes, at
least not yet. I would say I have a good
volume in my head, but I'm sure that I'm sure
there's a couple of pages that have been ripped out
and I don't know about it yet.
Speaker 2 (44:08):
Uh, Max Starks, I certainly hope you enjoy your experienced
family day today, and I know you're looking just to
kind of wrap it up real quick.
Speaker 4 (44:17):
I know you're looking for.
Speaker 2 (44:17):
A good clean bit of practice here today is a
Steelers get back in pads before the day off.
Speaker 4 (44:24):
Yeah, I need the offense to win seven shots today.
That's That's what I'm hoping is the case with the UH.
Speaker 3 (44:31):
With now the introduction of gold line in short yardage packages,
I'm hoping that we now we now get back into
fighting contention, even though it is close. Defense has taken
it the last couple of days, and that just gets
me a little itchy. I feel like Ricky Bobby's dad
right now, you know, shaking the can as you know,
they're getting a little bit too comfortable here and I
(44:51):
needed to shift back in my direction. So I need
I need to take the onions off my Salisbury steak.
Speaker 4 (44:57):
That is Max Starks, I am Rob.
Speaker 2 (45:00):
We want to thank Mick McQuaid for being with us,
is always Wes Euler for being part of this group,
and for Justin Miller back in our iHeart Studios, and
we of course always thank you for listening in the
locker room. Max and I off tomorrow as the team
is off. We will be talking to you again on
(45:20):
Tuesday morning at ten o'clock. Thanks for being with us
in the locker room with King and Starks. Presented by
your neighborhood Ford stour here on the Steelers Audio Network.
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