August 7, 2025 • 43 mins
Matt and Wes chat about the latest team news and commentate on practice down on the field.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Iheartradios. Live coverage of twenty twenty five Steelers training camp
is presented by Fadex where Now meets Next and also
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(00:28):
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Speaker 2 (00:38):
At the Locker Room with King and Stark presented by
your Neighborhood at Forge Store. Here on the Stevens Audio Network.
Are we Live, We are Hot? Meis You're hot? Mike
watching the team going through their stretching out there and
getting ready to go for a padded practice today.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
We're gonna see some collisions today.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Yes, we should see some light collisions today, like collisions. Okay,
because obviously he still trying to get to the game
on Saturday.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Guys are still nicked up. It's probably like you said
you talked about.
Speaker 5 (01:11):
It earlier, Derek Harmon being one of those guys.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
I had a little bump and bruise yesterday, Little Nick Nick,
Patti Wack.
Speaker 5 (01:19):
But we did not give a dog a bot.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
So happy birthday to Alex Highsmith.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
By the way, Happy birthday Alex high Smith.
Speaker 5 (01:28):
So yeah, he will not be playing on Saturday. No,
that's his birthday gift.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
No.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
So, we had been going through the Steelers' depth chart.
By the way, I want to remind people Ramon Foster
coming up, what in about twenty minutes, twenty minutes, we'll
call it twenty okay.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
So he's going to be joining us.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
He's going to be joining us on the Steelers Audio
Network for the preseason games as Missy Matthews attends to
some television duties with that crew, Bob Pompieni.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Charlie Batch, the rest of the folks over there.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Yeah, so he is going to be joining us, which
is a lot of audible on the game.
Speaker 5 (02:01):
Right.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
So now as we look at we've we've been going
through the roster and again, just to briefly recap, the
depth chart came out yesterday, Bob Labriola putting that out
through the team and giving us a lot of interesting
stuff because you know, I don't know how you are, Max,
but I'm looking down at the roster and I'm seeing
all the names and it's just kind of in the
(02:23):
floating around in the.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Back of my mind.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
There's a lot of not a names here for fifty
three guys, a lot of guys we've heard about, a
lot of guys with pedigrees, a lot of guys who
are draft picks. And now that we're going through it,
that sort of idea in the back of my mind
that hey, this team is really deep has been driven
home because as we get to the defensive backs, and
we went through the offense yesterday, but as we get
to the defensive backs again, I'm at nineteen defensive linemen
(02:48):
and linebackers that I would like to keep at a
minimum nineteen and then a few more I would love
to see on the practice squad. Right, Well, they're not
gonna keep nineteen defensive lineman linebackers. They can't because we
have even got to the d backs. You're not gonna
keep six defensive backs. No, Right, that's a position that
you're gonna keep a lot of. And here's the other thing.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
When you look at that crew, like you have to
be able to rotate through multiple defensive backs because of
how many teams keep three and four wide receiver sets,
and they're trying to figure out, you know what, they're
going to deploy on a week week, So as a defense,
you have to be ready to deploy. And when we
think about just on the additions in free agency, like
(03:33):
there's already five guys that you're like, okay, we got
to keep those guys.
Speaker 5 (03:37):
And then you're saying, okay, so now we have.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
Ten more potentially, right, I mean ten total that you
can keep in that group. So now you're saying I
have to keep five so defensive backs to one where
I look at and I'm like, you're keeping ten defensive backs.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Easily and in fairness, by the way, they might keep
twenty six on defense and twenty four on offense. But
if we go through the offense, we had guys that
we wanted to see kept there too that are not
going to be kept.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
So by the way, I just saw Chris Boswell bang
won from sixty four yards.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
Yeah. Yeah, he has a strong leg.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Yeah that was impressive.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
Leg is not bad, no, So uh okay, so he's
going to kick in the preseason. We should also point
out right right that Ben is going to be He's
going to be busy, will be there the entire time, Yes,
because because the students made a roster move.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Right there, Andrews Pete the defense at the offensive lineman,
three time Pro bowler, he is here in camp, and
the backup long snapper is no longer here and no
longer in camp.
Speaker 5 (04:40):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
So that is the that's the and that was Tucker Addington,
by the way, So not that we were surprised, so
that Christian Koons.
Speaker 5 (04:48):
Got the job.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
So let's get onto the defensive backfield.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Okay, so here are your starters listed right now, your starters,
and again these will surprise nobody. Darius Lay at cornerback, yes,
uh one Thornhill and Deshaun Elliott at safety, Joey Porter
Junior at the other outside linebacker, Jalen Ramsey.
Speaker 5 (05:07):
In the slot. Yes, no surprises, no surprise. And wow,
that's a that's a good group, it really is.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
That's I mean, just to have that alone, you're like, yep,
we can win some games. Yeah, but but but it
is it is a luxury having those guys, like you said,
but there's.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
More, there is more, And by the way, that is
an awfully good group.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
Talent and and listen, and we don't talk about him
that much in camp. We obviously talked about a lot
of other new pieces, but Darius lay better than advertised,
like he and yesterday alone. I mean the way that
he was defending some of those passes. I was like, man,
this dude has a skill set, and you're like age,
(06:00):
is that right?
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Well, he was a starter last year for the Super
Bowl champions, Yes he was, and the way people two.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Years ago he was two years ago.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
He got the accolades again as he continues to make
All Pro and Pro Bowl teams.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Uh so he's two years removed from that.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
He's been like bouncing between Philly and Detroit his whole career.
He started because he was originally drafted by Detroit, then
went to Philly, then they had to release him because
of cap concerns. He went back to Detroit and the
Philly said, wait a second, we can't do this without you.
Speaker 5 (06:28):
We need you back over here one more.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Time and now, and all the way getting accolades. So
this is the guy with the petty you always wonder,
you know, listen, and it's a it's a legitimate question,
you know, how much longer does player X have? We
were hearing that question about Cam Heyward going in the
last year and Cam Hayward said, I got.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
More left in the tank. Plenty had a great season.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
So those questions are going to abound for Aaron Rodgers,
They're gonna abound for Dariusly. That's part of it, right, Yeah,
It's always going to be part of it, and you
just have to take it in stride.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
So U Slay Thornhill, Elliott Porter Ramsey. We like that crew.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Okay, let's go to this second team as listed on
the initial depth chart, Corey Trice dealing with an issue
right now, with an injury. We know what Corey looks
like when he's healthy and out there. I think healthy
and out there are the big keys for him.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
Correct, Yeah, that's the big that's the biggest thing that's
been traveling comes like a like a dark cloud over
his whole career.
Speaker 5 (07:24):
Yeah, it's went healthy.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
You've had to add that phrasing every time you mentioned
his name, right, And.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
It's and it's unfortunate because he had an ACL in college.
He had the other ACL during his rookie season when
he was starting to make a buzz during camp, you know,
and then last year he had a hamstring and I
think it was a hamstring, right, And this year he's
got another soft tissue at the hamstring injury.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
It's in that lower body region, somewhere in the quad
hamstring area.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Lower body. Yep, a lower body injury.
Speaker 5 (07:53):
So hey, that's all encompassing there.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
It is.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
So just quickly the hand lower body or upper body
upper body, Okay, because if you if you're standing with
your hands at your you know, at your side, it's
lower body, but it's attached.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Trivia man, little defen reference.
Speaker 5 (08:21):
Hey, listen, keep you on your toes.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Max just cracked the Divinci code. Okay, good stuff.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
So second team, Corey Trice, uh safeties, Miles Killer ruined, Chuck.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
Clark once again. Got to keep those two right.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Uh, you know, and then you have a corner Brandon
Eckles and Beanie Bishop. So you have Beanie Bishop, legend interceptions,
Brandon Eckles, tremendous athlete who who not only is athletic
and could play corner, but is a very good special
teams player as well.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
Yes, and then and then we go to the next
team where we have another special teams ace.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Uh huh.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
So now you have Cam McCutcheon, Wwindel Johnson, Sebastian Castro
again a lot of buzz about him. You know, they
had everybody had a draft game, great on him. He's here,
he's in camp.
Speaker 5 (09:09):
He's going to play a lot on Saturday.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
James Pierre on a special teams there's the guy still here, right,
still still standing. Dante Kent draft pick, going through an
injury issue right now. Don't know what his prognosis is
for the return right lower body, so you never know.
Speaker 5 (09:27):
Yeah, you know, and I believe it's day to day.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Okay, So he's.
Speaker 5 (09:30):
Day to day. He's not playing on Saturday.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
He's not playing on Saturday.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
But boy oh boyd does he need to get out
there and show that he can, uh, you know, not
only play defensive back, but he was an excellent return
man in college.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Wants to be able to show that part of his
game and.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
Was supposed to be the key featured return guy in
this game.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Right and needs for his own sake to get out
there and show that he can be a key guy
in a return game. Also, yes, you know, has to
do it right. So we are not finished, and let's
get down to the final trio of guys. Daryl Porter,
newly signed Kyler McMichael, DeShawn Jamison. So once again to reiterate,
(10:15):
I had at least nineteen guys that I would love
to keep right, at least nineteen guys, and that was
defensive line, in linebackers. So we just named at least
another eleven maybe twelve guys. Well, you don't get to
(10:35):
keep thirty or thirty.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
One guys at the most. At the most, you'll.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Get twenty six at the most if you don't go
twenty five to twenty five offense defense with the three guys,
remember the long snapper, the kicker, and the punter, right
those guys, there's three guys, So generally you get from
fifty three to fifty. That way, you divide it twenty
five and twenty five or twenty six and twenty four.
Even if you took twenty six max. We named thirty
(11:01):
one we'd love to have on this team. That's what
we're talking about. When we talk about the depth, people
will ask you, what do you think about the Steelers
this year?
Speaker 4 (11:08):
What do you think about camp? They are really really deep. Yes,
they're really really deep. And we just talked about defensively.
We went for the offensive side, and the offensive side is.
Speaker 5 (11:19):
Just as deep.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
Sobs to even cut one from the offense is gonna
be tough as well as what you're thinking about for
the defense and trying to make that and that's what
that's and that's what's.
Speaker 5 (11:28):
Been missing the last couple of years for the Steelers.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
We've had great frontline guys, but then when they got
the second team, we're like, wow, cover covered is not
really not as stocked as I thought it was. Right,
you know, the impending apocalypse and you know, my prepper
game is really low, you know, but this year, no,
we We've got one hundred and thirty day food stories
this time around. You know where we could wait, we
can we can survive all of it. And I think
(11:51):
that's where it's really really tough. But that's a good
problem to have, right. No coach will ever tell you, man,
I got too many good players.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Man, I've said that problem. I've said that for years.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Yeah, oh man, we are doomed this year. We got
too many good players. Uh, never gonna make it so,
Missy Matthews. And and by the way, uh, one of
the one of the great joys of if I may
say this briefly, one of the great joys of coming
here and being new to the larger team you know,
I did pregame for years. I worked and still work
(12:26):
at a phenomenal TV station in Pittsburgh where guys have
been there and I've been there for twenty five years,
and sometimes I still feel like the new guy, right
They people have been around there forever. Unbelievable work atmosphere.
You know, you never know what you're gonna get when
you come to a new place. I have just been
blown away by how great everybody is to work with
(12:46):
on this year there's Audio Network, the people at iHeart.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
It has been.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
A just a really really wonderful experience. Uh latest, And
I just of that. What a team player Missy Matthews is.
She's an awesome team player.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Awesome.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
She just sent us some information Max that Liam Cohen,
the young coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, said everybody will play.
Their starters are playing. How long depends upon presumably how
well they do. Will we see now Trevor Lawrence for
a series? Will we see him for two series? We're
gonna see Travis Hunter playing on offense and on defense.
(13:24):
So that adds a little intrigue.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
Thomas Travis will be playing.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
That adds a little intrigue to what we might be.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
That trio receivers Frank Frangie tonas yesterday might be, you know,
potentially could be the best trio of receivers. You know,
you don't want to look past Jimmy Smith and mccartell
who had a great one to two punch maybe the
greatest trio in receiving history for the Jacksonville Jaguars. So
that is intriguing that we're going to see those guys
(13:56):
out in the field. Very very intrigued by that news.
And that's Missy Matthews. Team player, Thank you, Missy, Thank
you Missy.
Speaker 5 (14:03):
Once again, team mom tea. She has our team. She
keeps all the boys in line.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
Yeah, and heaven knows we need it.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
But again just underscoring a what a great team atmosphere
we have and thanks to everybody and the latest example
Missy Matthews. So we are going to be joined next
by Ramona Foster. Right, Okay, So you're inside the locker
room with King and Stark's presented by your neighborhood of
Ford's John The Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
I Heeart Radios Live coverage about twenty twenty five Steelers
training camp is presented by fat X where now meets
next and also brought to you by First National Bank,
by Kalucy Chevrolet iron Workers Union Number three, by Easy
Home Exteriors by S and T Bank, we Max Select Realty,
(14:56):
by Tom's Appliances, the Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Shop. I always
see flagging and traffic control and buy us steel.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
And welcome back inside the locker room with King and Starks,
presented by your neighborhood Ford Store.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
On this steer, there's audio network him Max. Oh uh back,
so the.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Uh the chips really shouldn't be made? Yeah, yeah, they
show up around eleven, and you know, I think, I
think probably every morning, I'm like, okay, man, intermittent fasting, right,
another hour, another hour to lunch, another hour to lunch,
and then forty five minutes before lunch, I cave and
have the chip and dip because it's so good.
Speaker 5 (15:39):
It's so good.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
And by the way, I would never make that at home.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
It's been years since I would get like a and
I would, dude, you know, when I was younger, get
the uh the cruncher's potato chips and the hell of
a good dip like the pre made.
Speaker 5 (15:52):
Oh, try and explain that to people.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
And people like, I'm crazy, crunch is the original, like
the barbecue.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
Oh, the barbecue, Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
So I was living in Saint Louis, uh when when
I first discovered him. Now, everybody's come out with the
thicker chip, right ship, But that was the first thicker
chip that I remember, Like I finally found a bag
again years ago, and I'm like, well, now now that
with the evolution of the thicker chip, and it has
been an evolution, it has been.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
It doesn't feel as thick as it used to.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
But back in the day, it was like you're eating
a potato on a stick, and it was so tasty,
and it was.
Speaker 4 (16:32):
One of those like like almost like Carnival fare, Like
you felt like, man, this is because compared to like
a Layers chip was so thin, so thin, it was brittle.
Speaker 5 (16:40):
You couldn't even really dip it, right.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
You get that, You get that that hell of a
good dip out of the that was the brand name, right,
you get that.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
I'm not not swearing on the air.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
But then you open up the top and you dip
it in there, and you're right, a flimsy chip would break,
and then you don't want it.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
I don't want to broken in their container.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
Like digging with other chips to the.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Exec exactly, exactly exactly I was.
Speaker 5 (17:03):
I had a Deans fring.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Okay, different kind of yah, different different parts of the nation.
Speaker 5 (17:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
And then this is going back to uh, you know
TV on the milk crate days right, yeah, exactly, which,
by the way, uh, you know you get married and
you get civilized, right, yeah, I would actually console right,
it's forced upon you, uh civilization, uh for for a
good way. I mean my TV would still be on
a milk crate if it wasn't for the fact that,
(17:32):
no question.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
I mean granted, or I would have a lot of
holes on the back of the wall trying to hang
it on the wall because I would have drilled in
the wrong spot to be uneven. And you have just
all these holes and you know we're not going over
and plastering and covering it up, right, Just go get
a bigger TV cover the holes.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
Right. It's so true.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Dragged by the ear out of the cave into the
end of the real world.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
So thank you.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
By the way, I did mention a couple of days
ago was my thirtieth Yes, so my my lovely wife Megan,
thank you for everything over the years. You know, you
think about it and I'm like, uh, man, she's just contributed,
uh to whatever betterment I've had so many ways in
the last thirty years, and I'm.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Like, I help her at all.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Yeah, it could be kind of a one sided. It's
been kind of one sided in that regard.
Speaker 5 (18:19):
Well, anyway we were we're providers. We're not necessarily yeah,
nurtures and upbringers.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
She works too, Yeah, see exactly, So.
Speaker 5 (18:28):
Yeah, there we go.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
My wife works too, so you know, yeah, we'll just something,
We'll come up with something that we contribute.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
We'll come up with something so comedy maybe yeah, yeah,
that's right, comedic relief.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Yes, uh and that you know what as I as
I used to tell my kids and my family, that
comes free of charge.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
It's just like that's what I provide. It's part of
what I provide.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Yeah, you know, that doesn't cost them any extra, no,
you know, but just there for him.
Speaker 6 (18:54):
You know.
Speaker 5 (18:54):
We could also call ourselves like middle relievers.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 5 (18:57):
We could go for a couple of innings.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
We're not necessarily close, but we could give you you
know there you know.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
So thank you, Missy Matthews. For the for the information
and that, and this is a.
Speaker 5 (19:10):
Game week, this is game week.
Speaker 6 (19:12):
Does this?
Speaker 3 (19:13):
And excuse me.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Part of what Liam Cohen said is that he's been
in communication with this other staff. I have to tell you,
I saw one of the coolest things covering high school
football for years with our buddy Craig Wolfley, and there
were so many great things, like we we could just
walk down to the field, you know, forty five minutes
before kickoff talk to the coaches.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Hey, what's going on?
Speaker 5 (19:35):
You know?
Speaker 3 (19:36):
I mean you can't. That's not gonna happen in an
NFL game or even a college game.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
But I remember two coaches coming and they were extremely
I'm not going to say their names because I'm not
sure whether they want this out there or not. I
don't know why they wouldn't, but two extremely well regarded
high school coaches to the best ever. The two teams
were playing and one team was blowing out the other team,
and the coach came over and said, I said, look, man,
(20:01):
you know, I just want you to know, even though
you guys are clobbering us, I'm putting my first team
out there again to start the second half. Not because
I'm trying to get back in the game. I just
these guys need to get some work so that allowing
the coach to be able to coach a certain way
and do certain things.
Speaker 5 (20:19):
Right.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Do I want my number ones against their one? Do
I want their two's in? What is this guy doing
over there? Is he trying to run? This is he
trying to get back in a game? Now, I'm gonna
put my ones out there and shove it down their throat.
That communication part, I don't know whether that will have
any I don't know if the right any bearing on
what this years are gonna do. But it's interesting that
that communication does in fact exist.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
And I think also this is because we're also dealing
with a first time head coach, right right, yep, So
he's trying to make sure that, you know, he creates
also a very positive image about him because coaches talk right,
and coaches know when they're going against a certain guy,
like you know, this guy is a blank, or this
guy is a nice guy, or this guy's a double blank,
and this guy's okay.
Speaker 5 (21:02):
But Liam Cohen's.
Speaker 4 (21:03):
Coming from a point of you know, this is my
first foray, I don't know how I'm gonna get this, right,
I gotta figure out what my team is, so you know,
don't take it personal when you see my starter, Trevor
Lawrence is trotten out there. I'm gonna give you guys
a heads up that he's going to be out there
and we're going to play against each other. So I
need to know what I have in my team. Whereas
coach Tomlin nineteen years in doesn't really doesn't, it doesn't
(21:25):
really bother him, waters up and dust back because he
knows this game doesn't count, right, and this game only
helps in the evaluation process. So we're going to be
still be basic with our guys because we have to
do our own analysis.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
Not vanilla.
Speaker 5 (21:37):
Yeah, not vanilla.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
We have banned.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
We have unless it unless it is regarding the flavor
of the bean. Yes, that word is.
Speaker 5 (21:44):
Banned, you know.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
And when we look at that, I mean, there's so
many different ways you can deploy that. We're not gonna
use it for football.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Right, you know, absolutely right, absolutely, we're gonna We're not
gonna fall back on that.
Speaker 5 (21:55):
No, we're not.
Speaker 4 (21:56):
So so the basic approach with the guy so you
can get real apples to apples compare. And because this
is just adding on for Mike Tomlin, William col is
trying to create a foundation, so it's a there are
different places in their coaching careers to see what they
can have.
Speaker 5 (22:10):
So I love the.
Speaker 4 (22:11):
Fact that they're communicating because you don't want any surprises
in a season.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Last practice before you play the game on Saturday, there'll
be a walk through tomorrow down in Jacksonville.
Speaker 5 (22:21):
Where they do that here before we go.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Okay, they leave, get on the plane, go down there,
they have their meetings and all that other stuff.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
Where does this fall between.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Another practice and a real game if you're a player,
So out there now, they're gonna be in pads. We
don't expect a ton of hitting today.
Speaker 4 (22:40):
Probably a couple of competitive competitive periods though within the practice,
so we'll probably have a competitive team run. You'll get
a competitive I think there's the competition period where that
we will see the stalk drill for wide receivers and dbs.
I think Titian's linebackers is going to be more of
a base drill. Hold on, let me see, I think
(23:01):
I think I actually got this.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Okay, so so as we get into this, and I'll
let you to get into this, but and I'll let
you look this up, but what is the what is
the emotion level between Hey, it's it's a glorified practice,
or hey it's a real NFL game.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
Somewhere in between.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
Yeah, it's gonna be somewhere in between, because you will
get run blocking practice with the with the Titans and
O lines okay, Titans and outside linebackers. You will get
the wide receiver dB stock drill we talked about running backs.
Inside backers will do a half kind of half pass
rush type of deal like I think they were doing
(23:38):
two days ago, where it's not coming from the line
of scrimmage. They're more truncated to a closer distance and
just working on initial contact drills. And then you'll get
and who's that to what are those groups? Inside linebackers
and then O line, D line will do some run
block combo blocks and then also have one on one
pass rush. Okay, so you will see those for those
(24:01):
competitive style periods. So and then team and you have
team run, uh, some pass under pressure stuff, and then
a team first five minutes.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
So if you are.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
A young player, right, you are a guy that is
trying to make this team, uh, trying to make an impression,
trying to make.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
The practice squad whatever this is.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
This is like a real NFL game for you, right,
I mean, now, if you're another guy, like some guys
might just have their hats on and won't play at all. Yeah,
and you're trying to have a good professional practice, just
like you would any other practice. There are guys kind
of in that middle ground that are probably going to
make the team that relish the opportunity maybe to get
out there and and show something. And and then I
suppose as you grade down the roster, there are guys
(24:47):
trying to stave off the next competitors. And then for
there are some guys who are gonna be stepping inside
an NFL stadium for the first time in their life,
and for some guys it may be the only time
in their life where they get to playing a game.
So I suppose the excitement level there's probably a gradation,
uh you know for a gradation. So you know, some
(25:08):
people it's like, okay, whatever, I'm not even gonna play
another one and another one. And then for others it's
it's like an NFL game. It's like you know, for them,
it's it's you know, Week eleven in Baltimore whatever.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
Exactly, it's it's this is my moment type of deal.
So in practice, though, for those veterans that are gonna
be y, you know when it comes game time, this
practice actually is helping them get ready for the season
because there's such limited opportunities. Right, we talk about fifteen
total practices up here in training camp before it breaks.
(25:40):
Then you'll have a joint practice, another game, and then
you have simulated game week getting ready for Carolina. But
it's a it's a short game week because we play
Saturday against Tampa Bay, right, and the next game is Thursday, right,
So you're only getting Monday, Tuesday, fly on Wednesday, final
game on Thursday. So you're looking at a potential there's
(26:00):
only six more practices before before decision is gonna be made,
So for for or there's six more practices before you're
gonna be getting ready for actual gameplay in the regular season.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
So these practices still do matter.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
They still have a lot of semblas, and the older
guys understand that that you know what t J.
Speaker 5 (26:17):
Watsay, It's a slow burn, right, a slow ramp.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
Up to what I'm doing, but you still need to
continually ramp up, and so your involvement's gonna be a
little bit tougher, and anytime you put pads on, nobody
wants to get embarrassed, right, So you so you're dealing
with the actuality of that.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
Yep, Okay, So we're gonna take a break. We have
remote Foster joints, so a little bit of an early break.
We have Remonte Foster joining us, and we're we're really
interested in talking talking to Foster. Uh, you're inside the
locker room, inside of the one room with King and
Starks presented.
Speaker 4 (26:48):
Body.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
You couldn't have waited fifteen one.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
It was just a crack and the connection it wasn't Yeah,
you're inside the locker room with King and Starks presented
by our neighborhood Ford Store.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
Here on this steel there's audio network.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Iheartradios. Live coverage of about twenty twenty five Steelers training
camp is presented by Fatex where Now meets Next and
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(27:25):
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by Castle Rock, by Clearview Federal Credit Union, and by US.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
Steel Welcome back inside the locker room with King.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
And Starks, presented by your neighborhood Ford Store on your
Steelers audio network. Oh man, we're we're sharing. Okay, you
got a dog on your screensaver too. Okay, you have
a dog screensavers showing my age. My dog is my screensaver.
You know, wife and kids, they understand you got to
(28:00):
wait for kids.
Speaker 5 (28:01):
Good stuff.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
I'm always covered. And then and then if you can
look here, that's my new pop.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Oh very nice.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
He's a backdrop on the second one excellent second greatest
dog in the world. So, uh we are inside the
locker room with King and Starks, presented by your neighborhood
Ford joining the Chewer's Audio network. And we are joined now.
Uh By, I have kind of a question, is the
best SEC school?
Speaker 3 (28:23):
Would that be Florida or Tennessee?
Speaker 5 (28:26):
You have any idea? Man, I mean, listen, listen. He
knows who it is. We don't even need to bring
it up.
Speaker 2 (28:30):
Ramon Foster joining us now, he already knows there's there's
no there's no comparison there floor now uh huh, that's right.
Speaker 7 (28:41):
Let you heard the word.
Speaker 5 (28:42):
Now the word.
Speaker 6 (28:43):
Now you know what, Max, you know what.
Speaker 7 (28:46):
The the gap has closed a little bit, is what
I'm telling you. Okay, you guys got to come to
Kneeland this year. In this there's such thing it's called
paid back. Uh. There will be some administer to you
and your Florida Gator is okay. Matter of fact, while
I'm down there, while they're in Knoxville, make sure I
give me a Dator belt, some shoes and a wallet too.
Speaker 6 (29:03):
How about that?
Speaker 5 (29:05):
I love it.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
See some things don't die, some things don't die. But
just remember Ramone, I have I have photos in my
camera role.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
So I just quickly and I told the Tramone and
maximoses too. So I'm married into Tennessee fannom because my
wife was a Tennessee grad.
Speaker 5 (29:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
So all through the eighties and nineties, you know, you're
watching these Saturday games and Steve Spurrier was the coach
at Florida, and it seemed like Tennessee, you know, you
had Peyton Manning and all these guys, and it seemed
like they had, you know more all Americans in Florida,
and they and Florida would find a way. It was
(29:42):
it was so unbelievably frustrating. I will say this about
Steve Spurrier. He had a quick wit. So so there
was there was a brief period of time in which
the SEC win and went to the Sugar Bowl and
the runner up team went to the Citrus boil.
Speaker 5 (29:56):
I know exactly what you're at.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
You know the quote. So they asked Steve Spurrier.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
A Tennessee fan said, hey, uh, you know, hey, coach,
you think this is the year that Tennessee beat because
Spurs from Tennessee, right, Hey, do you think this is.
Speaker 7 (30:08):
The year we are right?
Speaker 2 (30:10):
We all beat you guys, and and uh and and
claim that SEC title. And Spurars said, well, you know,
all I got to tell you is you can't spell
citrus about ut.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
Oh man, that that's quick. That's quick. So hey, go ahead.
Speaker 7 (30:32):
That's cool and all. But they got a longer rest
record than we do down there, too, so I guess right.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
Oh, so so we are joined by remote Foster. He's
gonna be joining us on the broadcast, really really excited
about that ramon Before we get to that.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Uh, some news for you. What's going on with you?
Speaker 7 (30:57):
Ah? Me?
Speaker 5 (30:58):
Uh?
Speaker 7 (30:59):
As far as me owning the broadcast this weekend, that's
new news.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
Correct the other broadcast, the bigger news.
Speaker 4 (31:07):
Oh already, because I don't think all of Steeler Nation
really knows the role. And why we only have you
for the preseason, Uh, because we had to get we
had to get an Okay, but talk about your new
news as a broadcaster.
Speaker 7 (31:20):
Oh yes, man, I have been brought on from my
alma mater, the University of Tennessee, to be their main
color analyst man for all the UT games this fall.
I've done some some sideline work before with the Titans
and the voice of the Titans, Mike Keith, ended up
leaving because he's a Tennessee atlum, and he called me
and asked me to join him on the broadcast.
Speaker 6 (31:43):
Man, I'm now with VALL Network.
Speaker 7 (31:45):
Every Saturday, I'll be in a sec A college stadium
man calling games and I'm super.
Speaker 6 (31:51):
Excited about it.
Speaker 7 (31:52):
I didn't see this coming when I jumped into sports
media world, but I'm excited to be a part about it.
You hear the bencher that I have about our universities
and stuff like that, and I think we have this
strong attachment to it, and I'm beyond excited to be
joining that broadcast. If you guys have met Mike Keeper,
run across him. He's one of the best professionals I've
(32:14):
been around. So to be in lockstep with him doing
the broadcast is something that I'm very privileged to be
a part of. So it's always go volved, but it
means even more now being able to verbally paint pictures
for the fans that listen to us involved network. So
thank you guys for having to me bringing that up. Man.
Speaker 6 (32:34):
I'm I'm I'm beyondest static about it.
Speaker 4 (32:37):
Man, I'm I'm so proud of you, Ramon Man. And
like I said, we've had many conversations, you know, after
you retired about what you were gonna do, and you know,
taking the steps right, you know, starting with a radio show,
you know, and then you had the podcast with your
brother that led to the Titan sideline that now leads
you into the booth and let's just call it what
it is, man, these are very coveted positions and these
(32:59):
are posicians that you know, they don't really.
Speaker 5 (33:02):
Come along that often in life.
Speaker 4 (33:04):
So for you to have that opportunity, like you said,
to have it for your school and your alma mater.
Speaker 5 (33:08):
Man, it is awesome.
Speaker 4 (33:10):
I'm so proud, And that's why I had to bring
it up, because I wanted to make sure everybody.
Speaker 5 (33:13):
Else knew what you were up to.
Speaker 4 (33:15):
And the fact that we get the blessing of having
you for just a couple of preseason games, it's pretty special.
Speaker 5 (33:20):
Yes, we go back and forth about our schools. But
I'll be looking forward.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
To if I get the opportunity to call a Tennessee
game and see Ramona. That would that would be That
would be a cool moment because I do do a
lot of sec that you know, along with Big twelve
and acc.
Speaker 5 (33:34):
But yeah, if I can get a Tennessee game, I'm
looking forward to them. I'm coming straight to your mon,
coming straight to the booth man.
Speaker 7 (33:40):
You should.
Speaker 6 (33:41):
I'm deep.
Speaker 7 (33:42):
Also, I just got to say this too, I gotta
pay it forward to man, to guys like Max and
Willie Cologne and Ryan Clark and Ike Taylor was in
the media, Hons Ward was in the media, Jerome Bettett
was in the media. Man, I'm probably missing three four
five guys, but that lot man like Pittsburgh isn't a
huge like entertainment city. It's very prideful on how it
(34:05):
goes about doing stuff. And one thing I've always given
it the Stellers credit for was they never stopped guys
from doing outside the locker room stuff or player shows. Max,
I know you had one, Charlie Batch. I knew I
was again, shout out to Charlie Batch. Man, you guys
really take the guys that want to under your wings
and allow us to be in those spaces.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
Man.
Speaker 7 (34:27):
So a major shout out to you guys to Max.
I know it's my segment, but y'all always made sure
that the young guys that had interest in that type
of stuff got their opportunities. Man. And I think Pittsburgh's
got a strong foothold and the legitimacy of doing the job,
but also the way they encourage guys to put themselves
out there in that space. Alejandro Villa Nueva, I know,
(34:47):
has done some some work recently too with the NFL
and the Stillers. I think they're Spanish broadcast also, so
we got a good thing going in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 5 (34:57):
Yeah, and more offensive Lineman doing big things.
Speaker 4 (35:01):
I noticed that they know where to go when they
need info, right, Mom, I mean we see it all.
Speaker 5 (35:09):
We see it all.
Speaker 6 (35:11):
Quarterback exactly exactly.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
Want to make sure we get that out there. That's
good stuff. So so Ramon and again, congratulations to you.
Really excited to have you on the broadcast. Uh And
and you know, talking about this with Max if maybe
you can go back to you know, young Ramon Foster
and and early in the league and we know that
you know, a lot of the big guys, for the
studers probably won't play, although Liam Cohen announced that the
(35:37):
Jacksonville starters will play. Everybody's gonna play in this game,
so maybe the studers will count for a series or two.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Probably.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
I don't know what to say about that other than
a lot of guys aren't gonna play a lot, right,
even if they do get out there, the big guys
aren't gonna play a lot, which means opportunity for later
drafted guys. Undrafted guys. What are those guys feeling now?
Because for the veterans, ay man, they've been through this before,
they know what to expect. For young guys, this is
(36:04):
their opportunity, this is their chance. So what do you
think the excitement level is for some of those younger
guys are unproven guys as they are now just a
little bit more than forty eight hours away from perhaps
stepping inside an NFL stadium for the first time in
their lives.
Speaker 6 (36:21):
Man, Rob, great question.
Speaker 5 (36:23):
Man.
Speaker 7 (36:24):
I think excitement wise is probably a ten, and then
anxiety wise is probably a twenty because.
Speaker 6 (36:31):
The opportunity I'll never forget.
Speaker 7 (36:33):
Like the first time I ran out on the football field,
I think we were a preseason game in Washington against
the now Commanders, and I literally pinched myself because this
is something you think about as a kid growing up,
like I want to play in the NFL and not
having already made it, but as undrafted, like your anxiety
of performing because it's so many unknowns. The idea that, look,
(36:54):
if I perform, I have an opportunity to get one
of those fifty three jobs.
Speaker 6 (36:58):
But if I don't.
Speaker 7 (36:59):
For some of those guys, if you bring up like
they may never play football again. I know there's other leagues,
but you want to play in the NFL. And that's
why I say, like the idea of like the anxiety
being sky high is real, and that's also to me,
the beauty of what the NFL is also in just
sports is if you have it, they'll find it. Pittsburgh
is always to me the land of opportunity because our
(37:19):
coaches and the staff and just to make up of
what the stealers are, if you have the ability to play,
they're gonna find you. It doesn't matter what pathway you
made it. I myself an undrafted guy to play in
Pittsburgh in one city for eleven years.
Speaker 6 (37:32):
It's not many organizations.
Speaker 7 (37:33):
That allow or to have a level of fairness to
let guys fight it out.
Speaker 6 (37:38):
And I also go.
Speaker 7 (37:39):
To what the beauty of training camp is to go
way to Latrove of Saint Vincent College man to make
it all about football, remove the distractions, bring the fans
out there. So there's added pressure to perform in front
of them too, because one thing I know about Pittsburgh
is that.
Speaker 6 (37:54):
The fans know football, and I've always been high on
that man.
Speaker 7 (37:58):
So Rob Legit, I say to the guys, especially the
young offensive linemen, that gotta protect the quarterbacks.
Speaker 6 (38:06):
Control what you.
Speaker 7 (38:06):
Can control, maximize your opportunities on every single play, and finish.
I'll never forget coach jd max tight ends. Coach man,
what would what would tell us if you have an attraction.
Speaker 6 (38:18):
To be just violent, they'll find a spot for you.
So if you are a guy that's showing up on
tape finishing.
Speaker 7 (38:25):
Guys as much as you possibly can, there's a place
for you, either in Pittsburgh or one of the other
thirty two cities. And that's the other thing that those
guys have to recognize too, is not just you know,
the stellers that you're auditioning for, it's thirty one other
teams that will be watching that tape and trying to
find big bodies up front, because that's a that's.
Speaker 6 (38:44):
A rare thing these days.
Speaker 7 (38:46):
Man to fine guys that are athletic enough and comfortent
enough to be able to play football. And Pittsburgh is
a great breathing ground for guys to start their careers
go to other places if they're right minded.
Speaker 8 (38:57):
And I love that you said that, Ramon, because I
think one of the other things that people tend to
kind of look at and you can speak especially to
this as an undrafted free agent, but you know, guys
get caught up on numbers and looking at the roster,
and of course Mike Tomlin, you know, release that initial
depth chart which he says.
Speaker 4 (39:15):
You know I have to do it. It's not that
it's not like I want to do it. If it
was up to me, I wouldn't put anything out to
a week one.
Speaker 5 (39:22):
You know.
Speaker 4 (39:22):
Can you just talked about about how strong your resolve
has to be, like you have to trust in yourself
and not worry about outside noise, and that I consider
that a depth chart being released as outside noise because
at the end of the day, it comes down to performance, right,
I mean, it comes down to what you said. If
you're nasty, they'll find a room, they'll find room for you.
If you know what you're supposed to do, you don't
make the same mistakes twice. Can you just talk about
(39:44):
how mentally strong you have to be in these environments
as well to make it onto a roster.
Speaker 7 (39:51):
That to me is probably the most important. I'll never
get that. I think it's my last contract with the
still is I'm worried about. I'll get to the training
camp part of it, but I'm wor worry about you know,
all right, coach, we're gonna do another one. And it
was my exit me doing coach Tomlin and one of
the things he told me was he was just like, mom,
you have something a lot of not a lot of
people think is a is an athletic trait. And I'm
(40:11):
thinking to myself, what what are you talking about, coach?
My my forty time wasn't great. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 6 (40:16):
I'm thinking of that. He was just like, your your.
Speaker 7 (40:19):
Mental toughness is also an athletic attribute. He's like, the
same web person runs a forty bence press, high jump,
a long jump, run the three cone, the mental.
Speaker 6 (40:30):
Toughness of it is also that too. And I was
just like, dang.
Speaker 7 (40:34):
He was like, whatever we put in front of you,
you always knocked out. He's like, and we knew that
about you too, And I was like, well, you should
have said something earlier, coach. He is one of those
situations Max that and Rob where you everybody has talent.
Everybody has probably got something that the other person doesn't have.
(40:56):
But the uniqueness about the way football training camp is
is you got to do exact same.
Speaker 6 (41:00):
Thing the same or better the next day, and then.
Speaker 7 (41:03):
You gotta wake up and do it again, and then
you have to do it again. And Max, now is
the point in training camp for a lot of those guys,
man where they do count numbers they do count reps.
They do look at the depth chart and see where
am I at pols gonna play me.
Speaker 6 (41:17):
With the tools?
Speaker 7 (41:18):
Am I gonna be with the threes? I thought one
of the biggest tip of the caps for myself was
when I saw the early in training camp, I was running.
Speaker 6 (41:24):
With the tools.
Speaker 7 (41:26):
But then you look on the other side some guys
that you thought had chances of running with the threes
mostly or they may only get in the game, And
to be quite honest with you, that does suck. But
what I would tell those guys is this, you never
know when the injury is gonna pop up. You never
know what the coaches are thinking. Sometimes I think guys
get put in those positions just to see their reaction
(41:48):
from the coaches. Are you gonna lower your level of
play because you're running with the tools or the threes?
Or will you show that you're the best of the
best and you deserve more reps as it pertains to
your ability to make that team.
Speaker 6 (42:01):
Guys put on themselves. Max.
Speaker 7 (42:03):
You know, we fit in front of Rooney Hall and
training camp man and we see those dudes separated from
the pack. We be talking as atvets, let's say dead
man walking because that guy has quit on himself because
they don't realize there's a bigger game to be played.
And coach Tomlin and his staff has been one of
the best of those psychological mental warfare games.
Speaker 6 (42:24):
Max. You know I'm not lying.
Speaker 7 (42:25):
He's over transparent Man by calling guys out in front
of the team, because there's pressure in performing in front
of your teammates with an expectation tied behind it, and
this portion of training camp, Man, you can splash and
still create a lane for yourself if you're mentally tough,
and that's one of the best things I think I've
(42:46):
learned Man on this process, because there's more counted against
you than it is for you. And that's what the
first round of two Max. There's pressure in Derek Harmon
being able to perform and hold up that standard of
what cam Hay has laid down in front of him.
Keanu Binton, can he measure up to that? You look
at Joey Porter Julian there's pressure in him being the
(43:08):
second round pick. I mean the namesake. He grew up
in that locker room. So it's not just the low
round guys. There's a bunch of dudes that got to
answer that call every single time, and jah, y'all got
me going. I feel like I'm gone.
Speaker 2 (43:21):
Oh God, we can't, we cannot, and this is what
we need. We thank you so much for coming on.
We will see you very shortly tomorrow night in Jacksonville.
Speaker 3 (43:34):
Looking forward to working with you. Thank you.
Speaker 6 (43:36):
Ramone, no doubt about the guys anytime.
Speaker 2 (43:40):
All right, that is Ramone Foster. He's gonna be joining
us on the field. This is the locker room with
King Stark's, presented by our neighborhood A Ford's Door, and
here from Mike Tomlin coming up right here on this
stee there's Audio Network
Iheartradios. Live coverage of twenty twenty five Steelers training camp
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Speaker 2 (00:38):
At the Locker Room with King and Stark presented by
your Neighborhood at Forge Store. Here on the Stevens Audio Network.
Are we Live, We are Hot? Meis You're hot? Mike
watching the team going through their stretching out there and
getting ready to go for a padded practice today.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
We're gonna see some collisions today.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Yes, we should see some light collisions today, like collisions. Okay,
because obviously he still trying to get to the game
on Saturday.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Guys are still nicked up. It's probably like you said
you talked about.
Speaker 5 (01:11):
It earlier, Derek Harmon being one of those guys.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
I had a little bump and bruise yesterday, Little Nick Nick,
Patti Wack.
Speaker 5 (01:19):
But we did not give a dog a bot.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
So happy birthday to Alex Highsmith.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
By the way, Happy birthday Alex high Smith.
Speaker 5 (01:28):
So yeah, he will not be playing on Saturday. No,
that's his birthday gift.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
No.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
So, we had been going through the Steelers' depth chart.
By the way, I want to remind people Ramon Foster
coming up, what in about twenty minutes, twenty minutes, we'll
call it twenty okay.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
So he's going to be joining us.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
He's going to be joining us on the Steelers Audio
Network for the preseason games as Missy Matthews attends to
some television duties with that crew, Bob Pompieni.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Charlie Batch, the rest of the folks over there.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Yeah, so he is going to be joining us, which
is a lot of audible on the game.
Speaker 5 (02:01):
Right.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
So now as we look at we've we've been going
through the roster and again, just to briefly recap, the
depth chart came out yesterday, Bob Labriola putting that out
through the team and giving us a lot of interesting
stuff because you know, I don't know how you are, Max,
but I'm looking down at the roster and I'm seeing
all the names and it's just kind of in the
(02:23):
floating around in the.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Back of my mind.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
There's a lot of not a names here for fifty
three guys, a lot of guys we've heard about, a
lot of guys with pedigrees, a lot of guys who
are draft picks. And now that we're going through it,
that sort of idea in the back of my mind
that hey, this team is really deep has been driven
home because as we get to the defensive backs, and
we went through the offense yesterday, but as we get
to the defensive backs again, I'm at nineteen defensive linemen
(02:48):
and linebackers that I would like to keep at a
minimum nineteen and then a few more I would love
to see on the practice squad. Right, Well, they're not
gonna keep nineteen defensive lineman linebackers. They can't because we
have even got to the d backs. You're not gonna
keep six defensive backs. No, Right, that's a position that
you're gonna keep a lot of. And here's the other thing.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
When you look at that crew, like you have to
be able to rotate through multiple defensive backs because of
how many teams keep three and four wide receiver sets,
and they're trying to figure out, you know what, they're
going to deploy on a week week, So as a defense,
you have to be ready to deploy. And when we
think about just on the additions in free agency, like
(03:33):
there's already five guys that you're like, okay, we got
to keep those guys.
Speaker 5 (03:37):
And then you're saying, okay, so now we have.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
Ten more potentially, right, I mean ten total that you
can keep in that group. So now you're saying I
have to keep five so defensive backs to one where
I look at and I'm like, you're keeping ten defensive backs.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Easily and in fairness, by the way, they might keep
twenty six on defense and twenty four on offense. But
if we go through the offense, we had guys that
we wanted to see kept there too that are not
going to be kept.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
So by the way, I just saw Chris Boswell bang
won from sixty four yards.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
Yeah. Yeah, he has a strong leg.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Yeah that was impressive.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
Leg is not bad, no, So uh okay, so he's
going to kick in the preseason. We should also point
out right right that Ben is going to be He's
going to be busy, will be there the entire time, Yes,
because because the students made a roster move.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Right there, Andrews Pete the defense at the offensive lineman,
three time Pro bowler, he is here in camp, and
the backup long snapper is no longer here and no
longer in camp.
Speaker 5 (04:40):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
So that is the that's the and that was Tucker Addington,
by the way, So not that we were surprised, so
that Christian Koons.
Speaker 5 (04:48):
Got the job.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
So let's get onto the defensive backfield.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Okay, so here are your starters listed right now, your starters,
and again these will surprise nobody. Darius Lay at cornerback, yes,
uh one Thornhill and Deshaun Elliott at safety, Joey Porter
Junior at the other outside linebacker, Jalen Ramsey.
Speaker 5 (05:07):
In the slot. Yes, no surprises, no surprise. And wow,
that's a that's a good group, it really is.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
That's I mean, just to have that alone, you're like, yep,
we can win some games. Yeah, but but but it
is it is a luxury having those guys, like you said,
but there's.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
More, there is more, And by the way, that is
an awfully good group.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
Talent and and listen, and we don't talk about him
that much in camp. We obviously talked about a lot
of other new pieces, but Darius lay better than advertised,
like he and yesterday alone. I mean the way that
he was defending some of those passes. I was like, man,
this dude has a skill set, and you're like age,
(06:00):
is that right?
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Well, he was a starter last year for the Super
Bowl champions, Yes he was, and the way people two.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Years ago he was two years ago.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
He got the accolades again as he continues to make
All Pro and Pro Bowl teams.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Uh so he's two years removed from that.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
He's been like bouncing between Philly and Detroit his whole career.
He started because he was originally drafted by Detroit, then
went to Philly, then they had to release him because
of cap concerns. He went back to Detroit and the
Philly said, wait a second, we can't do this without you.
Speaker 5 (06:28):
We need you back over here one more.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Time and now, and all the way getting accolades. So
this is the guy with the petty you always wonder,
you know, listen, and it's a it's a legitimate question,
you know, how much longer does player X have? We
were hearing that question about Cam Heyward going in the
last year and Cam Hayward said, I got.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
More left in the tank. Plenty had a great season.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
So those questions are going to abound for Aaron Rodgers,
They're gonna abound for Dariusly. That's part of it, right, Yeah,
It's always going to be part of it, and you
just have to take it in stride.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
So U Slay Thornhill, Elliott Porter Ramsey. We like that crew.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Okay, let's go to this second team as listed on
the initial depth chart, Corey Trice dealing with an issue
right now, with an injury. We know what Corey looks
like when he's healthy and out there. I think healthy
and out there are the big keys for him.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
Correct, Yeah, that's the big that's the biggest thing that's
been traveling comes like a like a dark cloud over
his whole career.
Speaker 5 (07:24):
Yeah, it's went healthy.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
You've had to add that phrasing every time you mentioned
his name, right, And.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
It's and it's unfortunate because he had an ACL in college.
He had the other ACL during his rookie season when
he was starting to make a buzz during camp, you know,
and then last year he had a hamstring and I
think it was a hamstring, right, And this year he's
got another soft tissue at the hamstring injury.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
It's in that lower body region, somewhere in the quad
hamstring area.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Lower body. Yep, a lower body injury.
Speaker 5 (07:53):
So hey, that's all encompassing there.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
It is.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
So just quickly the hand lower body or upper body
upper body, Okay, because if you if you're standing with
your hands at your you know, at your side, it's
lower body, but it's attached.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Trivia man, little defen reference.
Speaker 5 (08:21):
Hey, listen, keep you on your toes.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Max just cracked the Divinci code. Okay, good stuff.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
So second team, Corey Trice, uh safeties, Miles Killer ruined, Chuck.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
Clark once again. Got to keep those two right.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Uh, you know, and then you have a corner Brandon
Eckles and Beanie Bishop. So you have Beanie Bishop, legend interceptions,
Brandon Eckles, tremendous athlete who who not only is athletic
and could play corner, but is a very good special
teams player as well.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
Yes, and then and then we go to the next
team where we have another special teams ace.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Uh huh.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
So now you have Cam McCutcheon, Wwindel Johnson, Sebastian Castro
again a lot of buzz about him. You know, they
had everybody had a draft game, great on him. He's here,
he's in camp.
Speaker 5 (09:09):
He's going to play a lot on Saturday.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
James Pierre on a special teams there's the guy still here, right,
still still standing. Dante Kent draft pick, going through an
injury issue right now. Don't know what his prognosis is
for the return right lower body, so you never know.
Speaker 5 (09:27):
Yeah, you know, and I believe it's day to day.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Okay, So he's.
Speaker 5 (09:30):
Day to day. He's not playing on Saturday.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
He's not playing on Saturday.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
But boy oh boyd does he need to get out
there and show that he can, uh, you know, not
only play defensive back, but he was an excellent return
man in college.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Wants to be able to show that part of his
game and.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
Was supposed to be the key featured return guy in
this game.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Right and needs for his own sake to get out
there and show that he can be a key guy
in a return game. Also, yes, you know, has to
do it right. So we are not finished, and let's
get down to the final trio of guys. Daryl Porter,
newly signed Kyler McMichael, DeShawn Jamison. So once again to reiterate,
(10:15):
I had at least nineteen guys that I would love
to keep right, at least nineteen guys, and that was
defensive line, in linebackers. So we just named at least
another eleven maybe twelve guys. Well, you don't get to
(10:35):
keep thirty or thirty.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
One guys at the most. At the most, you'll.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Get twenty six at the most if you don't go
twenty five to twenty five offense defense with the three guys,
remember the long snapper, the kicker, and the punter, right
those guys, there's three guys, So generally you get from
fifty three to fifty. That way, you divide it twenty
five and twenty five or twenty six and twenty four.
Even if you took twenty six max. We named thirty
(11:01):
one we'd love to have on this team. That's what
we're talking about. When we talk about the depth, people
will ask you, what do you think about the Steelers
this year?
Speaker 4 (11:08):
What do you think about camp? They are really really deep. Yes,
they're really really deep. And we just talked about defensively.
We went for the offensive side, and the offensive side is.
Speaker 5 (11:19):
Just as deep.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
Sobs to even cut one from the offense is gonna
be tough as well as what you're thinking about for
the defense and trying to make that and that's what
that's and that's what's.
Speaker 5 (11:28):
Been missing the last couple of years for the Steelers.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
We've had great frontline guys, but then when they got
the second team, we're like, wow, cover covered is not
really not as stocked as I thought it was. Right,
you know, the impending apocalypse and you know, my prepper
game is really low, you know, but this year, no,
we We've got one hundred and thirty day food stories
this time around. You know where we could wait, we
can we can survive all of it. And I think
(11:51):
that's where it's really really tough. But that's a good
problem to have, right. No coach will ever tell you, man,
I got too many good players.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Man, I've said that problem. I've said that for years.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Yeah, oh man, we are doomed this year. We got
too many good players. Uh, never gonna make it so,
Missy Matthews. And and by the way, uh, one of
the one of the great joys of if I may
say this briefly, one of the great joys of coming
here and being new to the larger team you know,
I did pregame for years. I worked and still work
(12:26):
at a phenomenal TV station in Pittsburgh where guys have
been there and I've been there for twenty five years,
and sometimes I still feel like the new guy, right
They people have been around there forever. Unbelievable work atmosphere.
You know, you never know what you're gonna get when
you come to a new place. I have just been
blown away by how great everybody is to work with
(12:46):
on this year there's Audio Network, the people at iHeart.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
It has been.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
A just a really really wonderful experience. Uh latest, And
I just of that. What a team player Missy Matthews is.
She's an awesome team player.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Awesome.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
She just sent us some information Max that Liam Cohen,
the young coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, said everybody will play.
Their starters are playing. How long depends upon presumably how
well they do. Will we see now Trevor Lawrence for
a series? Will we see him for two series? We're
gonna see Travis Hunter playing on offense and on defense.
(13:24):
So that adds a little intrigue.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
Thomas Travis will be playing.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
That adds a little intrigue to what we might be.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
That trio receivers Frank Frangie tonas yesterday might be, you know,
potentially could be the best trio of receivers. You know,
you don't want to look past Jimmy Smith and mccartell
who had a great one to two punch maybe the
greatest trio in receiving history for the Jacksonville Jaguars. So
that is intriguing that we're going to see those guys
(13:56):
out in the field. Very very intrigued by that news.
And that's Missy Matthews. Team player, Thank you, Missy, Thank
you Missy.
Speaker 5 (14:03):
Once again, team mom tea. She has our team. She
keeps all the boys in line.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
Yeah, and heaven knows we need it.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
But again just underscoring a what a great team atmosphere
we have and thanks to everybody and the latest example
Missy Matthews. So we are going to be joined next
by Ramona Foster. Right, Okay, So you're inside the locker
room with King and Stark's presented by your neighborhood of
Ford's John The Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
I Heeart Radios Live coverage about twenty twenty five Steelers
training camp is presented by fat X where now meets
next and also brought to you by First National Bank,
by Kalucy Chevrolet iron Workers Union Number three, by Easy
Home Exteriors by S and T Bank, we Max Select Realty,
(14:56):
by Tom's Appliances, the Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Shop. I always
see flagging and traffic control and buy us steel.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
And welcome back inside the locker room with King and Starks,
presented by your neighborhood Ford Store.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
On this steer, there's audio network him Max. Oh uh back,
so the.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Uh the chips really shouldn't be made? Yeah, yeah, they
show up around eleven, and you know, I think, I
think probably every morning, I'm like, okay, man, intermittent fasting, right,
another hour, another hour to lunch, another hour to lunch,
and then forty five minutes before lunch, I cave and
have the chip and dip because it's so good.
Speaker 5 (15:39):
It's so good.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
And by the way, I would never make that at home.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
It's been years since I would get like a and
I would, dude, you know, when I was younger, get
the uh the cruncher's potato chips and the hell of
a good dip like the pre made.
Speaker 5 (15:52):
Oh, try and explain that to people.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
And people like, I'm crazy, crunch is the original, like
the barbecue.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
Oh, the barbecue, Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
So I was living in Saint Louis, uh when when
I first discovered him. Now, everybody's come out with the
thicker chip, right ship, But that was the first thicker
chip that I remember, Like I finally found a bag
again years ago, and I'm like, well, now now that
with the evolution of the thicker chip, and it has
been an evolution, it has been.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
It doesn't feel as thick as it used to.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
But back in the day, it was like you're eating
a potato on a stick, and it was so tasty,
and it was.
Speaker 4 (16:32):
One of those like like almost like Carnival fare, Like
you felt like, man, this is because compared to like
a Layers chip was so thin, so thin, it was brittle.
Speaker 5 (16:40):
You couldn't even really dip it, right.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
You get that, You get that that hell of a
good dip out of the that was the brand name, right,
you get that.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
I'm not not swearing on the air.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
But then you open up the top and you dip
it in there, and you're right, a flimsy chip would break,
and then you don't want it.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
I don't want to broken in their container.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
Like digging with other chips to the.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Exec exactly, exactly exactly I was.
Speaker 5 (17:03):
I had a Deans fring.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Okay, different kind of yah, different different parts of the nation.
Speaker 5 (17:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
And then this is going back to uh, you know
TV on the milk crate days right, yeah, exactly, which,
by the way, uh, you know you get married and
you get civilized, right, yeah, I would actually console right,
it's forced upon you, uh civilization, uh for for a
good way. I mean my TV would still be on
a milk crate if it wasn't for the fact that,
(17:32):
no question.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
I mean granted, or I would have a lot of
holes on the back of the wall trying to hang
it on the wall because I would have drilled in
the wrong spot to be uneven. And you have just
all these holes and you know we're not going over
and plastering and covering it up, right, Just go get
a bigger TV cover the holes.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
Right. It's so true.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Dragged by the ear out of the cave into the
end of the real world.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
So thank you.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
By the way, I did mention a couple of days
ago was my thirtieth Yes, so my my lovely wife Megan,
thank you for everything over the years. You know, you
think about it and I'm like, uh, man, she's just contributed,
uh to whatever betterment I've had so many ways in
the last thirty years, and I'm.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Like, I help her at all.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Yeah, it could be kind of a one sided. It's
been kind of one sided in that regard.
Speaker 5 (18:19):
Well, anyway we were we're providers. We're not necessarily yeah,
nurtures and upbringers.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
She works too, Yeah, see exactly, So.
Speaker 5 (18:28):
Yeah, there we go.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
My wife works too, so you know, yeah, we'll just something,
We'll come up with something that we contribute.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
We'll come up with something so comedy maybe yeah, yeah,
that's right, comedic relief.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Yes, uh and that you know what as I as
I used to tell my kids and my family, that
comes free of charge.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
It's just like that's what I provide. It's part of
what I provide.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Yeah, you know, that doesn't cost them any extra, no,
you know, but just there for him.
Speaker 6 (18:54):
You know.
Speaker 5 (18:54):
We could also call ourselves like middle relievers.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 5 (18:57):
We could go for a couple of innings.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
We're not necessarily close, but we could give you you
know there you know.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
So thank you, Missy Matthews. For the for the information
and that, and this is a.
Speaker 5 (19:10):
Game week, this is game week.
Speaker 6 (19:12):
Does this?
Speaker 3 (19:13):
And excuse me.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Part of what Liam Cohen said is that he's been
in communication with this other staff. I have to tell you,
I saw one of the coolest things covering high school
football for years with our buddy Craig Wolfley, and there
were so many great things, like we we could just
walk down to the field, you know, forty five minutes
before kickoff talk to the coaches.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Hey, what's going on?
Speaker 5 (19:35):
You know?
Speaker 3 (19:36):
I mean you can't. That's not gonna happen in an
NFL game or even a college game.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
But I remember two coaches coming and they were extremely
I'm not going to say their names because I'm not
sure whether they want this out there or not. I
don't know why they wouldn't, but two extremely well regarded
high school coaches to the best ever. The two teams
were playing and one team was blowing out the other team,
and the coach came over and said, I said, look, man,
(20:01):
you know, I just want you to know, even though
you guys are clobbering us, I'm putting my first team
out there again to start the second half. Not because
I'm trying to get back in the game. I just
these guys need to get some work so that allowing
the coach to be able to coach a certain way
and do certain things.
Speaker 5 (20:19):
Right.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Do I want my number ones against their one? Do
I want their two's in? What is this guy doing
over there? Is he trying to run? This is he
trying to get back in a game? Now, I'm gonna
put my ones out there and shove it down their throat.
That communication part, I don't know whether that will have
any I don't know if the right any bearing on
what this years are gonna do. But it's interesting that
that communication does in fact exist.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
And I think also this is because we're also dealing
with a first time head coach, right right, yep, So
he's trying to make sure that, you know, he creates
also a very positive image about him because coaches talk right,
and coaches know when they're going against a certain guy,
like you know, this guy is a blank, or this
guy is a nice guy, or this guy's a double blank,
and this guy's okay.
Speaker 5 (21:02):
But Liam Cohen's.
Speaker 4 (21:03):
Coming from a point of you know, this is my
first foray, I don't know how I'm gonna get this, right,
I gotta figure out what my team is, so you know,
don't take it personal when you see my starter, Trevor
Lawrence is trotten out there. I'm gonna give you guys
a heads up that he's going to be out there
and we're going to play against each other. So I
need to know what I have in my team. Whereas
coach Tomlin nineteen years in doesn't really doesn't, it doesn't
(21:25):
really bother him, waters up and dust back because he
knows this game doesn't count, right, and this game only
helps in the evaluation process. So we're going to be
still be basic with our guys because we have to
do our own analysis.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
Not vanilla.
Speaker 5 (21:37):
Yeah, not vanilla.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
We have banned.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
We have unless it unless it is regarding the flavor
of the bean. Yes, that word is.
Speaker 5 (21:44):
Banned, you know.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
And when we look at that, I mean, there's so
many different ways you can deploy that. We're not gonna
use it for football.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Right, you know, absolutely right, absolutely, we're gonna We're not
gonna fall back on that.
Speaker 5 (21:55):
No, we're not.
Speaker 4 (21:56):
So so the basic approach with the guy so you
can get real apples to apples compare. And because this
is just adding on for Mike Tomlin, William col is
trying to create a foundation, so it's a there are
different places in their coaching careers to see what they
can have.
Speaker 5 (22:10):
So I love the.
Speaker 4 (22:11):
Fact that they're communicating because you don't want any surprises
in a season.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Last practice before you play the game on Saturday, there'll
be a walk through tomorrow down in Jacksonville.
Speaker 5 (22:21):
Where they do that here before we go.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Okay, they leave, get on the plane, go down there,
they have their meetings and all that other stuff.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
Where does this fall between.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Another practice and a real game if you're a player,
So out there now, they're gonna be in pads. We
don't expect a ton of hitting today.
Speaker 4 (22:40):
Probably a couple of competitive competitive periods though within the practice,
so we'll probably have a competitive team run. You'll get
a competitive I think there's the competition period where that
we will see the stalk drill for wide receivers and dbs.
I think Titian's linebackers is going to be more of
a base drill. Hold on, let me see, I think
(23:01):
I think I actually got this.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Okay, so so as we get into this, and I'll
let you to get into this, but and I'll let
you look this up, but what is the what is
the emotion level between Hey, it's it's a glorified practice,
or hey it's a real NFL game.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
Somewhere in between.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
Yeah, it's gonna be somewhere in between, because you will
get run blocking practice with the with the Titans and
O lines okay, Titans and outside linebackers. You will get
the wide receiver dB stock drill we talked about running backs.
Inside backers will do a half kind of half pass
rush type of deal like I think they were doing
(23:38):
two days ago, where it's not coming from the line
of scrimmage. They're more truncated to a closer distance and
just working on initial contact drills. And then you'll get
and who's that to what are those groups? Inside linebackers
and then O line, D line will do some run
block combo blocks and then also have one on one
pass rush. Okay, so you will see those for those
(24:01):
competitive style periods. So and then team and you have
team run, uh, some pass under pressure stuff, and then
a team first five minutes.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
So if you are.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
A young player, right, you are a guy that is
trying to make this team, uh, trying to make an impression,
trying to make.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
The practice squad whatever this is.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
This is like a real NFL game for you, right,
I mean, now, if you're another guy, like some guys
might just have their hats on and won't play at all. Yeah,
and you're trying to have a good professional practice, just
like you would any other practice. There are guys kind
of in that middle ground that are probably going to
make the team that relish the opportunity maybe to get
out there and and show something. And and then I
suppose as you grade down the roster, there are guys
(24:47):
trying to stave off the next competitors. And then for
there are some guys who are gonna be stepping inside
an NFL stadium for the first time in their life,
and for some guys it may be the only time
in their life where they get to playing a game.
So I suppose the excitement level there's probably a gradation,
uh you know for a gradation. So you know, some
(25:08):
people it's like, okay, whatever, I'm not even gonna play
another one and another one. And then for others it's
it's like an NFL game. It's like you know, for them,
it's it's you know, Week eleven in Baltimore whatever.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
Exactly, it's it's this is my moment type of deal.
So in practice, though, for those veterans that are gonna
be y, you know when it comes game time, this
practice actually is helping them get ready for the season
because there's such limited opportunities. Right, we talk about fifteen
total practices up here in training camp before it breaks.
(25:40):
Then you'll have a joint practice, another game, and then
you have simulated game week getting ready for Carolina. But
it's a it's a short game week because we play
Saturday against Tampa Bay, right, and the next game is Thursday, right,
So you're only getting Monday, Tuesday, fly on Wednesday, final
game on Thursday. So you're looking at a potential there's
(26:00):
only six more practices before before decision is gonna be made,
So for for or there's six more practices before you're
gonna be getting ready for actual gameplay in the regular season.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
So these practices still do matter.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
They still have a lot of semblas, and the older
guys understand that that you know what t J.
Speaker 5 (26:17):
Watsay, It's a slow burn, right, a slow ramp.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
Up to what I'm doing, but you still need to
continually ramp up, and so your involvement's gonna be a
little bit tougher, and anytime you put pads on, nobody
wants to get embarrassed, right, So you so you're dealing
with the actuality of that.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
Yep, Okay, So we're gonna take a break. We have
remote Foster joints, so a little bit of an early break.
We have Remonte Foster joining us, and we're we're really
interested in talking talking to Foster. Uh, you're inside the
locker room, inside of the one room with King and
Starks presented.
Speaker 4 (26:48):
Body.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
You couldn't have waited fifteen one.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
It was just a crack and the connection it wasn't Yeah,
you're inside the locker room with King and Starks presented
by our neighborhood Ford Store.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
Here on this steel there's audio network.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Iheartradios. Live coverage of about twenty twenty five Steelers training
camp is presented by Fatex where Now meets Next and
also brought to you by CGR Wholesale Roofing and Siding
Supply Center, by Don's Appliances, by Always Safe Flagging and
Traffic Control by Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, by Schneider Down's,
(27:25):
by Hass's Steak and Seahouse by your neighborhood Forward Store,
by Castle Rock, by Clearview Federal Credit Union, and by US.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
Steel Welcome back inside the locker room with King.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
And Starks, presented by your neighborhood Ford Store on your
Steelers audio network. Oh man, we're we're sharing. Okay, you
got a dog on your screensaver too. Okay, you have
a dog screensavers showing my age. My dog is my screensaver.
You know, wife and kids, they understand you got to
(28:00):
wait for kids.
Speaker 5 (28:01):
Good stuff.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
I'm always covered. And then and then if you can
look here, that's my new pop.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Oh very nice.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
He's a backdrop on the second one excellent second greatest
dog in the world. So, uh we are inside the
locker room with King and Starks, presented by your neighborhood
Ford joining the Chewer's Audio network. And we are joined now.
Uh By, I have kind of a question, is the
best SEC school?
Speaker 3 (28:23):
Would that be Florida or Tennessee?
Speaker 5 (28:26):
You have any idea? Man, I mean, listen, listen. He
knows who it is. We don't even need to bring
it up.
Speaker 2 (28:30):
Ramon Foster joining us now, he already knows there's there's
no there's no comparison there floor now uh huh, that's right.
Speaker 7 (28:41):
Let you heard the word.
Speaker 5 (28:42):
Now the word.
Speaker 6 (28:43):
Now you know what, Max, you know what.
Speaker 7 (28:46):
The the gap has closed a little bit, is what
I'm telling you. Okay, you guys got to come to
Kneeland this year. In this there's such thing it's called
paid back. Uh. There will be some administer to you
and your Florida Gator is okay. Matter of fact, while
I'm down there, while they're in Knoxville, make sure I
give me a Dator belt, some shoes and a wallet too.
Speaker 6 (29:03):
How about that?
Speaker 5 (29:05):
I love it.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
See some things don't die, some things don't die. But
just remember Ramone, I have I have photos in my
camera role.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
So I just quickly and I told the Tramone and
maximoses too. So I'm married into Tennessee fannom because my
wife was a Tennessee grad.
Speaker 5 (29:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
So all through the eighties and nineties, you know, you're
watching these Saturday games and Steve Spurrier was the coach
at Florida, and it seemed like Tennessee, you know, you
had Peyton Manning and all these guys, and it seemed
like they had, you know more all Americans in Florida,
and they and Florida would find a way. It was
(29:42):
it was so unbelievably frustrating. I will say this about
Steve Spurrier. He had a quick wit. So so there
was there was a brief period of time in which
the SEC win and went to the Sugar Bowl and
the runner up team went to the Citrus boil.
Speaker 5 (29:56):
I know exactly what you're at.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
You know the quote. So they asked Steve Spurrier.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
A Tennessee fan said, hey, uh, you know, hey, coach,
you think this is the year that Tennessee beat because
Spurs from Tennessee, right, Hey, do you think this is.
Speaker 7 (30:08):
The year we are right?
Speaker 2 (30:10):
We all beat you guys, and and uh and and
claim that SEC title. And Spurars said, well, you know,
all I got to tell you is you can't spell
citrus about ut.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
Oh man, that that's quick. That's quick. So hey, go ahead.
Speaker 7 (30:32):
That's cool and all. But they got a longer rest
record than we do down there, too, so I guess right.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
Oh, so so we are joined by remote Foster. He's
gonna be joining us on the broadcast, really really excited
about that ramon Before we get to that.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Uh, some news for you. What's going on with you?
Speaker 7 (30:57):
Ah? Me?
Speaker 5 (30:58):
Uh?
Speaker 7 (30:59):
As far as me owning the broadcast this weekend, that's
new news.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
Correct the other broadcast, the bigger news.
Speaker 4 (31:07):
Oh already, because I don't think all of Steeler Nation
really knows the role. And why we only have you
for the preseason, Uh, because we had to get we
had to get an Okay, but talk about your new
news as a broadcaster.
Speaker 7 (31:20):
Oh yes, man, I have been brought on from my
alma mater, the University of Tennessee, to be their main
color analyst man for all the UT games this fall.
I've done some some sideline work before with the Titans
and the voice of the Titans, Mike Keith, ended up
leaving because he's a Tennessee atlum, and he called me
and asked me to join him on the broadcast.
Speaker 6 (31:43):
Man, I'm now with VALL Network.
Speaker 7 (31:45):
Every Saturday, I'll be in a sec A college stadium
man calling games and I'm super.
Speaker 6 (31:51):
Excited about it.
Speaker 7 (31:52):
I didn't see this coming when I jumped into sports
media world, but I'm excited to be a part about it.
You hear the bencher that I have about our universities
and stuff like that, and I think we have this
strong attachment to it, and I'm beyond excited to be
joining that broadcast. If you guys have met Mike Keeper,
run across him. He's one of the best professionals I've
(32:14):
been around. So to be in lockstep with him doing
the broadcast is something that I'm very privileged to be
a part of. So it's always go volved, but it
means even more now being able to verbally paint pictures
for the fans that listen to us involved network. So
thank you guys for having to me bringing that up. Man.
Speaker 6 (32:34):
I'm I'm I'm beyondest static about it.
Speaker 4 (32:37):
Man, I'm I'm so proud of you, Ramon Man. And
like I said, we've had many conversations, you know, after
you retired about what you were gonna do, and you know,
taking the steps right, you know, starting with a radio show,
you know, and then you had the podcast with your
brother that led to the Titan sideline that now leads
you into the booth and let's just call it what
it is, man, these are very coveted positions and these
(32:59):
are posicians that you know, they don't really.
Speaker 5 (33:02):
Come along that often in life.
Speaker 4 (33:04):
So for you to have that opportunity, like you said,
to have it for your school and your alma mater.
Speaker 5 (33:08):
Man, it is awesome.
Speaker 4 (33:10):
I'm so proud, And that's why I had to bring
it up, because I wanted to make sure everybody.
Speaker 5 (33:13):
Else knew what you were up to.
Speaker 4 (33:15):
And the fact that we get the blessing of having
you for just a couple of preseason games, it's pretty special.
Speaker 5 (33:20):
Yes, we go back and forth about our schools. But
I'll be looking forward.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
To if I get the opportunity to call a Tennessee
game and see Ramona. That would that would be That
would be a cool moment because I do do a
lot of sec that you know, along with Big twelve
and acc.
Speaker 5 (33:34):
But yeah, if I can get a Tennessee game, I'm
looking forward to them. I'm coming straight to your mon,
coming straight to the booth man.
Speaker 7 (33:40):
You should.
Speaker 6 (33:41):
I'm deep.
Speaker 7 (33:42):
Also, I just got to say this too, I gotta
pay it forward to man, to guys like Max and
Willie Cologne and Ryan Clark and Ike Taylor was in
the media, Hons Ward was in the media, Jerome Bettett
was in the media. Man, I'm probably missing three four
five guys, but that lot man like Pittsburgh isn't a
huge like entertainment city. It's very prideful on how it
(34:05):
goes about doing stuff. And one thing I've always given
it the Stellers credit for was they never stopped guys
from doing outside the locker room stuff or player shows. Max,
I know you had one, Charlie Batch. I knew I
was again, shout out to Charlie Batch. Man, you guys
really take the guys that want to under your wings
and allow us to be in those spaces.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
Man.
Speaker 7 (34:27):
So a major shout out to you guys to Max.
I know it's my segment, but y'all always made sure
that the young guys that had interest in that type
of stuff got their opportunities. Man. And I think Pittsburgh's
got a strong foothold and the legitimacy of doing the job,
but also the way they encourage guys to put themselves
out there in that space. Alejandro Villa Nueva, I know,
(34:47):
has done some some work recently too with the NFL
and the Stillers. I think they're Spanish broadcast also, so
we got a good thing going in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 5 (34:57):
Yeah, and more offensive Lineman doing big things.
Speaker 4 (35:01):
I noticed that they know where to go when they
need info, right, Mom, I mean we see it all.
Speaker 5 (35:09):
We see it all.
Speaker 6 (35:11):
Quarterback exactly exactly.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
Want to make sure we get that out there. That's
good stuff. So so Ramon and again, congratulations to you.
Really excited to have you on the broadcast. Uh And
and you know, talking about this with Max if maybe
you can go back to you know, young Ramon Foster
and and early in the league and we know that
you know, a lot of the big guys, for the
studers probably won't play, although Liam Cohen announced that the
(35:37):
Jacksonville starters will play. Everybody's gonna play in this game,
so maybe the studers will count for a series or two.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Probably.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
I don't know what to say about that other than
a lot of guys aren't gonna play a lot, right,
even if they do get out there, the big guys
aren't gonna play a lot, which means opportunity for later
drafted guys. Undrafted guys. What are those guys feeling now?
Because for the veterans, ay man, they've been through this before,
they know what to expect. For young guys, this is
(36:04):
their opportunity, this is their chance. So what do you
think the excitement level is for some of those younger
guys are unproven guys as they are now just a
little bit more than forty eight hours away from perhaps
stepping inside an NFL stadium for the first time in
their lives.
Speaker 6 (36:21):
Man, Rob, great question.
Speaker 5 (36:23):
Man.
Speaker 7 (36:24):
I think excitement wise is probably a ten, and then
anxiety wise is probably a twenty because.
Speaker 6 (36:31):
The opportunity I'll never forget.
Speaker 7 (36:33):
Like the first time I ran out on the football field,
I think we were a preseason game in Washington against
the now Commanders, and I literally pinched myself because this
is something you think about as a kid growing up,
like I want to play in the NFL and not
having already made it, but as undrafted, like your anxiety
of performing because it's so many unknowns. The idea that, look,
(36:54):
if I perform, I have an opportunity to get one
of those fifty three jobs.
Speaker 6 (36:58):
But if I don't.
Speaker 7 (36:59):
For some of those guys, if you bring up like
they may never play football again. I know there's other leagues,
but you want to play in the NFL. And that's
why I say, like the idea of like the anxiety
being sky high is real, and that's also to me,
the beauty of what the NFL is also in just
sports is if you have it, they'll find it. Pittsburgh
is always to me the land of opportunity because our
(37:19):
coaches and the staff and just to make up of
what the stealers are, if you have the ability to play,
they're gonna find you. It doesn't matter what pathway you
made it. I myself an undrafted guy to play in
Pittsburgh in one city for eleven years.
Speaker 6 (37:32):
It's not many organizations.
Speaker 7 (37:33):
That allow or to have a level of fairness to
let guys fight it out.
Speaker 6 (37:38):
And I also go.
Speaker 7 (37:39):
To what the beauty of training camp is to go
way to Latrove of Saint Vincent College man to make
it all about football, remove the distractions, bring the fans
out there. So there's added pressure to perform in front
of them too, because one thing I know about Pittsburgh
is that.
Speaker 6 (37:54):
The fans know football, and I've always been high on
that man.
Speaker 7 (37:58):
So Rob Legit, I say to the guys, especially the
young offensive linemen, that gotta protect the quarterbacks.
Speaker 6 (38:06):
Control what you.
Speaker 7 (38:06):
Can control, maximize your opportunities on every single play, and finish.
I'll never forget coach jd max tight ends. Coach man,
what would what would tell us if you have an attraction.
Speaker 6 (38:18):
To be just violent, they'll find a spot for you.
So if you are a guy that's showing up on
tape finishing.
Speaker 7 (38:25):
Guys as much as you possibly can, there's a place
for you, either in Pittsburgh or one of the other
thirty two cities. And that's the other thing that those
guys have to recognize too, is not just you know,
the stellers that you're auditioning for, it's thirty one other
teams that will be watching that tape and trying to
find big bodies up front, because that's a that's.
Speaker 6 (38:44):
A rare thing these days.
Speaker 7 (38:46):
Man to fine guys that are athletic enough and comfortent
enough to be able to play football. And Pittsburgh is
a great breathing ground for guys to start their careers
go to other places if they're right minded.
Speaker 8 (38:57):
And I love that you said that, Ramon, because I
think one of the other things that people tend to
kind of look at and you can speak especially to
this as an undrafted free agent, but you know, guys
get caught up on numbers and looking at the roster,
and of course Mike Tomlin, you know, release that initial
depth chart which he says.
Speaker 4 (39:15):
You know I have to do it. It's not that
it's not like I want to do it. If it
was up to me, I wouldn't put anything out to
a week one.
Speaker 5 (39:22):
You know.
Speaker 4 (39:22):
Can you just talked about about how strong your resolve
has to be, like you have to trust in yourself
and not worry about outside noise, and that I consider
that a depth chart being released as outside noise because
at the end of the day, it comes down to performance, right,
I mean, it comes down to what you said. If
you're nasty, they'll find a room, they'll find room for you.
If you know what you're supposed to do, you don't
make the same mistakes twice. Can you just talk about
(39:44):
how mentally strong you have to be in these environments
as well to make it onto a roster.
Speaker 7 (39:51):
That to me is probably the most important. I'll never
get that. I think it's my last contract with the
still is I'm worried about. I'll get to the training
camp part of it, but I'm wor worry about you know,
all right, coach, we're gonna do another one. And it
was my exit me doing coach Tomlin and one of
the things he told me was he was just like, mom,
you have something a lot of not a lot of
people think is a is an athletic trait. And I'm
(40:11):
thinking to myself, what what are you talking about, coach?
My my forty time wasn't great. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 6 (40:16):
I'm thinking of that. He was just like, your your.
Speaker 7 (40:19):
Mental toughness is also an athletic attribute. He's like, the
same web person runs a forty bence press, high jump,
a long jump, run the three cone, the mental.
Speaker 6 (40:30):
Toughness of it is also that too. And I was
just like, dang.
Speaker 7 (40:34):
He was like, whatever we put in front of you,
you always knocked out. He's like, and we knew that
about you too, And I was like, well, you should
have said something earlier, coach. He is one of those
situations Max that and Rob where you everybody has talent.
Everybody has probably got something that the other person doesn't have.
(40:56):
But the uniqueness about the way football training camp is
is you got to do exact same.
Speaker 6 (41:00):
Thing the same or better the next day, and then.
Speaker 7 (41:03):
You gotta wake up and do it again, and then
you have to do it again. And Max, now is
the point in training camp for a lot of those guys,
man where they do count numbers they do count reps.
They do look at the depth chart and see where
am I at pols gonna play me.
Speaker 6 (41:17):
With the tools?
Speaker 7 (41:18):
Am I gonna be with the threes? I thought one
of the biggest tip of the caps for myself was
when I saw the early in training camp, I was running.
Speaker 6 (41:24):
With the tools.
Speaker 7 (41:26):
But then you look on the other side some guys
that you thought had chances of running with the threes
mostly or they may only get in the game, And
to be quite honest with you, that does suck. But
what I would tell those guys is this, you never
know when the injury is gonna pop up. You never
know what the coaches are thinking. Sometimes I think guys
get put in those positions just to see their reaction
(41:48):
from the coaches. Are you gonna lower your level of
play because you're running with the tools or the threes?
Or will you show that you're the best of the
best and you deserve more reps as it pertains to
your ability to make that team.
Speaker 6 (42:01):
Guys put on themselves. Max.
Speaker 7 (42:03):
You know, we fit in front of Rooney Hall and
training camp man and we see those dudes separated from
the pack. We be talking as atvets, let's say dead
man walking because that guy has quit on himself because
they don't realize there's a bigger game to be played.
And coach Tomlin and his staff has been one of
the best of those psychological mental warfare games.
Speaker 6 (42:24):
Max. You know I'm not lying.
Speaker 7 (42:25):
He's over transparent Man by calling guys out in front
of the team, because there's pressure in performing in front
of your teammates with an expectation tied behind it, and
this portion of training camp, Man, you can splash and
still create a lane for yourself if you're mentally tough,
and that's one of the best things I think I've
(42:46):
learned Man on this process, because there's more counted against
you than it is for you. And that's what the
first round of two Max. There's pressure in Derek Harmon
being able to perform and hold up that standard of
what cam Hay has laid down in front of him.
Keanu Binton, can he measure up to that? You look
at Joey Porter Julian there's pressure in him being the
(43:08):
second round pick. I mean the namesake. He grew up
in that locker room. So it's not just the low
round guys. There's a bunch of dudes that got to
answer that call every single time, and jah, y'all got
me going. I feel like I'm gone.
Speaker 2 (43:21):
Oh God, we can't, we cannot, and this is what
we need. We thank you so much for coming on.
We will see you very shortly tomorrow night in Jacksonville.
Speaker 3 (43:34):
Looking forward to working with you. Thank you.
Speaker 6 (43:36):
Ramone, no doubt about the guys anytime.
Speaker 2 (43:40):
All right, that is Ramone Foster. He's gonna be joining
us on the field. This is the locker room with
King Stark's, presented by our neighborhood A Ford's Door, and
here from Mike Tomlin coming up right here on this
stee there's Audio Network
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