Training Camp Report Day 5

The pads come on today, Labs and Tom preview what that entails. We hear audio from Coach T, Patrick Queen and Tyler Matakevich. Steelers Alum and 4x Super Bowl champion Randy Grossman joins the show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
This's no training camp report with Tom Opperman and Bob
Labriola on Steelers Nation Radio.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
The acclamation period is in the rear view mirror.

Speaker 3 (00:14):
Labs pads are coming on today, but mother nature is
trying its best to rain on our parade. Pun very
much intended, great start to our show today. A little
bit of weather, A little bit of that patented latrobe
weather rearing its.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Ugly head on the first padded practice day.

Speaker 4 (00:30):
Yeah, as I sit here on the press box at
chuck Noldfield, but the Steelers have yet to open the
gates let the fans in. Usually I think the gates
open at seveno thirty on days like this where practice
is at ten thirty. Ten, ten thirty thirty, Yeah, ten thirty.
Sorry to get off the.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
Air at ten.

Speaker 5 (00:51):
I know, I know.

Speaker 4 (00:52):
We were off yesterday. We were off yesterday, And everything
you taught me the first few days, it's gone. It's
just gone, teacher. At the next break, my concentration span
is that of a fruit fly. But here let me,
let me put on my meteorological hat. And as I
sit in the as I said, the press box at

(01:14):
chuck Noldfield, it seems to me that the rain has stopped.
Now I can my sense of direction. As my wife
would tell you instantly, it is awful. But when you
look out of the press box windows towards the Latrobe Airport,

(01:35):
the sky is clearing. I mean, it's blue. A couple
of white, puffy clouds doesn't look like anything that would
be threatening at all. That way. Now, looking the other
way towards Bonaventure Hall, which Dick Coke once told me
that when the rape rain clouds come in over Bonaventure

(01:56):
Hall then it's really really bad. So that that's there,
I mean again, there's no ugly clouds right now around
that I can see. You know, I don't know, maybe
h Ashley Doherty or somebody could come up here and
you know, help me out a little bit with this
what I'm looking at, playing it a little bit better. Well.

(02:18):
But yeah, and let me let me say this too,
the you know, the trainers and those people, they have
already set up the grass fields with all the gatorade
coolers and the water buffalos, you know, and all of
this stuff that they strategically put around the fields for

(02:39):
the players to rehydrate. So it seems to me that
you know, we're gonna practice, will be on these fields,
the grass fields, which one specifically one two or three
two or three one, and you know all that stuff.
I can't really tell right now, but like some of
the tackling dummies are out, it looks like to me

(03:03):
they're ready to go. Now, whether it starts on time,
whether it's a little bit behind that, I can I
tell you. But first day in pads around seven o'clock
to say that practice looked as if it for today
would come off as scheduled as if he I think

(03:25):
that was even optimistic because it was pouring. But you
know what they say about the weather, if you don't
like it, wait ten minutes and it'll change. And that
seems to be especially true in the Latrobe area at
this time of the year. So but I do think,
you know, and Mike Tomlin is not the kind of
guy who is afraid of a little bit of rain.

(03:50):
So if it drizzles again, will be okay. The only
things that would impact two things would impact them, like
Tomlin practice. Uh, if there's lightning, that's a deal breaker.
And if there's a danger to ruining the fields for

(04:10):
you know, the next few days or weeks. And you know,
the Steelers put a heck of an irrigation system in
these fields along with you know, watering, and guys on
the grounds crew are out like, uh doing whatever they do,
uh with whatever they have in those buckets that they
throw down and tamp in. I mean, I don't I
don't know if that seed or whatever.

Speaker 2 (04:34):
The outfield at Yankee Stadium, I'll.

Speaker 4 (04:36):
Tell you, or the or you know, I know Jerry
Doulac listens to this show religiously, like the Fairways in Augusta.

Speaker 2 (04:44):
There you go.

Speaker 4 (04:46):
So yeah, it looks like it's going to happen, and uh, yes,
first day of pads, here we go. Now it starts
to look a little bit more like football.

Speaker 2 (04:54):
No doubt about it.

Speaker 3 (04:55):
And I think, you know, everybody is kind of eager.
We have a lot of audio that we're going to
get to today and just to kind of spoil some
of it, you know, Kyle Allen later said, some of
these guys are chomping at the bit to get after
it and play some actual football after four days of acclamation.
Tomlin was pretty much giddy when he was brought up
with the question of pads coming on. So we'll hear
from Tomlin in just a little a couple of minutes
here in our first segment, but this is where it

(05:18):
really cranks up and kind of the ota ish looking
portion of training camp fades away and we start looking
towards real football.

Speaker 4 (05:27):
Yeah, and it also provides many more opportunities to find
out about people. You know, I know that backs on backers,
I mean, that's the marquee event. Everybody talks about it,
everybody's going to want to know about it after it happens.
But there's a lot of other things that are conducive

(05:50):
or kind of surface once the pads go on for
all the positions, you know, during seven on seven period,
it's now the offensive and defensive linemen will be off
in their own little area working on one on one
pass rush rails. And so that's that's kind of their

(06:11):
version of backs on backers because lineman, offensive lineman, defensive
linemen don't participate in that. It's you know, it's the linebackers,
tight ends and running backs for the offense. So yeah,
there's gonna be a lot of things now that will
be happening, fun for the fans to watch, interesting for

(06:33):
the coaches and scouts personnel people to use to pour
over the video of a lot of this stuff to
see you know, how guys are progressing. You know, it's
and I don't. I'm happy that Kyle Allen is, you know,
looking forward to hitting, but I mean he's a quarterback
in a lot.

Speaker 2 (06:52):
Of time nowhere.

Speaker 3 (06:53):
He wasn't looking forward to He was just saying the
guys were he said, he's grateful that they can't hit him.

Speaker 2 (06:57):
Yet he knows, he knows what.

Speaker 4 (07:00):
Because you know, if if I were a quarterback, I
would love padded practices too. Yay, let's go. Yeah, don't
touch me. Those folks.

Speaker 3 (07:08):
Remember you see this red. Treat it like a stop sign.

Speaker 4 (07:13):
They don't wear red.

Speaker 2 (07:15):
Oh really, No, that's right.

Speaker 4 (07:17):
Because you know the way Mike Tomlin looks at that
is that's the rule. I tell you about it. We
talk about it, and if you can't remember what I'm
telling you, then maybe you don't deserve to be here.
You know. It's like a question, and he a really
easy question on a test. If you miss that one,

(07:41):
you might funk the class, even if you get all
of the other ones right. So yeah, it's it's it's
it's about to get interesting.

Speaker 3 (07:51):
Well, before we get to practice today, let's recap what
happened on Sunday. Bring everybody up to speed, and in
seven Shots, the offense finally was able to dethrone the defense.
Defense had won the first two installments, they've been eating
good since that portion of training camp had started, but
the offense decisively put themselves in the win column.

Speaker 4 (08:10):
Yeah, and you know, it was interesting to me that
the last edition of seven Shots during the acclamation period
started and ended with a running play and both of
them got into the end zone. Now, you know, I
don't know how fair it is for the defense for

(08:33):
on a running play when you're not allowed to tackle,
but it's also you know, how does how does the
offensive lineman block it without hitting? So but anyway, maybe
that's just a little bit of an indication of you know,
Arthur Smith's mindset down in the I think they call

(08:54):
it the low red zone. See, I'm trying to pick
up all the jargon. Here's why it sound like I'm
really really on top of things. You know, high red
zone would be out near the twenty and low red
zone is close to the goal line, right.

Speaker 2 (09:07):
I think that's that's why I can sound smart too.

Speaker 4 (09:11):
Unless I'm wrong, Unless I have a backward it will
be wrong together. It's a fifty to fifty. Oh sun
just came out. I could actually see some shadows, some
shadows now, like the the grounds coop people, the equipment
guys who were out moving, you know, tackling dummies, and
the little one man sleds in the position they're casting

(09:33):
shadows onto the.

Speaker 2 (09:34):
Grass much like Ado. When LA see shadows, that meets
practice will start on time this.

Speaker 4 (09:39):
Year, yes, and you know, I mean, you know, if
we have to be here, yeah, let's do it, you know,
and I want to be able to see it so
we can talk about it tomorrow. You know, I can
write about it later because you know, fans love to come,
but even more of them love to fallow, you know,

(10:01):
listening to us reading the stuff on Steelers dot com.
So yeah, if we're gonna do this, let's do it.
Let's have at it. Little Thom, what do you think.

Speaker 3 (10:11):
I think it's great, just like the offense yesterday, having
at it in the seven shots drill. I mean, it's
big for them too, and it gets real today like
you said, but it's big for them to get a
win under their belt, I think, and have a little
bit of a feel good going into when the Pats
come on today.

Speaker 4 (10:26):
Yeah, back to the point before I interrupted myself, which
is kind of a regular occurrence in the show. You know,
back in two thousand and four, it's kind of a
little bit in the wayback machine. Not wayback, but I remember,
see Bill Coward didn't do seven shots. Bill Cowherd did

(10:47):
what he called goal line, which you put the ball
at the one or two yard line, and it was
a live drill, you know, three or four plays. And
that was Ken wizen Hunt's first season as the offensive coordinator,
and previous the previous three seasons had been you know
what I referred to as the Tommy Maddocks mistake, where

(11:10):
you know, the Steelers all of a sudden seemed to
want to, you know, turn and turned to a high
flying offense. You know, Bill Cower bench Jerome medicine favor
of mus Araway, and you know, I know Wes Euler
bleeds Mountaineer blue and gold, but I don't think even
he would have gone for benching Jerome vetics for ram

(11:32):
as Araway.

Speaker 3 (11:33):
I mean, but anyway, so let's hope he's not that
drunk on West Virginia yet.

Speaker 4 (11:39):
So two thousand and four, the unofficial motto of the
training camp was re establishing the mindset, and the Steelers
went back to more traditional, a more traditional version of
Steelers football, and so you know, the practices were more

(12:01):
geared toward running and stopping the run. Let me put
it that way, and I think fans can infer what
that meant in terms of hitting on both sides of
the ball, what was emphasized. So during goal line I
remember ken Wizonhont called fourteen straight running plays and as
I said, there were only three plays in an installment,

(12:24):
and you only did it once at once a practice,
so you know, that was several days worth or several
you know, even maybe a week or two's worth, because
they didn't necessarily do it every day either of the
when the offense was down near the goal line, all
they did was run the ball and the defense was
stopping it. I mean, the defense was pretty good then.

(12:46):
So so I remember asking Ken Wizenon after one of them,
you know, another three plays or four plays whatever it was,
and that the offense got stuffed three or four times.
And you know, the defense didn't have a lot of
shrinking violets on the field either. I mean, you know,

(13:07):
Joey Porter was not gy about letting the offense know
that they were getting stopped, that they couldn't run the
ball in the end zone. I mean, there was a
lot of that kind of thing going on. So I
said that Ken Wisdon after practice we were walking up
to the dorm, I said, you know, do you ever
think about a play action pass or something, you know,
just to turn the tide here a little bit. And

(13:30):
he said, it's much more important for me to establish
both to the offense and to the opposing the opposing
teams when it gets to this that we will run
the ball down here in this part of the field
than it is for me to call a play action
pass and score a touchdown. In training camp in August,

(13:51):
he said, we are trying to set a tone, and
we are trying to establish a mindset that this is
who we are and what we do. And so a
little bit of that. As I said, in the Seven Shots,
it started with a run and ended with a run.

(14:11):
It was still acclimation period. But I'm going to be
interested in today to see if running the ball is
still an element of Seven Shots. And then don't forget
Mike Tomlan also has a live tackling period that he
introduced some years ago, when I really thought, the first

(14:32):
time that ever happened, Kevin Colbert might have a heart attack.
Standing on the sideline, I was kind of near Kevin
at that time, and the first play of the live
tackling period, they gave the ball to Leveon Bell running
play and you know, nobody knew that it was live
tackling except the players and the coaches on the field.

Speaker 2 (14:57):
To you on the sidelines, then well it's.

Speaker 4 (14:59):
A surprise into the GM too, which to me was
more significant than me be in support because well, no,
Mike Toman said later, he said, no, I didn't tell
Kevin on purpose, because he would have tried to talk
me out.

Speaker 2 (15:15):
But ask for forgiveness. That's a good strategy.

Speaker 4 (15:18):
So Leon took the took the hand off, and as
he often did, they come up to the line and
he had that little hesitant style there and he bounced
it outside. So he's coming over to the sideline where
we were standing, and the defensive backs are coming up,
and the linebackers are coming over, and you know, you
just kind of expected to end the way that it

(15:39):
always would end with you know, guys like touching them
or whatever. And they everybody lowered their shoulders and I
was like, wow, what what just happened? Where am I?
And as I said Kevin Colbert, his eyes got as
big as saucers. And then the next play was you know,
a similar I don't carried again or whoever carried up

(16:03):
the middle, and there was tackling and it went on
for I don't know thirteen fourteen snaps or whatever. And
from that point on there has been a live tackling
period and every stealers practicing paths and I'm fully expecting
to see that again here today.

Speaker 3 (16:18):
Yeah, and we know Tomlin can't wait. This is probably
one of the most exciting days of the year for him.
He talked to the media following practice on Sunday. Let's
hear Tomin's final thoughts on the acclamation period and transitioning
towards this padded period.

Speaker 6 (16:32):
Now we'll have a day off and we'll get into
the real meat of this man as we carry our
pass next week and it'll be more football like. Great
opportunity to teach and learn and great opportunity to show
what the capabilities are. So we're really excited about that.
But before we get to that, I just thought we
had another really good day to day. Highlight from my
perspective is defensive ball awareness and searching. I thought the

(16:54):
guys were really aggressive in terms of going after the football,
punching it out, raking it and so forth. And that's
just a component of land of foundation for some things
that are important to us. But when you're working iron
on iron like you do in this situation, they're winners
and losers and so obvious. Obviously, if the defense is
doing a good job of searching the ball, that means
we got to do a better job securing it on offense.

(17:16):
And that's the ebb and flow that is training camp.
So we'll just keep working. We'll challenge the offense to
secure it more the next time we come out. And
there's gonna be good days for one group and that
and thus it's gonna create negative days for the other,
but all in the purpose of collective get better. From
a health standpoint, No real update. Russ work partially today

(17:36):
and expect him to get going a little bit as
we come off this off day. Rodney Williams has an
ac spring. We'll see how many days that takes for
him to get back. We had some bumps and bruises
associated with competition. I think all of those that occurred, though,
guys came back and finished practice, so it's probably nothing
to speak of.

Speaker 7 (17:55):
Questions.

Speaker 8 (17:56):
Do you expects to be able to see rust and
some team periods next week?

Speaker 7 (17:59):
That's what I said when you mentioned.

Speaker 8 (18:01):
The ball awareness and guys you know, punching balls out
things like that. Peyton Wilson had a big play during
tune period. What have you seen from him early? What
do you like about what he's bringing?

Speaker 6 (18:11):
You know, he's highly conditioned. I think it starts there
and it's showing itself in the form of hustle and finish.
And sometimes hustle and finish puts you in position to
do some of the things that you mentioned. And so
you know, we don't ask a lot of the new guys,
but we do ask him to come ready for the work.
He is highly conditioned and appears to be in position
in that regard. Certainly, I was going to Jack can

(18:34):
fit in. You know you're trying to do man. I
like his energy, I like his spirit. He is a
football lover. He's competitive, but we knew that about him
before he got here. That's why he's here. It's just
confirming some of that. He's taking some reps against Jordan's
that intentional.

Speaker 7 (18:48):
Joey did a lot of that last year.

Speaker 6 (18:50):
We're not overly concerned about match up things right now.
In that first group, they're playing right and left and
they're getting focused on their footworking eyes. We'll get into
some of that next week.

Speaker 8 (18:59):
You mentioned some of the conditioning. Your linemen did some
conditioning today, running after false starts, batsnaps was kind of
the thought process in implementing that.

Speaker 6 (19:07):
This year, just to teach tool. But how much are
you looking forward on the path front trout Man. It's
just a component of the process, man, I love every
component of this process. Though I'm a football lover, I'm
a team development lover. Training camp is is Kennywood?

Speaker 4 (19:21):
For me?

Speaker 9 (19:23):
Is the intention to get the offensive lines attention when
many guys are running laps.

Speaker 6 (19:28):
We're just trying to accelerate the learning process and using
all the tools at our disposal in an effort to
do so.

Speaker 8 (19:34):
If Kenny Wood is, if training camp is Kennywood, what ride.

Speaker 6 (19:37):
Is backs on backstream, I'll let you determine that.

Speaker 2 (19:41):
You know, labs.

Speaker 3 (19:42):
I think a lot of people would go with the
eye candy on that question. Say, ah, he's talking about
the fan ofs Revenge the Thunderbolt, one of the big
roller coasters.

Speaker 2 (19:48):
But to me, I would go with the bumper cars.
Let's hit somebody, right.

Speaker 4 (19:51):
I was just going to say, because when you know,
when I was in grade school and we would have
our school picnic there, the bumper ours were called scooters.
Scooters I think how they that's how they named the ride.
And and he said, you know, that would definitely that

(20:16):
would definitely help or describe. I think we're going to
see backers for sure, a.

Speaker 3 (20:24):
Lot of head whips back, a lot of neck snaps. Yes,
we got a lot more coming up today on the show.
We're going to get to the defensive side of the ball.

Speaker 4 (20:35):
Just let me just interrupt you one second. I just
got a message and this is what UH stopped me
there for a minute. Everything is normal time today. That
is yes, that is not passed on from football through
football department, through the chain, you know, the Steelers organization.
So I just wanted to throw that out to anyone listening,

(20:58):
either in their call or thinking about it or whatever.
We're back to a normal schedule. So didn't mean to interrupt,
but I just thought, you know, breaking news, as they say,
and wanted to take advantage of that. So please continue.

Speaker 3 (21:14):
No, that's important stuff. We got to let the fans know.
If you're on the fence ahead and up, definitely do it.
You will see a practice today starting at ten thirty,
and you'll see Patrick Queen out there on the practice
field doing some hitting Labs and I have talked on
our ass An Answered podcast. I'm sure we've touched them
a little bit on some of our training camp reports
so far. You know, this edition of Patrick Queen is
such a.

Speaker 2 (21:32):
Big deal for this defense.

Speaker 3 (21:34):
So we'll get into him, we'll hear him speak, and
we'll talk even about his running mates at that inside
linebacker spot when we return on the Training Camp Report
on Steelers Nation Radio.

Speaker 1 (21:53):
This sees no Training Camp Report with Tom Opperman and
Bob Labriola on Steelers Nation Radio.

Speaker 3 (22:00):
A little over an hour until Steelers first padded practice
is underway. And I'm sure that someone like Patrick Queen
is one of those players that you can categorize as
chomping at the bit to get out there and play
some actual football. And you know, in an offseason that
had some pretty significant additions to this roster and both
of the quarterbacks probably snagging the majority of the headlines.

(22:23):
You have always said on our ass An Answered podcast
on some of these training camp reports, I've agreed with
you that the single best player currently that they signed
this offseason was Patrick Queen. I mean, the guy just
popped up on the NFL one hundred list that the
players do each year. He was a second team All
Pro last season. And waiting to see how this addition

(22:44):
fits into an already elite defense has been one of
the most exciting things for me this offseason. And now
we get to see it today, you know, actually play
out somewhat.

Speaker 4 (22:54):
Yeah, And we've talked about this a bunch, and you know,
beyond Patrick Queen being the best player that the Steelers
you know, added this offseason, and that is in terms
of you know, his current career, not you know, overall
resume of a guy like Russell Wilson as an example,

(23:15):
But Patrick Queen is a guy I believe that now
the Steelers I think are closest to replacing what they
lost when Ryan Shaseer sustained that catastrophic injury because you
know what Shazier was and he was even continuing to

(23:36):
vault to evolve at the time of that injury. But
Ryan Shazer was a dynamic all situations, all down inside linebacker.
He never had to come off the field never, He
could play coverage, he could play the run. He was
a a turnover creator, either interceptions or knocking the ball loose.

(24:05):
He I mean, the significance of that kind of player
to that defense cannot be overstated. It just cannot. Because
of the way that the sport is now played at
the NFL level with offense. You know, I was talking earlier,
you know about about back in two thousand and four.

(24:28):
You know, at that time NFL offenses would still run
the ball on first down, you know, pretty much, not
every time, but first and second downs were running downs.
That's not the case anymore. You know, offenses now, I
believe a lot of what they decide to do is

(24:49):
based on the defensive It's based on the personnel the
defense puts out on the field. So if and the
offense can do whatever it wants out of its own personnel.
For example, you know, two tight ends or three tight
ends on the field at a time pretty much pointed
to a running play by the offense. Not anymore, they'll

(25:11):
throw it, and they'll throw it out of those formations
from any spot in the field, deep in their own end,
you know, tight red zone, whatever. And so you need
a defense needs players who can handle both, you know,
either and be good at it. You know Robert s

(25:32):
Blane and I don't I'm not. I don't mean to
point a finger at him or you know, identify him
as a problem or anything. But Robert Splane everybody remembers
that play. It he made it the goal line where
he met Derrick Henry head on and just stoned him
in the hole. Wow, great play. He could really do that.

(25:53):
But it wasn't too long after that happened that Robert
s Blaine was on the field. The offense would find
a way excuse me, Yes, the offense would find a
way to get him in a matchup in which he
had to be covering someone and take advantage of it.
So that's what I mean when I say, you know, offenses,
they're not gonna they're not gonna fall into the trap

(26:17):
or the the niche that their personnel or the down
and distance might seem to indicate. So that's why you
need players like Patrick Queen who doesn't come off the
field and then he can just react to whatever formation
the offense might have out there, you know, the personnel

(26:40):
grouping the offense might have out there. And as a defense,
you don't have to be substituting or you don't have
to be limited in the things that you want to
try to do to stop the offense. And so it's
so important to be able, you know, to have somebody
like that. Now, since the the injury to Ryan Shay's ear,

(27:03):
the Steelers have tried to draft a replacement. Devin Bush
is an example. Last offseason, they made some attempts to
acquire those kinds of people from the outside, Cole Holcombe
as an example. But you know, the draft picks, you know, injuries.
Really Devin Bush blew out his knee. Whatever he might

(27:25):
have been kind of went up in smoke and then he,
you know, his relationship with the team ended. Cole Holcombe
was looking like he might be that guy. Then he
sustained that significant knee injury in that game last year
and he is currently on active physically unable to perform lists.
Then trying to you know, work his way back onto

(27:47):
the field. With Patrick Queen. Now, the Steelers, I believe
have that, and I think, in my unexpert opinion, Patrick
Queen is better then either Devin Bush what's going was
or was going to be. I do think he's also
an upgrade over Cole Holcomb. Uh And so I do

(28:11):
think now the Steelers defense will be able to handle
a lot of the things that offenses might try to
throw at them, and they can do it with their
personnel that's on the field. And you know, now maybe
you don't have to take Minka Fitzpatrick out of whatever

(28:31):
role it is where you know he ends up with
a bunch of interceptions and takeaways, or you don't have
to commit Alex high Smith in or t J. Watt
to coverage in areas you know where you might have
been weaker there if you did not have that all situations,
all down, all downs inside linebacker. You know, send him

(28:53):
after the quarterback to make you know the quarterback and
to force him into quick decisions. You know, maybe your
takeaway is then kind of rise jump up in total.
So yeah, I think Patrick Queen, as the kind of
player that he is and the quality of the kind
of player that he is, could end up being the
key to this to unlocking a lot of the things

(29:16):
and a lot of the mayhem that the Steelers defense
is capable of.

Speaker 3 (29:21):
And perhaps maybe the sweetest thing, at least for me,
about the Patrick Queen deal is, not only did you
add this dynamic, all pro level player to your roster,
you took him away from the Baltimore Ravens roster. That's
just too too good.

Speaker 4 (29:35):
Yeah, it's great, and I mean he's really embracing that role.
And I'm sure the Steelers.

Speaker 2 (29:40):
Are hardcore as far as Baltimore is concerned.

Speaker 4 (29:43):
Absolutely, and you know, I'm sure that if Ravens fans
weren't haunked off enough about it, whatever Patrick whenever he
said recently, you know, I want to finish my career
in Pittsburgh with the Steelers. It's perfect for me, or
however he worded it. You know, I'm sure that that
went over big. Whatever the Baltimore area code is, was

(30:05):
that three to one zero or whatever, But yeah, I'm
sure that that wasn't that wasn't received well in Baltimore,
and that just makes him more of a favorite, you know,
for Steelers fans, and I'm really excited about him and
what he can bring and what he might be able

(30:25):
to do for this defense and then by extension, what
that defense can do for the team as it tries
to navigate, which statistically anyway, is the toughest schedule in
the NFL.

Speaker 3 (30:40):
Well Patrick Queen talked to the media before hitting the
practice field on Sunday.

Speaker 2 (30:45):
Let's listen in on what he had to say.

Speaker 10 (30:47):
Mike Toman was.

Speaker 7 (30:47):
Saying yesterday that this environment is pretty unique in the NFL.
How different has it been or.

Speaker 4 (30:52):
You've been before?

Speaker 11 (30:52):
And just what's it like playing out here in front
of these fans to practice?

Speaker 4 (30:55):
Yeah, it's cool.

Speaker 12 (30:56):
You just got time to be around your teammates all day.
You know, can learn everybody, beat them in games and
connect for and you knowing different stuff like that, and uh,
just you know, get to know the coaches, get to
know the system, just be around football all day and
just getting to know everybody. I think that's the biggest
thing is Uh, to get to the promised lad, you
gotta have that chemistry.

Speaker 8 (31:15):
So how much you like you'm in with that UNO
pack in your book?

Speaker 2 (31:18):
That are you a big guy choice?

Speaker 12 (31:21):
My family don't like to play with me no more.
They think I'd be cheating. So my big draw for guy.

Speaker 8 (31:27):
What's it like out here in front of the fans too.

Speaker 4 (31:29):
It's cool. It's cool.

Speaker 12 (31:30):
It's just just being able to be out there in
front of 'em and they cheering my name already and
showing all the love and supporting. And I ain't even
get a chance to, you know, play in the stadium year,
So I definitely feel the love and I just can't
wait to.

Speaker 4 (31:42):
Go out there and do it for them.

Speaker 13 (31:43):
Maybe you think redferend about these workouts and you've done
in the last four years, or it's all brain.

Speaker 12 (31:47):
You can't for I think, uh uh, training camp work
us are pretty much the same. It's just the only difference.
It's just being away from the facility. So that's probably
the only difference.

Speaker 8 (31:55):
I think you're looking for the physicality ramping up next week.

Speaker 12 (31:58):
Yeah, my team been giving me. He rob out a
whole bunch of talk about we.

Speaker 4 (32:02):
Will see Tuesday. So we'll see and he's gonna pittch
you against it, don't matter. What have you made of
Peyton wives, ohoy Peyton?

Speaker 12 (32:13):
Oh yeah, Peyton? Great guy, a great teammate, edge of guy,
very cool, called the meaner guy, like a southern little
demeanor to him. So he's a real cool guy, but
on the football phield, he just turned into a whole
another animal stuff And you know he's been a sponge.
He's soaking up everything that he can. He's actually a
whole bunch of questions, sometimes too many questions. He overthinking

(32:33):
some stuff. But now that's how you supposed to get
as a rookie. You supposed to try to get much
not like as you can. And the way he plays
is a little super strong, super fast. So when you
got every trick that he got and what he's doing,
he should be a great player.

Speaker 3 (32:47):
Yeah, Peyton Wilson's very exciting too. It's good to hear
Patrick quin gass him up a little bit. But before
we get to him, it sounds like a Landon Roberts.
Patrick Queen and Mike Tomlin have already had a little
bit of a pow wow regarding back some backers today.

Speaker 4 (32:59):
Yeah, I don't you know. Again, both of them are
relatively new to the Steelers. Patrick actually his first year
at Landon Roberts. This is only a second and you know,
I think we talked about rookie free agent running back
Dejon Edwards through who through the acclamation period was you know,

(33:24):
looking like this is a guy who might belong in
this league. This is a guy who might not only
belong in this league, but he might be, you know,
one of those undrafted rookie fines who I don't know
if the Steelers are going to keep three running backs
on the fifty three man roster or not. But the
way he was hitting a hole and accelerating through the

(33:45):
hole and doing some of those you know, running with
the football things, you know, this guy looks like he
might belong. But as I said, there was no tackling,
no hitting right. And so not only that, in terms
of the eleven on eleven plays, you know, we talked

(34:05):
about Mike Tomlin incorporating the live hitting period and all
of his practices. Not only that, but in the NFL,
if you're going to be a running back, and if
you're going to expect to make the team number one,
and if you have any hope of getting on the field,
you've got to be able to pass block because if
you cannot protect, you know, the franchise is a most

(34:31):
expensive asset. Not only will defenses take advantage of you
when you're out there, but the offense ain't going to
put you out there either. And so as soon as
I saw Edwards starting to do some of the things
he was doing, you know, in terms of running, you
know during the eleven on eleven and running away from

(34:52):
people and hitting those seams with the bursts and just
pow gone, I'm thinking, okay, well, I wonder who who's
going to be his match up in backs on backers.
So I was talking a wolf about it, and I said,
you know, we were just shooting the breeze and I
said my prediction Dejon Edwards and Patrick Queen and Will say, no,

(35:15):
that's not a bad suggestion, he said, but I think
it might be a land in Roberts And I said, oh,
that's a good one too. So and a lot of
times in backs on backers now, the way that the
drill is set up is the defensive coach a lot
of times was Keith Butler back in the day, would

(35:36):
stand behind the offensive player who's doing the blocking, and
he would be facing there would be two defenders, you know,
they put to one wire and one more inside trying
to also they want the back to recognize that the
snap of the ball, who's rushing, get himself in position
and then make the block. Okay, So that's kind of

(35:57):
the basic princes of each rep of the drill. However,
Mike Tomlin is always there as well, and he would
when James Harrison was on this team and Mike Tomlin
wanted to see something that he wanted to see, he

(36:17):
would just overrule the defensive coordinator, who might you know,
want to determine who's rushing, and Tomlin would yell out
for everyone to hear Debo's coming, So there was no
attempt at subterfuge or faking anybody out or whatever. You know,

(36:41):
at the snap of the ball, that truck is going
to hit in the hit itself into high gear and
it's coming right at you. You know, what do you
got for me now? And so again those little highlights
and things that made backs on backers a little bit
special in my mind anyway. And so I'm gonna be

(37:03):
interested not only with Dejon Edwards. Maybe you know, he
happens to be one of those people who Mike Tolman
decides he really wants to test, but you know there
are other ones too. And let me just go back
one year. Last year, the matchup started with t J.
Watt against Darnell Washington. Let's find out about Let's let's

(37:29):
find out about this guy right now. You know, he
was drafted. When he was drafted, not as a receiver,
Darnell Washington. You know, I think he averaged I low,
you know, one catch every couple of games during his
college career. But he was scouted to be evaluated to be,

(37:50):
you know, a upper echelon caliber blocker. Well, let's see,
you know, let's see what you got against. You know,
the guy who should have three Defensive Player of the
Year awards on his resume, if and not for if
it were not for pro football focuses, metrics and the

(38:11):
idiot voters who believe those things. But Darnelt Washington held
his own. I mean I'm not I'm not going to
sit here and say, you know, he's stone, TJ. Watt
or whatever. But TJ. Watt did not, let me put
it this way, have his way with him, which you
know we have seen that happen regularly. So yeah, backs

(38:33):
on backers will test not only run backs, but also
tight ends in ways that this this coaching staff, these personnel,
this personnel department needs to see. As the evaluations rampop
as we get closer to the start of the preseason, we'll.

Speaker 2 (38:55):
Look at special teams when we come back, give them
their seine.

Speaker 3 (38:58):
We haven't talked about them yet our Training Camp reports,
and they deserve to be discussed because this is an
important unit and an important time of the year for
that unit to gel together.

Speaker 2 (39:08):
So we'll get into that.

Speaker 3 (39:09):
To wrap up our first hour practice today on time
at ten thirty, as it was supposed to be scheduled.
The weather did not have its way, did not push
us back. So if you're headed to Saint Vincent, all
systems are go. You will see the rubber meet the
road today as the pads come on, and all those
fun drills like LABS just illustrated will play out in
the twenty twenty four version of them. We got a

(39:29):
lot more to get to today. We'll be with you
till in ten thirty, right up until practice starts. It's
Labs and Tom on the Training Camp Report on Steelers
Nation Radio.

Speaker 1 (39:44):
This SE's the Training Camp Report with Tom Opperman and
Bob Labriola on Steelers Nation Radio.

Speaker 3 (39:51):
You know, sometimes people can kind of gloss over talking
about the special teams, but this time of the year
it's really important for that unit to gel It can
swing games in your favor or away from you in
the regular season. Plus there's some intrigue at the punting
position this year labs Cameron Johnson from Houston, new punter
in town, replacing Presley Harvin. So you know, it's taking

(40:14):
us five training camp reports to get here, but we're here.

Speaker 2 (40:16):
We're talking special teams.

Speaker 4 (40:19):
Yeah, let me just throw this in. You mentioned Cameron Johnston. Wow. Wow,
I'd like to hear that. So far, he's putting on
a show periodically. I mean, I don't remember which day
it was they were. He was actually you know, punting,
and he was doing it all. I mean, just hitting rockets.

(40:42):
You want distance, he was giving them distance, hang time.
He was giving him hangtime, directionally, kicking you know, outside
the numbers, between outside the numbers and the sideline, you know,
dropping them in there. The guy, he was really having
a day. You know, I haven't really tracked it in

(41:06):
a detail every time, but as I said, the sound
of the ball off his foot, you know, sometimes if
a guy doesn't hit it right, it almost sounds like
he's kicking a gallon of milk, a jug of milk.
You know, it just doesn't sound right. But just you know,

(41:27):
foot hitting the leather. It sounds good, it looks good.
He is having what I would think. You know, I'm again,
I don't want to go overboard here and I don't
want to rip anybody who has been here recently. But
this guy seems to me to be a upgrade certainly.

(41:51):
And the other thing I've noticed about him is during
you know, they also during other special teams period they'll
do field goals, you know, moving with Matthew Wright and
Chris Boswell, you know, different sides of you know, different
hash marks, different lengths, that kind of stuff. And on

(42:11):
the Steelers, the punter is the holder, period and story,
that's the way it works. That's the way it's gonna
work because and that's pretty much the way it is
around the NFL, because the feeling has become during practice
you don't want to take, you know, one of your quarterbacks.
As an example, a lot of times quarterbacks used to hold.

(42:33):
You don't want to take one of your quarterbacks away
from the offense to work with the placekicker during practice,
not in camp, and certainly not in the regular season.
You know, because even if the quarterback, if he's the backup,
you don't maybe he's not on the field taking snaps.

(42:54):
But you want him there watching. You want him there
when the offensive coordinator is calling the plays with the starter,
explaining things, maybe explaining what the show defense is doing
at that time, which is a preview of what they're
going to see in the game from that that week's opponent.
So you don't want that quarterback not being there for

(43:15):
that because if he needs to play in the game,
you don't want him to come up to here and say, hey,
you know I didn't I wasn't around for that. I
was over, you know, holding for the placekicker and special
team period. So that's why. And there were no there
were no flubs, no mess ups, no missed kicks because

(43:36):
of bad holds, no snaps going through his hands, you know,
none of that kind of stuff.

Speaker 2 (43:41):
That's good news, good start for Cameron Johnson.

Speaker 3 (43:44):
Big Red, very good special teamer who was with Pittsburgh
for a while then in Buffalo, is back in Pittsburgh
this year, and he talked to the media before practice yesterday.

Speaker 2 (43:54):
Let's hear what big Red had to say.

Speaker 8 (43:56):
Do you have a new appreciation for training camp in
the trope after a couple of years doing camp a
different way?

Speaker 9 (44:02):
Absolutely? You know, I mean Latrob is a special place,
you know. In Buffalo, we they over there, I'm sorry,
we go to Saint John Fisher and stuff, so they
go away as well.

Speaker 7 (44:12):
But it's just a different feel, you know, being back
up here in Latrob. Uh And I mean, shoot, I'm
so excited to.

Speaker 14 (44:17):
Be there, Tyler to your earlier point, how quickly after
they made.

Speaker 2 (44:21):
That call where you like, I wanted I wanted to
do this again. I want to join this deals.

Speaker 9 (44:24):
Oh there is no hesitation, just have the opportunity to
come play for Mike Tomlin and Dan Smith and all
these great coaches.

Speaker 4 (44:31):
Uh.

Speaker 9 (44:31):
I mean, there was nowhere else where I'd rather be.
Uh So it was honestly such an easy decision for
me to come back up here.

Speaker 7 (44:38):
As soon as Omar called what do you love about Danny?
I mean, just how how passionate is you know? Uh?

Speaker 9 (44:44):
I mean everything he does, he puts you in the
right places to be successful. And uh, I think that
is so that's such a good quality to have as
a coach and know your know your guys, know your
person personnel and stuff like that. And uh he just
by allowing you to be in a spot to be success.
So it's only gonna make the team successful. So I
think Danny does unbelievable job about like with.

Speaker 2 (45:05):
That Cam TJ.

Speaker 7 (45:07):
Minka.

Speaker 2 (45:07):
There's not many faces left right from what you were.

Speaker 9 (45:09):
Here, Yeah, I think there was only like five. And
then obviously like just playing in the league, I know
a lot of these guys just every year playing against
him and stuff like that. But yeah, guys from a
standpoint that I actually played with, there's only a few
of them left.

Speaker 4 (45:24):
In your first impression of working with guys like you,
Robin Patrick Quean, that linebackers.

Speaker 9 (45:27):
Year, Oh they're special, man, I've had I was fortunate
enough to come out when E Rob came out and
stuff like that. So I've been playing against E Rob
for a year almost every year, I think, even going
back to college. So I mean, he's a special player.
Stops the run, he's smart, I mean, and then just
his personality, you know. And then obviously everyone knows Pete Queen.
You saw what he did in Baltimore and stuff like that.

(45:49):
You turn on the film and that guy is just
flashing everywhere. So I mean, just have the opportunity to
watch them work and work with him, it's gonna be special.

Speaker 4 (45:58):
Special teams. A.

Speaker 9 (45:59):
Do you like the fact if they're trying to force
teams to return kickoffs this year?

Speaker 7 (46:03):
Oh? Absolutely, I love that the new rule change.

Speaker 12 (46:06):
Uh.

Speaker 9 (46:07):
I mean, shoot, you don't got to run sixty yards
down the field, now, you know what I mean. Uh,
And it's just you just gotta be physical, make it,
get off a block and make the tackle. And I
feel like that's a strong point to my game, you know.
And I feel like I could bring a lot of
that to this team and make this this unit better.

Speaker 2 (46:22):
You'd appreciation for Killer Brew and what he's been able
to do. And he'll be blocked against you you in Buffalo.

Speaker 7 (46:27):
Oh absolutely, Yeah, he blocked one against us.

Speaker 9 (46:30):
And shoot, I played with Killer Brew and the Senior
Bowl and stuff like that, so I've known him for
a while.

Speaker 7 (46:35):
And uh, every.

Speaker 9 (46:36):
Time you turn on the special teams film and you
watch like the Steelers punt rush, you know he's coming.
I would tell the guys because we played him every
year since.

Speaker 7 (46:44):
I left, We've had it.

Speaker 9 (46:46):
We played the Steels every year, and uh, every week
I would just be telling him, Hey, like twenty eight
is coming, like we gotta go.

Speaker 7 (46:52):
Uh.

Speaker 9 (46:53):
So I mean, just have the opportunity now to play
with him. I mean, shoot, I'm so excited, you know,
hit him up right away like once once the sign
me and stuff, just telling him I can't get ready
to work, can't can't wait to work with you.

Speaker 4 (47:04):
Did you know that joint practice with Buffalo was coming
when you signed here?

Speaker 11 (47:07):
And and what are you looking forward to about that?

Speaker 9 (47:10):
I might have got word that there was a joint practice,
you know, I was still up in Buffalo training when
when I signed here and stuff.

Speaker 7 (47:17):
But yeah, no, I'm excited, you know.

Speaker 9 (47:19):
I think that's a great opportunity just to I mean,
it's always nice of being training camp working, but he
sort of gets sick and tired of hitting the same
person every day. So when you have a joint practice,
it's nice to hit somebody else for a little bit.

Speaker 12 (47:30):
So many ties between like Tom Win and the Puramit
do you see coaching a lot of coaching similarities between.

Speaker 7 (47:35):
The two or different?

Speaker 9 (47:36):
I mean they're definitely different, you know what I mean.
They definitely do things their way and stuff like that.
And I mean both of them have been successful over
the years, you know. I mean, shoot, every year I
was in Buffalo, like they made the playoffs the last
four years, you know, made a couple of decent runs
and then obviously everyone knows Coach She's track record, you
know what I mean. But I mean you just gotta

(47:56):
appreciate a coach like Coach She. I mean, he's just
so transparent and what he wants from you and stuff
like that. I mean, he doesn't hide anything. He tells
you how it is. Some people may not like that.
It's tough love, but shoot, I appreciate that.

Speaker 7 (48:08):
Uh.

Speaker 9 (48:08):
I value that, and I mean that was definitely one
of the reasons why I came.

Speaker 7 (48:12):
Back to play for him. The guy like Peyton most
of it.

Speaker 9 (48:16):
Oh, I mean, he he's gonna be a special player,
you know what I mean. Uh, kids are freak. I
didn't realize how big he was, you know it, till
I actually saw him once I came up here. Uh
I saw him get drafted and stuff like that. But yeah,
he he could flat out fly. He's a smart kid.

Speaker 7 (48:29):
Uh. I mean, I definitely think the sky's a limit
for him.

Speaker 2 (48:32):
It's a fraternity of like peric winners that you guys have.

Speaker 9 (48:34):
A definitely keep a little track of him, you know
what I mean. He's rooting for those guys. A little bit.

Speaker 14 (48:41):
How was the preparation going for the new kickoff?

Speaker 12 (48:43):
For a while?

Speaker 14 (48:43):
You guys haven't had a chance to really practice it yet.
H Just how what preparation is.

Speaker 7 (48:48):
Gaming doing do you guys? Are you know? Uh?

Speaker 9 (48:51):
I know we're gonna have the officials in uh like
next week, I believe, uh, And I mean I think
there's a lot of unknowns, uncertainties.

Speaker 7 (48:58):
You know, nobody really knows. Nobody's really done it.

Speaker 9 (49:01):
Just the other football league did it and then shoot,
I think this year they went back to the overall,
So it's really up in the air. So I know
a lot of guys have got a lot of questions
and stuff, so hopefully we get them answered.

Speaker 7 (49:13):
And I know.

Speaker 9 (49:13):
Thursday at the Hall of Fame game, a lot of
guys are going to be watching that game trying to
figure out what the heck's going on out there.

Speaker 3 (49:20):
All right, Well, during that whole five minute interview, Labs
just was excoriating me and making me feel great shame
for screwing up the nickname. So why don't you make
that public now, Labs and let the people.

Speaker 4 (49:28):
I was just gonna say, you you got your redheads
mixed up? I did, Alan Fanica is big Red Tyler
Metakevitch was nicknamed, I believe by Mike Tomlin at thirty red,
so a little bit of a distinction there, and I
am I. You know, if anyone one of them or

(49:49):
any of their fan club members come up into this
booth looking to pound me for that mistake, I will
quickly throw you under the bus and provide them with
your personal information as you should, name, address, cell phone number,
all of that stuff.

Speaker 3 (50:06):
Yeah, I mean to b Feather is a picture of
Fanica hanging up in my studio as if he's some
sort of patron saint that I just kind of stare
at every once in a while. So maybe that's why
the Freudian slip happened there for me.

Speaker 2 (50:16):
When we come back, we're going to get into the quarterbacks.

Speaker 3 (50:18):
Russell Wilson has been on everybody's mind as far as
when he's going to return to team activities. Today is
as good today as any with the pads coming on,
so we'll speculate if we might see him increase his
role in training camp, and we'll hear from Kyle Allen
as well. That's all on the way on the training
camp report on Steelers Nation Radio.

Speaker 1 (50:46):
He sees the training camp report with Tom Opperman and
Bob Labriola on Steeler's Nation Radio.

Speaker 2 (50:54):
Just about twenty eight minutes until Steeler's practice.

Speaker 3 (50:57):
We're gonna be joined by Steeler's tight end Randy grow Spend,
four time Super Bowl champion at about ten fifteen for
our last segment on the show today. But before we
get to that, Labs and Randy joins us. You know,
I'd be remiss to not at least mention the quarterbacks.
If people who are listening to this, who listen to
our Assen Answered podcast, and I'm sure all of our
ass and Answered listeners have carried over to here, they

(51:19):
know we love the quarterbacks.

Speaker 2 (51:20):
We can't get enough of the quarterbacks.

Speaker 3 (51:22):
But with Russell Wilson's injury to start training camp, I
think everybody's been focused on him and his return to
team activities. He's gone through individual work Saturday and again
on Sunday's practice the last two of the acclamation period.
But I think this is a pretty good point to
circle as a potential return date to full activity, with

(51:44):
it being the first official day of padded practice.

Speaker 4 (51:47):
Yeah, you know, and we've seen Russell Wilson, you know,
do a little bit more each you know, successive day
here since he injured himself during the run test that
was Wednesday. Yeah, sorry, sorry, sorry to all the listeners,

(52:08):
but I do need, you know, to just take an
extra moment to make sure I know what day it is,
because you know, all the days up here, except for
those wonderful days off, all those days up here kind
of blend together and seem the same. But anyway, like
for example, you know, Russell Wilson hasn't been taking part,
but you know he will stay. He has been staying

(52:31):
after practice, throwing to some of the receivers. H you know,
he's not doing a lot of movement necessarily, but you know,
there's nothing wrong with his arm. He continues to work
that work on the rapport, you know, with those receivers,
and you know he has not he did not he
did not miss any of the off season program, you know,

(52:52):
all OTA's mini camp of course, you know, and Russell
Wilson did set up some you know, offsite kind of
things where you know, you get some of your receivers
together and you know, building on that rapport. So you know,
I don't think that this has really been a setback
for him. The only thing I would, you know, and

(53:13):
I fully expected him to be back to very close
to a full participant for today's workout. The only thing
that I would I won't say fear, but caution everyone
about that happening today is because of the rain. If

(53:34):
the grass is the judge to be maybe a little slippery.
I don't think, you know, you want Russell Wilson to
undo all of the progress he has made by trying to,
you know, roll out or something and slip and maybe
reaggravate that or reaggravate I'm committing the sin I always

(53:55):
complain about aggravate you know, that injury that seems to
have been healing nicely and you know, putting him on
a path, you know, to get back into action. So
maybe it happens today. Maybe there's a little bit more
precaution taken because of the uncertain nature of a wet field,

(54:15):
But I think everything's on track for Russell Wilson to
be doing what the Steelers signed him to be doing
and doing that real soon. Well.

Speaker 3 (54:24):
Because of the caution, Russell Wilson has taken a step
back from team stuff. So that means Justin Fields has
been thrown into QB one, Kyle Allen's been thrown into
QB two and both have had moments that have impressed.
Kyle Allen caught up with Missy Matthews and Craig Wolfley
after practice on Sunday, and here's what.

Speaker 2 (54:39):
He had to say.

Speaker 5 (54:40):
Kyle Allen kind enough to join us the last day
of the ramp up period, Kyle, day off tomorrow, the
pads go on Tuesday. What was kind of the vibe
today in terms of guys really wanting to put on
the pads?

Speaker 7 (54:52):
Yeah?

Speaker 13 (54:52):
I mean I think today, you know, last day ramp
up period, we're trying to get a good practice in
before the off day, trying to be present, knowing what's
coming up up, but just really trying to execute, do
all the little things right. And then I think a
lot of guys are excited for when Monday rolls around
or whatever day that is.

Speaker 11 (55:08):
Kyle, I gotta ask you something. Do you feel the guys,
the big meat eaters, you know, the big uglies, are
they starting to lean in towards that the physicality. They
know what's coming Tuesday, and each practice kind of picks
up a little bit more as you get towards that
Tuesday padded day. How's it feel out there?

Speaker 13 (55:23):
Yeah, I think they're ready and I think, you know,
some guys are anxious. Some guys are ready to go.

Speaker 4 (55:28):
You know.

Speaker 13 (55:28):
They had, however, many Ota prexes and then all these
practices and shirts and I'm excited to watch.

Speaker 14 (55:33):
I'm glad they don't get to hit me yet. That's
gonna be fun to watch.

Speaker 5 (55:38):
Uh, we should probably say congratulations. We should have started
with the fact that the offense today winning seven shots.
I was not sure. Was the score five to two
or was it six to one? By your count?

Speaker 14 (55:49):
Five to two? Five too? We did win today though.

Speaker 5 (55:51):
Okay, so what does that mean for you guys?

Speaker 14 (55:53):
Tonight? Good meal?

Speaker 4 (55:54):
Right?

Speaker 14 (55:54):
Good meal on tonight?

Speaker 13 (55:55):
Makeup picked it out actually beforehand, So thanks Mika for
picking out the meal for us.

Speaker 14 (55:59):
Really appreciate it. Do you guys know what it is?

Speaker 13 (56:02):
Yeah, it's fried chicken, all the good stuff with it.
We're excited for it. I've been eating bad the last
couple of days.

Speaker 11 (56:08):
Kle I gotta ask you something. You've been in several places,
You've had a couple of stops. What has you what
have you learned in each stop? Is like part of
the foundational blocks you can take forward with you, because,
let's face it, everything is in experience. It's all part
of that repertoire that you get that experienced bank. How
what what can you say you took with you from
other stops?

Speaker 14 (56:27):
I mean, how much time you got. I've been in
a lot of places.

Speaker 13 (56:29):
This is the fifteen but uh now, I think I
think really it's a lot of you pick out certain
coaches that you really enjoyed playing with. There's certain players
I've enjoyed playing with. I've been around a lot of
great quarterbacks. I was around Cam Newton my first couple
of years, around Alex Smith and Washington, Josh Allen last
year obviously Russ and justin here and then a lot
of great coaches along the way too. So you pick

(56:50):
and choose little things and and you just kind of
take what works with you. And then you come here
and get around a guy like Mike t who's been
doing it longer than I think anybody in the league
right now, and just how intentional he is and how
transparent he is, and how much he wants to help
you grow as a man too. I just think it's
been awesome being here, and I've been hyper focused It's
been really awesome for me to be here.

Speaker 14 (57:10):
I'm loving it.

Speaker 2 (57:11):
Kyle.

Speaker 5 (57:11):
Can you talk about the pass catcher, some of the
offensive weapons that you guys have at your disposal and
how comfortable everybody's getting utilizing them in an Arthur Smith offense?

Speaker 14 (57:20):
Yeah, I talked about this earlier today too.

Speaker 13 (57:22):
I think when you look at a receiver room, there's
a lot of guys in there that do a lot
of different things. Well, you know, you look and this
guy's really good at this. This guy's really good at that.
Like a lot of guys are different, and so I
think it's going to be interesting to see how we
piece those things.

Speaker 14 (57:35):
Together and how we use guys to their strengths.

Speaker 13 (57:38):
And you can see guys getting comfortable with the system,
getting comfortable within themselves, running the routes faster, getting to
their depths, knowing the plays, and.

Speaker 14 (57:44):
Just being confident out there. So it's been fun to watch, Kyle.

Speaker 11 (57:47):
Can you think of anybody had a bigger wider catch
radius than circus George Pickens, or have you ever thrown
to anybody bigger than Darnell Washington who the legendary Myron
Cope who was a broadcaster here back in the eighties
and nineties would refer to him as Mount Washington getting
at Pittsburgh.

Speaker 14 (58:03):
GE's in on it, yeah. I mean, he's about ten
pounds away from being to left tackle, so.

Speaker 7 (58:09):
He's a big yea.

Speaker 13 (58:10):
He got a great sale route for me today he
got open, and I know he caught faighter routes on
some of the safeties and OTAs too. And then George
is just one of a kind. You know, he's got
special raw talent. You know, I've been around some really
good guys over the years.

Speaker 14 (58:22):
He's one of them. It's awesome, it's fun to watch.

Speaker 5 (58:24):
You mentioned getting a chance to play for coach Tomlin.
I'm sure you realize very quickly how much he loves competition,
creating adversity, even if it's not really there. Justin Fields
told us yesterday, how you know if there was pre
snap penalties for the offense a lap was run today
we saw some defensive guys. So was that just hey,
everybody needed to join in on the misery or did

(58:46):
you guys start calling them out too.

Speaker 13 (58:48):
I mean, we've had a lot of pre snap stuff
that we need to get fixed, and then they finally
got one today, and I think we were like, let's
go finally with them, like you keep running some laughs.
But but yeah, that's a lot of stuff we need
to clean up. Honestly, I think it was just kind
of a tactic to get us focus. You know, we
need to clean our stuff up. It's early in training camp,
so it's understandable those things are happening. But you know,

(59:09):
as the stuff goes on, we got to get better
at that.

Speaker 11 (59:11):
All right, Kyle, Not so fast, young man. I see
a lot of the young bucks. The hogs have to run.
What about the quarterbacks? You know sometimes those quarterbacks they
slip in a little extra syllable, little extra word here
and there.

Speaker 2 (59:23):
Any quarterbacks running labs, buddy?

Speaker 14 (59:25):
Oh yeah, I'm the laps are they?

Speaker 7 (59:27):
The laps are?

Speaker 13 (59:28):
So I'm making sure the quarterbacks are running laps when
they need to. We had the young rookie you had
to run a lap yesterday, So I love it.

Speaker 7 (59:35):
That's the way to go.

Speaker 14 (59:36):
I got them all right, all right.

Speaker 3 (59:38):
Good on Kyle Allen for making sure he's doing his
job and making sure everybody runs when they have to.
When we come back, four time Super Bowl champion Randy
Grossman is going to join us on the show. It's
Labs and Tom with the training camp report on Steelers
Nation Radio.

Speaker 1 (01:00:02):
VC's no Training Camp Report with Tom Opperman and Bob
Labriola on Steelers Nation Radio.

Speaker 2 (01:00:09):
I've got some good news.

Speaker 3 (01:00:10):
Labs is just informing in the break that Russell Wilson
is on the field with his helmet and full pads on.
So that's a good sign for in about fifteen minutes
if Russell Wilson will be a full participant today. But
we are pleased now to be welcomed by Steelers alumni
and four time Super Bowl champion Randy Grossman to the program. Randy,
thank you so much for giving Labs of myself some

(01:00:31):
time today. We really appreciate it.

Speaker 10 (01:00:35):
Glad to be here.

Speaker 4 (01:00:37):
Brandy. Let's start with this. You know, the most celebrated
draft class in NFL history appeared on this very campus
fifty years ago, and you were a part of that
as an undrafted rookie tight end from Temple. What are
some of the things you remember about that training camp,
one that included a player's strike.

Speaker 10 (01:00:58):
Well, the biggest thing, as you mentioned, was the player strike,
and as well, compounding the things that are different, the
preseason was six games long, then so rookies come in
a week before the veterans report, and I don't think
the veterans came in until like the third or fourth

(01:01:21):
preseason game. A few veterans crossed the line, most notably
Joe Gilliam, quarterback. So, I mean, as a rookie, we
were here, we were sweating, we were getting hurt, I
mean the whole thing. We were playing games, and when
the veterans came in, we felt as if we were veterans.

(01:01:41):
So we weren't intimidated at all by the veterans when
they came in. But it gave obviously the undrafted guys
a whole lot more opportunities to repetitions and game situations,
So that was very helpful.

Speaker 4 (01:01:58):
You know, things have changed rather rastically when it comes
to NFL training camps, because today training camps begin with
a series of padless practices that are referred to as
acclamation days. Now, today is a date that circled, you know,
on a fans calendar because it's the first day you know,
in full pads. But as you know, Craig Wolflee is

(01:02:21):
always very quick to tell us back in the day,
including when you played, you know, what was the schedule.
Like in terms of say you reported a camp on Tuesday,
there wasn't a whole lot of acclamation going on, wasn't
It didn't chuck nol pretty much get everybody out there
on the field as soon as possible.

Speaker 10 (01:02:40):
Oh, there was definitely acclamation. The difference being the acclamation
We started out with the Oklahoma drill and pounding each other.
I don't know if it was acclamation period or reality period. Yeah,
the people were getting acclimated very quickly. We started and

(01:03:00):
pads right away, you know, two practices of the day,
and yeah, it's much much different.

Speaker 4 (01:03:09):
So let me ask you this. You mentioned the in
your first answer, you said that the time that you
had in camp before the veterans reported. Do you think
the Randy Grossman at the time, a two hundred and
eighteen pound tight end, makes the team in nineteen seventy four,
if you know that player strike didn't happen, keep the

(01:03:30):
veterans away, maybe got you, you know, more looks or
more attention than you might otherwise have gotten.

Speaker 10 (01:03:39):
Well, yeah, absolutely, the uh yeah, I mean you hear it.
You hear it often that, Yeah, you got to be good,
but you got to be lucky too. So I had
high opinion of it myself as far as how good
I was. But it was definitely lucky coming in under
that kind of situation. Both the players strike well, the

(01:04:00):
six game pre season schedule, that yeah, all that all
that set in. So whether I make the team or not, well, yes,
I believe I make the team, but you know who knows.

Speaker 4 (01:04:15):
You know, we I asked you earlier about or we
talked a little bit earlier about the way that training
camps have changed in terms of you know, it now
takes a little bit of time before players are actually
on in full pads and hitting. One of the other
differences when it comes to the NFL training camps is that,
you know, the Steelers are now in the minority in

(01:04:37):
terms of teams that go away to camp. You know,
they refer to it now as you know, destination camps,
and Mike Tomlin has long been a proponent of a
destination camp. And you know when he when he is
asked about why he likes it, he said, one of
the reasons why is because, uh, we we love that

(01:05:00):
which we cannot measure. We value that which we cannot measure.
And by that he's referring to the informal bonding sessions
among players. You know, that downtime when guys might not
have anything else to do or nowhere else to go
except to get to know their teammates back in your day,
starting in nineteen seventy four, was that a big part

(01:05:22):
of your experience out here at Saint Vincent College.

Speaker 10 (01:05:26):
Oh? Absolutely, the I mean, the absence is I mean,
you can completely shelter from distractions, but going away and
being a camp is very, very important for the personality
of the team people get. I mean, you've got people
coming from all over the place. You know, you talked

(01:05:49):
to some of the older guys, some of the book
guys that came from historically black colleges. This is our
first experience playing with white players. I mean, it's hard
to imagine nowadays, but from a bonding situation, everybody being
in the same boat. No, I didn't look forward to

(01:06:11):
the necessarily the physical part of camp, but I very
much look forward to camp and being with the guys
and being away.

Speaker 4 (01:06:20):
Okay, Randy, we'll get you out of here. On this
nineteen seventy four that was your rookie season. It was
also the first Super Bowl season for the Steelers and
arguably the greatest season in franchise history because it did
end with the first championship in franchise history. You know,
but if you go back and look at the nineteen
seventy four season, the entirety of it, it didn't. Things

(01:06:43):
did not go completely smoothly. Joe Green talks about that
a lot from your viewpoint. What were some of the
hurdles that that nineteen seventy four team had to overcome
on the way to a win in Super Bowl nine?

Speaker 10 (01:06:57):
Well, the biggest hurdle surprised if if Joe didn't reference
it was a transition between quarterbacks. Joe Gilliam As I
had mentioned earlier, he had crossed the picket line. He
had been in camp for five six weeks before Terry
Gratchall and Terry Hanratty came back. We won all the

(01:07:20):
preseason games with with Joe playing. We go in the
season and we're winning all games and with Joe, and
then we hit Denver and we had a bump in
the road, and for I guess more than a couple
of reasons, Joe was taken out and Terry put in
and the rest is history. But I mean, any organization

(01:07:45):
he's got people that are closer with some people and
not as close as other people, and there's dissension where
everybody thinks that they should be starting and and better
than the other guy. So yeah, there was there was
significant turmoil. But that's actually the differentiator from my opinion

(01:08:05):
on the greatness of Chuck Nole. Often you'll hear Chuck
Noll not being given as much credit because he had
so much horsepower. I mean, he had such great talent. Well,
I mean, obviously he was significant in scouting the talent,
but in addition that, I mean, it's like a Formula
one racer. You know, you don't jump in a Formula

(01:08:27):
race car and drive the two hundred two hundred and
fifty miles an hour. I mean, he had such an
amazingly powerful group of guys to actually control. That was startling,
and he did, and the success is written in history.

Speaker 3 (01:08:44):
Randy, this was awesome. Thanks so much for giving us
some time this morning, and enjoy your.

Speaker 2 (01:08:48):
Day a camp.

Speaker 10 (01:08:49):
Alrighty, take care, guys.

Speaker 7 (01:08:50):
By there goes.

Speaker 3 (01:08:52):
Randy Grossman, four time Super Bowl champion tight end for
the Pittsburgh Steelers. Great stuff with him, their labs and
good news. Like we mentioned before, the interview with Russell
Wilson in full pads in the helmet. We're just six
minutes away from practice starting, and it appears it's all
systems go.

Speaker 4 (01:09:08):
Yeah, and right now that some of the units are
doing individual you know, workouts, and all the four quarterbacks
are lined up and Russell Wilson is doing what everyone
else is doing. You know, they kind of line up
in a line across the field. They're all dropping back,
you know, setting and throwing the ball to someone else.

(01:09:32):
So it seems like in terms of what we might
see from Russell Wilson today, right now, it looks like
he is a full go for everything that might be
on the menu.

Speaker 3 (01:09:44):
Well, you can keep it right here to find out
if that proves to be true. We're gonna hand things
off to Max Starks and Mike Persuda when we come
back for training Camp Live. They'll take you all through practice,
then hand you off to Wolf and Starks in the
locker room, and then of course Dale, Matt and Rob
King on the drive later on today. So we got
you covered all day long and Labs and I will
be back again tomorrow to recap today's first prodded practice

(01:10:06):
at nine am Sharp with the Training Camp Report. If
you're heading up to Saint Vincent today, it's a great
day to do it. The pads come on. It looks
like Russ is going to be a fool go for
the first time in the twenty twenty four camp period.
A very exciting Tuesday up at Saint Vincent College, four labs.
I'm Tom, Thanks as always for giving us a listen,
and we'll talk to you tomorrow on the Training Camp
Report on Steelers Nation Radio.