July 29, 2025 • 40 mins
Labs and Tom get into the secondary and hear from Steeler Chuck Clark. Former Steeler Chris Hoke joins the show.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Iheartradios Live Coverage Job Not twenty twenty five Steelers Training
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Speaker 2 (00:36):
Tom Opferman and Bob Labriola on the Training Camp Report.
First practice in pads for the Steelers is just a
little under an hour from getting started up at Saint
Vincent College. Lavesley talked a lot at the end of
the first hour there about the offensive line, and we
had a little bit of defensive line talk and how
they can swat the balls out of the air in
our first segment of the show today. And those position
(00:58):
groups are real where you can start to tell who's good,
who's not, who improved, who maybe is a little bit
behind when the pads come on. But that's not to
say that all other position groups start to get a
little bit of extra I don't want to say pressure
on them. But there's a little bit more attention paid
to them from the coaching staff. And you know, the
secondary you can tell a little bit from a guy
(01:19):
on on coverage and athleticism.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
But with the.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Steelers corners labs at Porter and Ramsey in particular, those
guys are really physical players and they like to man
up and I think pads going on it is going
to be helpful for them.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Yeah, it is. And you know, in terms of what's
what's on, what's in store today during the practice, you know,
we've talked a lot about backs on backers, I mean,
and it's fun and it's a highlight and you know,
I get all of that, but backs on backers that
the little the little people are not involved in that.
(01:54):
I mean the receivers, the defensive backs, and I use
that you know, I'm will mean seriously little, but you
get what I'm saying. Yeah, but on the schedule today,
after the seven shots and then after backs on backers,
they're gonna do uh wide receivers against dbs one on one.
(02:17):
And if this is the drill that I think this is,
this is a somewhat physical drill as well. It's not
so much you know, one guy's charging it the other
and you know, like backs on backers, one guy has
to make a block and the other guy's trying to
run the block or over. But there is some uh
physicality involved, some hand fighting, you know, those kind of things. So, uh,
(02:44):
I think what we're gonna see throughout this practice. You
know you mentioned the linemen, they have backs on backers,
and then to keep the the theme of the increased
physicality going, we're gonna see some competition between wide receivers
and defense bas uh and so yeah, it's this is
(03:05):
you know you mentioned is this Mike? Is this a
Mike Tomlin Holiday? Now that I look at the practice script,
it certainly seems that, you know, if if he were
Santa Claus, he has a little gift quote unquote for everyone.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Now, you know, the corners can show a little extra physicality,
but safety's position have physicality baked into it. And you know,
Deshaun Elliott and Juan Thornhill or Chuck Clark newly acquired
and they got to come down to that line of
scrimmage labs.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
They got to be willing tacklers a lot.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
So there is definitely some extra attention paid to them
in this period and you know, wan Thornhill has such
a good opportunity in front of him here because we
have seen in the base defense Jalen Ramsey slide to
that safety spot. But you and I both know LABS
NFL defenses live in nickel almost exclusively these days, and
the Steelers are really no exception to that. So one
(03:58):
of these safeties is going to have to find themselves
on the field, and today's a day where they can
make a real big splash.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
Yeah, and you know you mentioned the safeties in particular.
One of the things that you know the safeties, I
believe you know, if you're gonna be in nickel, the
safeties have to be able to play run support and
in the AFC North that means tackling Derrick Henry h
and another, you know, keeping with my theme of you
(04:27):
know what's on tap in terms of the practice, then
after backs on backers and after wide receivers DBS is
a period called team run. And I remember the first
time team run was ever held during a padded practice.
(04:49):
I was standing on the sideline, I know, a couple
of yards away from Kevin Colbert, and nobody knew this
was gonna happen. Nobody except for the players, and then
the coaches who were involved in this at the time,
and Mike Tomlin because they ran a play team run.
(05:12):
I don't know if it was a pitch to Le'Veon
Bell or you know, I mean a toss, or they
just handed it to him and he bounced outside. So
Le'Veon Bell bounces outside and he's running to the sideline
where I was standing with Kevin Colbert and some other people,
and you know, the the defensive backs are coming up,
(05:33):
and you know Le'Veon, you know, is running the other
way towards the sideline. And normally, or every other time
this happened, you know, he would get out of bounds
or cut up field and they would touch him up
as they call it, and you know, the whist would
eventually blow and you do it again.
Speaker 5 (05:53):
Man.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
The dbs came up, Le'Veon lowered his shoulder and it
was like a real football play in a real game, paw,
and I thought Kevin Colbert was going to drop over
of a heart attack. You know, here's your first team
All Pro running back taking a big hit on purpose
in a training camp practice. And then from that point on,
(06:17):
and I remember Mike Toman talking about it afterwards, saying no,
I didn't tell Kevin. I was afraid he would he
would try to talk.
Speaker 5 (06:24):
Me out of it.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Think he would have, yeah.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
Well tried, you know, yeah, of course. So, but ever
since then, the Steelers have had a live tackling period
in their training camps. So I think, you know, team
runs sounds like it to me.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Team run. I don't see what else it could be.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
So it seems like they'll be getting into that a
little bit later today, and that's something to look forward to.
But you're so right about how these safeties need to
be willing in the running game, especially when you look
at some of the opponents that you're going to be
playing this year, specifically Derrick Henry twice in the Baltimore Ravens.
We're gonna hear from Chuck Cla just the second Labs.
But how impressed have you been with him in this
acclamation period where he literally got off a plane, drove
(07:06):
to La Trobe and jumped into practice on Thursday and
has really kind of been thrown into the fire per
se because he's with the second teams. But clearly the
coaching staff thinks that this guy doesn't need much training wheels.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
Yeah, you know, he's obviously a professional, and you know
it's there are some similarities, you know, from team to
team in terms of, you know, what they like to do.
A lot of times the only difference is is in
the what it's called. Like all offenses run, you know,
(07:41):
certain plays with some teams it's called one thing, and
some teams it's called another thing. And so a lot
of times some of the adjustments for these veterans just
has to do with the verbiage. You know, they just
have to be taught that what I used to think
was called this is now called that. It's not like
you're teaching them something from scratch. You're just teaching them,
(08:05):
you know, what the words here mean as opposed to
what the words meant there. And yes, making that kind
of quick assimilation into a new system of you know whatever,
calling it or identifying it is not the hardest thing
in the world. But it should not be taken for
(08:27):
granted either. And so Chuck Clark has not seemed to
me to be in too many situations where he didn't
know what he was doing or didn't know where he
was supposed to be, which I use that as a
huge compliment. So you know, we're gonna have to see
(08:47):
how he continues to develop. He did have that injury
a couple of years ago when he was with the Ravens.
He played last year for the Jets, right, yeah, that's right, Yeah,
the Jets, and a lot of times, you know, in
terms of his statistics, his statistics with the Jets weren't
(09:11):
to the level of his statistics with the Ravens pre injury.
But as I've said a lot of times, and I
even saw this with Rod Woodson. Uh, sometimes the year
after you injure a knee and rehabit and come back,
you're still kind of.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
You know, getting over you gotta trust it, right, it's
the mental side of it.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Well something, Yes, sometimes it's that. Sometimes you know, it's
just it needs to it's all the way back yet
feel right. You need it needs to feel better for you.
Speaker 5 (09:43):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
And so maybe this is what you know Chuck Clark
is going through. You know, maybe the Steelers believe that,
you know, his second time around the track following his
knee surgery, he's going to be more like he was
in his prime, for lack of a better phrase, And
as you mentioned, the Steelers need help there. And so
(10:05):
you know, being able to add a guy like this
at this time of the year low cost in terms
of draft capital, there was none because he was, you know,
out there, and you know it's not a big hit
on your salary cap, so you know, it's it's worth it.
(10:27):
It's worth the uh, it's more than kicking the tires,
but it's it's worth the trial. So so far, so good.
He's looking like a someone who has a lot left
in the tank, still wants to play. Obviously a smart
guy because of what he showed in terms of being
able to hit the ground running, so to speak.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
Right away. So yeah it uh.
Speaker 4 (10:52):
And I also liked the fact that when you add
a guy who play for a rival of yours, because
I remember Mike Tomlin telling Chris Warmly this one time
because he played for the Raves. Steelers I think actually
acquired him in a trade. He told him they didn't
(11:13):
want you. We did. So there's that too. You can
play a little psychological game with them because that's the reality.
I'm sure if the uh, you know, the Steelers play
the Cowboys soon, someone's gonna tell that to George Pickens.
Speaker 5 (11:30):
They didn't want you, we did.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
So someone definitely said it to Patrick Queen before that
first Ravens game last year, because boy was he an
impact there.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
He had a interception in that game.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
Yes, well, and with Patrick Queen it was a little
different because he left as an unrestricted free agent. The
Steelers paid more money than the Ravens either wanted to
or believe they could afford.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
That's bulletin board material.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
Oh absolutely, whoever said that. I was all in favor
of the absolute truth when it comes to that stuff.
But yeah, I do think it's different though, when you
can't pay or won't pay a guy who's a free
agent as opposed to trading someone or cutting someone.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Well, Chuck Clark spoke to the media for the first
time as a Pittsburgh Steeler after Sunday's practice, and he
starts this session by talking about the relationship he has
with Deshaun Elliott and kind of the communication that he
had with him before becoming a Pittsburgh Steeler.
Speaker 6 (12:26):
He just told me, it's a lot of a lot
of history, a lot of football culture here, and I
was actually reaching out to him before it happened, you know, like,
hey put the word in kind of thing. So it
was just keeping back and forth and whatnot, And like
I said, that's my dog right there.
Speaker 7 (12:37):
How long ago with that, I think you said put
in a.
Speaker 6 (12:39):
Good word for a little like well, we was talking
when he got his extension, you know, and just you know,
kind of seeing things that were going on and.
Speaker 7 (12:46):
So or say you were on the street for a
while after last season. What can you tell us about
the process of them bringing you in at this time?
You know there or two when you camp.
Speaker 6 (12:55):
This is the first for me, you know, coming in
this late, you know, having happening to pick up the
play book.
Speaker 7 (13:00):
You know, I know football and that that's one thing
for sure.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
At the end of the day.
Speaker 6 (13:03):
It's just putting terminology to it, you know, in a
different scheme, different concepts, But I know football at the
d the day, I know where to be the secondary.
Speaker 8 (13:11):
Don't have much more experience here than you.
Speaker 5 (13:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (13:14):
Yeah, the leadership dynamics now.
Speaker 6 (13:17):
We definitely got some veteran guys back there. You know,
a lot of guys that bring different intangibles and traits
to the to the room. So I'm excited about it.
Speaker 7 (13:24):
To be able to get in the.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
Mix player you work before twenty.
Speaker 6 (13:27):
Three definitely, definitely, I mean I got hurt, and that's
part of the game.
Speaker 7 (13:32):
You know, you play this game, things are gonna happen.
Speaker 6 (13:33):
You know, I was clean for so long, and you
gotta take what comes with the game, you know, the
upst downs. And I feel like I bounced back good
from that and that's in the history. I mean, that's
in the past. So just keep moving forward, stacking days,
taking care of my body, and you know, let things
happen how they happen.
Speaker 8 (13:50):
That Deshaun also told us yesterday that you came straight
off the plane and came straight to practice.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Do you kind of ride yourself.
Speaker 9 (13:57):
On that just being able to be ar your feet
art do you want to ask you no matter the situation.
Speaker 6 (14:02):
Yeah, I I think that's just part of being a professional.
With me and my approach. Like I said, this offseason
was different than any other for me, you know, training
on my own, just making sure I showed up in shape,
you know, my conditioning and be right and be good.
So I was like, whenever the opportunity come, i'm'a take
it and wrong with it. Like that morning I did
my workout, I'm like, yeah, they they talking about chime
and get you out here, and I'm thinking they well,
(14:23):
they probably think, and I just wanna watch it, but
I'm like, n I wanna get out there in the mix,
you know, Like I said, I know football is just
once I started.
Speaker 7 (14:28):
Putting terminology to it, i'm'a be alright.
Speaker 6 (14:30):
So I I definitely put myself on that, just knowing
that i'm'a be ready and in shape and whatever it takes.
Speaker 8 (14:35):
Kay, what's your port launch? What's that?
Speaker 5 (14:37):
Is it?
Speaker 8 (14:37):
Dearport right up here?
Speaker 5 (14:38):
Or good?
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Mm?
Speaker 5 (14:40):
What I flying? I think? Yeah? I flew in the pit. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (14:42):
Yeah, so I was down at the facility and whatnot
and still had to do the workout and then that
hour drive out here.
Speaker 5 (14:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (14:48):
And you to the point about all the new guys,
just that allow you to kind of catch up.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Paster, because there's a lot of guys in the same boat.
Speaker 5 (14:55):
On day a few days ahead of you. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (14:57):
Like like I said, it's it's a it's a rolling
training and it ain't waiting for nobody the season. It's
almost here, So like you said, you gotta pick it
up and roll. When you look at this secondary, not
just the guys at the top, but also of some
big death guys like Running Eckles and and you coming in.
Speaker 5 (15:11):
And one who ward those guys, who do you think
the potential is for this unit?
Speaker 7 (15:14):
I mean, we can be as good as we wanna be.
Speaker 6 (15:16):
It's it's gonna take everybody, you know, communication going out
there doing it on the field. But you can be
as good as we wanna be. I definitely understand it
what they're saying and what they're asking. Like I said,
just me being in a different space for the past
two three days, you know, picking it up, but I
understand it.
Speaker 7 (15:31):
It's nothing that's unfamiliar or anything.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
You were got a locker room with Aaron Rodgers in
New York cause he have you noticed any differences in
him here.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
In your first couple of days?
Speaker 5 (15:40):
Uh?
Speaker 6 (15:40):
We We We definitely talked, you know about you know,
being over there and being here, But I mean we're
both in new spaces and we just rolling with it.
Speaker 5 (15:49):
Trump where you played for Bornpoorts. You ever Visia Pittsburgh.
Speaker 7 (15:54):
I mean, I to be honest, I I could never
say I did.
Speaker 6 (15:57):
But you know, I understand that this is a business
and and things happened, and you gotta do what you
gotta do if you and then I think it goes
beyond that for me.
Speaker 7 (16:05):
It's my love for the game.
Speaker 6 (16:06):
This is the opportunity for me to continue to play football,
So it's bigger than that.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
At the end of the day, you have any particular
memories or pressures to playing these guys over the year?
Speaker 6 (16:14):
Man, are these games? Rivers Pittsburgh games? Was tough physical games.
I I just remember days after those games everybody being
beat up. So it tough football games. I know, I
know what what what it is with those games.
Speaker 5 (16:25):
How do you how do you fit into that?
Speaker 6 (16:27):
You know?
Speaker 7 (16:27):
Were you an AFC North football player?
Speaker 5 (16:29):
Definitely?
Speaker 7 (16:30):
Definitely, Uh, that's just been me.
Speaker 6 (16:32):
I I've been I was in that conference for the
longest so I'm definitely a tough football player.
Speaker 7 (16:36):
And I I know what this conference.
Speaker 5 (16:40):
Play. Favorite Raven Steelers play. Ooh. I think.
Speaker 7 (16:47):
It was a tight end.
Speaker 6 (16:47):
I can't remember his name, but I had seen him
stiff arm, he still throwing somebody on a Thursday night
game and I was like, that same kind of play
gonna happen, and he he took it for a touchdown.
I was like, that same thing gonna happen, and like
it gonna be in the same situation. Sure enough, it happened.
You tried to do the stuff on tackle and whatnot,
and yeah, that was probably a favorite.
Speaker 8 (17:05):
One said you got here, took a picture of.
Speaker 7 (17:08):
Love and called him out. I just let him and
am in the building. Yeah, thanks, I just.
Speaker 8 (17:15):
Want to I mean, why do you get there? Weren't
more blakes for you in the first couple of waves
of pre agency and why you.
Speaker 6 (17:19):
Did have to wait until I don't I think probably
just the stuff that happened to me last year, rolled
up high ankle and that stuff that you can't control.
Part of the game that's gonna come with it. But
like I said, my approach is gonna be the same
with whether I was on the team or not. I
was gonna be in shape, showing up ready to go
and play football.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Steeler safety Chuck Clark, you know, he's only been there
for like five days and he already referenced a rolling train,
or as Tomlin likes to put in a moving train.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
So he's gonna be just fine. He has no worries here.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
When we come back, Labs and I are gonna kind
of preview what we can expect, what we're looking forward
to in padded practice.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
The first one for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Labs has got his eye on one particular person and
who he might be matching up with in backs on
back Er, So we'll get into that next, and we
got Chris Hoak joined us a little bit later on
in the hour. It's the Training Camp Report with Tom
Opframan and Bob Labriola on Fox Sports Pittsburgh nine seventy
AM and the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Iheartradios. Live coverage of about twenty twenty five Steelers Training
Camp is presented by FedEx where Now meets Next and
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(18:42):
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US Steel.
Speaker 5 (18:53):
Glad.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
As you were going over the practice schedule a little
bit earlier in the hour about the first padded practice
for the Steelers today, would you say it's fair to
label the star of the show almost every year the
backs on Backers drill.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
For me, it is I mean, I I really like that.
I've liked it for a long time. You know, there
are some other things that have you start to grow
on me. I mean, you know, there are versions of
wide receivers DBS one on one that you could almost
call little man backs on backers because it's you know,
(19:31):
similar to that kind of thing.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
But yeah, I you know, and.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
It's only been lately that there have been acclamation days.
I mean, you know, when Chris Hoak shows up, you know,
we'll start talking and I'm sure he's gonna say that,
you know, when I ask him one his first practice
in pads was when he was a rookie, he'd probably
say the first day we got day one.
Speaker 5 (19:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
So but so there's you know, there's a little bit
more I don't know, romance to it a little and
you ramp up to it, build to it. But yeah,
backs on backers and let me say this, Uh, watching
it from down on the field, you know, a few
yards away from where it's actually happening, you could hear
(20:16):
the pads popping. I mean, and there's just been a
lot of things that you see James Harrison do some
things to some people. It's just it's it's very real
it's very violent and it's fun to watch. Uh, I
would hate to be participating in it, but it's fun
(20:36):
to watch.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Is there any matchup that you kind of have your
eye on in particular here for this first session of
back on Backers? Anybody you think Tom's gonna throw through
the ringer?
Speaker 4 (20:45):
Well, I think that Caleb Johnson will be tested. Certainly,
he's gonna be tested, and it's gonna be interesting to
me who Mike Tomlin chooses to go against him, because
there's one there are one of two ways to test
Caleb Johnson, because there are one there are two kinds
(21:07):
of pass rushers that if he's gonna be a third
down back for the Steelers or you know someone who
plays a lot that he's two kinds of pass rushers
did he's gonna have to face there will be guys
who will try to run him over, and then there
will be guys who will try and uh, you know
now you see me, now you don't, so, So that's
(21:32):
why I'm interested to see who he matches him up with.
Is it gonna be someone like t J. Watt who
is more prone to use power, or might it be
somebody like Nick Herbig where you're gonna think you're gonna
have him blocked, and as you go to you, you know,
two hand punch him, he's not there, and you fall
on your face. So I wouldn't say that either one
(21:57):
is more fun than the other for the guy doing
the blocking. But I am interested in seeing how he
reacts to those things because I have no doubt that
Caleb Johnson is willing to do whatever is necessary. But
(22:17):
I just don't think at Iowa he had a lot
of experience and they because they didn't throw the ball
a lot, didn't try to throw the ball a lot,
and unless they were playing Ohio State, I don't know
that he was facing the kind of you know, Ohio
State's best pass rusher might have been Jack Sawyer.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
I was just going to say, we might get a
taste of that matchup again today.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
And all due respect to Jack Sawyer, he's not He's
a fourth outside linebacker on this team. So you know,
my point is the caliber that Caleb, the best possible
caliber player at doing that skill that Caleben saw last year,
(23:01):
is the number four guy on this roster right now.
And again I'm not he's young, and you know, you
hope for think good things for him and everything, but
it's you know, you're it's you're in the big leagues
now for real. Not only in the big leagues, but
some of the best at that are on this ninety
man roster.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
He's also got to show not just with you know,
pass protection in the passing game, he's got to show
an ability to catch the ball out of the backfield too.
And that's again something that in Iowa they just never
really did. When Caleb Johnson got the ball in Iowa,
it was just stuck right into his gut or had
maybe a nice little toss play to him. But in
this level, you're gonna have to be a nice safety
valve for Aaron Rodgers, or you're gonna have to be
who the play is designed to go to on a
(23:43):
swing pass. And he's got to show that he can
do that as well.
Speaker 5 (23:46):
Yeah I haven't. I haven't seen him have much problems
with that part of it.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
I mean he could get a little idea of that
with acclamation.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
Yeah, yeah, I mean I haven't seen him you know,
dropping balls or you know, stumbling around in terms of
you know, getting to the area where he's gonna throw
the ball. In fact, I've seen you know, Aaron Rodgers
actually do some very nice things with arm angles and
stuff to get the ball to him on some screens
that a lesser quarterback may have had to lob it
(24:16):
over someone or you know, throw it behind him or something.
But Aaron Rodgers has shown a knack that he can
get the ball to guys in those situations in stride,
so to speak, without you know, having them have to
wait for it, because you know, when you're waiting for
one of those to come down, you're giving the rest
(24:37):
of that defense a whole lot of running start to
catch up to it. So, yeah, Caleb Johnson, I'm not
gonna say he's the next Le'Veon Bell or Marshall Falk
when it comes to being a receiver out of the backfield,
but I think the past protection thing is going to
be much more critical for him, not only in turn
(25:00):
terms of developing the skills to deal with the different
kinds of pass rushers, but also the recognition because teams
in the NFL will show you what you think is
a pass rush coming from the left, and it comes
from the right, and if those guys are so quick
(25:20):
and fast, if you just take one false step one
way you're too late to get back the other way
to do what you have to do to the guy
coming the other way. So that's the recognition is a
big part of it as well.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
When we come back, we're going to be joined by
Chris Hoak, two time Super Bowl champion with the Steelers.
Always fun to have some Steelers of the past who
are hanging out at camp for the day, come by
the booth, hang out with Labs in myself, so we'll
get to Chris next. It's the Training Camp Report on
Fox Sports Pittsburgh nine seventy AM and the Steelers Audio.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Network Iheartradios live coverage job not twenty twenty five Steelers
Training Camp. He's presented by Fadex 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,
(26:11):
by S and T Bank, Remax Select Realty, by Tom's Appliances,
the Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Shop, by Always Safe Flagging and
Traffic Control, and by us steel.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Always great to wrap up each training camp report that
Labs and myself do by welcoming a former Steeler who's
around for practice that day. To the booth, and today
we welcome two time Super Bowl champion Chris Hoke Aboard. Chris,
thanks so much for giving labs of myself sometime.
Speaker 8 (26:37):
Absolutely, brother, it's great to be with you.
Speaker 5 (26:39):
So let me ask. Let's start with this. You know this,
you've been your first year at this summer resort.
Speaker 8 (26:45):
Known as this is like a country club.
Speaker 5 (26:48):
No, but I mean, what does it look like different?
Speaker 9 (26:52):
You know there there's like a little drawing down here
in the corner of the end zones for you know,
one on ones. It just the fields look better every year.
The environment looks cleaner that you know, in this time
of year, right the first day full pass. The jerseys
look clean. The weather's beautiful. But I'll tell you what, man,
(27:12):
it's it's hot as I'll get out. I means you
said something, you've been with forty one years.
Speaker 5 (27:16):
Out here, forty one living on campus.
Speaker 9 (27:18):
Yeah, think about that. You've spent you spent how many years,
twenty years of your life out here?
Speaker 5 (27:25):
You mean when you add it all up. Yeah, I
don't want to think about.
Speaker 8 (27:28):
It, but yeah, a lot of times you're life out here, man.
Speaker 9 (27:31):
Yeah, think about what you could have no dorms up here,
you could be the one down in the world if
you were on there on adventure.
Speaker 5 (27:37):
Everybody lived in the same.
Speaker 8 (27:38):
I heard stories about that.
Speaker 7 (27:39):
Man.
Speaker 9 (27:40):
My first year I think might have been the first
year of Rooney Hall. Okay, year was that first year
Uney Hall? You know, I don't know, I don't I
think when my first year is oh one? Okay, And
I remember when I was in Rouney Hall. I believe
it was the first year. But man, listen, we didn't
have the turf field down here right back in the day.
Speaker 8 (27:57):
Now we rain.
Speaker 9 (27:59):
We just practiced in the sloppy old field. Right now
they have the turf fields and that that came probably
the last few years of my career. But these fields, remember,
they weren't drained like this.
Speaker 8 (28:09):
Now you got them.
Speaker 9 (28:09):
Crowned where the water runs off onto the sideline. Back
then they didn't have them. You remember that year we're
just talking about it.
Speaker 8 (28:15):
What year was that?
Speaker 5 (28:16):
Three o two, three oh three.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
The summer of the Field of Dreams when they cleared
the corn up by the parking lot.
Speaker 9 (28:23):
Yes, and they tell you something louds The crazy thing was.
I mean, I don't know if they do that now,
but we had like priests from here and the minutes.
Speaker 8 (28:30):
Out and the lines doing warm ups with us.
Speaker 9 (28:33):
You remember that they were out there doing high knees
and stuff like umber a couple of times being like,
what is going on here? We had, you know, a
couple of priests out there, older guys, and it was
just a different world. Back to the man, it was
a grind back then. I mean you talk about now
with the new CBA and everything. I mean we back
in on one two oh three, we were doing two
a day's full pass for the first week.
Speaker 4 (28:54):
So you mentioned one you arrived as an undrafted rookie
that year. Your defensive line coach was John Mitchell. John Mitchell,
how would you describe him to someone who you know
as a coach, as a guy, how to treat you guys?
Speaker 5 (29:08):
Well?
Speaker 9 (29:08):
First of all, we say, now, one of the greatest
men I know. I mean, just an incredible person, incredible man,
father figure in my life. And I played for him
for eleven years, and back then I didn't like him
very much.
Speaker 8 (29:18):
He was tough.
Speaker 9 (29:19):
He was tough, and he would ride you and tell
you prove you proved to him that you could play
when the lights came on. He only knew you by
number he didn't call you hokey. He didn't call you.
He called you seventy six. And he would say this
stuff to just demoralize. You'd be like, man, hokey, about
time to cut the fat man, you know, and he'd
just tell you that, you know, there's just so many
(29:41):
things I can't even say on the air.
Speaker 8 (29:42):
That just it just it was tough. It was a
mental game.
Speaker 9 (29:45):
But once you got to the point where he could
trust you, man, he just loved him me and and
it took me a few years to get there.
Speaker 8 (29:53):
But after that.
Speaker 4 (29:55):
He our relationships flourished. So you come here, you're rookie,
you're winning the defensive line room. Uh did you ever
play the numbers game? Meaning all the time look around?
Who kind of who am I better than? How many
are they gonna keep?
Speaker 9 (30:12):
It wasn't about who was better, though, It was about
how much money they invested in somebody you know labs.
Speaker 4 (30:15):
Well it's about money. Well, it's it's a culmination of both.
Are you worth the money?
Speaker 8 (30:20):
Worth the money?
Speaker 5 (30:21):
Right?
Speaker 9 (30:21):
But like someone like me, who I could I could
be a pretty good player, but they only have twenty
five invested in me as a rookie. That was my
signing Bonus Labs as a rookie twenty five hundred bucks.
Speaker 8 (30:29):
But the other way though is if you're way too.
Speaker 9 (30:32):
Much and you're not very good, right, yeah there, But
there are guys like you know, like the guys that
come in that they give money to and they get
the benefit of the doubt labs as. The way I
always explain it is this, when you're a draft pick,
especially at first for four rounds, Yeah, you got to
come in and you got to prove you can't play.
(30:53):
Every year For me as an undrafted free agent, I
had to come in every year, I had to prove
I could play. It was I had to prove every
single day, every single year, and I meant I I
embraced that, you know, and I embraced that now in
life it's it's it's kind of a mentality that I identity,
that I took on something I had every single day
had to go out.
Speaker 8 (31:13):
And prove who I am.
Speaker 9 (31:14):
And I have that same mentality now and in life
and business and how I raised my kids, how I
approach every single responsibility that I'm given.
Speaker 4 (31:21):
So it was as a rookie, was there ever for
you in aha moment where you go, yeah, I belong here. Wow,
something you did or.
Speaker 9 (31:31):
Yeah, listen, it wasn't anything I did. It was something
that coaches. The coaches said to me, right, I'll tell you.
I'll give you two examples. The first one was I
shared this when I was doing a Q and A
with Marchinsky and with some of the UH the sponsors
earlier the day. And oh one, I came in here
man now the last last time in the depth chart
and three four defense, three defensive lineman.
Speaker 8 (31:52):
We had ten defensive lineman. Came in into the camp.
I was the tenth of ten.
Speaker 5 (31:56):
And there was a number one pick that came in.
Speaker 9 (31:58):
And Rodney Bailey came in, and so I came in
and I was counting numbers like you said, and you know,
I look at this thing and think, okay, hold on,
I'm the tenth out of ten.
Speaker 8 (32:11):
Am I gonna have a chance.
Speaker 9 (32:12):
And then again the first preseason season game Labs against
the Atlanta Falcons were down to Atlanta, and I remember going,
you know, the night before the game, they go through
the rotation substitution for the game and my name was
not called until the second half of the fourth quarter.
I got two series in that game. And so but
I went out there and then that two series, I
(32:33):
had a hit on the quarterback. I had another tackle.
I think I had assistant tackle. And I did my
job and I didn't think I still you know what
does that mean? And I come in the next day
or the two days later, and maybe you have a
special teams meeting with coach Kawer and we're leaving and
I happened just to walk right by him. And usually
when you walk by coach cower Man, you got your
(32:54):
head down, your tail between your legs.
Speaker 8 (32:55):
Man, you don't want yea.
Speaker 9 (32:56):
And he looked at me and goes, oh game, great
job last night. And I said, whoa, this guy knows
my name and he told me great job. And I
got I only probably had eight snaps. And that was
one of those moments labs where I was like, man,
I got an opportunity. And the another one was right
over here on the second field by this goalpost. And
(33:18):
it was after a walkthrough, and it was like a
week or two later, and Tim Lewis was out there decordinator,
remember Tim Lewis, and I was walking around and he goes,
Hoky came here and he pulled them up to me
goes you got a chance is don't bleep it up.
You got a chance to make this team. And it
was those two moments I thought meant I have an opportunity,
(33:41):
and I did end up making the team. I remember
playing the last pieces in the game against the Buffalo
Bills in two thousand and one and thinking this was it,
Like I wanted to steal my jersey, thinking that I
was gonna get sent home and mid team as an
undrafted free agent, and it was.
Speaker 8 (33:55):
It was a grind the first few years, but it
was all worth it.
Speaker 5 (33:58):
So what was cut the on day? Like?
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Because I always thought, you know in football, if they
don't call you and tell you you made the.
Speaker 8 (34:09):
You're not making it.
Speaker 5 (34:10):
Yeah, so you had to wait it out for how long?
Speaker 8 (34:13):
Well my rookie year?
Speaker 5 (34:14):
Yeah, right, I was.
Speaker 9 (34:15):
I was at the at the Hilton, and at the
Hilton the time now it was a Hilton at the time,
changed but it has changed over a few times. And
I remember coming in on the on the bus they
pick up all the rookies and bring them over and
then free agents that didn't have a place to stay
yet and showing up on the South It was the
first year of the south side and I'm sorry. Second year,
(34:37):
first year of Heinz Field was my rookie. Eckert Stadium now,
And I remember walking in labs and and Phil Kreidler
was there, Remember Phil, Phil still around?
Speaker 5 (34:46):
No, Phil retired.
Speaker 8 (34:47):
Phil retired, and.
Speaker 9 (34:50):
He was sitting there and as we walk into the
door to the south side, right of the door, he
was standing right there and he'd point you and say, okay,
you can keep going.
Speaker 8 (34:58):
You go upstairs. You keep going, and you go upstairs.
Speaker 9 (35:01):
And if you were going upstairs, you're done right, you're
going to see keV or me somebody.
Speaker 8 (35:06):
And he said, keep going. You got to go anat
breakfast a pretty cutthrow man. If you if you didn't
make a team, you get no breakfast. You're done, bro,
You're done. Labs.
Speaker 5 (35:14):
They might give you a breakfast yeah, and and it's
a go bo.
Speaker 9 (35:19):
Yeah, and even that, or they might give you two
bucks and say go by yourself with McMuffin at McDonald's.
Speaker 5 (35:23):
You know.
Speaker 8 (35:24):
But uh no.
Speaker 9 (35:25):
But I remember walking in and they pointed and said
you go upstairs. And I thought he pointed at me,
and I went, oh, my heart just dropped, and I
just like and and I turned to go upstairs, and
Phil says.
Speaker 8 (35:37):
No, no, no, you keep going, and I was like, yes,
and I made it.
Speaker 9 (35:41):
But you're right though, when you're after that, when I
when I was here and you have cutdown day, man,
that Sunday was brutal because you had your you would
have your phone on you and you only knew if
you made a team if they didn't call you. And
they cut down time and say it was four pm
on a Sunday, right, and so if you.
Speaker 8 (36:01):
Didn't get a phone call, you made it. But you
gotta wait.
Speaker 9 (36:04):
Me who was kind of like my first years with
a bubble guy, like after my fourth year, and I
started those games and we you know, I played.
Speaker 8 (36:10):
The records I started, Yeah, seventeen to one.
Speaker 9 (36:13):
Yeah, you know that as well as you'd but you
do know that one game they'll laugh for shifting gears here,
but that was out in Oakland.
Speaker 8 (36:21):
You remember that, and we held him like ninety eight
yards toll offense.
Speaker 9 (36:25):
Yeah, and remember Ben Ben had a couple of turnovers
and I think it picked six and you got a
Fumber Triver touchdown.
Speaker 8 (36:30):
We end up losing that game, like.
Speaker 9 (36:33):
I don't know, something to fourteen to three or seventeen
to three or something like that, but we give up
ninety eight yard toll offense was the only loss.
Speaker 8 (36:40):
I had as a starter. Anyways, pretty cool stuff.
Speaker 4 (36:43):
So what advice would you give to a guy like
you described yourself as rookie, the tenth guy on the
depth charter defensive line. Okay, you're gonna sit down with
him and you're gonna give him some advice how to
approach this, how you should go about doing your business
to try to make this thing.
Speaker 9 (37:04):
Well, first of all, I'll give I'll say that, But
first of all, I'll say it's different now than it
was when I played. We had four pre season games,
we had more time and pads. Now there's a lot
more walkthroughs, so you don't have as many opportunities as
I got, right, I had a lot opportunities. I don't
know if Chris Hoak then could have made it now
because of the not as many opportunities to show the
(37:25):
coach that I can do. But what I would say
is you have to be relentless in every aspect. You
have to eat, drink, and sleep football stealer football for
a month. You know when you're out here and when
you go back to the south side because the reality
is you can't make mistakes. And if you make a mistake,
(37:46):
you better correct that dog on mistake right away, not
make it again. Right You have to be dependable, You
have to be stay healthy, be reliable. So take care
of your body, being sure you're in the cult, to
make sure your rehab mixture, you're getting your sleep, doing
all those things, staying hydrated. But you have to be relentless.
You have to come out here and you got to
run to the football. You've got to be physical. And
if you go to the wrong gap labs, you got
to hurt somebody. You got to hit somebody. And so
(38:09):
you you gotta you gotta embrace steel A Steeler who
what a Steeler is? And so what I'd say is
is be dependable, be reliable, and and be relentless and
uh you'll catch somebody's eye real quick.
Speaker 5 (38:24):
Get you out of here on this uh too. Super
bowls awesome.
Speaker 4 (38:29):
Did you ever think when you were when you left
b YU to get on the plane to come here,
that would be you would play on two Super Bowl champions.
Speaker 9 (38:39):
I never thought I'd be blessed to play for the
Pittsburgh Steelers and the Rooneyes. I mean, it's all just
a tremendous blessing. It continues to bless my life every
single day. Never thought I'd be a two to super
Bowl champion, never thought I played. I should have three,
should have beat the Packers Aaron Rodgers, who will see today.
But uh, we should have more if if we didn't
have Spygate.
Speaker 5 (38:58):
But uh, all right, last I agree with you on that.
Speaker 9 (39:00):
But we should have more rings that I should have one,
We should have more rings th and six in the
super Bowl for the Steelers.
Speaker 8 (39:05):
But no, man, it's it's a tremendous blessing.
Speaker 9 (39:08):
And uh and just to be a part of this,
I mean to be part of the Steeler family and
part of this man, this this this organization is a
true blessing to begin. You know, having two super Bowls
binds you to a team, to a city. You know,
I'll always be a two time super Bowl champion for
the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
Well, Chris, thanks so much for giving us this time.
It was a lot of fun. And enjoy your day
of practice today, all.
Speaker 8 (39:33):
Right, brother, appreciate it. Man, appreciate you guys. Got you
do a great job.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
See you like you it's Chris Hoak, two times Super
Bowl champion, and that's going to do it for LABS
and myself. We'll be back again at noon tomorrow for
another edition of the Training Camp Report. Padded Practice for
the Steelers is just about a minute away from getting started,
and we're going to hand things over to Matt Williamson
and west Yuler on the drive and they can take
you all the way through that first padded practice with
the Pittsburgh Steelers. For Bob Labrielle, I'm Tom Opfreman. This
(39:59):
is the Training Camp Report on Fox Sports Pittsburgh nine
seventy am and the Steelers Audio Network.
Iheartradios Live Coverage Job Not twenty twenty five Steelers Training
Camp is presented by Fadex where Now meets Next and
also brought to you by bud Light, Independence Health System,
by Pennsylvania One Call System, by Live Casino, Calciente Pizza
and Drafthouse, by Tom's Appliances, South Hills Auto, Laurel, Highlands
(00:28):
Visitors Bureau, Wemax, Select Realty, the Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Shop,
and by us Steel.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Tom Opferman and Bob Labriola on the Training Camp Report.
First practice in pads for the Steelers is just a
little under an hour from getting started up at Saint
Vincent College. Lavesley talked a lot at the end of
the first hour there about the offensive line, and we
had a little bit of defensive line talk and how
they can swat the balls out of the air in
our first segment of the show today. And those position
(00:58):
groups are real where you can start to tell who's good,
who's not, who improved, who maybe is a little bit
behind when the pads come on. But that's not to
say that all other position groups start to get a
little bit of extra I don't want to say pressure
on them. But there's a little bit more attention paid
to them from the coaching staff. And you know, the
secondary you can tell a little bit from a guy
(01:19):
on on coverage and athleticism.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
But with the.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Steelers corners labs at Porter and Ramsey in particular, those
guys are really physical players and they like to man
up and I think pads going on it is going
to be helpful for them.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Yeah, it is. And you know, in terms of what's
what's on, what's in store today during the practice, you know,
we've talked a lot about backs on backers, I mean,
and it's fun and it's a highlight and you know,
I get all of that, but backs on backers that
the little the little people are not involved in that.
(01:54):
I mean the receivers, the defensive backs, and I use
that you know, I'm will mean seriously little, but you
get what I'm saying. Yeah, but on the schedule today,
after the seven shots and then after backs on backers,
they're gonna do uh wide receivers against dbs one on one.
(02:17):
And if this is the drill that I think this is,
this is a somewhat physical drill as well. It's not
so much you know, one guy's charging it the other
and you know, like backs on backers, one guy has
to make a block and the other guy's trying to
run the block or over. But there is some uh
physicality involved, some hand fighting, you know, those kind of things. So, uh,
(02:44):
I think what we're gonna see throughout this practice. You
know you mentioned the linemen, they have backs on backers,
and then to keep the the theme of the increased
physicality going, we're gonna see some competition between wide receivers
and defense bas uh and so yeah, it's this is
(03:05):
you know you mentioned is this Mike? Is this a
Mike Tomlin Holiday? Now that I look at the practice script,
it certainly seems that, you know, if if he were
Santa Claus, he has a little gift quote unquote for everyone.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Now, you know, the corners can show a little extra physicality,
but safety's position have physicality baked into it. And you know,
Deshaun Elliott and Juan Thornhill or Chuck Clark newly acquired
and they got to come down to that line of
scrimmage labs.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
They got to be willing tacklers a lot.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
So there is definitely some extra attention paid to them
in this period and you know, wan Thornhill has such
a good opportunity in front of him here because we
have seen in the base defense Jalen Ramsey slide to
that safety spot. But you and I both know LABS
NFL defenses live in nickel almost exclusively these days, and
the Steelers are really no exception to that. So one
(03:58):
of these safeties is going to have to find themselves
on the field, and today's a day where they can
make a real big splash.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
Yeah, and you know you mentioned the safeties in particular.
One of the things that you know the safeties, I
believe you know, if you're gonna be in nickel, the
safeties have to be able to play run support and
in the AFC North that means tackling Derrick Henry h
and another, you know, keeping with my theme of you
(04:27):
know what's on tap in terms of the practice, then
after backs on backers and after wide receivers DBS is
a period called team run. And I remember the first
time team run was ever held during a padded practice.
(04:49):
I was standing on the sideline, I know, a couple
of yards away from Kevin Colbert, and nobody knew this
was gonna happen. Nobody except for the players, and then
the coaches who were involved in this at the time,
and Mike Tomlin because they ran a play team run.
(05:12):
I don't know if it was a pitch to Le'Veon
Bell or you know, I mean a toss, or they
just handed it to him and he bounced outside. So
Le'Veon Bell bounces outside and he's running to the sideline
where I was standing with Kevin Colbert and some other people,
and you know, the the defensive backs are coming up,
(05:33):
and you know Le'Veon, you know, is running the other
way towards the sideline. And normally, or every other time
this happened, you know, he would get out of bounds
or cut up field and they would touch him up
as they call it, and you know, the whist would
eventually blow and you do it again.
Speaker 5 (05:53):
Man.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
The dbs came up, Le'Veon lowered his shoulder and it
was like a real football play in a real game, paw,
and I thought Kevin Colbert was going to drop over
of a heart attack. You know, here's your first team
All Pro running back taking a big hit on purpose
in a training camp practice. And then from that point on,
(06:17):
and I remember Mike Toman talking about it afterwards, saying no,
I didn't tell Kevin. I was afraid he would he
would try to talk.
Speaker 5 (06:24):
Me out of it.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Think he would have, yeah.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
Well tried, you know, yeah, of course. So, but ever
since then, the Steelers have had a live tackling period
in their training camps. So I think, you know, team
runs sounds like it to me.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Team run. I don't see what else it could be.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
So it seems like they'll be getting into that a
little bit later today, and that's something to look forward to.
But you're so right about how these safeties need to
be willing in the running game, especially when you look
at some of the opponents that you're going to be
playing this year, specifically Derrick Henry twice in the Baltimore Ravens.
We're gonna hear from Chuck Cla just the second Labs.
But how impressed have you been with him in this
acclamation period where he literally got off a plane, drove
(07:06):
to La Trobe and jumped into practice on Thursday and
has really kind of been thrown into the fire per
se because he's with the second teams. But clearly the
coaching staff thinks that this guy doesn't need much training wheels.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
Yeah, you know, he's obviously a professional, and you know
it's there are some similarities, you know, from team to
team in terms of, you know, what they like to do.
A lot of times the only difference is is in
the what it's called. Like all offenses run, you know,
(07:41):
certain plays with some teams it's called one thing, and
some teams it's called another thing. And so a lot
of times some of the adjustments for these veterans just
has to do with the verbiage. You know, they just
have to be taught that what I used to think
was called this is now called that. It's not like
you're teaching them something from scratch. You're just teaching them,
(08:05):
you know, what the words here mean as opposed to
what the words meant there. And yes, making that kind
of quick assimilation into a new system of you know whatever,
calling it or identifying it is not the hardest thing
in the world. But it should not be taken for
(08:27):
granted either. And so Chuck Clark has not seemed to
me to be in too many situations where he didn't
know what he was doing or didn't know where he
was supposed to be, which I use that as a
huge compliment. So you know, we're gonna have to see
(08:47):
how he continues to develop. He did have that injury
a couple of years ago when he was with the Ravens.
He played last year for the Jets, right, yeah, that's right, Yeah,
the Jets, and a lot of times, you know, in
terms of his statistics, his statistics with the Jets weren't
(09:11):
to the level of his statistics with the Ravens pre injury.
But as I've said a lot of times, and I
even saw this with Rod Woodson. Uh, sometimes the year
after you injure a knee and rehabit and come back,
you're still kind of.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
You know, getting over you gotta trust it, right, it's
the mental side of it.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Well something, Yes, sometimes it's that. Sometimes you know, it's
just it needs to it's all the way back yet
feel right. You need it needs to feel better for you.
Speaker 5 (09:43):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
And so maybe this is what you know Chuck Clark
is going through. You know, maybe the Steelers believe that,
you know, his second time around the track following his
knee surgery, he's going to be more like he was
in his prime, for lack of a better phrase, And
as you mentioned, the Steelers need help there. And so
(10:05):
you know, being able to add a guy like this
at this time of the year low cost in terms
of draft capital, there was none because he was, you know,
out there, and you know it's not a big hit
on your salary cap, so you know, it's it's worth it.
(10:27):
It's worth the uh, it's more than kicking the tires,
but it's it's worth the trial. So so far, so good.
He's looking like a someone who has a lot left
in the tank, still wants to play. Obviously a smart
guy because of what he showed in terms of being
able to hit the ground running, so to speak.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
Right away. So yeah it uh.
Speaker 4 (10:52):
And I also liked the fact that when you add
a guy who play for a rival of yours, because
I remember Mike Tomlin telling Chris Warmly this one time
because he played for the Raves. Steelers I think actually
acquired him in a trade. He told him they didn't
(11:13):
want you. We did. So there's that too. You can
play a little psychological game with them because that's the reality.
I'm sure if the uh, you know, the Steelers play
the Cowboys soon, someone's gonna tell that to George Pickens.
Speaker 5 (11:30):
They didn't want you, we did.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
So someone definitely said it to Patrick Queen before that
first Ravens game last year, because boy was he an
impact there.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
He had a interception in that game.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
Yes, well, and with Patrick Queen it was a little
different because he left as an unrestricted free agent. The
Steelers paid more money than the Ravens either wanted to
or believe they could afford.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
That's bulletin board material.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
Oh absolutely, whoever said that. I was all in favor
of the absolute truth when it comes to that stuff.
But yeah, I do think it's different though, when you
can't pay or won't pay a guy who's a free
agent as opposed to trading someone or cutting someone.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Well, Chuck Clark spoke to the media for the first
time as a Pittsburgh Steeler after Sunday's practice, and he
starts this session by talking about the relationship he has
with Deshaun Elliott and kind of the communication that he
had with him before becoming a Pittsburgh Steeler.
Speaker 6 (12:26):
He just told me, it's a lot of a lot
of history, a lot of football culture here, and I
was actually reaching out to him before it happened, you know, like,
hey put the word in kind of thing. So it
was just keeping back and forth and whatnot, And like
I said, that's my dog right there.
Speaker 7 (12:37):
How long ago with that, I think you said put
in a.
Speaker 6 (12:39):
Good word for a little like well, we was talking
when he got his extension, you know, and just you know,
kind of seeing things that were going on and.
Speaker 7 (12:46):
So or say you were on the street for a
while after last season. What can you tell us about
the process of them bringing you in at this time?
You know there or two when you camp.
Speaker 6 (12:55):
This is the first for me, you know, coming in
this late, you know, having happening to pick up the
play book.
Speaker 7 (13:00):
You know, I know football and that that's one thing
for sure.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
At the end of the day.
Speaker 6 (13:03):
It's just putting terminology to it, you know, in a
different scheme, different concepts, But I know football at the
d the day, I know where to be the secondary.
Speaker 8 (13:11):
Don't have much more experience here than you.
Speaker 5 (13:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (13:14):
Yeah, the leadership dynamics now.
Speaker 6 (13:17):
We definitely got some veteran guys back there. You know,
a lot of guys that bring different intangibles and traits
to the to the room. So I'm excited about it.
Speaker 7 (13:24):
To be able to get in the.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
Mix player you work before twenty.
Speaker 6 (13:27):
Three definitely, definitely, I mean I got hurt, and that's
part of the game.
Speaker 7 (13:32):
You know, you play this game, things are gonna happen.
Speaker 6 (13:33):
You know, I was clean for so long, and you
gotta take what comes with the game, you know, the
upst downs. And I feel like I bounced back good
from that and that's in the history. I mean, that's
in the past. So just keep moving forward, stacking days,
taking care of my body, and you know, let things
happen how they happen.
Speaker 8 (13:50):
That Deshaun also told us yesterday that you came straight
off the plane and came straight to practice.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Do you kind of ride yourself.
Speaker 9 (13:57):
On that just being able to be ar your feet
art do you want to ask you no matter the situation.
Speaker 6 (14:02):
Yeah, I I think that's just part of being a professional.
With me and my approach. Like I said, this offseason
was different than any other for me, you know, training
on my own, just making sure I showed up in shape,
you know, my conditioning and be right and be good.
So I was like, whenever the opportunity come, i'm'a take
it and wrong with it. Like that morning I did
my workout, I'm like, yeah, they they talking about chime
and get you out here, and I'm thinking they well,
(14:23):
they probably think, and I just wanna watch it, but
I'm like, n I wanna get out there in the mix,
you know, Like I said, I know football is just
once I started.
Speaker 7 (14:28):
Putting terminology to it, i'm'a be alright.
Speaker 6 (14:30):
So I I definitely put myself on that, just knowing
that i'm'a be ready and in shape and whatever it takes.
Speaker 8 (14:35):
Kay, what's your port launch? What's that?
Speaker 5 (14:37):
Is it?
Speaker 8 (14:37):
Dearport right up here?
Speaker 5 (14:38):
Or good?
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Mm?
Speaker 5 (14:40):
What I flying? I think? Yeah? I flew in the pit. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (14:42):
Yeah, so I was down at the facility and whatnot
and still had to do the workout and then that
hour drive out here.
Speaker 5 (14:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (14:48):
And you to the point about all the new guys,
just that allow you to kind of catch up.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Paster, because there's a lot of guys in the same boat.
Speaker 5 (14:55):
On day a few days ahead of you. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (14:57):
Like like I said, it's it's a it's a rolling
training and it ain't waiting for nobody the season. It's
almost here, So like you said, you gotta pick it
up and roll. When you look at this secondary, not
just the guys at the top, but also of some
big death guys like Running Eckles and and you coming in.
Speaker 5 (15:11):
And one who ward those guys, who do you think
the potential is for this unit?
Speaker 7 (15:14):
I mean, we can be as good as we wanna be.
Speaker 6 (15:16):
It's it's gonna take everybody, you know, communication going out
there doing it on the field. But you can be
as good as we wanna be. I definitely understand it
what they're saying and what they're asking. Like I said,
just me being in a different space for the past
two three days, you know, picking it up, but I
understand it.
Speaker 7 (15:31):
It's nothing that's unfamiliar or anything.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
You were got a locker room with Aaron Rodgers in
New York cause he have you noticed any differences in
him here.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
In your first couple of days?
Speaker 5 (15:40):
Uh?
Speaker 6 (15:40):
We We We definitely talked, you know about you know,
being over there and being here, But I mean we're
both in new spaces and we just rolling with it.
Speaker 5 (15:49):
Trump where you played for Bornpoorts. You ever Visia Pittsburgh.
Speaker 7 (15:54):
I mean, I to be honest, I I could never
say I did.
Speaker 6 (15:57):
But you know, I understand that this is a business
and and things happened, and you gotta do what you
gotta do if you and then I think it goes
beyond that for me.
Speaker 7 (16:05):
It's my love for the game.
Speaker 6 (16:06):
This is the opportunity for me to continue to play football,
So it's bigger than that.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
At the end of the day, you have any particular
memories or pressures to playing these guys over the year?
Speaker 6 (16:14):
Man, are these games? Rivers Pittsburgh games? Was tough physical games.
I I just remember days after those games everybody being
beat up. So it tough football games. I know, I
know what what what it is with those games.
Speaker 5 (16:25):
How do you how do you fit into that?
Speaker 6 (16:27):
You know?
Speaker 7 (16:27):
Were you an AFC North football player?
Speaker 5 (16:29):
Definitely?
Speaker 7 (16:30):
Definitely, Uh, that's just been me.
Speaker 6 (16:32):
I I've been I was in that conference for the
longest so I'm definitely a tough football player.
Speaker 7 (16:36):
And I I know what this conference.
Speaker 5 (16:40):
Play. Favorite Raven Steelers play. Ooh. I think.
Speaker 7 (16:47):
It was a tight end.
Speaker 6 (16:47):
I can't remember his name, but I had seen him
stiff arm, he still throwing somebody on a Thursday night
game and I was like, that same kind of play
gonna happen, and he he took it for a touchdown.
I was like, that same thing gonna happen, and like
it gonna be in the same situation. Sure enough, it happened.
You tried to do the stuff on tackle and whatnot,
and yeah, that was probably a favorite.
Speaker 8 (17:05):
One said you got here, took a picture of.
Speaker 7 (17:08):
Love and called him out. I just let him and
am in the building. Yeah, thanks, I just.
Speaker 8 (17:15):
Want to I mean, why do you get there? Weren't
more blakes for you in the first couple of waves
of pre agency and why you.
Speaker 6 (17:19):
Did have to wait until I don't I think probably
just the stuff that happened to me last year, rolled
up high ankle and that stuff that you can't control.
Part of the game that's gonna come with it. But
like I said, my approach is gonna be the same
with whether I was on the team or not. I
was gonna be in shape, showing up ready to go
and play football.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Steeler safety Chuck Clark, you know, he's only been there
for like five days and he already referenced a rolling train,
or as Tomlin likes to put in a moving train.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
So he's gonna be just fine. He has no worries here.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
When we come back, Labs and I are gonna kind
of preview what we can expect, what we're looking forward
to in padded practice.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
The first one for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Labs has got his eye on one particular person and
who he might be matching up with in backs on
back Er, So we'll get into that next, and we
got Chris Hoak joined us a little bit later on
in the hour. It's the Training Camp Report with Tom
Opframan and Bob Labriola on Fox Sports Pittsburgh nine seventy
AM and the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Iheartradios. Live coverage of about twenty twenty five Steelers Training
Camp is presented by FedEx where Now meets Next and
also brought to you by CGR Wholesale Roofing and Siding
Supply Center, by Tom's Appliances, by Always Safe Flagging and
Traffic Control, by Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, by Schneider Downs,
(18:42):
by Hassa's Steak and Seahouse, by your Neighborhood Ford Store,
by Castle Rock, by Clearview Federal Credit Union, and by
US Steel.
Speaker 5 (18:53):
Glad.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
As you were going over the practice schedule a little
bit earlier in the hour about the first padded practice
for the Steelers today, would you say it's fair to
label the star of the show almost every year the
backs on Backers drill.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
For me, it is I mean, I I really like that.
I've liked it for a long time. You know, there
are some other things that have you start to grow
on me. I mean, you know, there are versions of
wide receivers DBS one on one that you could almost
call little man backs on backers because it's you know,
(19:31):
similar to that kind of thing.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
But yeah, I you know, and.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
It's only been lately that there have been acclamation days.
I mean, you know, when Chris Hoak shows up, you know,
we'll start talking and I'm sure he's gonna say that,
you know, when I ask him one his first practice
in pads was when he was a rookie, he'd probably
say the first day we got day one.
Speaker 5 (19:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
So but so there's you know, there's a little bit
more I don't know, romance to it a little and
you ramp up to it, build to it. But yeah,
backs on backers and let me say this, Uh, watching
it from down on the field, you know, a few
yards away from where it's actually happening, you could hear
(20:16):
the pads popping. I mean, and there's just been a
lot of things that you see James Harrison do some
things to some people. It's just it's it's very real
it's very violent and it's fun to watch. Uh, I
would hate to be participating in it, but it's fun
(20:36):
to watch.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Is there any matchup that you kind of have your
eye on in particular here for this first session of
back on Backers? Anybody you think Tom's gonna throw through
the ringer?
Speaker 4 (20:45):
Well, I think that Caleb Johnson will be tested. Certainly,
he's gonna be tested, and it's gonna be interesting to
me who Mike Tomlin chooses to go against him, because
there's one there are one of two ways to test
Caleb Johnson, because there are one there are two kinds
(21:07):
of pass rushers that if he's gonna be a third
down back for the Steelers or you know someone who
plays a lot that he's two kinds of pass rushers
did he's gonna have to face there will be guys
who will try to run him over, and then there
will be guys who will try and uh, you know
now you see me, now you don't, so, So that's
(21:32):
why I'm interested to see who he matches him up with.
Is it gonna be someone like t J. Watt who
is more prone to use power, or might it be
somebody like Nick Herbig where you're gonna think you're gonna
have him blocked, and as you go to you, you know,
two hand punch him, he's not there, and you fall
on your face. So I wouldn't say that either one
(21:57):
is more fun than the other for the guy doing
the blocking. But I am interested in seeing how he
reacts to those things because I have no doubt that
Caleb Johnson is willing to do whatever is necessary. But
(22:17):
I just don't think at Iowa he had a lot
of experience and they because they didn't throw the ball
a lot, didn't try to throw the ball a lot,
and unless they were playing Ohio State, I don't know
that he was facing the kind of you know, Ohio
State's best pass rusher might have been Jack Sawyer.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
I was just going to say, we might get a
taste of that matchup again today.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
And all due respect to Jack Sawyer, he's not He's
a fourth outside linebacker on this team. So you know,
my point is the caliber that Caleb, the best possible
caliber player at doing that skill that Caleben saw last year,
(23:01):
is the number four guy on this roster right now.
And again I'm not he's young, and you know, you
hope for think good things for him and everything, but
it's you know, you're it's you're in the big leagues
now for real. Not only in the big leagues, but
some of the best at that are on this ninety
man roster.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
He's also got to show not just with you know,
pass protection in the passing game, he's got to show
an ability to catch the ball out of the backfield too.
And that's again something that in Iowa they just never
really did. When Caleb Johnson got the ball in Iowa,
it was just stuck right into his gut or had
maybe a nice little toss play to him. But in
this level, you're gonna have to be a nice safety
valve for Aaron Rodgers, or you're gonna have to be
who the play is designed to go to on a
(23:43):
swing pass. And he's got to show that he can
do that as well.
Speaker 5 (23:46):
Yeah I haven't. I haven't seen him have much problems
with that part of it.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
I mean he could get a little idea of that
with acclamation.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
Yeah, yeah, I mean I haven't seen him you know,
dropping balls or you know, stumbling around in terms of
you know, getting to the area where he's gonna throw
the ball. In fact, I've seen you know, Aaron Rodgers
actually do some very nice things with arm angles and
stuff to get the ball to him on some screens
that a lesser quarterback may have had to lob it
(24:16):
over someone or you know, throw it behind him or something.
But Aaron Rodgers has shown a knack that he can
get the ball to guys in those situations in stride,
so to speak, without you know, having them have to
wait for it, because you know, when you're waiting for
one of those to come down, you're giving the rest
(24:37):
of that defense a whole lot of running start to
catch up to it. So, yeah, Caleb Johnson, I'm not
gonna say he's the next Le'Veon Bell or Marshall Falk
when it comes to being a receiver out of the backfield,
but I think the past protection thing is going to
be much more critical for him, not only in turn
(25:00):
terms of developing the skills to deal with the different
kinds of pass rushers, but also the recognition because teams
in the NFL will show you what you think is
a pass rush coming from the left, and it comes
from the right, and if those guys are so quick
(25:20):
and fast, if you just take one false step one
way you're too late to get back the other way
to do what you have to do to the guy
coming the other way. So that's the recognition is a
big part of it as well.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
When we come back, we're going to be joined by
Chris Hoak, two time Super Bowl champion with the Steelers.
Always fun to have some Steelers of the past who
are hanging out at camp for the day, come by
the booth, hang out with Labs in myself, so we'll
get to Chris next. It's the Training Camp Report on
Fox Sports Pittsburgh nine seventy AM and the Steelers Audio.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Network Iheartradios live coverage job not twenty twenty five Steelers
Training Camp. He's presented by Fadex 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,
(26:11):
by S and T Bank, Remax Select Realty, by Tom's Appliances,
the Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Shop, by Always Safe Flagging and
Traffic Control, and by us steel.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Always great to wrap up each training camp report that
Labs and myself do by welcoming a former Steeler who's
around for practice that day. To the booth, and today
we welcome two time Super Bowl champion Chris Hoke Aboard. Chris,
thanks so much for giving labs of myself sometime.
Speaker 8 (26:37):
Absolutely, brother, it's great to be with you.
Speaker 5 (26:39):
So let me ask. Let's start with this. You know this,
you've been your first year at this summer resort.
Speaker 8 (26:45):
Known as this is like a country club.
Speaker 5 (26:48):
No, but I mean, what does it look like different?
Speaker 9 (26:52):
You know there there's like a little drawing down here
in the corner of the end zones for you know,
one on ones. It just the fields look better every year.
The environment looks cleaner that you know, in this time
of year, right the first day full pass. The jerseys
look clean. The weather's beautiful. But I'll tell you what, man,
(27:12):
it's it's hot as I'll get out. I means you
said something, you've been with forty one years.
Speaker 5 (27:16):
Out here, forty one living on campus.
Speaker 9 (27:18):
Yeah, think about that. You've spent you spent how many years,
twenty years of your life out here?
Speaker 5 (27:25):
You mean when you add it all up. Yeah, I
don't want to think about.
Speaker 8 (27:28):
It, but yeah, a lot of times you're life out here, man.
Speaker 9 (27:31):
Yeah, think about what you could have no dorms up here,
you could be the one down in the world if
you were on there on adventure.
Speaker 5 (27:37):
Everybody lived in the same.
Speaker 8 (27:38):
I heard stories about that.
Speaker 7 (27:39):
Man.
Speaker 9 (27:40):
My first year I think might have been the first
year of Rooney Hall. Okay, year was that first year
Uney Hall? You know, I don't know, I don't I
think when my first year is oh one? Okay, And
I remember when I was in Rouney Hall. I believe
it was the first year. But man, listen, we didn't
have the turf field down here right back in the day.
Speaker 8 (27:57):
Now we rain.
Speaker 9 (27:59):
We just practiced in the sloppy old field. Right now
they have the turf fields and that that came probably
the last few years of my career. But these fields, remember,
they weren't drained like this.
Speaker 8 (28:09):
Now you got them.
Speaker 9 (28:09):
Crowned where the water runs off onto the sideline. Back
then they didn't have them. You remember that year we're
just talking about it.
Speaker 8 (28:15):
What year was that?
Speaker 5 (28:16):
Three o two, three oh three.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
The summer of the Field of Dreams when they cleared
the corn up by the parking lot.
Speaker 9 (28:23):
Yes, and they tell you something louds The crazy thing was.
I mean, I don't know if they do that now,
but we had like priests from here and the minutes.
Speaker 8 (28:30):
Out and the lines doing warm ups with us.
Speaker 9 (28:33):
You remember that they were out there doing high knees
and stuff like umber a couple of times being like,
what is going on here? We had, you know, a
couple of priests out there, older guys, and it was
just a different world. Back to the man, it was
a grind back then. I mean you talk about now
with the new CBA and everything. I mean we back
in on one two oh three, we were doing two
a day's full pass for the first week.
Speaker 4 (28:54):
So you mentioned one you arrived as an undrafted rookie
that year. Your defensive line coach was John Mitchell. John Mitchell,
how would you describe him to someone who you know
as a coach, as a guy, how to treat you guys?
Speaker 5 (29:08):
Well?
Speaker 9 (29:08):
First of all, we say, now, one of the greatest
men I know. I mean, just an incredible person, incredible man,
father figure in my life. And I played for him
for eleven years, and back then I didn't like him
very much.
Speaker 8 (29:18):
He was tough.
Speaker 9 (29:19):
He was tough, and he would ride you and tell
you prove you proved to him that you could play
when the lights came on. He only knew you by
number he didn't call you hokey. He didn't call you.
He called you seventy six. And he would say this
stuff to just demoralize. You'd be like, man, hokey, about
time to cut the fat man, you know, and he'd
just tell you that, you know, there's just so many
(29:41):
things I can't even say on the air.
Speaker 8 (29:42):
That just it just it was tough. It was a
mental game.
Speaker 9 (29:45):
But once you got to the point where he could
trust you, man, he just loved him me and and
it took me a few years to get there.
Speaker 8 (29:53):
But after that.
Speaker 4 (29:55):
He our relationships flourished. So you come here, you're rookie,
you're winning the defensive line room. Uh did you ever
play the numbers game? Meaning all the time look around?
Who kind of who am I better than? How many
are they gonna keep?
Speaker 9 (30:12):
It wasn't about who was better, though, It was about
how much money they invested in somebody you know labs.
Speaker 4 (30:15):
Well it's about money. Well, it's it's a culmination of both.
Are you worth the money?
Speaker 8 (30:20):
Worth the money?
Speaker 5 (30:21):
Right?
Speaker 9 (30:21):
But like someone like me, who I could I could
be a pretty good player, but they only have twenty
five invested in me as a rookie. That was my
signing Bonus Labs as a rookie twenty five hundred bucks.
Speaker 8 (30:29):
But the other way though is if you're way too.
Speaker 9 (30:32):
Much and you're not very good, right, yeah there, But
there are guys like you know, like the guys that
come in that they give money to and they get
the benefit of the doubt labs as. The way I
always explain it is this, when you're a draft pick,
especially at first for four rounds, Yeah, you got to
come in and you got to prove you can't play.
(30:53):
Every year For me as an undrafted free agent, I
had to come in every year, I had to prove
I could play. It was I had to prove every
single day, every single year, and I meant I I
embraced that, you know, and I embraced that now in
life it's it's it's kind of a mentality that I identity,
that I took on something I had every single day
had to go out.
Speaker 8 (31:13):
And prove who I am.
Speaker 9 (31:14):
And I have that same mentality now and in life
and business and how I raised my kids, how I
approach every single responsibility that I'm given.
Speaker 4 (31:21):
So it was as a rookie, was there ever for
you in aha moment where you go, yeah, I belong here. Wow,
something you did or.
Speaker 9 (31:31):
Yeah, listen, it wasn't anything I did. It was something
that coaches. The coaches said to me, right, I'll tell you.
I'll give you two examples. The first one was I
shared this when I was doing a Q and A
with Marchinsky and with some of the UH the sponsors
earlier the day. And oh one, I came in here
man now the last last time in the depth chart
and three four defense, three defensive lineman.
Speaker 8 (31:52):
We had ten defensive lineman. Came in into the camp.
I was the tenth of ten.
Speaker 5 (31:56):
And there was a number one pick that came in.
Speaker 9 (31:58):
And Rodney Bailey came in, and so I came in
and I was counting numbers like you said, and you know,
I look at this thing and think, okay, hold on,
I'm the tenth out of ten.
Speaker 8 (32:11):
Am I gonna have a chance.
Speaker 9 (32:12):
And then again the first preseason season game Labs against
the Atlanta Falcons were down to Atlanta, and I remember going,
you know, the night before the game, they go through
the rotation substitution for the game and my name was
not called until the second half of the fourth quarter.
I got two series in that game. And so but
I went out there and then that two series, I
(32:33):
had a hit on the quarterback. I had another tackle.
I think I had assistant tackle. And I did my
job and I didn't think I still you know what
does that mean? And I come in the next day
or the two days later, and maybe you have a
special teams meeting with coach Kawer and we're leaving and
I happened just to walk right by him. And usually
when you walk by coach cower Man, you got your
(32:54):
head down, your tail between your legs.
Speaker 8 (32:55):
Man, you don't want yea.
Speaker 9 (32:56):
And he looked at me and goes, oh game, great
job last night. And I said, whoa, this guy knows
my name and he told me great job. And I
got I only probably had eight snaps. And that was
one of those moments labs where I was like, man,
I got an opportunity. And the another one was right
over here on the second field by this goalpost. And
(33:18):
it was after a walkthrough, and it was like a
week or two later, and Tim Lewis was out there decordinator,
remember Tim Lewis, and I was walking around and he goes,
Hoky came here and he pulled them up to me
goes you got a chance is don't bleep it up.
You got a chance to make this team. And it
was those two moments I thought meant I have an opportunity,
(33:41):
and I did end up making the team. I remember
playing the last pieces in the game against the Buffalo
Bills in two thousand and one and thinking this was it,
Like I wanted to steal my jersey, thinking that I
was gonna get sent home and mid team as an
undrafted free agent, and it was.
Speaker 8 (33:55):
It was a grind the first few years, but it
was all worth it.
Speaker 5 (33:58):
So what was cut the on day? Like?
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Because I always thought, you know in football, if they
don't call you and tell you you made the.
Speaker 8 (34:09):
You're not making it.
Speaker 5 (34:10):
Yeah, so you had to wait it out for how long?
Speaker 8 (34:13):
Well my rookie year?
Speaker 5 (34:14):
Yeah, right, I was.
Speaker 9 (34:15):
I was at the at the Hilton, and at the
Hilton the time now it was a Hilton at the time,
changed but it has changed over a few times. And
I remember coming in on the on the bus they
pick up all the rookies and bring them over and
then free agents that didn't have a place to stay
yet and showing up on the South It was the
first year of the south side and I'm sorry. Second year,
(34:37):
first year of Heinz Field was my rookie. Eckert Stadium now,
And I remember walking in labs and and Phil Kreidler
was there, Remember Phil, Phil still around?
Speaker 5 (34:46):
No, Phil retired.
Speaker 8 (34:47):
Phil retired, and.
Speaker 9 (34:50):
He was sitting there and as we walk into the
door to the south side, right of the door, he
was standing right there and he'd point you and say, okay,
you can keep going.
Speaker 8 (34:58):
You go upstairs. You keep going, and you go upstairs.
Speaker 9 (35:01):
And if you were going upstairs, you're done right, you're
going to see keV or me somebody.
Speaker 8 (35:06):
And he said, keep going. You got to go anat
breakfast a pretty cutthrow man. If you if you didn't
make a team, you get no breakfast. You're done, bro,
You're done. Labs.
Speaker 5 (35:14):
They might give you a breakfast yeah, and and it's
a go bo.
Speaker 9 (35:19):
Yeah, and even that, or they might give you two
bucks and say go by yourself with McMuffin at McDonald's.
Speaker 5 (35:23):
You know.
Speaker 8 (35:24):
But uh no.
Speaker 9 (35:25):
But I remember walking in and they pointed and said
you go upstairs. And I thought he pointed at me,
and I went, oh, my heart just dropped, and I
just like and and I turned to go upstairs, and
Phil says.
Speaker 8 (35:37):
No, no, no, you keep going, and I was like, yes,
and I made it.
Speaker 9 (35:41):
But you're right though, when you're after that, when I
when I was here and you have cutdown day, man,
that Sunday was brutal because you had your you would
have your phone on you and you only knew if
you made a team if they didn't call you. And
they cut down time and say it was four pm
on a Sunday, right, and so if you.
Speaker 8 (36:01):
Didn't get a phone call, you made it. But you
gotta wait.
Speaker 9 (36:04):
Me who was kind of like my first years with
a bubble guy, like after my fourth year, and I
started those games and we you know, I played.
Speaker 8 (36:10):
The records I started, Yeah, seventeen to one.
Speaker 9 (36:13):
Yeah, you know that as well as you'd but you
do know that one game they'll laugh for shifting gears here,
but that was out in Oakland.
Speaker 8 (36:21):
You remember that, and we held him like ninety eight
yards toll offense.
Speaker 9 (36:25):
Yeah, and remember Ben Ben had a couple of turnovers
and I think it picked six and you got a
Fumber Triver touchdown.
Speaker 8 (36:30):
We end up losing that game, like.
Speaker 9 (36:33):
I don't know, something to fourteen to three or seventeen
to three or something like that, but we give up
ninety eight yard toll offense was the only loss.
Speaker 8 (36:40):
I had as a starter. Anyways, pretty cool stuff.
Speaker 4 (36:43):
So what advice would you give to a guy like
you described yourself as rookie, the tenth guy on the
depth charter defensive line. Okay, you're gonna sit down with
him and you're gonna give him some advice how to
approach this, how you should go about doing your business
to try to make this thing.
Speaker 9 (37:04):
Well, first of all, I'll give I'll say that, But
first of all, I'll say it's different now than it
was when I played. We had four pre season games,
we had more time and pads. Now there's a lot
more walkthroughs, so you don't have as many opportunities as
I got, right, I had a lot opportunities. I don't
know if Chris Hoak then could have made it now
because of the not as many opportunities to show the
(37:25):
coach that I can do. But what I would say
is you have to be relentless in every aspect. You
have to eat, drink, and sleep football stealer football for
a month. You know when you're out here and when
you go back to the south side because the reality
is you can't make mistakes. And if you make a mistake,
(37:46):
you better correct that dog on mistake right away, not
make it again. Right You have to be dependable, You
have to be stay healthy, be reliable. So take care
of your body, being sure you're in the cult, to
make sure your rehab mixture, you're getting your sleep, doing
all those things, staying hydrated. But you have to be relentless.
You have to come out here and you got to
run to the football. You've got to be physical. And
if you go to the wrong gap labs, you got
to hurt somebody. You got to hit somebody. And so
(38:09):
you you gotta you gotta embrace steel A Steeler who
what a Steeler is? And so what I'd say is
is be dependable, be reliable, and and be relentless and
uh you'll catch somebody's eye real quick.
Speaker 5 (38:24):
Get you out of here on this uh too. Super
bowls awesome.
Speaker 4 (38:29):
Did you ever think when you were when you left
b YU to get on the plane to come here,
that would be you would play on two Super Bowl champions.
Speaker 9 (38:39):
I never thought I'd be blessed to play for the
Pittsburgh Steelers and the Rooneyes. I mean, it's all just
a tremendous blessing. It continues to bless my life every
single day. Never thought I'd be a two to super
Bowl champion, never thought I played. I should have three,
should have beat the Packers Aaron Rodgers, who will see today.
But uh, we should have more if if we didn't
have Spygate.
Speaker 5 (38:58):
But uh, all right, last I agree with you on that.
Speaker 9 (39:00):
But we should have more rings that I should have one,
We should have more rings th and six in the
super Bowl for the Steelers.
Speaker 8 (39:05):
But no, man, it's it's a tremendous blessing.
Speaker 9 (39:08):
And uh and just to be a part of this,
I mean to be part of the Steeler family and
part of this man, this this this organization is a
true blessing to begin. You know, having two super Bowls
binds you to a team, to a city. You know,
I'll always be a two time super Bowl champion for
the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
Well, Chris, thanks so much for giving us this time.
It was a lot of fun. And enjoy your day
of practice today, all.
Speaker 8 (39:33):
Right, brother, appreciate it. Man, appreciate you guys. Got you
do a great job.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
See you like you it's Chris Hoak, two times Super
Bowl champion, and that's going to do it for LABS
and myself. We'll be back again at noon tomorrow for
another edition of the Training Camp Report. Padded Practice for
the Steelers is just about a minute away from getting started,
and we're going to hand things over to Matt Williamson
and west Yuler on the drive and they can take
you all the way through that first padded practice with
the Pittsburgh Steelers. For Bob Labrielle, I'm Tom Opfreman. This
(39:59):
is the Training Camp Report on Fox Sports Pittsburgh nine
seventy am and the Steelers Audio Network.
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