Handful of Steelers arrive at team facility
PITTSBURGH (AP) 鈥� Sure, there weren鈥檛 any high-intensity cardiovascular workouts, no comprehensive study of playbook intricacies, no formal weightlifting. And certainly nothing close to a full-pads practice.
But that didn鈥檛 matter to Pittsburgh Steelers second-year receiver Emmanuel Sanders. All he cared about on Tuesday was the fact that, at last, the Steelers had removed the metaphorical locks from the doors of the team鈥檚 complex on the city鈥檚 South Side.
鈥淚 am just happy to be back in the facility,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd be around the coaches and be around the team.鈥�
One day after the NFL and its players鈥� union announced the end of the 4 1-2 month lockout, Sanders was one of almost a dozen Steelers veterans 鈥� along with several rookies 鈥� who made an appearance.
The veterans showing up was more, well, for show than anything else.
Sanders arrived not long after fellow young receiver Antonio Brown did the same just after the 10 a.m. league-mandated official opening. The two good friends left at roughly the same time, too, after no more than two hours at the complex.
鈥淲e threw out on the field and ran a couple of routes,鈥� Sanders said. 鈥淎nd I beat (reserve cornerback Crezdon Butler) in ping pong. That鈥檚 about it.鈥�
All-Pro linebacker James Harrison was the first player seen to arrive 鈥� but he spent only a few minutes unloading his red pickup truck. Embroiled in a controversy after making some off-color remarks targeting NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to Men鈥檚 Journal magazine earlier this month, Harrison did not speak to reporters.
Neither did another Steeler who found himself in hot water after offseason comments, running back Rashard Mendenhall.
Officially, the Steelers did not allow the media from speaking with any of their players or coaches while on team property Tuesday. But some players exchanged informal pleasantries with the media, as well as with teammates and other team employees.
鈥淛ust being back and seeing all the coaches and your teammates is pretty exciting,鈥� Brown said from his black Jeep at the entrance to the complex鈥檚 parking lot.
Other veterans on the premises Tuesday included defensive end Brett Keisel 鈥� his beard significantly shorter than it was during February鈥檚 Super Bowl 鈥� as well as Pittsburgh鈥檚 two starting guards from that 31-25 loss to the Green Bay Packers, Ramon Foster and Chris Kemoeatu.
Coach Mike Tomlin waved to reporters as he walked through the parking lot, and offensive coordinator Bruce Arians chatted informally while sitting in his convertible on his way out of the complex.
More than a dozen rookies showed up, some of them visiting the team鈥檚 facility for the first time. Pittsburgh announced the signing of 18 undrafted free agents on Tuesday, and several slowly trickled into the facility. Director of football operations Kevin Colbert introduced a group of them to team chairman emeritus Dan Rooney during lunch in the cafeteria.
While, at times, negotiations between the league and its players became contentious, Steelers players鈥� union representative Ryan Clark said there won鈥檛 be any lingering effects in the relationship between the players and the Rooney family.
During his weekly morning show appearance on KDKA-FM in Pittsburgh, Clark said that after the new collective bargaining agreement was announced, Steelers president Art Rooney II thanked Clark for representing the team鈥檚 players.
鈥淭he only owners I care about are the Rooneys,鈥� Clark said on the radio show. 鈥淎s far as we鈥檙e concerned, we鈥檙e collectively ready to win championships. I鈥檓 ready for (Rooney) to give us his speech at the beginning of camp, and we鈥檙e ready to go out and work.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e been good to us, and the deal is a good deal. It鈥檚 not like they just put it out there and didn鈥檛 give us anything 鈥� It鈥檚 time to play football and just put this all behind us.鈥�
NOTES: Each of the team鈥檚 seven draft picks showed up at the facility Tuesday. In another peculiar feature of this unusual set of circumstances, they can work out now, but will not be permitted to report to training camp if they do not sign by Thursday. 鈥� Among the rookie free agents signed, four were wide receivers.