Pittsburgh Steelers News

When it counts, Manning bows to Ben
"In the NFL's biggest game, on its grandest stage, I'll take Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger over Indianapolis Colts' wunderkind Peyton Manning to win a Super Bowl. The Colts' 31-17 loss to New Orleans in Super Bowl XLIV, in which Manning was statistically brilliant but flawed in the clutch, highlighted critical differences between two iconic players who are successful despite wildly contrasting styles. Manning has few peers in regards to family pedigree and gaudy statistics. His father, Archie, was a star quarterback with the Saints before the team's current quarterback, Drew Brees, was born. Younger brother Eli was the MVP of Super Bowl XLII with the New York Giants. Peyton is the ..."
Bettis has storybook ending
"Funny, what former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis remembers most about Super Bowl XL in Detroit. It's not being sent out alone by his adoring teammates for the pregame introductions at Detroit's Ford Field, one of the great honors in the history of Pittsburgh sports. It's not holding up the Lombardi Trophy high in the air and the falling confetti after the Steelers' 21-10 win against the Seattle Seahawks and telling the delirious crowd in black and gold, "One for the thumb!" It's not even announcing his retirement in the bedlam on the field after a 13-year career that surely will take him to Canton, Ohio, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he's eligible for induction next year. ..."
Roethlisberger broke many of the team's passing records en route to 2 NFL crowns
"Imagine what might have occurred in the past decade had the Steelers drafted offensive lineman Shawn Andrews in the first round in 2004 instead of Ben Roethlisberger. That was their intention, until Dan Rooney stepped in. Rooney, in his 2007 autobiography, wrote that as the countdown to the 11th pick of the '04 draft continued "our people seemed to have focused on Shawn Andrews, a big offensive tackle from Arkansas as our likely number-one pick. "But when our turn came, I couldn't bear the thought of passing on another great quarterback prospect the way we had passed on Dan Marino in 1983, so I steered the conversation around to Roethlisberger. After some more talk, we came to a consensus ..."
Dick LeBeau makes Hall of Fame
"The 33-year wait for Dick LeBeau to become a Hall of Famer ended on Saturday when the former Bengals head coach was elected as a senior nominee. He is the fourth player or coach with some type of ties to the Bengals to be elected to Canton. The others are Paul Brown, tackle Anthony Munoz and wide receiver Charlie Joiner. "They say anything worth happening is worth waiting for," LeBeau said after hearing that he was elected. "I can't express how happy I am that the moment is finally here. It can't be any more rewarding. To have my name besides the members of this class is truly humbling." Even though it was almost a certainty that he would be elected, LeBeau was not in South Florida and ..."
LeBeau, Grimm headed to Hall of Fame
"Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau has been voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well as Scottdale native and former Steelers assistant coach Russ Grimm. The two are among the seven that will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Aug. 7 in Canton, Ohio. Heading the Hall of Fame class of 2010 are wide receiver Jerry Rice and running back Emmitt Smith. Joining them as modern-day selections are Grimm, a former Washington Redskins and Pitt standout, defensive tackle John Randle and linebacker Rickey Jackson, who also starred at Pitt. Running back Floyd Little joins LeBeau as the two veterans committee selections in this year's class."
For Steelers, it was another Super decade
"Just before the Steelers made Super Bowl history in Florida a year ago, safety Ryan Clark talked about how Pittsburgh's psyche is governed by football. "The mood of the city is set by what we do. If we lose, Monday's a terrible day," he said. By extension, if the Steelers lose so often that they miss the playoffs, it makes for a terrible, terrible winter. And was it mere coincidence that a new Ice Age arrived just as the Steelers dropped their fifth consecutive game and failed to score a touchdown in a loss to the Browns? Like footballs, mood swings can take baffling bounces. One moment, somebody is renaming the place Sixburgh, and the next, a cousin in Cleveland is rubbing it in about ..."
Roethlisberger broke many of the team's passing records en route to 2 NFL crowns
"Imagine what might have occurred in the past decade had the Steelers drafted offensive lineman Shawn Andrews in the first round in 2004 instead of Ben Roethlisberger. That was their intention, until Dan Rooney stepped in. Rooney, in his 2007 autobiography, wrote that as the countdown to the 11th pick of the '04 draft continued "our people seemed to have focused on Shawn Andrews, a big offensive tackle from Arkansas as our likely number-one pick. "But when our turn came, I couldn't bear the thought of passing on another great quarterback prospect the way we had passed on Dan Marino in 1983, so I steered the conversation around to Roethlisberger. After some more talk, we came to a consensus ..."
Copying of Steelers continues
"Making longtime Steelers employee Doug Whaley their assistant general manager was a stroke a genius for a franchise seeking to emulate one of the NFL's most successful organizations. If the Bills couldn't hire Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert, then who better to steal away than Colbert's right-hand man? Whaley was a part of two Super Bowl teams and brings a wealth of scouting and personnel knowledge to the Bills, who haven't gone to the playoffs since 1999. The Upper St. Clair and Pitt product is Buffalo's second major hire with Steelers connections since the end of the regular season. After failing to woo former Steelers coach Bill Cowher, the Bills settled on former ..."
NFL players preparing for 2011 lockout
"As collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the NFL Players Association and the NFL owners continue to drag, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said he expects the owners to lock out the players before the 2011 season. Chad Ochocinco, representing OCNN, asked the first question of a press conference this afternoon in which the NFLPA laid out their message. He asked Smith how worried he is about a lockout next season. "On a scale of 1 to 10," Smith said, "it's a 14." Smith said he and NFLPA president Kevin Mawae have informed players to save 25 percent of their paychecks in order to prepare for a lockout. Mawae said negotiations for a CBA have been "frustrating" and moved ..."
Franchise tag means big payday for Hampton
"If the Steelers use a franchise tag on nose tackle Casey Hampton they will have to offer the unrestricted free agent a one-year deal worth just over $7.7 million. That represents the average of the top five salaries for defensive tackles in 2009, a figure that the National Football Players' Association released Thursday. Hampton, who made $6.45 million last season, told the Tribune-Review last week that there will "be a problem" if the Steelers use a franchise tag on him. Hampton, 32, said he wants the Steelers to sign him to a long-term contract or let him test the market without any restrictions."
Steelers Hall of Famer Bill Dudley dies
"Bill Dudley, the last Steelers' running back to lead the NFL in rushing, has died after a short illness at his home in Lynchburg, Va. He was 88. Known as "Bullet Bill," Dudley was the Steelers' No. 1 pick in the 1942 draft, and he led the league in rushing as a rookie. He played three of his nine seasons with the Steelers, and also served in the Army from 1943-1944 as a B-25 and B-29 pilot in the Pacific during World War II. In 1946, Dudley led the league in rushing, interceptions and punt returns and was named NFL most valuable player. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966. "We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Bill Dudley," Steelers president Art Rooney II ..."
Former Steelers star Dawson awaits Hall call
"All it took, Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist Dermontti Dawson recalled, was some smooth talking on his part, along with his coaches' willingness to listen. The year was 1992, and Dawson, entering his fourth season as a starter on the Steelers' offensive line, approached first-year coach Bill Cowher and new offensive coordinator Ron Erhardt about a better way to utilize his rare blend of strength and quickness by allowing him to become a pulling center. Up to that point, centers were mostly stationary linemen who dropped into pass-blocking formation or thudded into defensive linemen to open holes in the running game. What Dawson proposed was radical. On certain runs, Dawson would execute ..."
Steelers' Ward finds February is for dogs this year
"In one year, Hines Ward has gone from the Super Bowl to the Dog Bowl, and it's as much reality as it is a state of mind for him. The Steelers' standout wide receiver agreed to judge Dog Bowl 2010 Thursday in Miami along with a radio "personality" named DJ Eddie-E and a dog trainer. They were to pick the MVP (Most Valuable Pooch) from the 75 dogs demonstrating a range of football tricks including a touchdown celebration dance. Ward gave his best why-did-I-do-this response to the difference from one year to the next. "Oh, man, it definitely stinks, to be honest," Ward said in a low tone. He does not even own a dog, but these are dog days for him and his teammates who failed to make the NFL ..."
Steelers scouting director takes Buffalo job
"Calling it the toughest decision he has ever had to make, Steelers pro scouting coordinator Doug Whaley is leaving after 10 years to become assistant general manager for the Buffalo Bills. Whaley, a native of Upper St. Clair who was a safety and linebacker at Pitt (1990-94), is headed to an organization that already has some Steelers flavor. The Bills' vice president of college scouting is Tom Modrak, former scouting director for the Steelers, and their new head coach is former Steelers offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. "It was a gut-wrenching decision," said Whaley, 37. "I never had a tougher decision in my life. The Rooneys, [director of football operations] Kevin Colbert, everybody -- ..."
Steelers' LeBeau is on cusp of immortality
"True story: Dick LeBeau once ate at least one cheeseburger for 367 consecutive days simply because he likes them. Just as indicative - and less of an indictment - of youth is the record 171 consecutive games LeBeau played in as a cornerback for the Detroit Lions from 1959-72. The latter streak, among other accomplishments, should help LeBeau, 72, finally gain entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Steelers' defensive coordinator is a finalist for football immortality, and if he gets voted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday, only one question will remain: What took so long? LeBeau is third among NFL cornerbacks in career interceptions (62). He also earned a reputation as a sure ..."
Whaley leaves Steelers for position with Bills
"Steelers pro scouting coordinator Doug Whaley will become the Buffalo Bills' new assistant general manager, according to multiple media reports. Whaley was responsible for scouting Steelers opponents and evaluating pro players. Before joining the Steelers, he was an area scout with the Seattle Seahawks."
Bettis: Steelers will hit their stride if they run the ball
"Jerome Bettis weaved through traffic at the Super Bowl as if he never retired from the game, although he was stopped a few times Wednesday. The field spread before him was the famous "radio row" at the Super Bowl media headquarters, where Bettis hopped from station to station as a pitchman for Monster.com this week. The jobs he wanted to talk about most, though, belong to the Steelers, specifically those who work on their running game. The Bus did not need team president Art Rooney II to inform him the Steelers need a better running game if they are to return to the Super Bowl. "The problem the Steelers have is they weren't built to throw the football 40 times," said Bettis, who keeps ..."
Steelers' scouting coordinator takes assistant GM post for Bills
"Steelers pro scouting coordinator Doug Whaley has accepted a job as the assistant general manager for the Buffalo Bills. Whaley is in his 10th year with the Steelers."
Moore a guiding force for Colts QB Manning
"The man behind The Man didn't draw nearly the crowd that Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning attracted Tuesday at Sun Life Stadium. Staying in the background, as much as one can even at a toned-down Super Bowl Media Day, suited Tom Moore just fine. The former Steelers offensive coordinator has, in fact, made a career of it. That is not to say Moore has gone unnoticed. His latest and perhaps last stop has cemented his reputation as a top NFL assistant coach. And Moore's influence on Manning is a reason why the Colts are poised to win their second Super Bowl in the past four years. "I don't know if there will ever be an assistant coach in the Hall of Fame," said Manning, who will ..."
Former Steelers coach Moore guiding Colts' offense
"He sounds like Jimmy Stewart and preaches the simple philosophy. You would never know Tom Moore as the mad scientist behind Peyton Manning and all those football hieroglyphics that take place at the line of scrimmage every time the Indianapolis Colts get ready to snap the ball. You might especially find it bemusing if you watched the Steelers force Moore out of his job as their offensive coordinator after the 1989 season because his style was too stodgy. The fact he coordinates the NFL's cutting-edge offense with the Colts and has teamed with Manning his whole career in Indianapolis has to be sweet revenge for Moore, 71. Yet he would admit to none of that yesterday as he relaxed in a seat ..."
LeBeau's Hall chances looking good
"This looks like the year that Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau receives his long overdue induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. LeBeau is one of two Senior Committee nominees - Broncos running back Floyd Little is the other - and that makes him a finalist for the Hall of Fame for the first time. The significance of "getting into the room," as it is called, is a presenter will make LeBeau's case to the rest of the Hall of Fame voters. Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News will be able to make a strong argument that LeBeau deserves a place among the all-time greats in Canton even though the latter's candidacy is based solely on what he did as a player."
Steelers' free agents as good as gone
"Leave it to always-blunt veteran nose tackle Casey Hampton to say what the Steelers won't about the team's offseason plans to re-sign some of their unrestricted free agents. During an interview with the Tribune-Review last week, Hampton said he wants to finish his career with the team that drafted him in 2001. He also said the Steelers passed up the opportunity to re-sign him last offseason, so why should he turn cartwheels (picture that visual, if you will) for the chance to stay with the team that no longer considers him a priority? "You didn't feel that strong about signing me before the season, so why is it such a big issue for you to try to keep me now?" Hampton responded. Talk about ..."
Steelers commit to re-establishing run
"The New York Jets led the NFL in rushing this season by following a similar approach to one taken by the Steelers in 2004. Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca played on both teams, and he might have trouble recognizing his former one. The Steelers passed the ball 56 percent of the time in 2009 -- they passed more than any other Steelers team in the 2000s -- and that stands in stark contrast to the team running the ball 68 percent of the time in 2004. Such a discrepancy may show how far the Steelers have strayed from the philosophy of pounding opposing teams with the run -- and from themselves, as team president Art Rooney II recently suggested. Rooney said one of the top Steelers' top priorities ..."
Steelers flag flies over Iraq
"As someone who set up free Internet cafes that allowed U.S. soldiers to contact their families from Iraq, Justin Burtosky enjoyed a job that brought smiles to the troops during breaks in combat. When the Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII, the 33-year-old from Ligonier commemorated the occasion by flying a flag adorned with the team's helmet at the highest point of Camp Taji, just north of Baghdad, where elements of a Pennsylvania National Guard brigade were stationed. "The base is full of people from Pennsylvania, and it was a party for the Super Bowl," said Burtosky, who was embedded there for three years while working as a satellite communications and IT specialist for a military defense ..."
Woodley: Defense to blame for blowing leads
"The Steelers regularly started seven players on defense last season who were at least 30 years old. They lost five games that they led in the fourth quarter. Fatigue could serve as a link between the two. One thing outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley dismissed, however, is the notion that the defense would have been fresher in the fourth quarter had the Steelers run the ball more in 2009. That would have kept the defense off the field for longer stretches. "They did what they were supposed to do," Woodley said of the offense. "It was our fault for letting teams score in the fourth quarter. No one to blame but ourselves." One statistic in particular may back up Woodley's assertion. The ..."
Dwight White's family files wrongful death lawsuit
"The family of the late Pittsburgh Steelers star Dwight White has filed a malpractice and wrongful death lawsuit against UPMC and its top neurosurgeon, Dr. Joseph C. Maroon. In the 18-page complaint filed today in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, White's widow, Karen, and his daughter, Stacey, charged that doctors and other staff failed to properly diagnose and treat White when he suffered a pulmonary embolism following routine back surgery. Family attorney Arthur L. Schwarzwaelder said White's treatment was "a sad story of missed opportunities resulting in an entirely preventable death." White, who had been a patient of Maroon's for at least 11 years, underwent surgery for a herniated ..."
Lawsuit filed in former Steelers player's death
"A lawyer representing the family of former Steelers player Dwight White filed a wrongful death suit today against UPMC Presbyterian, UPMC Health System and three UPMC doctors, claiming that negligence and miscommunication led to the famed defensive end's death in 2008. Art Schwarzwaelder, the lawyer for Mr. White's family, said that Mr. White was healthy before he underwent back surgery for a herniated disc and died less than a month later. He was 58. A UPMC representative could not be reached for comment. Mr. Schwarzwaelder said that Mr. White was initially hospitalized for a routine surgery on May 12, 2008. He said that after Mr. White came home, his condition worsened until his wife ..."
Opponents' fear of Harrison helps Steelers
"James Harrison generally has as much use for excuses as he does quarterback protection rules. But the Steelers' no-nonsense outside linebacker said there are reasons why his sack total dipped from a team-record 16 in 2008 to 10 last season. "I started dropping a little more in coverage, would show blitz, and when I normally go, I didn't go," said Harrison, who played in his third consecutive Pro Bowl Sunday night. "They'd do things on my side and end up leaving (LaMarr Woodley) open. And 'Wood' came through for us at the end of the season." The question now is whether Harrison, who didn't have a sack in the Steelers' final six games last season, will be as dominant as he was in 2008. ..."
Polamalu named to All-Decade team
"Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu has been named to the NFL's All-Decade team. Polamalu is the only Steelers player on the 53-man squad, which was picked by the Pro Football Hall of Fame voters. Two former Steelers, outside linebacker Joey Porter and Alan Faneca, are also on the team. Polamalu had been selected to five straight Pro Bowls prior to this season. Knee injuries limited Polamalu injuries to five games in 2009."
Steelers hire Olsavsky as coach
"Jerry Olsavsky was an overachieiving linebacker who played nine seasons with the Steelers after a college career at Pitt. Now he will try to help other Steelers players get better. Olsavsky, 42, was hired Friday to be the Steelers defensive assistant, replacing Lou Spanos, who joined the Washington Redskins as linebackers coach. Olsavsky and former Steelers linebacker Earl Holmes were the only known candidates who were interviewed for the position by coach Mike Tomlin. A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Olsavsky played with the Steelers from 1989-97 after being drafted in the 10th round from Pitt."
NT Hampton doesn't want the franchise tag
"The Steelers want Casey Hampton, an unrestricted free agent, to return to the team. The Pro Bowl nose tackle wants to stay in Pittsburgh. How the two sides arrive at that common ground is where it gets a little complicated and potentially messy. Hampton said Friday "it will be a problem" if the Steelers use a franchise tag and offer him a one-year contract instead of signing the accomplished veteran to a multi-year deal. "You say we're family, and you'll take care of me. All I've done for this organization, and I feel like that's a slap in my face if you franchise me," Hampton told the Tribune-Review following a Pro Bowl practice at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. "That's not right. You ..."
Steelers hire former LB Olsavsky as defensive assistant coach
"The Steelers have hired Jerry Olsavsky, who played linebacker for them from 1989-97, as a defensive quality control coach. Olsavsky replaces Lou Spanos, who left last month to become the linebackers coach for the Washington Redskins."
Steelers hire Olsavsky
"The Steelers have hired one of their former players, linebacker Jerry Olsavsky, to be their defensive assistant, replacing Lou Spanos. Olsavsky, 42, played with the Steelers from 1989 to 1997 after being drafted on the 10th round from Pitt. He played one more season with the Baltimore Ravens before retiring."
Uncapped year impacts status of Steelers' Colon
"Willie Colon has not complained, his agent has not complained, and the Steelers have said nothing to him or his agent about it, but they have their starting right tackle over a unique barrel. Under usual circumstances, Colon would become an unrestricted free agent March 5, four years after he signed his first contract as a fourth-round draft choice. As a three-year starter at right tackle, about to turn 27 years old and acclaimed by his own coaches to be among the best tackles in the NFL, Colon could hit the jackpot. The average compensation of the top five offensive linemen in the NFL one year ago was $8,451,000; the average of the top 10 was $7,744,000. Fourth-round draft choices do not ..."
Email Print Steelers Free Agent Decisions: Jeff Reed
"There aren't many certainties for the Steelers when it comes to deciding what to do with some of their top unrestricted free agents. It remains unclear if they will use a franchise tag on five-time Pro Bowl nose tackle Casey Hampton, and they will be in no hurry to re-sign running back Willie Parker or cornerback Deshea Townsend, even though they would take both players back at a reduced rate if they don't sign with another team. But one thing is certain: Their top priority before free agency begins March 5 is to sign kicker Jeff Reed to a new contract. They intend to accomplish that before doing anything else, and that is fine by Reed, who has maintained all along his desire to remain ..."
Uncapped year impacts status of Steelers' Colon
"Willie Colon has not complained, his agent has not complained, and the Steelers have said nothing to him or his agent about it, but they have their starting right tackle over a unique barrel. Under usual circumstances, Colon would become an unrestricted free agent March 5, four years after he signed his first contract as a fourth-round draft choice. As a three-year starter at right tackle, about to turn 27 years old and acclaimed by his own coaches to be among the best tackles in the NFL, Colon could hit the jackpot. The average compensation of the top five offensive linemen in the NFL one year ago was $8,451,000; the average of the top 10 was $7,744,000. Fourth-round draft choices do not ..."
Lack of CBA leaves Steelers' Colon in limbo
"Steelers right tackle Willie Colon is a three-year starter who just completed his fourth NFL season. Under normal circumstances, Colon would be in line for a major payday this offseason as an unrestricted free agent. He could have received a deal similar to the four-year, $26.3 million contract the Steelers gave left tackle Max Starks last year. Instead, Colon will remain a restricted free agent if a new collective bargaining agreement between NFL management and players isn't reached by March and the 2010 season is played without a salary cap. The absence of a salary cap next season would prevent 212 players from becoming unrestricted free agents. Colon is the only player on the Steelers ..."
Memories will last if Steelers' Parker doesn't
"Some of Willie Parker's memories will probably be emblazoned forever in the minds of his teammates and fans. The first of his 26 career 100-yard rushing performances in the 2004 season finale in Buffalo, the game that convinced Bill Cowher he needed to seriously consider Parker as a starter, not a reserve. A 75-yard touchdown run on a play called Counter 34 Pike early in the second half of Super Bowl XL in Detroit -- the longest touchdown run in Super Bowl history. Setting a franchise single-game record that had stood for 36 years when he rushed for 223 yards in a Dec. 12, 2007, game against the Cleveland Browns. Leading the National Football League in rushing with two games remaining and ..."
Defensive backs coach Horton will stick with Steelers
"The University of Houston made NFL assistant coach Brian Stewart the school's new defensive coordinator. Stewart was selected over several candidates, including Steelers defensive backs coach Ray Horton. Horton told the Tribune-Review last week he believed he was a finalist for the position. Horton, who has 25 years experience in the NFL as a coach and player, was the only finalist who lacked college coaching experience and has never served as a defensive coordinator on any level. Stewart was a defensive special assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles this season. From 2007-08, he was the Dallas Cowboys' defensive coordinator. Stewart was also an assistant coach at several colleges. "His ..."
Steelers Free Agent Decisions: Ryan Clark
"Ryan Clark misses an interception against the Chiefs Nov. 22.Safety Ryan Clark wants to stay. The Steelers want to re-sign him. So, what could be the problem? Money. It always comes down to money. Often when a player leaves a team as a free agent, it is not because he wanted to leave or the team did not want him back, the sides just could not agree on the money. First, let us get Clark's intentions up front. He wants to come back and play for the Steelers in 2010, rejoining Pro Bowl strong safety Troy Polamalu. "Yeah, I do. I do," Clark said. "It's a great place to play. I think the Rooney family runs the team the way an organization should be run. I want to come back and make it right ..."
Broncos add former Steelers coach, others to staff
"The Denver Broncos added more Super Bowl pedigree to their coaching staff with the hiring of Bob Ligashesky, who served the past three seasons as special-teams coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ligashesky, 46, will be the new tight-ends coach on a Broncos staff headed by Josh McDaniels. Ben McDaniels, Josh's younger brother, will become the quarterbacks coach, a move that allows Mike McCoy to devote all his time to his offensive-coordinator duties. The tight-ends job became available when offensive-line coach Rick Dennison left to become the Houston Texans' offensive coordinator and after McDaniels moved Clancy Barone to offensive-line coach. Barone, an NFL veteran coach and ..."
Steelers Free Agent Decisions: Casey Hampton
"Casey Hampton will play in his fifth Pro Bowl next Sunday and it might not be the last time this year he wears a football uniform other than his Steelers No. 98. • For nine seasons, since he broke into the starting lineup as a rookie in 2001, Hampton has anchored some of the best defenses of the decade at nose tackle. But unless the team makes a move to keep him over the next month, Hampton will become an unrestricted free agent March 5. The Steelers have options, none of them cheap. They can negotiate a long-term contract over the next month or they can put either a franchise or transition tag on Hampton. His agent does not know what to expect, but sources told the Post-Gazette the team ..."
Steelers' Woodley heading to the Pro Bowl after all
"Steelers outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley will play in his first Pro Bowl after getting named to the AFC team Friday as an injury replacement. Woodley, who led the Steelers with 13 1/2 sacks in 2009, will take Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing's spot on the AFC roster. Cushing pulled out of the Jan. 31 game because of multiple injuries. Woodley joins outside linebacker James Harrison and nose tackle Casey Hampton in representing the Steelers in the annual all-star game. More Steelers could be added to the AFC squad since Pro Bowlers from the two teams that advance to the Super Bowl will not take part in the game. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger declined an invitation to the Pro Bowl ..."
Former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher shoots down New York Giants coaching talk
"Maybe Bill Cowher really is waiting for the Giants head coaching job to open up before he returns to the NFL. But if he is, you can be sure that Jerome Bettis doesn't know it. That's what Cowher indicated in an interview with the Daily News Thursday, when he was asked about his former running back's claim that he's "holding out" until he can become the head coach of the Giants. Cowher didn't specifically deny that, but he certainly hinted as much when he said Bettis wouldn't have any idea if that was true because the two haven't spoken in ages. "I haven't talked to Jerome Bettis in two years," Cowher said. "I'll leave it at that.""
Steelers' Woodley added to Pro Bowl roster
"Another Steelers player was offered a spot in the Pro Bowl and this time he did not turn it down. Linebacker LaMarr Woodley becomes the third on his team to make the AFC roster for the Jan. 31 game in Miami. Woodley, who led the Steelers with 13.5 sacks, replaces Houston linebacker Brian Cushing, who withdrew because of injury. This is Woodley's first trip to the Pro Bowl, after his third NFL season, second as a starter. He joins fellow Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison and nose tackle Casey Hampton on the AFC team."
Steelers hire Everest as special teams coach
"Al Everest, who's coached in the NFL, Canadian Football League, Arena Football League, in college and overseas in Italy, was hired Thursday to be the Steelers new special teams coordinator. Everest, who's coached special teams in the NFL for 13 seasons, takes over for Bob Ligashesky. He first met with coach Mike Tomlin last Friday. Everest, 59, had coached in San Francisco from 2007-09, but the 49ers didn't renew his contract after the season. San Francisco ranked last in the NFL in punt returns and No. 23 in kickoff returns this season. Everest came under fire this season following a 20-17 loss against Seattle when the 49ers fumbled a reverse handoff on a punt return. San Francisco coach ..."
Steelers new o-line coach earns rave reviews
"His shaved head, neatly trimmed goatee and thick upper body give him the look of an offensive line coach. And having grown up in Buffalo as the son of a fireman and factory worker, Sean Kugler can identify with the blue-collar ethos of Pittsburgh and, by extension, the Steelers. "Just a solid, no-nonsense line coach," team president Art Rooney II said of Kugler, who started his new job Monday with the Steelers. "I think he's our kind of guy." Results will ultimately determine whether that's the case. This much, however, is certain: the man known as "Koogs" will be a key figure in fulfilling the mandate Rooney II recently issued when he said the Steelers need to do a better job of running ..."
Steelers announce special teams coach hire
"Coach Mike Tomlin continues to interview candidates for openings on his staff, which he reduced by one after the Steelers officially announced the hiring of a new special teams coach. The Post-Gazette reported early this week that the hiring of Al Everest was imminent and the Steelers announced it today. Everest, 59, was fired by the San Francisco 49ers after the season. Tomlin also interviewed Bobby April for the job but he instead was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles."
Roethlisberger turns down Pro Bowl invite
"Ben Roethlisberger will not play in his second career Pro Bowl because of a shoulder injury he sustained near the end of the Steelers' final game earlier this month. The injury is not serious, and Roethlisberger is not expected to have surgery, a Steelers spokesman said Wednesday. Roethlisberger did not get medical clearance to play in the Pro Bowl on Jan. 31 because his right shoulder has not completely recovered from the injury that occurred in the Steelers' 30-24 win against the Miami Dolphins on Jan. 3. Roethlisberger hurt his shoulder when Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter landed on his throwing arm while the two were going for a loose ball that Porter recovered. Roethlisberger ..."
Steelers move Fichtner over to QB coach
"Randy Fichtner will move from wide receivers to quarterbacks coach, taking over the job that Anderson had held since January 2007. Like Anderson, Fichtner joined the Steelers when Tomlin took over for Bill Cowher as head coach. Under his watch, Hines Ward posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, while Santonio Holmes won a Super Bowl MVP award and also had his first 1,000-yard season at any level. Both Ward and Holmes went over 1,000 yards receiving this season, while rookie Mike Wallace emerged as a premier deep threat. Wallace led the Steelers with 19.4 yards per catch and tied for the team lead in touchdown receptions with six. Fichtner has extensive experience mentoring quarterbacks, as ..."