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Rashard Mendenhall News & Rumors

Mendenhall, Redman help solidify backfield
January 17
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Three running backs finished the 2011 season on injured reserve, two with torn knee ligaments and another with a broken foot. Those left healthy included two players who were undrafted, one a rookie and another who becomes an unrestricted free agent. It sounds as if the Steelers could be in a heap of trouble at the position in 2012. However, they might be better off than they were this season. Start with Isaac Redman. He's healthy and while he was not drafted, well, neither was Willie Parker and it took them a year to realize what they had with him. Parker made the team in 2004 and had 32 carries. He led them in '05 with 255 carries for 1,202 yards."
Mendenhall's injury only tops the list
January 3
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"The Cleveland Browns may have lost for the 16th time in their past 17 games against the Steelers, but they exacted yet another heavy toll on their oppressors just in time for the playoffs. The Steelers were busy Monday assessing the damage, but two things were certain: Starting halfback Rashard Mendenhall's season ended because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in his eighth carry of the game in Cleveland, and their secondary needs support troops."
Torn ACL for Steelers' Mendenhall; surgery soon
January 3
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Rashard Mendenhall has a torn anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, in his right knee and will be placed on injured reserve by the Steelers. The 24-year-old halfback will have surgery in one or two weeks after the swelling goes down, although a source told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette there is little swelling and that it appears there is no other damage in the knee."
Mendenhall might have a torn ACL
January 2
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"The Steelers took another body blow of an injury when they lost starting halfback Rashard Mendenhall with a possible ACL tear in his right knee and they might lose safety Ryan Clark to the potential hazards to him playing in the high altitude in Denver. Mendenhall went down late in the first quarter without being hit, and coach Mike Tomlin said he feared it was an ACL tear, which requires a 6- to 8-month rehabilitation. Whatever it is, he will not play in Denver and likely is out for the playoffs. "It's not good, of course, when a guy goes down in open grass not touched by anyone," Tomlin said. "Experience tells me that, generally, that's not good." Isaac Redman , who rushed for 92 yards"
Mendenhall's role diminishes as Steelers offense comes to pass
December 3
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Among Rashard Mendenhall's latest beliefs is teams who run the ball can still win in the pass-oriented NFL. Never mind that most of the top teams in the league still believe the path to the Super Bowl is through the air. Crazy, huh? Not to Mendenhall, the Steelers' top running back. "I still think that's the formula to win," Mendenhall said. "I feel like the successful teams, when you look at the Broncos and what they're doing and the Texans and teams like that, teams that are able to run the ball, they have balance on offense and it does nothing but help them. Plus it gives your defense a break." The Steelers (8-3) are like most of the NFL's top teams: They have leaned heavily on the pass"
Mendenhall gives solid effort to lead Steelers
November 14
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Rashard Mendenhall has chugged along confidently despite being stuck in neutral much of this season. There haven't been any long runs in the open field for the Steelers running back. He has had to work hard for every inch, every yard. And so it was on his 9-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter Sunday that enabled the Steelers to regain the lead, 24-17, then hold on to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals before a crowd of 63,262 at Paul Brown Stadium. On first-and-goal, offensive coordinator Bruce Arians dialed up something simple. After flipping through the playbook for two early reverse runs by wide receiver Mike Wallace, the Steelers opted to outmuscle the Bengals in the trenches in"
Stats falloff could cost Steelers' Mendenhall
October 30
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"The Steelers keep saying there's nothing wrong with Rashard Mendenhall, that their running game is fine. That defies what everyone can see on the field on Sundays. Maybe Isaac Redman (207 yards, 4.4 ypc), Mewelde Moore (69 yards, 5.8 ypc) and Jonathan Dwyer (115 yards, 8.8 ypc) have been productive when given the chance, but Mendenhall has not. He has had one good game, 146 yards Oct. 16 against Jacksonville. He also missed the Oct. 9 game against Tennessee. His other games: 45 yards, 66, 37, 25 and 32. This is the back coordinator Bruce Arians called "the lead dog and everybody else feeds off of him" before the season opener. Those numbers suggest some sort of dog, but "lead" is not one"
Mendenhall receives AFC weekly honor
October 20
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in Sunday's 17-13 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It is the second week in a row the a Steelers player has been so honored."
Mendenhall returns to mix
October 15
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"It was broke, and the Steelers fixed it, and they beat the Tennessee Titans Sunday, 38-17. Now, they will tinker some more. Rashard Mendenhall, who missed the game Sunday with a hamstring injury after a slow first four games, will return to start at halfback against Jacksonville. Rookie Marcus Gilbert, who left the Tennessee game in the second quarter after his left shoulder was re-injured, will not start. There could be more moves on an offense that recently came alive, based on how a few injured players react over the next few days. But the best Jonathan Dwyer will do is suit up as the No. 3 halfback, even though he became their first 100-yard rusher this season, and if Mewelde Moore's"
Steelers Mendenhall returns to mix
October 14
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"It was broke, and the Steelers fixed it, and they beat the Tennessee Titans Sunday, 38-17. Now, they will tinker some more. Rashard Mendenhall, who missed the game Sunday with a hamstring injury after a slow first four games, will return to start at halfback against Jacksonville. Rookie Marcus Gilbert, who left the Tennessee game in the second quarter after his left shoulder was re-injured, will not start. There could be more moves on an offense that recently came alive, based on how a few injured players react over the next few days. But the best Jonathan Dwyer will do is suit up as the No. 3 halfback, even though he became their first 100-yard rusher this season, and if Mewelde Moore's"
Steelers' Mendenhall likely to start vs. Jags
October 13
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Rashard Mendenhall practiced Wednesday, and he is expected to return to the starting lineup at 1 p.m. Sunday when the Steelers host the Jacksonville Jaguars. Mendenhall missed last week's game with a hamstring injury. He is only averaging 3.0 yards per carry. His struggles and coach Mike Tomlin's vague answer when asked Tuesday about Mendenhall's role has raised questions about how the Steelers will distribute carries between Mendenhall and the emerging Isaac Redman. "If Rashard stays patient, he'll get his time," Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. Redman, who made his first career start last Sunday, said he expects Mendenhall to start against Jacksonville. With Mewelde Moore"
Steelers: Smith out, Mendenhall a maybe
October 12
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Defensive end Aaron Smith will miss a second straight game with a sprained right foot, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said today. But Tomlin gave a conditional thumbs up for halfback Rashard Mendenhall, who missed last Sunday's game with a hamstring injury. Tomlin listed a handful of players questionable for Sunday's game against Jacksonville at Heinz Field: tackle Marcus Gilbert (shoulder), nose tackle Casey Hampton (shoulder), linebacker Jason Worilds (thigh) and halfback Mewelde Moore (high ankle sprain)."
Redman starting for Steelers; Mendenhall might be a reserve
October 9
NFL.com
 
"The Pittsburgh Steelers plan to start Isaac Redman at running back in Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans, according to a team source. Rashard Mendenhall might play and contribute as a back-up, depending on his pre-game evaluation. Mendenhall was a full participant in Friday's practice but was listed as questionable on the team's injury report. He injured his hamstring in Pittsburgh's 17-10 loss to the Houston Texans last week."
Steelers RB Mendenhall's hamstring injury doesn't appear serious
October 3
NFL.com
 
"Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall left Sunday's game against the Houston Texans with a hamstring injury, but it doesn't appear serious, a league source said on Monday. The Steelers will see how much Mendenhall can do during practice, and he could be back as soon as this weekend for Pittsburgh's home game against the Tennessee Titans."
Black and gold turning into black and blue
October 3
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"The Steelers tossed more players into the their trainer's room Sunday, adding the starting quarterback, the starting running back, a starting linebacker and a starting defensive end to a list that already included four starters who did not play against the Texans. Ben Roethlisberger has a left foot injury and so does defensive end Aaron Smith. Both left the locker room wearing protective boots, although both finished the game, a 17-10 loss. Linebacker James Harrison also finished the game after missing the third quarter and part of the second with an eye injury, although he said he will be fine. Running back Rashard Mendenhall left the game in the third quarter with a hamstring injury and"
Roethlisberger, Mendenhall and Harrison injured during Steelers' loss
October 3
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Ben Roethlisberger's left foot was injured during the fourth quarter of the Steelers' 17-10 loss today. The foot was x-rayed after the game, but it was not immediately known whether there was a break or not. Roethlisberger said he was injured on the next-to-last series of the game and that his foot felt sore afterward. He said if there is a break, he would try to play through it as he did last season when he played through a broken bone in his right foot. An hour after the game ended, Roethlisberger said he did not know whether the foot was broken or not."
Steelers take big-picture view when using Mendenhall
October 2
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Rashard Mendenhall is averaging 16.3 carries per game -- about four fewer than last season -- and it is no certainty that his workload is going to increase today. The Steelers are taking a big-picture view in regards to how they use Mendenhall, and that hasn't changed even though they know they need to get their feature back going. "We've tried to limit his carries so that he will be healthy down the line," offensive coordinator Bruce Arians said. "If he had 200 carries and 450 yards already, everybody would say, 'Well, you're running him too much.' " Arians said he'd like to get backup Isaac Redman more carries, but those aren't likely to come at the expense of Mendenhall in goal-line"
Steelers' Mendenhall is struggling on ground
September 29
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Rashard Mendenhall said he has never felt more confident and is "as ready as I've ever been." Yet a season after finishing seventh in the NFL with almost 1,300 rushing yards, the Steelers' fourth-year back is on pace to run for just under 800 yards. Something doesn't add up when it comes to the workhorse of a ground game that can't seem to get going. "It's a lot bigger than one person," Mendenhall said Wednesday. "It's a whole mindset. It's a whole attack from the top, offensive coordinator (Bruce Arians), plays that are called that matches what we have. It's a collective effort of everybody that has to be clicking to be successful.""
Mendenhall makes amends
August 19
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 columnist Ron Cook
"

The countless thousands who wanted the Steelers to trade or release Rashard Mendenhall after his controversial tweets about Osama bin Laden in May must not have been at Heinz Field Thursday night for a preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Mendenhall was cheered when he was introduced with the offense. His ovation might not have matched the ones for teammates Maurkice Pouncey, Ben Roethlisberger and Hines Ward, but it was significant. Then, Mendenhall contributed in a big way to long, time-consuming touchdown drives on the first two possessions. The cheers turned into roars. The game turned into a 24-14 Steelers blowout. Ah, fans. Many are so predictable. The reaction to"

Steelers running game is basically a one-horse show ...
August 11
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Mike Tomlin believes in the two-back system. He said as much shortly after the Steelers hired him in 2007. Then, he went out and used Willie Parker, as promised at Tomlin's first midseason, until the wheels came off. Parker carried 321 times in Tomlin's first season and led the NFL in rushing right up until he broke his leg in the second to last game and never was the same. By 2010, he was out of football, his rushing yardage totals nearly cut in half from 1,316 to 791 to 389 in the following seasons. Tomlin might still believe in the two-back system, but that it might only occur when two backs he trusts can give him what Parker and his successor, Rashard Mendenhall, have. Coincidentally,"
Steelers must spell Mendenhall
August 10
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 columnist Dejan Kovacevic
"Flash forward to Baltimore on the 11th of September: Rashard Mendenhall bursts through a hole in the Steelers' line but is barreled backward by the Ravens' Ray Lewis. His ankle bends awkwardly. He is carted off the field, cringing in pain. Mike Tomlin looks down his sideline and sends in ... No easy answer, is there? Well, the Steelers had better find one, sooner rather than later. Mendenhall has been one part force, two parts workhorse the past two seasons, with 627 carries and 2,611 yards, including playoffs. That's the third-most carries in the NFL in that span. Yeah, he's 24 years young, tough, durable, and he holds onto the football more often than James Harrison thinks. But this is a"
Mendenhall's focus on football after turbulent offseason
July 31
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"It's conceivable that Rashard Mendenhall could have lowered the temperature on his controversial tweets if he had argued that posts of Osama bin Laden's death was misunderstood. Perhaps, his insinuation that 9/11 was more conspiracy than an act of terrorism would have quickly faded if the oft-enigmatic running back had opted to defuse the issue with a passionate rant of remorse. Instead, the mercurial spark plug who helped ignite the Steelers' Super Bowl run in 2010 repeatedly sidestepped questions Friday about the clearly coherent posts from a Twitter account he seemingly regrets opening. "It's not been an issue," Mendenhall told reporters after the morning walk-through. "I've addressed"
Steelers' Mendenhall files suit over endorsement
July 20
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall has filed a federal lawsuit against the parent company of Champion athletic apparel over the brand's decision to end his endorsement deal after his controversial comments on Twitter. Mendenhall filed the 23-page lawsuit Monday against HanesBrands Inc. in federal court in North Carolina and claims the company's decision to drop him is a breach of contract. He is seeking more than $1 million in damages. The back questioned the American public's joy after the death of Osama bin Laden and the events of Sept. 11 while tweeting in the days following the raid on the bin Laden compound in Pakistan. "For Rashard, this is not really about the money. This is"
Mendenhall files suit vs. Champion
July 19
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"In a case that weaves together issues of free speech, professional sports endorsements and the ever-growing use of social media, Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall filed a federal lawsuit Monday against one of his former sponsors. Mendenhall was hired as an endorser for Champion brand sports apparel in 2008. However, his contract was terminated by Champion's parent company, Hanesbrands Inc., in May after he made controversial comments on Twitter regarding the death of Osama bin Laden and the events of Sept. 11, 2001. He is seeking more than $1 million in damages as part of his breach of contract lawsuit filed in Winston-Salem, N.C., home of Hanesbrands. A spokesman could not be"
Steeler veterans address Mendenhall flap
May 14
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Steelers president Art Rooney II and coach Mike Tomlin may not have to say much to running back Rashard Mendenhall about his recent comments regarding Osama bin Laden and 9/11. That is one of the benefits of having a veteran locker room, where younger players are expected to fall into line. Several team leaders, including defensive captain James Farrior, said Mendenhall made a mistake by voicing inflammatory opinions on a social media website. They said they expect Mendenhall, who turns 24 next month, to learn from the fallout of his Twitter posts. In one, Mendenhall questioned how planes flown into the World Trade Center could have brought down the Twin Towers "demolition style.""
Mendenhall owes an apology
May 9
Beaver County Times
 columnist Mark Madden
"When Rashard Mendenhall tweeted thoughts construed as being sympathetic to Osama bin Laden, his defenders (there are surprisingly many) positioned their argument as a free speech issue. Sorry, but it's not even close. Not one person on my radar has said that Mendenhall isn't entitled to opine however he sees fit. No one has suggested Mendenhall should be arrested and tried, treasonous though his tweets may be. Hard to imagine that the founding fathers had seditious statements by a pro athlete in mind when they devised the First Amendment. It's still more difficult to believe that Mendenhall thinks his hypotheses on things political would matter to a large audience. But he sure did attract"
Social media can provide benefits, pitfalls for athletes
May 8
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"At a breakfast during the NFL owners' meeting in March, someone asked New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin about players using Twitter and other social media. He looked as though he had bitten into a rotten grapefruit. "I don't know what the hell that is," Coughlin said. "I'm from a different era." Coughlin is likely in the minority. Most coaches seem to be aware of the problems and pitfalls caused by the often combustible mixture of athletes and social media. The latest brush fire broke out last week when Rashard Mendenhall's controversial Twitter posts about Osama bin Laden and 9/11 produced national headlines and considerable outrage. Roundly criticized for his fumble during the Super"
Champion drops Steelers' Mendenhall as endorser
May 8
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Rashard Mendenhall exercised his freedom of speech to make controversial comments on Twitter about Osama bin Laden and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. As a result, the company that pays him to endorse its product exercised its right to drop him as a client. Champion, an athletic apparel company, said in a statement it has ended its business relationship with the Steelers running back, saying he can no longer "appropriately represent Champion." The company said Mendenhall's tweets about bin Laden and the terrorist attacks "were inconsistent with the values of the Champion brand and with which we strongly disagreed." "Champion is a strong supporter of the government's efforts to fight"
Dangerous mix for Mendenhall
May 7
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 columnist John Harris
"It looked like the Steelers had upgraded their problematic running game upon selecting Rashard Mendenhall with the No. 23 pick of the 2008 draft. Now it looks like they may have unearthed another Ricky Williams. Despite rushing for nearly 2,400 yards and 20 touchdowns in the past two seasons, Mendenhall has unwittingly become the social conscience of the NFL - while living to regret it. Mendenhall hasn't been accused of sexual assault or striking the mother of his son, as have two of his more celebrated teammates. But his transgression has gained as much attention. Although well within his First Amendment rights, Mendenhall committed a no-no when he mixed politics and religion with sports."
Analyst: Champion-Mendenhall divorce a multifaceted move
May 7
NFL.com
 
"Champion waited just three days to drop Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall as an endorser after his controversial comments about Osama bin Laden's death created a national stir. Thursday's move might have served two purposes: to disassociate the athletic apparel manufacturer from a controversy while trying to attract consumers. "I'd bet more than 99 percent of sports fans didn't even know that Rashard Mendenhall had a deal with Champion," CNBC sports business reporter Darren Rovell told NFL.com on Friday. "They did a terrible job. So distancing themselves from him in a public way allows them to make a stand and also let people think about their brand. "Mendenhall's words"
Steelers' Mendenhall has right to free speech
May 6
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 columnist Ron Cook
"I said it a year ago when a lot of people insisted they wouldn't support the Steelers as long as Ben Roethlisberger is the quarterback. I'll say it again now when many want to chase running back Rashard Mendenhall out of town because he went public with an opinion that differed from theirs. Be careful what you wish for, Steelers fans. You might regret it later. Not that Mendenhall is going anywhere. Nor should he. Sorry. The Steelers will be right to stand behind Mendenhall, who shared his controversial Twitter thoughts Monday on Osama bin Laden's death and the 9/11 terrorist attacks, just as they stood behind Roethlisberger when he faced rape allegations last spring. It's because he's a"
Twitter comments cost Mendenhall endorsement deal
May 6
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Rashard Mendenhall's controversial Twitter comments this week about the death of Osama bin Laden and the 9/11 terrorist attacks have cost him an endorsement deal. Champion, an athletic apparel manufacturer, cut ties Thursday with the Steelers running back. Mendenhall recently signed a four-year contract with Champion and had been with the company since his NFL career started in 2008. "While we respect Mr. Mendenhall's right to express sincere thoughts regarding potentially controversial topics, we no longer belief that Mr. Mendenhall can appropriately represent Champion," the company said in a prepared statement. Mendenhall could not be reached for comment. His agent, Mike McCartney, did"
Mendenhall backtracks on bin Laden tweets
May 5
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"In an attempt to soften criticism following controversial comments he made about Osama bin Laden, Rashard Mendenhall offered a sweeping explanation Wednesday and said his comments were "misconstrued." The Steelers running back closed with an apology to anyone he offended with remarks that mushroomed into a national story. He said he was encouraging freedom of opinion on his Twitter account ?" not stir anti-American sentiment ?" when he questioned the widespread celebrations that took place following the killing of bin Laden during a U.S. military operation. "I apologize for the timing as such a sensitive matter, but it was not meant to do harm," Mendenhall wrote in a blog post that"
Steelers' Mendenhall clarifies bin Laden tweets
May 5
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"The "clarification" that Steelers halfback Rashard Mendenhall wrote in his blog Wednesday ignored a particularly incendiary Twitter post by him after the death of Osama bin Laden that set off a firestorm of protest around the country. In a 500-word blog post , Mendenhall said he in no way supported bin Laden, expressed sympathy for those killed by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist acts and affirmed his support for the military. He apologized, not for what he wrote, but for anyone hurt by what he wrote and the timing of it. He said the thoughts were merely his opinions. He explained only one of his series of Monday tweets that landed him among the most discussed topics on the popular social"
Mendenhall offers sweeping explanation for 9/11 comments
May 4
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Rashard Mendenhall, under fire for controversial comments he made earlier this week regarding Osama bin Laden and 9/11, said today that he is not "in support of Bin Laden or against the USA." The Steelers running back also apologized to "anyone I unintentionally harmed with anything that I said, or any hurtful interpretation that was made and put in my name." On his Twitter account Mendenhall wrote, "I understand how devastating 9/11 was to this country and to the people whose families were affected. Not just in the US, but families all over the world who had relatives in the World Trade Centers. My heart goes out to the troops who fight for our freedoms everyday, not being certain if they"
Mendenhall responds to critics of Twitter comments
May 4
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Rashard Mendenhall wrote what he titled a "clarification" of his Monday comments on Twitter about Osama bin Laden and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He writes that he does not support bin Laden. Mendenhall cites his religious beliefs in his blog for questioning why people celebrated the death of bin Laden. However, he did not mention in his blog the other comment on Twitter than enraged many people: "We'll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style" Here is what he wrote: I appreciate those of you who have decided to read this letter and attain a greater understanding of my recent twitter posts. I see how they have"
Running against the grain
May 4
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 columnist Gene Collier
"There are all kinds of clowns in the public square, sad clowns, mad clowns, bad clowns, all looking for a reaction from people who should know better. That isn't news. Still, some of these recent public comments have exceeded the usual quotidian idiocy, have they not? They're beyond stupid, beyond ignorant, beyond misinformed and even beyond irresponsible. But enough about Donald Trump. We're talking today, as people who should know better, about future former Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall, who knows very little beyond how to push our buttons. Mendenhall was back on Twitter the other day with some mind-bending observations about the death of Osama bin Laden. This was barely six"
Rooneys react to Mendenhall tweets
May 4
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Steelers president Art Rooney II said it was difficult to "even comprehend" the controversial comments made by Rashard Mendenhall on Monday on Twitter, and a crisis communications expert said the running back would be "well-advised" to apologize. Mendenhall ignited a firestorm when he questioned why people were celebrating the killing of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden. Mendenhall, on the social media site, asked how people could "HATE" a man they had never heard speak and questioned whether the planes flown into the World Trade Center by terrorists could have brought down the Twin Towers. Mendenhall's incendiary remarks drew a raft of criticism and compelled the Steelers to respond. "I"
Steelers' Mendenhall removes 9/11 comment from Twitter
May 4
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Steelers halfback Rashard Mendenhall removed one of his controversial comments from his Twitter feed but has not talked publicly since his series of tweets on the social media site about the death of Osama bin Laden and the 9/11 terrorist attacks prompted an uproar around the country. Mendenhall, Profootballtalk.com first discovered, removed the comment he made Monday evening that "We'll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style." He has not posted a tweet since Monday evening. The distaste with some of his comments on Twitter reached the president's office of his employer. Art Rooney II issued a statement"
Mendenhall 'tweets' about bin Laden's death draw criticism
May 3
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall is being criticized on social media sites for Twitter posts that question celebrations of the death of Osama bin Laden. "What kind of person celebrates death? It's amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We've only heard one side ...," Mendenhall wrote in a post on Monday afternoon. "I believe in God. I believe we're ALL his children. And I believe HE is the ONE and ONLY judge." When another Twitter poster suggested that bin Laden wasn't responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Mendenhall responded: "We'll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down"
Mendenhall backs Peterson's 'slave' comment
March 17
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Running back Rashard Mendenhall is drawing attention to himself ? and not because of his costly fumble in Super Bowl XLV. Mendenhall on Wednesday supported Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson's analogy between the NFL and the slave trade. "It is a lot deep than most people understand," Mendenhall posted on the social networking site Twitter. "Anyone with knowledge of the slave trade and the NFL could say that these two parallel each other." Peterson, a perennial All-Pro, fired the most controversial salvo between players and owners following the NFL's first work stoppage since 1987. Players decertified as a union Friday after they could not reach a deal with the owners on a new"
Steelers' Mendenhall on cusp of stardom
February 1
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Franco Harris is the Steelers' all-time leading rusher and a Hall of Famer. Jerome Bettis is second on the list and could join Harris in Canton by the end of the week. The two faces of the Steelers franchise when it comes to the running game have something else in common: They are extremely impressed with what 23-year-old Rashard Mendenhall has done in his first season as the team's full-time starting running back. "I take my hat off to him this year," Harris said. "He has worked with a patchwork line all year, and that is a tough thing to do and be successful doing it." Despite the obstacle of having four different starters along the offensive line since minicamp was held eight months"
Mendenhall stepping up in status
January 30
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Steelers tailback Rashard Mendenhall has dazzled his teammates this season with his nifty moves. Fast and powerful, he runs hard inside and outside. "Rashard's explosive," wide receiver Hines Ward said. "He can hit the home run ball. He has great footwork. I thought Jerome [Bettis] had great feet for his size. But I look at some of the cuts that Mendenhall's been making, and I say, 'Wow, this guy can be really special.' " Mendenhall, 5 feet 10 and 225 pounds, is the third-leading rusher in the playoffs with 167 yards on 47 carries. He also has rushed for three postseason touchdowns entering the Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers next Sunday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. "I"
Preparing for Roethlisberger, but Receiving a Pounding by Mendenhall
January 24
New York Times
 
"The Jets knew they needed to face three of the N.F.L.'s best quarterbacks if they were to reach the Super Bowl. But they will not spend the off-season bemoaning their performances against Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger. Instead, it was Pittsburgh running back Rashard Mendenhall who ran over, around and through the Jets on Sunday, leading the Steelers to a 24-19 victory in the A.F.C. championship game. Pittsburgh will face Green Bay in the Super Bowl on Feb. 6 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Tex. Last weekend, after the defeat of division rival New England, Jets linebacker Bart Scott brashly proclaimed that the Patriots' defense "can't stop a nosebleed" in his rant heard"
Mendenhall shows what he can do
January 24
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Rashard Mendenhall stood on a makeshift stage at Heinz Field with Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier, the star running backs for the 1970s Super Bowl Steelers, and wondered how he got there. "It means a lot that they asked me to come up there," Mendenhall said. "I'm looking around like, 'Why isn't Troy or Hines or somebody up here?' " After being ripped for running laterally, for relying too heavily upon a spin move and for not being a "big-time back," Mendenhall upstaged the New York Jets in the biggest game of his NFL career. He accounted for 153 yards of total offense -- including 95 rushing and 32 receiving in the first half -- to help the Steelers to a 24-19 victory Sunday in the AFC"
Win a rush for Mendenhall
January 24
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 columnist Ron Cook
"The Steelers trotted out two of their legends for the latest in their long line of big games. Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier accompanied the captains to midfield for the coin toss before the AFC championship hair-pull against the New York Jets Sunday night. Then they stepped aside and watched Rashard Mendenhall run into franchise lore. Mendenhall didn't stop until he had carried the team to Dallas for Super Bowl XLV against the Green Bay Packers. OK, Mendenhall didn't stop until helping the Steelers to a 24-3 halftime lead with 95 first-half yards. That was good enough. Barely. The Steelers hung on for dear life and beat the Jets, 24-19, to advance to their eighth Super Bowl. You think"
Steelers not holding back with Mendenhall
January 8
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Coach Mike Tomlin once said he would run Willie Parker until the wheels came off, and, toward the end of the 2007 season, they finally did. Parker was never the same after be broke his right fibula in a Week 15 game in St. Louis, an injury that culminated a three-year period in which he carried 913 times -- an average of 314 attempts per season. The Steelers are hoping the same thing does not happen to Rashard Mendenhall, who has posted consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and became the first running back since Franco Harris in 1976 to lead the team in scoring. In his first two seasons as a starter, Mendenhall, a No. 1 draft choice in 2008, already is being used at a more frequent pace than"
Ravens defense looks to contain Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall
December 4
Baltimore Sun
 
"Now in his second full season as the featured tailback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Rashard Mendenhall has enjoyed considerable success in the NFL -- just not against the Ravens, who welcome Mendenhall and the Steelers to M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday night. And that's a mystery even to some Ravens defensive players. "We have done well against him, but historically, he's a style of back that we don't do well against," outside linebacker Jarret Johnson said. "He's extremely patient, he hits the perimeter really fast, and usually against real patient guys like him, we struggle because we attack and he's waiting and pops into another hole. I don't know what the key is. You've just got to keep"
Mendenhall gaining yards, team's trust
November 14
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 columnist Ron Cook
"" ... And the Steelers' handoff goes to No. 43, Troy Polamalu, off right tackle. He's stopped by Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones after a 6-yard gain ... " You have no idea how close that came to happening in the game at Cincinnati Monday night. "Troy was the next back in line," Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians said. "He was who we were going to if something happened to Rashard [Mendenhall]." This was after backup running backs Mewelde Moore and Isaac Redman were knocked out with concussions late in the game. The Steelers took possession at their 29 with 8:58 left, their 27-21 lead in jeopardy after the Bengals had scored on two consecutive drives. They needed to keep the ball,"