Alex Highsmith is typically gracious with his time when it comes to signing autographs or mingling with Pittsburgh Steelers fans. Thursday, though, Highsmith went overtime, making the rare double-back for a second extended period of autograph-signing at Saint Vincent College.
After all, this group of young fans was different. About three dozen players from the Plum Midget Football Association were special guests of the Steelers five days after a fatal house explosion in the municipality claimed the life of six, including 12-year-old Plum football player Keegan Clontz.
“I can’t imagine what they are going through,” said Highsmith, an outside linebacker in his fourth season with the Steelers. “For someone to lose their life at such a young age is heartbreaking. My prayers are with them and with the child’s family. It’s heartbreaking, but just to be able to come out here and (for us) to see the joy on their faces, that was so cool. To be able to be out here and interact with them was awesome.”
Kenny Pickett takes a photo with the Plum youth football team after practice. pic.twitter.com/Z5C44FejNb
— Joe Rutter (@tribjoerutter) August 17, 2023
Highsmith was one of more a dozen players who signed autographs, chatted and posed for photos with the young Plum football players, all of whom were easily identifiable by their purple jerseys with yellow numbers and striping with a script “Plum” across the top of their chests.
Most of the Plum youth of various ages watched much of practice from a set of metal bleachers set up in the northeast corner of Chuck Noll Field that are usually reserved for VIPs such as Steelers sponsors or family members of players/staff.
Veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson was the first to approach the kids after practice ended, signing autographs and answering questions. Many of Peterson’s defensive teammates followed soon thereafter, including defensive captain Cameron Heyward, fellow defensive linemen DeMarvin Leal, Isaiahh Loudermilk and Armon Watts and outside linebackers Markus Golden and Nick Herbig.
Three-time NFL All Pro T.J. Watt and starting quarterback Kenny Pickett were among the players who posed for pictures and signed autographs. Several of the kids rushed to surround tight end Pat Freiermuth, who posed for selfies with them.
Long snapper and Chartiers Valley High School graduate Christian Kuntz and quarterback Mason Rudolph were among other Steelers players who signed autographs for the youth from Plum. Receivers Diontae Johnson and George Pickens signed for them on the field after they completed post-practice workouts.
Days after the tragic fatal house explosion in Plum, youth football players from the municipality were special guests at Steelers training camp practice Thursday.
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) August 17, 2023
Patrick Peterson began signing autographs for some kids, and most of the rest of the defense joined him pic.twitter.com/vROBw0Be6W
Highsmith relayed a humorous interaction with one of the kids.
“He asked me if he could have my glove,” Highsmith said. “I said, ‘I don’t have it. They already took it.’ He gave me a look like a death stare.
“It was a good interaction. They were awesome. They were super excited to be out here.”
A Plum school bus pulled onto campus about 90 minutes prior to the start of the Steelers’ final practice of this camp. As the kids, one by one, came down the stairs and filed off the bus, their excitement level at being there was palpable as they talked amongst themselves.
The Steelers had invited the “Little Mustangs” to Saint Vincent to serve as the “tunnel” lining the players’ path to the field for practice.
During the practice, many of the Plum players mingled along the sidelines, taking advantage of their VIP passes. Some ate ice cream or other snacks. Some found areas to lounge to watch drills.
During the popular “seven shots” drill that begins daily team drills, many lined the corner of the end zone behind a painted line about 5 yards beyond the out-of-bounds line. During the seventh and final snap of that 2-point conversion simulation, a ball zipped to land at the feet of some of the youth as Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubsiky’s pass was too high. Some of the players remarked at how fast the ball was coming at them.
“I coulda caught that!” said one boy, who was a few feet to the right of a boy in front of whom the ball landed.
