Chris Adamski stories, Page 161
‘Mack’ linebacker Ulysees Gilbert focusing on the details as rookie at first Steelers OTAs
Pittsburgh Steelers sixth-round draft pick Ulysees Gilbert has been taking reps at “Mack” inside linebacker during organized team activities the past three weeks, the rookie said Thursday from the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “It’s kind of what I did in college, weak-side ‘backer,” Gilbert said. “(But) inside linebacker is inside...
After season with so few turnovers, Steelers piling up interceptions at OTAs
A route jumped along the sideline for an interception, prompting a sideline full of gold-jerseyed defensive players to jump up, whoop and cheer. Two practice-rep snaps later, a defender made a play on a ball, deflecting it up in the air, where Mike Hilton sprinted and dove to cradle it...
After Pro Bowl season in Year 2, Steelers’ T.J. Watt finds new means of motivation
It was, on the surface, an early-practice position drill as part of the eighth of nine voluntary organized team activity sessions in early June. But T.J. Watt forced himself to perform with a fire as if it was the fourth quarter of a December game against New England. “We are...
Anti-Brown chant breaks out where Steelers’ JuJu Smith-Schuster attends prom
Even JuJu Smith-Schuster’s seemingly innocuous visits to a local high school prom turn into controversy these days. Smith-Schuster, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 22-year-old star receiver, attended the Chartiers Valley High School prom last weekend. But a video surfaced on Instagram, presumably from a prom-goer, of Smith-Schuster dancing among a large crowd...
Steelers poke fun at Cameron Heyward’s golf swing: ‘Just awful’
Mike Tomlin on Monday gave the Pittsburgh Steelers their annual day off away from the practice fields and meeting rooms. This year, the escape was to the Topgolf in Bridgeville. And while a number of players spoke after an organized team activity session Tuesday that it was a good team-bonding...
Steelers’ Ryan Shazier named winner of George Halas Award for overcoming adversity
Ryan Shazier on Monday was named the 51st winner of the annual George Halas Award, an honor given annually by the Professional Football Writers of America to an NFL player, coach or staff member who overcomes the most adversity to succeed. Shazier underwent spinal stabilization surgery in December 2017 after...
RMU alum, ‘part-Yinzer’ Marcelis Branch hopes to stick with Steelers
Florida native Marcelis Branch called Allegheny County home for more than five years earlier this decade, and the Robert Morris product is back in Pittsburgh this spring. “I’m part-Yinzer now,” Branch said with a wide smile during Pittsburgh Steelers organized team activities last week at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Branch...
4 players jockeying for Steelers’ starting right tackle job
How much continuity has the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line had? And just how rare is that? Put it this way: Putting aside temporary injury- (or suspension-) related fill-ins, the starting five this season will undergo its first change since the middle of the 2015 season. Across the rest of the...
Pirates lose 13-inning home-run fest against Brewers
They overcame an early five-run deficit and took the lead from down two runs in the eighth inning. But that only made Saturday that much tougher to swallow for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Orlando Arcia hit his second homer of the game in the 13th inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat...
Kentucky basketball coach, Moon native John Calipari a guest at Pirates game Saturday
John Calipari regularly makes an annual stop at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, and he’s developed a friendship with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. The same can be said of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Clint Hurdle. Calipari, the University of Kentucky basketball coach, attended Saturday’s Pirates game against the Milwaukee Brewers at...
Early MVP candidate Josh Bell plays in 507 of Pirates’ first 510 innings
There are plenty of reasons why Josh Bell has been one of the best players in the majors over the past month. But as the saying goes, sometimes the best ability is availability. And no one has been more available than Bell. Heading into Saturday’s game, the Pittsburgh Pirates had...
Pirates rank among best in NL in most pinch-hitting stats
Seventy-seven times during his decade-long MLB career, Clint Hurdle pinch hit. His .243 average during those at-bats translates into simple advice to his players. “My expectations,” the Pittsburgh Pirates manager said, “are to let them know that they can’t do bad.” The Pirates are doing anything but bad when pinch...
Pirates shut down ailing reliever Keone Kela for 10 days
Keone Kela felt fine after his most recent rehab appearance, and the Pittsburgh Pirates medical team was ready to plot its next move for getting the reliever back on the active roster. But after a couple of days of long toss followed by a bullpen session Thursday, it became apparent...
Retiring Raven Haloti Ngata: Breaking Ben Roethlisberger’s nose was favorite play of career
Another of the principle protagonists of the heyday of the Pittsburgh Steelers-Baltimore Ravens rivalry is retiring. And this one cites one of the height of the rivalry’s most infamous plays as one that stood out most. Speaking at a news conference in Baltimore on Wednesday that both announced his retirement...
Steelers 7th-rounder Derwin Gray spends OTAs at 4 positions; left guard this week
All of Derwin Gray’s 25 starts at the University of Maryland over the past three years were at left tackle. It’s taken all of nine on-field Pittsburgh Steelers team workouts for the seventh-round pick to quadruple his positional résumé in the NFL. “I pretty much have played at all four...
Steelers 6th-rounder Sutton Smith, a college linebacker, taking reps at fullback
Much of the post-draft chatter surrounding Pittsburgh Steelers sixth-round pick Sutton Smith concerned whether the All-American pass rusher would play on the edge or at inside linebacker in the NFL. Turns out, there was another yet unexplored position for Smith. Smith confirmed Thursday that he has spent time at fullback...
Versatile Jaylen Samuels to be used in increasingly varied ways in Steelers offense
When he was a rookie last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers tried to keep Jaylen Samuels as entrenched as a traditional, fulltime running back as possible. Now that he’s been a pro and as part of the offense for a full year, Samuels is ready to spread his wings as the...
Sean Davis enters Steelers season ‘honed in’ at free safety
Sean Davis shared an inside joke with a longtime teammate. He spoke like a proud father about the strides another player has made entering his second season. And he talked about his burgeoning role as a leader on the Pittsburgh Steelers defense. In short, everything Davis was saying and doing...
Sidelined at Steelers OTAs with injury, Sean Davis plans to be back soon
One of the players most experienced with the Pittsburgh Steelers defense has been absent through the first five organized team activity sessions. Sean Davis has been in street clothes over the past two weeks at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex while teammates drilled “football in shorts.” One of only three...
Incumbent Matt Feiler: Steelers starting RT job ‘up for grabs’
Being the de facto incumbent hasn’t given the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Matt Feiler any advantage in the competition for the starting right tackle job. Longtime starter Marcus Gilbert was traded to the Arizona Cardinals in March. Other than using a seventh-round draft choice on Derwin Gray, the Steelers didn’t do much...
Ex-Woodland Hills, Penn State star Miles Sanders buys mom new car
Miles Sanders was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles less than five weeks ago, and the former Woodland Hills High School and Penn State star running back signed his NFL entry-level contract less than three weeks ago. Perhaps his first major purchase wasn’t for himself. Sanders bought his mother a new...
Vance McDonald insists Steelers offense OK without Brown, Bell
Vance McDonald was asked how the Steelers offense not only could withstand the offseason departures of former All-Pros Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell but also excel. “Because we have to,” the veteran tight end deadpanned, then paused. “That sounded really good if I just left it at that.” It was...
Bulked-up Mike Hilton hopes Steelers appreciate his work
Mike Hilton still is assured of being the smallest player on the Pittsburgh Steelers defense. But in 2019, he is at least a little bigger. Hilton looked noticeably bulked up during the opening three days of organized team activities last week. The slot cornerback said he added 7 or 8...
Undrafted rookie P.J. Locke brings versatility to Steelers
P.J. Locke took a calculated gamble in the frenzied hours as the NFL draft wound down late last month. While he wasn’t a top draft prospect by any means, as an experienced safety from a blueblood college program Locke had options as an undrafted free agent. But instead of pouncing...
Armed with biggest free agent contract in Steelers history, Steven Nelson settles in during OTAs
Steven Nelson wasn’t the biggest catch on the NFL’s offseason free-agent market, and he’s hardly a household name among casual fans. But he does hold the distinction of earning the biggest contract the Pittsburgh Steelers have given to an outside unrestricted free agent in their history. While that certainly carries...
