Camp Notebook Day 20: Steelers' Training Camp Ends Today

Channel 11 will have daily updates from Pittsburgh Steelers Training Camp in our "Training Camp Notebook." Check back throughout the days of camp for injury updates, cuts and much more!

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SPECIAL SECTION: Steelers 2010 Training CampTRAINING CAMP: 2010 Camp Schedule, Directions

Day 22: Aug. 20

8 a.m. -The Steelers break training camp today. They play the New York Giants tomorrow in their second preseason game of the season.

Day 21: Aug. 19

12:45 p.m. - Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will play in Saturday's exhibition game against the New York Giants, but isn't saying whether he will start the game.

Just as he did before last week's game against the Detroit Lions in which Roethlisberger didn't play, Tomlin is declining to announce a starter in advance.

Roethlisberger has worked with the starting offense most of this week at training camp, an indication he will open the game. Byron Leftwich started against the Lions and wound up playing nearly twice as long as expected.

Leftwich is expected start while Roethlisberger is suspended for up to six games in the regular season.

Day 20: Aug. 18

Camp Blog: Camp Blog Day 20: Saying Goodbye To Fans...

10 a.m. - The Steelers will hold a private morning practice and then hold a public practice at 2:55 p.m.

Day 19: Aug. 17

6:33 p.m. -Camp Blog Day 19: Getting Close To The End

2:50 p.m. -At Steelers training camp, there's a healthy competition for the starting center job.

Justin Hartwig has been the starter the past two seasons, but Hartwig is being pushed by rookie Maurkice Pouncey, the Steelers' top pick in last spring's draft.

Pouncey played well in Saturday night's preseason opener, and in Monday's 11 on 11 drill, he lined up at center with the starters for the first time.

Pouncey admits he has a lot to learn. At the center position, Pouncey's gain would be Hartwig's loss, but Hartwig is commited to helping his younger linemate. Hartwig says "it's hard to ignore" the competition for the starting job because "the media's in your face," but adds, "it'll work itself out."

2:20 p.m. - Dennis Dixon is off to a running start as he tries to overtake Byron Leftwich and become the Steelers' starting quarterback during Ben Roethlisberger's suspension.

That's the problem, too.

The Steelers don't want the mobile Dixon abandoning the pocket and running while he has open receivers downfield. So while Dixon's statistics were better than Leftwich's during the Steelers' 23-7 exhibition victory over Detroit on Saturday, the quarterback rotation remained unchanged during practice on Monday.

Roethlisberger will play Saturday at the Giants after being held out against Detroit. He ran with the starters yesterday. Leftwich followed him. And Dixon came after that, overseeing a package of plays designed to emphasize his quickness and versatility.

8 a.m. - The Steelers will hold a private morning practice and then hold a public practice at 2:55 p.m.

Day 18: Aug. 16

6:17 p.m. - Video Blog Day 18: Staying In The Dorms....

3:14 p.m. - Ben Roethlisberger didn't get a chance to play in the first preseason opener against the Detriot Lions Saturday night, but he said he's hoping to get a chance to play this weekend in New York.

Early on, fans at Saturday's game were getting restless with Byron Leftwich and the entire offensive line. Some fans even started chanting, "We Want Ben." The first team offense struggled, but Roethlisberger said that the team should not be worried because its "early and it's the preseason."

It is not clear who will be the starting QB for this weekend's preseason game, but Channel 11's Rich Walsh said that Roethlisberger will get some playing time.

8:00 a.m. - The Steelers will hold a private morning practice and then hold a public practice at 2:55 p.m.

Day 17: Aug. 15

There are no public practices scheduled for today.

Day 16: Aug. 14

On a night when heavy rain pelted the Lions and Steelers for nearly a quarter and bolts of lightning led to a 73-minute delay that sent fans scurrying, Ben Roethlisberger found the best place to stay warm and dry. The sideline.

Roethlisberger never got off the bench in a return to Heinz Field that couldn't have been much quieter, and replacement Byron Leftwich was ineffective despite playing much longer than expected. No matter, Pittsburgh beat Detroit 23-7 on Saturday night behind No. 3 quarterback Dennis Dixon, who threw for a touchdown and hit a long pass to set up another score.

Leftwich was outplayed by Matthew Stafford in the Lions quarterback's first game action since injuring a shoulder against Cincinnati on Dec. 6. After Stafford left following a 2-yard TD pass to Calvin Johnson, the Steelers came back from a 7-6 deficit as Dixon led scoring drives of 75, 79 and 68 yards with reserves playing.

"I'm having a blast," Dixon said, a sentiment not shared by many others on a long, wet evening.

Roethlisberger's behavior during a March night of drinking in Georgia that led to accusations of sexual assault but no charges visibly stirred anger among Steelers fans. But, five months later, his first appearance in a Steelers uniform since then was greeted with shrugs.

The only crowd reaction came when a few fans chanted, "We want Ben, we want Ben" as Leftwich struggled.

Roethlisberger never bothered to put on a helmet or warm up, wearing a ballcap turned backward during pregame warmups. He also didn't talk to reporters.

"With the number of snaps we anticipated the first offense running, it just wasn't appropriate to play him," coach Mike Tomlin said. "He wanted to play. He's had an awesome training camp."

Leftwich was expected to play eight to 12 snaps, but instead played nearly twice that as Tomlin apparently was displeased with the offense's first two series. Two running backs fumbled, Leftwich was sacked for 8 yards and he unintentionally spiked a pass as the starters gained only 16 yards in 12 plays.

"We weren't really clicking," Leftwich said. "We did some things not so good, but we'll work on it."

Stafford was 8 of 11 for 61 yards and a touchdown to Leftwich's 6 of 10 for 43 yards, although the 68-yard drive that ended with Stafford's scoring pass came against mostly backup defenders.

"I felt good, I felt like I was in the flow of the game," Stafford said. "I felt real comfortable in there."

Leftwich played until midway into the second quarter before leading a 61-yard drive against Lions reserves that ended with the second of Jeff Reed's three field goals. Reed converted from 35, 37 and 32 yards.

Dixon's 51-yard completion to Arnaz Battle with Eric King in coverage led to Isaac Redman's 1-yard touchdown run during the rain-soaked second quarter. Redman, a free agent from Bowie State who first made a splash during last year's training camp, carried 15 times for 60 yards and appears to be the frontrunner to back up starter Rashard Mendenhall.

When the rain finally let up, the teams played the final 1 minute, 37 seconds of the first half and then immediately began the second half with many in the crowd of 55,248 already long gone.

Dixon added a 68-yard touchdown pass to sixth-round pick Antonio Brown midway through the fourth quarter while going 6 of 7 for 128 yards. He ran six times for 31 yards.

The Lions, a combined 2-30 the last two seasons, did little with Shaun Hill and Drew Stanton at quarterback. They drove to the Steelers' 7 early in the second half, but DeDe Dorsey fumbled and the Steelers ate up more than nine minutes of the quarter with a field goal drive.

"I thought we did some good things early in the game," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "But you can't finish the game the way we did -- the second and third quarters especially -- and be happy about it."

First-round draft pick Jahvid Best had a 15-yard run among six carries for 29 yards in a brief but effective Lions debut. Defensive end Ndamukong Suh, the No. 2 pick in the April draft who signed for a guaranteed $40 million, played briefly but made no tackles.

Lions backup linebacker Jordon Dizon injured a knee during the first half -- Schwartz said it could be serious -- but there were no other apparent injuries.

Day 15: Aug. 13

The Steelers have no public practices scheduled as they prepare for their first preseason game against the Detroit Lions on Saturday.

Day 14: Aug. 12

11:39 a.m. - Steelers coach Mike Tomlin isn't saying whether quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will play in Saturday night's home exhibition game against the Detroit Lions.

Video Blog: Who Will Play QB In Preseason Opener?

The game will be Roethlisberger's first since he drew a six-game suspension after being accused of sexual assault on a Georgia college student in March. He was not charged but was suspended by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

The Steelers' starters will play only eight to 12 snaps – about two series -- and Tomlin wouldn't say whether Roethlisberger or Byron Leftwich would start. Leftwich will be the starter when the season opens and Roethlisberger begins to serve his suspension, which could be reduced to four games.

10:20 a.m. - The Steelers will hold a private morning practice and then hold a public practice at 2:55 p.m.

Day 13: Aug. 11 Byron Leftwich probably won't be the quarterback who can get the Steelers into the playoffs. He doesn't want to be the quarterback who keeps them out of the postseason.

Unless there's an injury or an unforeseen development, Leftwich said he doesn't figure to be playing for Pittsburgh in November and December. Ben Roethlisberger will be back by then, and the Steelers aren't paying a man who's won two Super Bowls $102 million to sit.

Leftwich will be on the field while Roethlisberger is suspended for at least four games. A good start without Roethlisberger lessens the pressure on him to perform at a peak level once he returns following a month with no practices or games. A poor start means the Steelers could be in trouble if Roethlisberger needs time to regain his game following his long layoff.

It was a busy, hot day at Steelers training camp on Wednesday. Also, it was youth and high school coach day at camp. Head coach Mike Tomlin and other Steelers personnel met the coaches during the team’s private morning practice.

Wounded war veterans were invited to the team’s afternoon practice. They were allowed to watch from the sidelines and had a chance to meet Hines Ward, Troy Polamalu, James Harrison and other Steelers players.

11:20 a.m.- Channel 11's Alby Oxenreiter talked to Ben Roethlisberger about the quarterback rotation for Saturday night's first preseason game. Ben said that he asked Tomlin what the deal would be, but Tomlin wouldn't tell him what his plans were.

11:14 a.m. - The Steelers are preparing for another scorching hot day at camp. The temperature on the field at St. Vincent College was 102 degrees Tuesday.

Linebacker James Harrison and tight end Matt Spaeth missed practice yesterday. Coach Tomlin said Harrison should be back to practice today.

Day 12: Aug. 10

2:27 p.m. - It’s déjà vu for a few Steelers, including Antwaan Randle El, Bryant McFadden and Larry Foote, who are all back for their second stint with the team.

Randle El has been gone since Super Bowl XL, but Foote and McFadden only spent a year away from Pittsburgh and training camp in Latrobe.

All three said on Tuesday that they’re anxious to get the season started. But for Foote, the first preseason game against the Detroit Lions means a little more to him since that’s the team he played for last year.

-- Rich

2 p.m. - Punter Daniel Sepulveda is getting reps on kickoffs, but there's no controversy just yet between him and Jeff Reed. Reed is still the kicker, but the Steelers are apparently looking for some depth at the position.

8:20 a.m. - The Steelers will hold a private morning practice and then hold a public practice at 2:55 p.m.

Day 11: Aug. 9

6:26 p.m. -Two quality practices by the Steelers today in Latrobe that's according to head coach Mike Tomlin.

Good news on the injury front. Jason Worlids is making his way back. He is still trying to take in everything. James Harrison has been suffering some shoulder discomfort. Tomlin said it's nothing serious.

The head coach also added it is good for guys like Thaddeus Gibson who is getting more work while Harrison has been limited. Don't be alarmed that Byron Leftwich didn't practice today. Tomlin gave him a day off.

Coach is trying to rest a quarterback a day to give the other ones more reps. The Steelers afternoon practice is open to the public on Tuesday. The session begins at 3. The gates open at 1:30.

-Rich Walsh

4:44 p.m. - Some players talked about NFL official Bill Leavy's apology for some "bad calls" during their 2006 Super Bowl win over the Seattle Seahawks. Roethlisberger said he's, "Got the ring, and nothing can change that now."

Wide receiver Mike Wallace became a father over the weekend. He said he missed a practice and the Hall of Fame inductions to be there for the delivery.

Hines Ward said he doesn't expect to play much during Saturday's preseason game. "This one is for the young guys," said Ward.

Also, defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau was back at practice today after being inducted into the Hall of Fame over the weekend. As LeBeau made his way to the field, all of the players and fans were clapping and cheering for him.

7:30 a.m. - The Steelers will hold a private morning practice and then hold a public practice at 2:55 p.m.

Day 10: Aug. 8

Sunday kicked off with the a camp for women, which consisted of football drills on the practice field with Jeff Reed and Greg Warren, along with ex-Steelers Mark Bruener, Dwayne Woodruff, Craig Wolfley and Edmund Nelson.

To celebrate Lebeau’s Hall of Fame induction, former Steelers Joey Porter and Alan Faneca flew in to camp from Arizona, along with Clark Haggans.

On a side note, the Steelers rookies got their first shot at singing for the team this weekend. It’s a rookie Steelers tradition that always gets some laughs. In the end, it was Crezdon Butler who stole the show, impressing most of his teammates.

Day 9: Aug. 7

Saturday’s public practice was canceled as Dick Lebeau was inducted into the Hall of Fame today.

Lebeau, who had a great run with the Detroit Lions, was inducted as a player. Lebeau, during a television interview following his induction, ended it with, “Go Steelers.”

The NFL's top receiver and rusher are now in the Hall of Fame, too.

Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith led the parade into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday night highlighting the class of 2010.

Joining Rice and Smith were LeBeau, Washington guard Russ Grimm, who is also a top NFL assistant coach;Minnesota defensive tackle John Randle; New Orleans linebacker Rickey Jackson; and Denver running back Floyd Little.

Day 8: Aug. 6

The Steelers held their annual night practice at Latrobe Memorial Stadium Friday night, also hosting a camp for children, teaching them the fundamentals of football while having fun. Defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau wasn’t at camp Friday night, as he headed to Canton, Ohio, where he’ll be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday.

The fans were loving the evening practice, which started off with an autograph session before the team took the field.

9:40 a.m. - The Steelers will hold a night time practice at Latrobe Memorial Stadium tonight. Gates will open at 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children under 18 and senior citizens.

There will be a 15 minute autograph session for fans at 6:45 p.m. followed by practice at 7 p.m.

Day 7: Aug. 5

3:48 p.m.- Despite swirling rumors, an NFL spokesperson confirms that Roethlisberger's suspension will be AT LEAST four games.

12:00 p.m. -NFL commissioner Roger Goodell met briefly with Ben Roethlisberger during a visit to the Steelers' training camp, prompting rumors the quarterback's suspension might be reduced to less than four games.

Goodell won't decide whether to trim the suspension from six to four games until the end of the month. An NFL spokesman said Steelers fans shouldn't be banking on anything less because four games is the minimum.

For the second day in a row, Goodell praised Roethlisberger's steps to reshape his life, saying he has gone beyond what the NFL asked him to do.

Goodell was vague when asked several times if there was a possibility Roethlisberger's suspension could be reduced below four games. Goodell said the punishment was designed to be a minimum of four games but no final decision will be made until the preseason ends.

Former Oakland Raiders head coach John Madden was also at camp on Thursday. He and Goodell have been visiting the various camps together. Both arrived in an ESPN road trip bus and watched the morning practice before holding a fan forums.

7:50 a.m. - The Steelers will hold a private morning practice and then hold a public practice at 2:55 p.m. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to be at camp today. Goodell said he’s been taking a lot of questions about Ben Roethlisberger's suspension lately, saying he's encouraged with what he's seen from the Steelers quarterback.

“I think he is doing what he's been asked to do and, frankly, more,” said Goodell. “I think he understands the seriousness of this and the fact that he has to change the way he's doing things, so I'm encouraged by that.”

Day 6: Aug. 4

5:01 p.m. - The Steelers canceled a morning session of practice today and will move that AM session to tomorrow morning. I saw Steelers DL Aaron Smith take his family and mother around campus and to lunch and he told me how it's great to have the morning off to visit with his family at camp.

Slideshow: Day 6 Of Training Camp

I talked to Big Ben today, who is probably going to meet with Commissioner Roger Goodell tomorrow at camp when the commish comes to visit Steelers camp.

Ben continues to look great at camp. The crowd went nuts today when Ben threaded a perfect pass through triple coverage to Arnez Battle, a rookie free agent receiver from Notre Dame. Ben looks like the sharpest of the four quarterbacks when it comes to drills and two minute drills.

Dennis Dixon told me today that he thinks he has a great chance to win the starting QB job while Ben is suspended. Dixon told me that job will be won or lost in pre-season games, not camp drills.

-John Fedko

1:52 p.m. - Channel 11 Sports anchor John Fedko talked with Ben Roethlisberger, who said he's focused and a changed man. Roethlisberger signed autographs for nearly an hour following Tuesday’s afternoon practice.

Also on Wednesday, Aaron Smith has been spotted hanging around camp with his mom. Fedko interviewed Smith’s mother, who said it’s really cool to be at camp with her son.

Fedko also talked with quarterback Dennis Dixon, who is competing with Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch for the starting job while Roethlisberger serves his suspension. Dixon said he feels like the No. 1 guy and believes it'll all come down to the preseason games.

11:35 a.m. - Starting running back Rashard Mendenhall has returned to practice. He had left practice Monday with a toe injury. First round draft pick Maurkice Pouncey is also back. The offensive lineman injured his hamstring over the weekend.

Coach Mike Tomlin said the rest of the injured players are starting to work their way back. That includes starting nose tackle Casey Hampton.

8:00 a.m. - The Steelers did not hold a morning practice. Their public practice is scheduled for 2:55 p.m.

Day 5: Aug. 3

Tuesday marked the teams’ annual “Steelers Kids Club Day” at camp. Punter Daniel Sepulveda talked with the children first, letting them know not to take sports too serious and young age and have fun instead.

Sepulveda also took questions from the eager kids, who wanted to know what the shortest punt her ever kicked was. Laughing, Sepulveda said it was a 9 yarder while at Baylor.

Tight end Heath Miller also talked with the kids, along with strengthand conditioning assistant Marcel Pastoor. Pastoor told the kids about the team’s workouts, conditioning and he answered injury questions, too.

Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians said Roethlisberger's offseason troubles haven't affected the quarterback's performance on the practice field. Arians said Roethlisberger hasn't been in such good shape or thrown the ball as well during any of his previous training camps. He has yet to be intercepted during team drills, and Roethlisberger has gone entire practices without throwing an incompletion.

Next Arians will need to figure out what the Steelers will do offensively while Roethlisberger is suspended for either four or six games to start the season.

The Steelers are giving pass rusher LaMarr Woodley every opportunity to match or surpass the 13 1/2 sacks he had a year ago, nearly all of them during the second half of the season. They're designing alignments that take advantage of Woodley's proven pass-rushing skills and keep him on the field during most downs.

6:05 p.m. - Day 5 of Camp Tomlin was a good one according to the coach. A couple of key injured players were back on the practice field. Maurkice Pouncey practiced for the first time in a few days and said he feels good. Just like Pouncey, Rashard Mendebhall was back after missing Monday's practice.

The Steelers get tomorrow morning off and their afternoon practice is open to the public.

- Rich Walsh

4:12 p.m. - The Steelers are looking forward to one of their coaches getting a big honor on Saturday. Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is being inducted into the pro-football hall of fame and all the players are making the trip to Canton, Ohio to watch.

Coach Mike Tomlin moved around the practice schedule for Saturday so the team can be in Canton for LeBeau's big honor.

1 p.m. - Channel 11 Sports reporter Rich Walsh talked to Casey Hampton, who has a hamstring injury and who is icing his knees. Hampton joked around, saying he doesn't really need to practice much in training camp.

Quarterback Byron Leftwich talked about getting a lot of reps in training camp. Since Roethlisberger will be suspended four to six games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, Leftwich is getting a lot of snaps with the first team. That means he could be the starter during Roethlisberger's suspension.

Wide receiver Mike Wallace talked about having big shoes to fill with the departure of Santonio Holmes. Holmes was traded to the Jets during the offseason.

Hampton and Wallace also talked about Brett Favre's retirement. Hampton says he doesn't believe him.

Tuesday morning's practice was mostly special teams, so a lot of the starters stood around and watched.

7:50 a.m. - The Steelers will hold a private morning practice and then hold a public practice at 2:55 p.m.

Day 4: Aug. 2

5:43 p.m.- Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall sat out the team's afternoon workout after having his toe stepped on earlier in the day. Coach Mike Tomlin said Mendenhall was held out for precautionary reasons. The injury is not believed to be serious.

Rookie linebacker Jason Worilds left practice with and injury. Both he and Mendenhall joined injured players Casey Hampton and rookie Maurkice Pouncey, who were already nursing hamstring injuries.

The team also announced they’re closing training camp to the public on Saturday so they can attend defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau's induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Steelers will hold a morning practice that will be closed to spectators, then board buses for the evening ceremony in Canton, Ohio.

And Ryan Clark is impressing yet again with his infamous fashion choices. Each year, Clark stuns crowds and teammates with his choice in backpacks. This year was no different as the Steelers safety was spotted walking around with a “How To Train Your Dragon” pack.

Some former Steelers were seen at camp on Monday, including ex-punter Josh Miller and former defensive lineman Brentson Buckner. Buckner is working with coaches at camp.

Retired tight end Mark Bruener is also there doing a scouting internship.

Slideshow: Steelers Training Camp At St. Vincent

3:47 p.m.- Director of football operations, Kevin Colbert said "We need to concentrate on the 2010 season so we finished talking about contracts. There are players we'd love to sign for next season, but we will concentrate on this season right now."

Three Steelers stars: linebacker LaMarr Woodley, kicker Jeff Reed and defensive back Ike Taylor all wanted new contracts this year.

Reed told Fedko that he's not happy about the situation but will continue to play football as best as he can.

"I'm still a little bitter but I'll get over it," said Reed. "It's a business and I know a little about business. I'm just not happy with the dishonesty. But I'll do my best this season on the field."

1:13 p.m. - Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert told Channel 11's John Fedko today that all contract negotiations are done for 2010.

Fedko talked to Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley who said he was unaware of the end of negotiations until Fedko told him. He said he is unhappy with his current deal that pays him $550,000.

Kicker Jeff Reed also told Fedko that he is unhappy with the way the Steelers have handled his negotiations.

11:51 a.m. - Maurkice Pouncey and Casey Hampton both sat out of morning drills.

9:30 a.m. - The Steelers will work out in the morning and then hold a public practice at 2:55 p.m.

Day 3: Aug. 1

Day three of Steelers training camp in Latrobe. Second day of practice. The Steelers only had an afternoon practice which was open to the public.

Once again Ben Roethlisberger received a warm ovation from the crowd. The Steelers starting quarterback worked a little with the first team as did Byron Leftwich.

The Steelers also worked on their two minute drill. Roethlisberger, Leftwich and Dennis Dixon worked on the drill. Also one of the highlights of this afternoon was the back on backs drill. The linebackers squared off against the running backs.

Steelers first-round draft pick Maurkice Pouncey sat out the team's only practice on Sunday with a hamstring injury, as did rookie running back Jonathan Dwyer.

Veteran nose tackle Casey Hampton was also sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Guard Ramon Foster was held out with a concussion but could resume light workouts as early as Monday.

Neither Pouncey, a center who is being tried at guard, nor Dwyer, a sixth-round pick, is expected to be sidelined long.

For the second successive day, Roethlisberger spent considerable time signing autographs at the end of practice.

Meantime, Steelers kicker Jeff Reed isn't happy after learning he won't be signed to the multiyear contract he expected after being designated as the team's franchise player.

The Steelers told Reed earlier in the year they wanted to work out an extended contract. Any chance that deal would get done apparently ended when right tackle Willie Colon was injured in June and Flozell Adams signed a two-year contract to replace him.

Reed, who signed a one-year deal for $2,814,000, plans to explore his options after playing out the season.

Reed has played in Pittsburgh since signing as a free agent midway through the 2002 season and is the ninth-most accurate kicker in NFL history. He has made 189 of his 227 attempts (83.3 percent) and is a league-best 77 of 87 (88.5 percent) since 2007.

Day 2: July 31

It's the start of training camp in Latrobe... and the big news from Saturday... what everyone wanted to see, including myself, was how would the fans treat Ben Roethlisberger? One thing I can tell you... I didn't hear one single boo when Ben walked out from the lockeroom onto the field. It was a pretty warm reception. Ben even talked about it after practice. Roethlisberger said he was nervous about how the fans would treat him. Obviously the Steelers quarterback was pleased with the overwhelming support.

Photos: First Public Practice At Steelers Training Camp

Meanwhile... the Steelers practiced two times today. A closed practice in the morning and an afternoon session that fans could watch. Maurkice Pouncey practiced for the first time as an official Steeler. The Steelers first round draft pick signed last night and had a busy day today. Pouncey had to perform the run test at 6:00am, then practice at 9:00am and then meetings and practice again at 3:00pm. After practice Head Coach Mike Tomlin was asked about his prized rookie, who is competing for a starting job at right guard. Tomlin just said he is a rookie.

Casey Hampton did not take part in the afternoon session. Coach Tomlin wanted to give him a little break. Rookie running back Jonathan Dwyer left practice early. Coach Tomlin said he will be further evaluated.

The Steelers are off in the morning on Sunday. They only have an afternoon practice which is open to the public.

- Rich Walsh

Day 1: July 30

4:46 p.m. - The Steelers have checked into their rooms at St. Vincent College for training camp.

The Steelers first on field activity the "Run Test" is something none of the players want to do, but they must. The defensive backs, wide receivers and running backs went first. They run 100 yards, jog back 50 yards, walk the final 50 and all of this is done in a specific amount of time. Hines Ward is not running.

The linebackers and tight ends are also running in the first group.

When you come to camp this year you will notice that Xfinity has taken over. Signs with the Xfinity are all over the place. The Steelers practice jerseys will feature the Xfinity logo on their uniforms during training camp.

The Fanfest area of the campus, basically the baseball field, is ready for the fans to arrive tomorrow.

The quarterbacks are running with the defensive and offensive linemen. Casey Hampton isn't running. Ziggy Hood is out in front of the group.

Offensive tackle Willie Colon, who had season ending surgery on his right achilles tendon, is watching the run test from the back of the end zone.

Offensive Guard Chris Kemoeatu has taken off his shoes . Just noticed Doug Legursky is also going without football shoes. Comfort first!

Photos: Steelers Arrive At Training Camp Video: Ben, Starks, Essex, Keamatu Arrive At St. Vincent College

12:28 p.m. - Ben Rothlisberger, Max Starks, Trai Essex, Chris Keamatu and the rest of the linemen arrive at camp. Channel 11's Alby Oxenreiter talked to Ben who said he's glad to get back to football.

7:49 a.m. - All Steelers players are required to report to camp today. Channel 11 News will be there as the team arrives and unloads their vehicles, getting ready for the start of camp.

Channel 11 News talked with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on Thursday, who said he’s ready to go.

Photos: Big Steelers Linemen, Roethlisberger Drive MINI Coopers To Camp Raw Video: Team Drives MINI Coopers Video: ' Roethlisberger Talks About The Idea

“I'm just getting ready to get back into it,” Roethlisberger said. “I'm excited to get back there, start football and be around the guys. It's a long season, and we have a lot to go out and prove to a lot of people. But we're just going to go out and take it one day at a time and see how it goes.”

Also on Thursday, the Steelers announced the signing of offensive tackle Flozell Adams. The five-time Pro Bowler played for the Dallas Cowboys last year. He signed a two-year deal with the Steelers.

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