Pittsburgh Steelers live tackling early in practice sessions
By Josh Sanchez
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has plenty of young players on the roster and he is doing what he can to make sure they are ready for game action by engaging in some early live action during camp. The players are in full pads and popping the pads as they go through the motions of the game.
The goal is to prepare these guys for game action and the speed of an actual NFL game.
According to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette, the Steelers training camp is looking like the days of Chuck Noll with their “old-old-school” approach.
“We’re young in a lot of areas, particularly in the lines,” Tomlin said. “We got young, talented defensive linemen, we got young, talented offensive linemen. The only way to improve is to play football. I’ve stated that many times and it’s something I believe in. I’m going to give them an opportunity to do that and show what they’re capable of.”
Hopefully the team will not get worn down before the end of camp and struggle late in the season as the wear and tear on their body builds up. At the same time, the team’s younger bodies may benefit from the extra reps as they prepare for the physicality that they’ll face in the NFL.
It will be interesting to see if this helps or hurts the team, but you can be sure fans will be paying close attention to see how the team reacts to the constant hitting.