Steelers Training Camp Day 8: "Friday Night Lights" earns record attendance
Foe the first time in four years, the Pittsburgh Steelers were back at Latrobe memorial for their traditional, "Friday Night Lights" practice. But with Mike Tomlin away in Canton for the Hall of Fame, things got pretty wild on Friday night, with offensive coordinator Matt Canada surely playing up to a record crowd. So with […]
Foe the first time in four years, the Pittsburgh Steelers were back at Latrobe memorial for their traditional, "Friday Night Lights" practice.
But with Mike Tomlin away in Canton for the Hall of Fame, things got pretty wild on Friday night, with offensive coordinator Matt Canada surely playing up to a record crowd.
So with that in mind, here is your post-practice report from Day eight at Steelers camp:
Record Attendance
A beautiful summer night and a Steelers practice under the lights brought out the best in the Pittsburgh area and beyond, with fans coming from far and wide, including 29 states, Washington D.C. and Canada.
All for a look at the prospects of their 2023 Steelers, it can't be understated just how special the Pittsburgh's fanbase is, and only makes the expectations on the team all that more relevant as we approach September.
Mike Tomlin Excused
As much as I'm sure coach T wanted to be in Latrobe tonight, he took the two-hour drive over to Canton, Ohio to watch former Tampa Bay Buccaneers CB and soon-to-be-enshrined Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronde Barber receive his gold jacket.
Barber's position coach while the two were in Tampa, Tomlin leaves a mark on just about everyone he touches, evidenced by Barber's want to have him at his Hall of Fame weekend celebration.
The next time we see Coach T in Canton will likely be for Joey Porter Sr. or "Big Ben" with a jacket of his own waiting for him whenever he decides to hang it up.
Kendrick Green goes Rogue
It's not often you see a 300+ pound interior offensive lineman leaking out into the flat as a fullback and catching passes in the NFL.
But when your head coach is out of town and your mad scientist of an offensive coordinator is running the show on a harmless summer night, I guess these are the type of shenanigans you get.
Kenny Brings his A-Game
In what has been a relatively stable camp for Kenny Pickett, tonight was his best practice by far.
He showed to be in full command of the offense, expertly dialed in both mentally, and as the above clip shows, physically in terms of touch and timing.
Seemingly always coming through when the lights are the brightest, that's an honorable trait, and once Kenny figures out how to bring that intensity to every rep…
Watch out.
Joey Porter Jr. Continues to be ahead of Schedule
I recently had a former scout explain that the two positions that tend to cause the most panic in fans during training camp are rookie tackles and rookie corners.
Seeing as those two positions were Pittsburgh's first two picks in April's draft, you can see how that would create cause for concern amongst some of the Steelers faithful.
But while Broderick Jones continues to settle in, Joey Porter Jr. is diving into the deep end, seemingly getting better by the day, and welcoming the challenge that playing rookie corner in the NFL creates.
Exceeding expectations of even the most optimistic supporters, if Porter Jr. carries this over into the preseason, expect him to be starting come September.
And that's a wrap on what was a night to remember in Latrobe. The pandemic and then rainy weather last year have prevented the annual tradition from occurring the past four years, but I guess it's true that separation only makes the heart grow fonder, with nearly 14,000 diehard Steelers fans in attendance for an early August practice.
Truly the best fans in all of sports, that kind of turnout is motivating to everyone involved with the franchise. Pittsburgh supporters love their Steelers and they hope that tonight's practice was just an appetizer of what's to come in 2023.
Featured image via: © Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
