Post by The Picks Commissioner on Aug 6, 2008 13:02:47 GMT -5
www.post-gazette.com/pg/08217/901721-66.stm
Steelers' No. 1 pick comes up short in drills
Steelers Training Camp / Day 8 Saint Vincent College, Latrobe
Monday, August 04, 2008
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The first week of his first NFL training camp ended with a thud for Rashard Mendenhall.
The glitzy, high-profile rookie, the first running back drafted in the first round by the Steelers in 19 years, received his welcome-to-the-NFL moment yesterday afternoon before family and friends.
There were several moments, actually. The first two came when the first-team Steelers defense stuffed Mendenhall on the initial live goal-line drill of training camp, with the offense snapping the ball just inside the 2. The third came when he was stopped short again on the seventh and final play.
And the last, before the team was given the rest of the night off on Family Day, came when coach Mike Tomlin addressed the media on the field shortly after the defense held the offense out of the end zone on five of seven plays.
"He better run harder than he ran today at the goal line," Tomlin said of Mendenhall.
Mere rookie mistakes?
"They better be," Tomlin quickly snapped back. "I'm sure they were. He has to run harder, not over-analyze, understand what that drill's about, it's about hitting downhill, and hopefully next time out he'll be better."
One goal-line drill does not a career make and Mendenhall, who scored a University of Illinois record 17 touchdowns last season to go with his record 1,681 yards rushing, will get many more chances.
"It was a learning experience," Mendenhall said afterward. "I think I was more concerned with running the play instead of getting into the end zone. I was trying to read the blocks and get in there, but there's so much going on and coming so fast you just have to get in there.
"Everybody out here's a beast, they're so athletic and everybody's a competitor."
Topped by the team's Pro Bowl linebacker and team MVP.
"Just look at James Harrison," Mendenhall said, his eyes opening wider. "I don't think you find too many college guys looking like that!"
Mendenhall will get another chance, Tomlin said, when he stages another goal-line drill this week, when "we'll probably spin the dial a little bit" with some other candidates. Among those will be Willie Parker and maybe even fullback Carey Davis.
The Steelers keep searching for a short-yardage power back. They have not had one since Jerome Bettis played that role in 2004 and 2005, when he scored a combined 22 touchdowns in those two regular seasons.
They tried Najeh Davenport last year without success mostly because he was 6 feet 1 and ran more upright and thus was more easily found and brought down by the defense. Parker also has been tried but not embraced by the staff.
"I'm looking forward to it," Parker said of his chance to run at the goal line this week. "I only had two touchdowns last year, so I really have to take heed of my opportunity there."
One back who may be perfect for the job is Gary Russell. He made the team as an undrafted rookie last season and was barely used in 2007. But he seems to know what he's doing near the goal line. He scored once on two tries yesterday, albeit against the second-team defense.
"He doesn't over-analyze, man," Tomlin said. "He gets his pads down and he finishes downhill. That's one of his distinguishing characteristics; he has value in that regard."
Russell (5-11, 215) won't concede the short-yardage job to the glamour rookie back.
He did reveal his secret for scoring from in-close, when the entire defense is packed in to stop him.
"Once you see a hole, you have to hit it," he said.
Steelers' No. 1 pick comes up short in drills
Steelers Training Camp / Day 8 Saint Vincent College, Latrobe
Monday, August 04, 2008
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The first week of his first NFL training camp ended with a thud for Rashard Mendenhall.
The glitzy, high-profile rookie, the first running back drafted in the first round by the Steelers in 19 years, received his welcome-to-the-NFL moment yesterday afternoon before family and friends.
There were several moments, actually. The first two came when the first-team Steelers defense stuffed Mendenhall on the initial live goal-line drill of training camp, with the offense snapping the ball just inside the 2. The third came when he was stopped short again on the seventh and final play.
And the last, before the team was given the rest of the night off on Family Day, came when coach Mike Tomlin addressed the media on the field shortly after the defense held the offense out of the end zone on five of seven plays.
"He better run harder than he ran today at the goal line," Tomlin said of Mendenhall.
Mere rookie mistakes?
"They better be," Tomlin quickly snapped back. "I'm sure they were. He has to run harder, not over-analyze, understand what that drill's about, it's about hitting downhill, and hopefully next time out he'll be better."
One goal-line drill does not a career make and Mendenhall, who scored a University of Illinois record 17 touchdowns last season to go with his record 1,681 yards rushing, will get many more chances.
"It was a learning experience," Mendenhall said afterward. "I think I was more concerned with running the play instead of getting into the end zone. I was trying to read the blocks and get in there, but there's so much going on and coming so fast you just have to get in there.
"Everybody out here's a beast, they're so athletic and everybody's a competitor."
Topped by the team's Pro Bowl linebacker and team MVP.
"Just look at James Harrison," Mendenhall said, his eyes opening wider. "I don't think you find too many college guys looking like that!"
Mendenhall will get another chance, Tomlin said, when he stages another goal-line drill this week, when "we'll probably spin the dial a little bit" with some other candidates. Among those will be Willie Parker and maybe even fullback Carey Davis.
The Steelers keep searching for a short-yardage power back. They have not had one since Jerome Bettis played that role in 2004 and 2005, when he scored a combined 22 touchdowns in those two regular seasons.
They tried Najeh Davenport last year without success mostly because he was 6 feet 1 and ran more upright and thus was more easily found and brought down by the defense. Parker also has been tried but not embraced by the staff.
"I'm looking forward to it," Parker said of his chance to run at the goal line this week. "I only had two touchdowns last year, so I really have to take heed of my opportunity there."
One back who may be perfect for the job is Gary Russell. He made the team as an undrafted rookie last season and was barely used in 2007. But he seems to know what he's doing near the goal line. He scored once on two tries yesterday, albeit against the second-team defense.
"He doesn't over-analyze, man," Tomlin said. "He gets his pads down and he finishes downhill. That's one of his distinguishing characteristics; he has value in that regard."
Russell (5-11, 215) won't concede the short-yardage job to the glamour rookie back.
He did reveal his secret for scoring from in-close, when the entire defense is packed in to stop him.
"Once you see a hole, you have to hit it," he said.
