LATROBE, PA (93.7 The Fan) – It had been four years since fans were able to see a Steelers night practice at Latrobe Memorial Stadium. They missed it, turning out with a record 13,957 fans Friday night as the Steelers calculated from the tickets, that 29 states, the District of Columbia and Canada were represented.
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The Steelers practiced for a couple of hours with a mix of physical periods, one-on-one periods where they got to see George Pickens make a couple of great catches and special teams. Head coach Mike Tomlin was not there, special teams coach Danny Smith ran the practice.
Team arrived a few minutes before 7p and most interacted with fans between 10-15 minutes with all of the big names signing for fans or taking selfies. Joey Porter, Junior signed with his father as fans pressed up against the chain link fence.
H-Back Kendrick
Highlight of the night was the team using 2021 starting center Kendrick Green as an H-back. Green ran three successful plays, the first he was offset from the fullback position and blocked Quincy Roche to help free tailback Darius Hagans for a nice gain. On the second play, they sent Green in motion and he caught a pass from Mason Rudolph and then trucked Toby Ndukwe, an undrafted rookie linebacker from Sam Houston State. Third play, he ran around the end and pancaked Ndukwe.
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"It's just something coach wanted to see, it might be the end of it," Green said. "It was a good time. It was fun. We knew we were doing that today, it may have been a today thing only."
"I felt like I was a kid again playing backyard football. I was exhausted."
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His teammates jumped up like he scored a touchdown in a playoff game. For all Green has gone through in his career, while he downplayed it, a special moment Friday night.
7 Shots
It was a good day for the offense during the now daily seven-shots drill.
· Kenny Pickett back of the end zone to Allen Robinson
· Pickens back of the end zone tipped to himself, caught it, but was pushed out of bounds and ruled incomplete off a pass from Pickett
· Pickett right corner throw on an out route to Diontae Johnson-TD
· Pickett scrambled to his left for a TD
· Mitch Trubisky to Gunner Olszewski over the middle, just over the goal line for a TD
· Trubisky back of the end zone to Calvin Austin
· The second defensive stop, Madre Harper broke up a Trubisky pass
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Other highlights
· Dan Moore got all of the first-team reps at left tackle
· Trubisky hit Austin for about a 60-yard flag route that drew big cheers
· Rookie OLB Nick Herbig raced around the corner of LeRaven Clark and tackled Najee Harris for a loss
· LB Cole Holcomb blew up a screen
· Johnson had a couple of nice catches, including one diving on the sideline
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Steelers hold a pair of practices this weekend, Saturday and Sunday at 1:55p at St. Vincent College.
