Some members of the NFL media may have considered the Titans meeting at the Steelers’ logo before their game Sunday to be a big deal. But not the Steelers themselves.
Offensive lineman Zach Banner joined the “PM Team” Tuesday for his weekly interview, and said he laughed off the Titans’ gesture.
“I looked right at the guys, and I was just like, ‘ignore that trash.’ Marcus Allen is right next to me, we call them ‘the band,’ the special teamers, because they vibe with each other so much. Marcus Allen, Ulysees Gilbert, Robert Spillane. They’re getting fired up, and I was like, ‘ignore that trash and just play football,’” he said. “Growing up in this league, I’m in year five right now, and these few years being with guys like Dave DeCastro … he always had just a simple saying when he looked at film and guys would try to rile us up or hit us late, and he was like, ‘Bro, at the end of the day, we’re all trying to go out and win a football game and have a check the next week. We’re grown men, this is a profession. Some people do the antics, and I’ve just always taken that vibe. I giggled at it. We giggled at it, and just ran out of the tunnel.”
When Andrew Fillipponi brought up analyst Craig Wolfley’s impassioned reaction, Banner said the league has changed.
“I would take that as the disappointment as a great past player who has grown and seen this league mature and how different it is when he was playing,” he said. “I think he makes a great comment as a spectator. But it’s the same thing when guys request a trade. You can’t let that distract you.”
The Steelers are slated to play the Chiefs this Sunday. You can listen to the full interview here:
