Steelers Morning Huddle 6/18/13

December 30, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu (43) runs onto the field during player introductions against the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter at Heinz Field. The Pittsburgh Steelers won 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Steelers news will probably be uneventful between now and training camp in the end of July.  All the draft picks are signed and the Steelers didn’t have horrendous OTA/mini-camp injuries that left them scrambling to decide how to fill positions.  So, until then, we’ll continue to speculate on just what we think the Steelers will or can do and we’ll see more features that introduce us to background stories about the players.   Here are some articles posted over the last 24 hours.

Who’s really in charge in the AFC North?

Albert Breer of NFL.com put together a look at each team in the AFC North that includes the front office leadership of each and then breaks down who has the most power in the organization.  It should be no surprise to Steeler Nation that he concludes that, ultimately, the “Rooneys run the show.”   If you want to get to know your competition within the division, it’s an interesting read about the other teams.

Polamalu, Clark mentor rookie safety Shamarko Thomas

Polamalu is embracing his role as a mentor and teacher, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.  According to Polamalu he tends to pour out everything at once and Clark steps in to help smooth out the mentoring.  Both Clark and Polamalu seem to appreciate Thomas’ desire to learn from them.  I’ve always thought of Polamalu as a quiet, reserved guy who can really show a lot of emotion and passion.  I would expect him to be the same way when he shares his love of how to play the game with other players.  It’s probably alot like getting hit with a stream of water from a firehose.  Let’s hope Thomas can absorb the good traits of both Clark and Polamalu to combine with his own talent and unique abilities.  Wouldn’t that be great?

Ben Roethlisberger’s Football Camp

Nick Veronica of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette posted an article about Roethlisberger’s first Father’s day from the perspective of Ken Roethlisberger.  The article also touched on how the football camp is going and how Ben is healing from his surgery.  There isn’t anything surprising in the article, but it’s nice to see Roethlisberger as a family man and helping young kids out.

Brett Keisel Continues his Charity Work

According to Steelers.com Teresa Varley, Brett Keisel hosted a fishing event for children who are patients of Children’s Hospital of UPMC.  Mark Kaboly’s article in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review is a little more in-depth and interviews one of the parents of a child who has benefitted from Keisel’s work.  Most of you are probably familiar that Keisel’s beard has become something of a superstar, perhaps at times eclipses the man.  He had shaved off the beard as an extremely successful fundraiser for the hospital after the last couple of seasons.  I don’t know about you, but every time I see Keisel without the beard I don’t initially recognize him.

Mike Golic Jr. Respects Experience and Tradition

Many times fathers and son’s butt heads and I’m sure the Golic’s have had their share of disagreements.  It’s natural to push boundaries, but the Steelers.com post from Teresa Varley about Mike Golic Jr. shows a maturity that displays respect for his father and for the Pittsburgh Steeler as an organization.  The article also shows his understanding of how most opportunities happen in the NFL – through hard work.  Some people probably don’t think that matters, but it makes me cheer him on.  He has a supportive family, a good head of his shoulders and seem to be humble and appreciate where he is.  I hope his hard work lands him a starting sport at some point, even if it isn’t this year.

What did I miss, What did I get wrong?

That’s it for today.  Let us know what you think!