STEELERS FOOTBALL RETURNS
The Pittsburgh Steeline drumline leads Steelers fans down Art Rooney Boulevard outside Heinz Field on the North Shore before the team’s preseason opener Friday, a 30-28 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Coverage in Weekend Sports, at post-gazette.com and on PG NewsSlide.
• As fans flood Heinz Field, hopes for the season are high,
“I’m not saying he’s old,” she added, “but you know, he is getting up in age for playing.”
Mr. Shulsky said he’s hopeful that the quarterback will focus on the game this year, without off-field distractions.
“I think he has a better attitude this year,” Mr. Shulsky said. Despite the fact that Roethlisberger will turn 38 by the season’s end, Mr. Shulsky thinks the quarterback has improved his lifestyle and is comparable to 42-year-old Tom Brady, who remains an elite player at an age when many athletes are long retired.
“I think they’re living right now; they’re doing things right with their bodies now,” Mr. Shulsky said. “I think by doing that, the longevity of their playing time expands.”
The one new player capturing fans’ attention is Devin Bush, the rookie inside linebacker who some feel will fill the shoes of Ryan Shazier, who continues to recover from a 2017 spinal contusion.
“We need help because we lost Shazier with that injury,” said Jeremiah Casto, 13, of Ripley, W.Va.
Jeremiah, who was attending the game with his grandfather, Ray Shockey, had hopes that coach Mike Tomlin would be able to get the team in shape for a winning season.
“Tomlin will get them together,” Mr. Shockey, 72, said. “He’ll be all right. He’s a good coach and a good leader.”
As for the team’s underdog status compared to some past years, Mr. Shockey felt that was a plus, not a negative. “If you got them trapped, they’ll fight, man.”