White-collar shirts for a blue-collar defense
Linemen, pass rushers finish Fridays in ‘work shirts’
Perhaps your office has “casual Friday” — or, more likely if you live in Pittsburgh during the fall and winter, Fridays are for Steelers gear.
But for the actual Steelers, the last practice of each week is their dress-up day. Every Friday morning, defensive linemen and outside linebackers suit up in white collared shirts under their jerseys, a tradition that no one’s entirely sure of when or how it began, but has been upheld for at least five years now.
“It’s something Cam [Heyward], I think, passes along to anyone who comes through,” said second-year defensive end Isaiahh Loudermilk. “I’m not really sure where it started. You’d have to ask Cam about that.”
“I think one day we were talking about ‘business Fridays’ and it just originated somehow,” Heyward said earlier this season. “It took on a life of its own. Now I have [defensive line coach Karl] Dunbar in meetings talking about ‘grab your collared shirts, we’re going to work’ and everyone’s locked in from there.”
It’s not as if fans watch practice, so it’s not a gimmick for the outside world to see. Even now, when the temperatures drop and the hooded sweatshirts come out, the collars remain.
They might not be as noticeable, but they’re as much a part of the uniform for those position groups as the practice jerseys themselves.
Loudermilk went with the long sleeves, hoodie and work shirt over top, because “no matter what, you’ve got to have it on.” Friday was particularly chilly, hovering right around 30 degrees, so Heyward added yet another layer, literally and figuratively. He brought out a white hard hat for Dunbar.
“Just adding more to it,” Loudermilk said with a smile. “I think Cam’s got a bunch of them in his locker. Another symbolism-type thing. It’s fun to be a part of. I’m glad we do it. I think it’s a cool tradition just to have along the D-line. It’s not really fashionable, but I enjoy it.”
Whenever a new player is added to the defensive line or outside linebacker room, Heyward tells them to go to the equipment office to get their dress shirt.
This season, new faces such as DeMarvin Leal and Malik Reed are learning what it means to be a lineman or pass rusher on Fridays in Pittsburgh.
For Leal, he had a second-year guy in Loudermilk explain to him the message. For Reed, he’d never worn a collar to play football, but once he put it, on he never gave it another thought.
“They’re a little stretchy and breathable,” defensive end Chris Wormley said. “Cam’s old, so maybe when he was starting out, they were cotton shirts and would be more uncomfortable.
And what if someone just wants to wear his usual practice attire?
“I mean, they usually buy in after a week or two,” Wormley said. “Even if they think it’s corny, they want to be a part of it.”
Wormley added that he’s sure Heyward will want to see the standard continued. When the longtime defensive captain is retired and back at practice watching the Steelers, Heyward might want to stop down on Fridays.
“I would love to,” said Heyward, the longest-tenured player on the team. “If I see it extend past my playing career and guys rally behind it in a sense that they know their Fridays have to mean something, then I’ll be happy. But it’s not anything to focus on now.”
Indeed, the defensive line is coming off its best game of the season, holding the Saints to only 29 yards rushing.
After that performance, the Steelers rank sixth in both rushing yards allowed per game ( 108) and per carry (4.1) — one year removed from being last in the league against the run.
But now they get a date with Joe Mixon, who ran wild for 153 yards in Cincinnati’s last game and gashed the Steelers for 255 yards in last year’s sweep.
The Steelers were solid enough in Week 1 against Mixon, allowing 82 yards but on 27 carries, his most all season. Slowing him again will be key to getting a sweep of their own in this matchup.
In other words, it’s time to get to work.
“We have a lot of new guys this year, even [at other positions] who are like, ‘ What the hell is up with these shirts? What are you guys doing?’ We’re just going to work,” Wormley said. “It’s ‘Work Shirt Friday.’ It’s just a mentality that we have, that even though it’s the last day of the week, it’s a shorter day — we’re out of here by 1 o’clock — there’s still work to put in.”
Fitzpatrick ready to go
It appears that All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick will play Sunday against the Bengals, eight days after an appendectomy. Fitzpatrick logged a second consecutive full practice Friday and does not carry an injury designation into the weekend.
In fact, the only Steeler ruled out is cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon (hamstring). Defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi (knee) and left guard Kevin Dotson (knee) were upgraded from limited to full practice Friday and aren’t even listed as questionable.
The Bengals ruled out receiver Ja’Marr Chase, defensive back Dax Hill and defensive tackle Josh Tupou. Backup running back Chris Evans (knee) and cornerback Tre Flowers (hamstring) are questionable.