Thursday was like the first day of school for the Steelers rookie class, arriving at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex to prepare for the three-day minicamp that begins in earnest on Friday.
As players arrived throughout the day, they checked all the boxes, which ranged from meeting with their position coaches, getting fit for equipment, having their team headshots taken and much more.
“I’m very excited,” said defensive end Yahya Black, the fifth-round pick out of Iowa. “Anybody that’s gone through this process leading up to the draft is just waiting to play football. So, I’m really excited for that part.
“I want to get on the field and show them they didn’t mess up. At the end of the day, I just want to do my job and let them know that I’m working my hardest even though it might not look perfect all the time.”
Black isn’t the only one ready to get down to football. After spending the last few months training, taking part in the NFL Combine and Pro Days, all this new group of rookies want is to pick up a football and be amongst their teammates.
“I’ve been chomping at the bit for this,” said quarterback Will Howard, who was taken in the sixth round out of Ohio State. “I had already been bugging (quarterbacks) Coach (Tom) Arth and some of the guys for the playbook to try and get an early start on it. But I can’t wait to get out there and work. It feels like four or five months since we played in the National Championship game.
“I am ready. I’m just so fired up to get to work. I can’t wait to learn from them and hopefully have a little fun while we’re doing it.”