Throughout his football career, spanning from college to his time now with the Pittsburgh Steelers, wide receiver and special teams ace Ben Skowronek has been around quite a bit of history.
He played at Notre Dame, where the football tradition and history speak for themselves. He also won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams early in his NFL playing career. But nothing compares to the feeling he gets in the Steel City.
Appearing on the “Schultz Report” with Jordan Schultz, Skowronek spoke about the rich tradition he experiences every day walking into the Steelers’ practice facility, not to mention playing home games at Acrisure Stadium.
“I loved coming to work every day, but like, I don’t necessarily know if I felt that between the walls just ’cause SoFi Stadium was a brand-new stadium, stuff like that. And then I went to Houston. They were an expansion franchise. They didn’t really have that at all. And then when I came to Pittsburgh, man, I remember I walked up the stairs for the first time on the first floor,” Skowronek said, according to video via the show’s YouTube page. “The locker room, stuff like that. And then you walk up the stairs to the front office. I had to sign the paperwork and everything when I first got here. And I walked past all the Lombardis man. I got Hines Ward, a picture of him right here, and like next to me, there’s Bill Cowher.
“There’s just like Super Bowl pictures everywhere. Yeah, it is everywhere, man.”
The culture in Pittsburgh and the celebration of its rich history and tradition is alive and well. It’s all throughout the facility, in the hallways outside of the locker room, and players learn about the history when they join the franchise. There’s a standard to meet, and style of football that is expected, both on and off the field.
It’s one of the few teams with that rich of a history and tradition, both of which are passed down year after year, generation after generation.
It’s not just in the facility, either. Skowronek can feel it in the city, too.
“You feel that culture and then you walk through the city of Pittsburgh, man. Not that I love being recognized in public and stuff, but the fans are super respectful, man,” he said. “I’m eating dinner, and a lot of times I just like sitting at the bar and just get a quick meal and getting outta there. And the bartender’s just like, subtly at the end, he’s like, ‘Man, keep kicking ass’ or whatever. I think that’s real cool.
“Obviously Acrisure Stadium has a ton of history, previously Heinz Field, so for me it’s a sports town. It’s a football town.”
Pittsburgh is a sports town through and through. The city bleeds Black and Gold, and it’s because of that rich tradition that started in the 70s with the Steelers and has carried on through generations. Now that he’s a Steeler, Skowronek is experiencing it and embracing it, enjoying his time in the Black and Gold as he continues to carve out his own place in Steelers lore as a standout special teamer.