The Pittsburgh Steelers of old had some very intense practices that often led to fights between the two sides of the ball. Terry Bradshaw has told stories of internal fights that went on back during his playing days, and similar fights occurred with the Steelers during the 2000s and 2010s. Ryan Clark was an important member of those teams, and he has brought some interesting practice stories to light since his retirement.
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Former Steelers safety Ryan Clark on the sidelines during a game.
Many Steelers fans have heard Clark tell the tale of the practice that happened the day Antonio Brown signed his first big extension. Brown came into the practice with a new wave of confidence, and cockiness. The veterans on the team didn't take kindly to that, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Clark retold the story with some new details on the most recent episode of The Pivot Podcast, where he revealed what set the defense off.
"We're doing one on ones, and he is routing Kennan [Lewis] up. I'm talking about like killing him. So Keenan is holding him now, there's a bunch of stuff going on, he's [Brown] like, 'Tell him don't hold me, I'm the franchise woo woo,' he talking big right. So, Coach [Dick] LeBeau, who never really says anything, he's like, 'Man, get to the huddle!' So he cussed Coach LeBeau out. So now Ike [Taylor] fired up."
Anyone being rude to or disrespecting Dick LeBeau will strike a chord with the Steelers' defense, and it's a good way to get your head taken off. A lot of those veterans saw LeBeau as a father figure, and seeing a young, cocky receiver disrespect him in front of the team wasn't going to stand. This got even the quietest of Pittsburgh's defenders mad, including Troy Polamalu.
"I remember, like we fired up. Troy [Polamalu] looked at me and Troy never snapped his helmet and he always had his hair in the bun, and he never wore gloves. He looked at me and he went [simulates snapping helmet], and I said 'Oh, it's a different type of day now,' now we're blitzing. I'm flipping running backs that are trying to get to me, Troy is slinging Ben [Roethlisberger] around, we fighting every snap."
Despite the way he played during games, Polamalu was known for being calm, cool, and collected. There probably wasn't much that would get him angry during practice, but disrespecting his defensive coordinator did the trick. Clark went on to speak about how after practice concluded, Ike Taylor and Brown squared up in the middle of the field and fought as emotions boiled over.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame safety, Troy Polamalu.
Steelers Legend Broke The Only Rule During Practice
Every person who has played organized football at some point in their lives knows that there is one rule the defense must follow during practice: don't touch the quarterback. It's why quarterbacks are often trotted out in red jerseys, they're untouchable. Pittsburgh doesn't give their quarterbacks special jerseys, but the rule still stands. The rule especially applied when their quarterback was a future Hall of Famer in Ben Roethlisberger.
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Former Steelers quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger (7), walks off Heinz Field for the final time in his career.
The feud that day between Brown and some of the older defenders quickly turned into a battle between the offense and the defense. No one was safe out there, and that high energy is what you want in a practice. It simulates a rivalry game well, and it probably prepared the Steelers for some of the trials and tribulations that come throughout a season.
Clark remains steady in saying that this is his most vivid memory from a day at training camp, and it doesn't seem like the coaching staff tried to intervene much. They let the players go at it and solve their issues on the playing field. Unfortunately, this type of energy didn't lead to a very successful season. Pittsburgh went 8-8 and missed the playoffs while finishing third in the AFC North.
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