A fun day for female Steelers fans

Passes were being caught. Blocking drills were in full effect. And the energy level was high. Just a typical day at Steelers training camp at Saint Vincent College. Well, not really. On Saturday morning the annual Steelers Women’s Training Camp, presented by UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, was rolling and the ladies were ready to go. Cloudy skies and a light occasional drizzle didn’t impact their love for all things black and gold. “I am a huge Steelers fan. I try to go to as many games as possible,” said Karla Yoney, from Penn Hills, one of the many enthusiastic women participating. “I just want to be able to put my skills to the test today. I am really excited. I am Pittsburgh born and raised. I bleed black and gold.” They were taken through stations conducted by Steelers legends, with linebacker drills run by Aaron Smith, offensive line drills with Jon Kolb, defensive back drills with Delton Hall, and tight end/receiving drills with Jerame Tuman. Pittsburgh Passion team members also assisted at each station. “It’s a joy,” said Smith. “The fact that they signed up for this tells you they have a love and passion for the game of football. It’s always fun to be around anybody that has a love and passion for what you enjoy doing. The energy and excitement they have just brings it to life. “It’s evolved so much. Women have adopted football. They understand the game as well or better than most men. If you talk to some of the women, they are more passionate about the Steelers than some of the guys that like football.” If there is one thing anybody who has worn the black and gold knows, it’s that the Steelers female fan base loves football, and loves learning more about the game every opportunity they get. And the players love teaching it. “I absolutely love this,” said Tuman. “It’s something I don’t get to do enough, but I gravitated to after football. We opened a CrossFit and athletic training facility and I also coach football for North Allegheny High School. I enjoy coaching, teaching and in this circumstance giving back to the Steelers fans. “The knowledge the ladies have does impress me. I have three daughters of my own and am around a lot of their friends. With social media information is more accessible, but it’s impressive how much they know and their interest in football.” The weather threw a bit of a curve at the event, with afternoon practice cancelled. Instead, the women got an exclusive opportunity to watch the team’s morning walkthrough. “That is so cool,” said Yoney. “They said not only the media get to go in. We are so excited about that.” Once they finished on the field the ladies will enjoy the Steelers 2021 Highlight Film, have an autograph signing with the legends and enjoyed lunch. But no doubt, for everyone involved, the on-field skill session was the best part. “What we did was more than just get into a stance and show this is what we do for run blocking or pass protection,” said Kolb. “We truly worked on the technique that we use. They asked me why we do what we do, and I like that. I shared with them the difference in the size of offensive linemen now versus when I played and how quickness is so important, so we worked on those drills. “They get really excited with it and tell me they didn’t know they were really going to be taught stuff the way they were. That is a great part of it. They want to know more, want more knowledge.”