A sense of urgency

LATROBE, Pa. - William Gay brings with him the enthusiasm and energy of a rookie when he takes the field, and the knowledge and veteran leadership of the 11-year veteran that he is. And in those 11 years there is a lot he has seen, enough to know that this year’s team offers something to be excited about.“There is a lot of excitement with this team,” said Gay. “We were right there last year. We added new pieces via free agency and the draft. “It puts a smile on your face because you knew you were that close to getting to your goal. I am happy about the team and excited to see what we can do.” Gay said the way things ended last year, with the loss in the AFC Championship game, should give all players a sense of urgency when the season starts, understating they need to get off to a strong start, and not take their foot off the gas pedal. “It puts everything in perspective,” said Gay. “You can’t play around during the season. You can’t start late runs, winning streaks. You have to be consistent throughout. That is what we want to do. It will take care of itself and hopefully we can be one of the teams in the playoffs, do it all over again, and take it a step further.” From afar: A television crew from Germany’s ProSiebenSat.1 Media were at Steelers practice on Wednesday, interviewing players just at T.J. Watt and James Conner, and putting together a piece for their audience. “The Steelers are popular in Germany,” said Christoph “Icke’ Dommisch, a reporter with the station. “Everybody knows the success the Steelers have had in the past and in recent years with Ben Roethlisberger. That is what they love in Germany. The Steelers are a franchise with tradition, and those are things the Germans like and understand.” Friday Night Lights: It’s going to be a busy remainder of the week for the Steelers, with plenty for fans to check out. On Friday night the team will host their annual Friday Night Lights practice at Latrobe Memorial Stadium at 7 p.m., with ESPN’s SportsCenter On the Road on site with live coverage from Scott Van Pelt, Sal Paolantonio and Ryan Clark. The day will kick off with Steelers Fest at Latrobe Memorial Stadium at 12 noon, featuring elements of Steelers experience, games, food, prizes and more. Steelers alumni Mike Logan (4-5 p.m.) and Louis Lipps (5-6 p.m.) will be on hand signing autographs. For more information and tickets, click on Friday Night Lights. Steelers Family Fest: If you can’t make it to Latrobe, fear not. For the first time ever the Steelers will practice at Heinz Field on Sunday, Aug. 6 as a part of the team’s Family Fest. Activities begin outside of Heinz Field at 3 p.m., with the action moving inside from 5-9 p.m., highlighted by a full practice. There will be plenty for everyone from the Steelers Experience to meeting Super Bowl champion Steelers Frenchy Fuqua, Franco Harris, Jon Kolb, Rocky Bleier, Chris Hoke and Santonio Holmes. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit Steelers Family Fest.