The action continues to heat up at Steelers training camp, with the second straight day of live contact drills keeping everyone fired up.
"More than anything, it is about giving them the opportunity to show what they are capable of and give them the opportunity to play football," said Coach Mike Tomlin. "We have a lot of young guys. We have to find as many means as we can to sort those guys out, and that's what it is about.
"It was a good day of spirited work. We will do similar things all week. It is just a natural part of our growth and development."
While the live drills had good results, there was disappointment during one-on-one drills with the offensive line going against the defensive line and linebackers. Rookie guard Nik Embernate suffered a serious knee injury while going against defensive end Cordian Haggans. Embernate had to be taken off the field on a cart after his teammates all went over and offered their best wishes.
"He had a significant knee injury," said Tomlin. "I don't want to judge that too quickly. I'm not a doctor, but obviously he is being evaluated. By the nature in which he went down and the way he was taken off, you can assume that it was significant. When we get definite information we will share it with you."
Linebacker Jason Worilds suffered a toe injury that caused some "minor discomfort" according to Tomlin, and may limit him a day or two. Tomlin said there was no new information on the other injuries, including cornerbacks Cortez Allen and Terry Hawthorne.
One player who is at full strength in camp is tackle Mike Adams. Despite being stabbed in the abdomen earlier this summer in an attack on the South Side, Adams was cleared by the doctors and Tomlin said he won't get any time off or special treatment during camp.
"I'm not going to ever describe Mike Adams' performance in light of what happened," said Tomlin. "When doctors told me he had clean health and medical clearance…that is in our rearview mirror. I'm not going to judge him on a curve in regards to what happened.
"He is here to play football, earn a job and be a positive contributor to our efforts. He gets no extra credit for that."
The Steelers claimed defensive back Buddy Jackson, a first-year player from the University of Pittsburgh, from the Kansas City Chiefs. To make room on the roster rookie long snapper Luke Ingram was waived.
The Steelers will hold practice at St. Vincent College on Friday evening at 5:25 p.m. The practice will be the highlight of an entire day of activities, beginning when campus opens at 12 noon. All events are free and open to the public. For more details, click on Friday Night Practice.
