The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
MILTON MANION SR. FROM VALLEY STATION, KY: Kind of a follow-up question from the June 24 Asked and Answered. With Ben Roethlisberger having the most 500-yard passing games, does he also have the most 6-touchdown passing games. And if someone has more 6-touchdown passing games, who might that be?
ANSWER: The NFL record for most touchdown passes in a game is 7, and there are eight quarterbacks who have accomplished that – Drew Brees, Nick Foles, Peyton Manning, Joe Kapp, Y.A. Tittle, George Blanda, Adrian Burk, and Sid Luckman. There have been 39 occasions in which a quarterback has passed for 6 touchdowns in a game, and the players who have done that more than once are Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Sammy Baugh.
BOB MEREDITH FROM HONEY BROOK, PA: In the June 24 Asked & Answered, you referred to Bob Ferguson as a member of the College Football HOF. If my memory is correct, he played for Ohio State as a running back and was reported to have not a yard gained as a runner during his NFL career. In his first game as a Steeler, he was dropped for a loss by vicious tackle. The defender pointed to him and said something like, "I bet they didn't hit like that in college." Any truth to that story, and can you tell us how long his career with the Steelers lasted.
ANSWER: Bob Ferguson, a FB from Ohio State, came to the Steelers as the 5th overall pick in the 1962 NFL Draft. With the Steelers, he appeared in 18 games, with 3 starts, and his finished with 63 carries for 208 yards (3.3 average) and 1 touchdown. Ferguson was out of football after the end of the 1963 season. Clearly, he was a bust as a high draft pick, but I have no idea whether he ever was trash-talked by an opposing player.
GARY HOPKINS FROM CINCINNATI, OH: I know we need to get a deal done with T.J. Watt. That's a given, but with the issues the Bengals are having with Trey Hendrickson, can you see a scenario where we might try to get him? Could you imagine a pass rush with both of them?
ANSWER: Trey Hendrickson (6-foot-4, 270 pounds) plays DE for the Cincinnati Bengals, and in 2024 he had 20 sacks and finished second in the balloting for Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year. Hendrickson is under contract to the Bengals for the 2025 season for $15.8 million, and I would imagine he is seeking an extension that would pay him close to the top of the scale for pass rushers. It might be fun to fantasize about Watt and Hendrickson on the same team, but I believe the only team where that could be possible is in a fantasy football league.
KEITH MILLER FROM CANTON, NC: In how many games has Chris Boswell kicked a winning field goal in the fourth quarter or OT?
ANSWER: Here are a couple of statistics I found on Steelers.com that might answer your question:
• Chris Boswell has a franchise-record 10 career game-winning field goals (last five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime).
• Boswell has made 18-of-21 career field goals (85.7 percent) in the final two minutes of regulation and overtime (including playoffs).
JEFF FRANKS FROM TOLEDO, OH: Which of the current Steelers wide receivers not named DK Metcalf best fits what Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers coaching staff will want to do to opposing defenses?
ANSWER: Check back once the Steelers go through training camp and the preseason. As of today, we cannot even be sure the receivers on the current 90-man roster are going to be the ones who will be on the 90-man roster through training camp and the preseason.
JOE WERNER FROM WEST HENRIETTA, NY: When the replacement players were brought in for the "strike games" in 1987, did the Steelers (or other teams for that matter) face a challenge in coming up with enough equipment to outfit an entire team of different players?
ANSWER: Even though teams used replacement players for 3 regular season games during the 1987 strike, it was still the NFL, which is the highest level of football. There was enough equipment to go around, and I can assure you the quality of that equipment met the standards of the NFL at that time.
KEN MAULDIN FROM CLYDE, TX: I have seen two reports that the Steelers were trying to acquire a tight end, and both of those players would be considered starting caliber as opposed to additions for depth. I thought tight end was one of the few areas where we were OK. Any input here?
ANSWER: Lots and lots and lots of "reports" out there during this rather dead time between the end of the offseason program and the start of training camp, because the "insiders" have to keep churning out stuff. What I believe we're seeing is General Manager Omar Khan doing his due diligence by making calls and taking calls to determine what if anything might be available/possible to maybe strengthen the Steelers 90-man roster. After watching the previous couple of seasons, I believe it's fair to make the point that the Steelers need to score more points, they need to be more explosive and efficient on offense. Adding weapons at the offensive skill positions is certainly one way to attain that goal.
JOSEPH PARHAM JR. FROM PHILADELPHIA, PA: Have the Steelers ever worn their road white uniforms at home?
ANSWER: For a franchise that has been playing in the NFL since 1933, "ever" is a very long time. There once was a time throughout the NFL when teams wore their white jerseys at home, much in the same way Major League Baseball teams wore white uniforms at home. But once Three Rivers Stadium opened in 1970, the Steelers have worn their black jerseys at home.
DAN MCNEEL FROM MANCHESTER, NH: On June 12 you answered a question from David Pacy regarding measuring individual greatness by championships won. A follow-up question. Do you believe some players are actually penalized for being members of championship teams? Some of the "dynasty teams" seem to have players deserving of greater recognition. The 1970s Steelers, 1980s 49ers, and 2000s Patriots come to mind.
ANSWER: If by "greater recognition," you mean induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I long have believed that a case of "Steelers fever" broke out among some of the Hall's Board of Selectors and led to deserving players such as Andy Russell and L.C. Greenwood not garnering enough support to be elected. I cannot speak to the other franchises you cite, but in my opinion the bottom line is that winning championships has helped some individual players get elected to the Hall of Fame, but once a number of players from the same team/franchise are elected, then being part of those championship teams can hinder others from joining their teammates.
SAM MIKHAIL FROM BETHESDA, MD: Now that Aaron Rodgers has signed, what are your thoughts about how Arthur Smith will design the offense?
ANSWER: I believe that the "design" of the Steelers offense now that Aaron Rodgers was added to the depth chart at quarterback is going to be ongoing and evolving. And the development and evolution will be determined by what works or doesn't work.
BILL OCONIS FROM MIDDLE RIVER, MD: I was born in New Kensington, Pa., and moved to Maryland at 6 years old. I'm now 62. Went to training camp after the pandemic, and it was held at Heinz Field, which was the name of stadium at that time. Unfortunately, I was not able to meet players or get autographs. My wife and I are going to Latrobe for the last two days of camp this year. Please fill me in on how we can possibly see players up close and hopefully get autographs as well.
ANSWER: The setting for practices at Saint Vincent College is much more intimate than it would be at any NFL stadium, and so getting close to the action on the field will be much easier to the point of being nearly unavoidable. For example, there will be drills in full pads conducted less than 10 feet away from the stands at Chuck Noll Field, and fans are able to hear those pads popping from the contact. Autographs can be had, but I will warn you that while all players sign, not all players sign every day. And getting an autograph from a specific player on a specific day is never a sure thing. I only make that point in an attempt to prevent fans from basing their enjoyment of the training camp experience on whether or not they can get a particular player's autograph on the day they attend and at the spot they're standing among the thousands in attendance.
BRIAN ALEXANDER FROM ROCHESTER, NY: I haven't seen any updates on Cameron Johnston. Will he be healthy, and is he expected to resume punting for the Steelers? Or do you think there will be a competition between him and Corliss Waitman?
ANSWER: Cameron Johnston participated in OTAs and minicamp, and the belief is that he'll be able to be a full participant in practice once training camp opens.
DAVE HYSLIP FROM PITTSBURGH, PA: Now that Aaron Rodgers has become a member of the Steelers, will training camp be a quarterback competition, or is the job going to be handed to Rodgers with it being his to lose?
ANSWER: Aaron Rodgers wasn't signed to be a part of a three-headed or four-headed quarterback competition, and I believe every player on the roster – including all of the other quarterbacks – understand and accept that.
ROBERT LaMILLER FROM POCATELLO, ID: Who has the most pick-6s in Steelers history?
ANSWER: Will Gay and Rod Woodson are tied at the top of the franchise's all-time list with 5 touchdowns apiece off intercepted passes, while Chad Scott and Jack Butler are tied-for-third with 4 apiece, and Troy Polamalu, Deshea Townsend, Carnell Lake, Dwayne Woodruff, and Tony Compagno are tied-for-fifth with 3 apiece.
RONALD BREWSTER FROM EAGLE PASS, TX: Why do you continually waste space in this format to answer the dumbest, most asinine questions?
ANSWER: You mean questions like this one?
