Mike Tomlin's first training camp will be grueling for players

Steelers Camp 2007: Mike Tomlin outlines a grueling first camp schedule
Friday, July 20, 2007

By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Mike Tomlin does not care much if his players do not like his plans for a toughened training camp that starts Monday in Latrobe.

He's not trying to make friends.

"I want to come out of training camp a unified, hardened group that's ready to do battle," the new Steelers coach said yesterday.


Toward that end, he has planned a heavy dose of twice-daily practices, the dreaded two-a-days many NFL head coaches have virtually eliminated in training camps during the past decade. Tomlin has 15 scheduled, about twice what former Steelers coach Bill Cowher put his teams through. While seven of those practices are one-hour morning sessions that will deal mostly with special teams issues and light drills, all players must attend.

"I like the schedule, I put a great deal of time into developing it," Tomlin said. "I'm comfortable with it.

"We have some special teams work we'd like to focus on; they're shortened practices but at the same time you have to go through the mental process of getting yourself up and ready to take the field twice a day, even if there's not two full practices."

There's also no day off for the roster of 86 players over the first two weeks of practices at Saint Vincent College.

"It's not going to be comfortable when we play on Sunday and have to come back and play on Thursday night on the road," Tomlin said.

Indeed, the Steelers play Jacksonville at home Dec. 16 and four days later, have another game at St. Louis.

"But guess what?" Tomlin said. "The standards of expectations are not going to change, is it? We have to go win. That's what training camp is about, that's why we're thoughtfully non-rhythmic. That's why we do some of the things that we do in terms of scheduling."

Tomlin hinted of some unscheduled relief based on how practices turn out.

"Christmas may come a few times, we'll see. We'll play that by ear. That decision may become obvious too."

Tomlin said he believes every Steelers rookie will be signed and ready to go when he opens training camp Monday. Players must report by 4 p.m. and Tomlin will immediately put them through a conditioning test, which will not include a series of 40-yard runs, as Cowher, in past camps, conducted the day after players reported.

"It is important, because the train starts moving at 4 o'clock on Monday. It's tough to get on a moving train if you haven't tried before. You like to have everybody on board before we take off."

This training camp should not be compared to previous ones, or those in the future, for that matter, not that there won't be similarities.

"I'm not familiar with how it's been in the past, so I really can't speak to that," Tomlin said. "But it is going to be trying at times. There will be some adversity, that's what training camp is about. That's part of team-building. It's supposed to represent, if you will, what lies ahead and no doubt there will be some challenges when we play football in the fall.

"It's just football camp, it's the '07 season and we want to be the very best we can. I'm not approaching this as a tone-setter or looking about how this camp is going to compare to camps in the future or even how it's going to compare to camps in the past. Each camp stands on its own. We have to prepare to be our very best and that's how we'll approach it."

Among other topics Tomlin touched on during his 20-minute news conference:

He believes guard Alan Faneca will back up his words and give it his all and not be a distraction merely because he's unhappy with his contract situation.

"You don't play football the way he plays football without being a professional. I think ultimately your character shows through; it's obvious when you turn the tape on, what his football character is about."

Tomlin will select the team captains, which previously were picked in a vote of the players. He will wait until after training camp to do so.

Willie Colon will compete with Max Starks at right tackle for now and not worry about playing other positions. However, Tomlin left the door open that Colon indeed could play elsewhere, if not at tackle. Colon also has practiced at center and guard.

"Willie's a guy we think is capable of competing in the top five," Tomlin said of his five starting linemen.