Colbert addresses Steelers’ perceived discipline issue
LATROBE 无毛视频� Kevin Colbert met with a small group of reporters Thursday, as he does annually at Saint Vincent College. The Steelers无毛视频� general manager keeps print reporters abreast of the clerical information they无毛视频檒l need to understand the coming roster moves.
But this time, Colbert 无毛视频� after providing 30 minutes of background 无毛视频� took on-the-record questions that dealt with roster weaknesses, expectations for the absent Le无毛视频橵eon Bell, the filling of the crater-sized hole at inside linebacker left by the injury to Ryan Shazier, and any other question for which he might be able to provide insight.
Only one question caused the normally stoic Colbert to become emotional, and it was probably the question he was hoping would be asked:
Q: Have there been any external discussions about players tweeting, talking about other teams, running to meetings, etc.?
It became clear soon enough that this issue 无毛视频� exacerbated by James Harrison无毛视频檚 recent comments about a perceived lack of discipline under Mike Tomlin 无毛视频� has been on Colbert无毛视频檚 mind.
But he started his answer with a chuckle.
无毛视频淣o,无毛视频� Colbert said. 无毛视频淗onestly, a lot of that stuff was made into stuff that really wasn无毛视频檛 a concern. I had no question about our mental preparation, our internal organization, how our team was run. Sure, guys do different things that maybe you don无毛视频檛 like. Coach talks to them about 无毛视频楴o team business on social media.无毛视频� He does a great job of understanding 无毛视频� Coach Tomlin understands a generational player. He understands younger guys. We have to manage what a lot of that stuff is, but a lot of the stuff 无毛视频� the team turmoil and all that nonsense 无毛视频� that wasn无毛视频檛 a concern of ours.无毛视频�
Fans have grumbled about what they perceive to be a lack of discipline after last season无毛视频檚 running 无毛视频渟oap opera无毛视频�: Bell无毛视频檚 无毛视频渟tayout无毛视频� of training camp, the national anthem snafu in Chicago, Antonio Brown flipping over an empty Gatorade bucket on the sideline, Ben Roethlisberger saying he may have lost his skills after the first loss to Jacksonville, Roethlisberger无毛视频檚 passive-aggressive criticisms of then-coordinator Todd Haley, the release of Harrison after, well, his own poor sense of discipline at meetings, Tomlin discussing New England before playing Green Bay, and Bell无毛视频檚 2018 contract demands prior to the playoff game.
Colbert believes these bits of 无毛视频渄rama无毛视频� were overplayed by the media and bought whole as distractions by fans.
无毛视频淲e are always critical of who we are, what we do,无毛视频� Colbert said. 无毛视频淲e always review it. We talk about it. But it无毛视频檚 not like it无毛视频檚 a formal 无毛视频楪uys, we have to do THIS.无毛视频� No, we always want to be better at what we do on the field, off the field, team attitude. The players got to take some of that on themselves. We can draft them. Coach Tomlin can coach them. But when they无毛视频檙e out there, it无毛视频檚 up to them. A lot of this falls on all three aspects of this thing.无毛视频�
Three aspects?
无毛视频淥ffense, defense, special teams,无毛视频� Colbert said, before adding, 无毛视频淧ersonnel, coaching, players. It无毛视频檚 a whole thing. But there无毛视频檚 no concern whatsoever about our team无毛视频檚 attitude, discipline, all that other stuff that gets talked about. Absolutely no concern. I无毛视频檓 very comfortable working with this organization. People don无毛视频檛 see Coach Tomlin in a meeting room. They don无毛视频檛 hear Coach Tomlin talk to his team and watch them pay attention. They don无毛视频檛 see him in a one-on-one meeting with a player, whether the player无毛视频檚 doing something good or bad. We get into their personal lives a lot, because he cares about them as people as much as he does as players. I think that无毛视频檚 very uncommon for his position and the demands that are made on him. He无毛视频檒l go beyond the professional demands to make sure he无毛视频檚 doing the best he can for the player personally.无毛视频�
It was pointed out to Colbert that some of the players took exception to, for instance, Mike Mitchell talking about New England before beating Jacksonville.
David DeCastro, for one, was upset about that after the playoff loss. Ramon Foster was still upset when he reported to training camp.
无毛视频淩ight. And that无毛视频檚 because we lost a critical game,无毛视频� Colbert said. 无毛视频淲hen you lose a game, you无毛视频檙e not happy and you are going to look at different things. I无毛视频檓 sure he wasn无毛视频檛 happy with his performance, my performance, coach无毛视频檚 performance. No one无毛视频檚 happy, and they may pick out certain things. But to think that we weren无毛视频檛 prepared for that game, I don无毛视频檛 agree with it. We got outplayed that day in all three phases. That is the simplicity of it. Whether it was preparation, I don无毛视频檛 believe any of that. It was what happened once we hit the grass in all three phases.
无毛视频淏ut, yeah, it无毛视频檚 personnel, it无毛视频檚 coaching, it无毛视频檚 players. It always is. Did we get the right guys to win that playoff game? No. Did we have the right game plan? No. Did our players play good enough? No. Give Jacksonville credit. They played a great game and beat us. End of story.无毛视频�
Colbert was asked about beating the Patriots this year but he didn无毛视频檛 take the bait.
无毛视频淲hat about them?无毛视频� he asked.
They无毛视频檙e the team to beat.
无毛视频淣o,无毛视频� Colbert said. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e got to beat Cleveland.无毛视频�
The Steelers play the Cleveland Browns in the opener. If the lesson needed to be learned, consider it done.