Fan-Player Stories

While it’s not the same as being at training camp, these stories ware a fun read as we get closer to the start of the season!

@bigelhoe

So I have a training camp story. The year was probably around 2011, I was around 10 years old and I was there with my mom. So up at Saint Vincent we were standing along the fence when the coaches were walking down for practice, and Dick LeBeau walked by. Everyone was begging for an autograph and he wasn’t signing any at all, and my mom yells out “Dick I’ll settle for your initials” and he stopped in his tracks and spun around and said “Alright I gotta give you that one” and I said something along the lines of “ Mr. LeBeau my mom absolutely loves you can you shake her hand?” And he did it and shook her hand.

We traveled from philly every summer for over 10 years for training camp and I actually ending up becoming a student there! I’m a junior at Saint Vincent now and I think all those good memories of training camp certainly influenced my decision!

@MariV278

At the 2010 training camp my family & I were sitting on the grass waiting for practice to start. Ryan Clark was walking around with a backpack, walking around, looking like one of the fans. My son noticed him, chatted with him & asked for him to sign his cap. Of course he signed it and Ryan kept walking about interacting with the fans! That same day I got to slap high five with Big Ben as he walked by and my daughter got Hines Ward to sign her cap. This entire day was special and one we’ll never forget!

@gooz4444

I’ve had many, but three that were over the top. Tunch, Wolf, and Ellis Cannon came to my house and filmed pregame in DC. Another time, after an autograph show, multiple players, past and current (at the time) came to my house for a party and bbq. Joey Porter, Levon Kirkland, Barry Foster, Frenchy Fuqua, Shmarko Thomas, Terence Garvin, Markus Wheaton, and Louis Lipps

It’s not the biggest story, but I bumped into Chris Boswell at a gas station on the Southside last December the day before the game against the Jets. Was a bit hesitant at first because I didn’t want to make a fool of myself in case he was the wrong person, but eventually walked up to him and shook his hand saying it was a ‘pleasure to meet him and keep up the good work’. He told me ‘thanks, I appreciate that’, and as I walked away I told him that he got robbed from being in the pro-bowl and he just laughed.

@GregDaski

When I was about 11 my uncle took me to a banquet being held in my hometown of Altoona Pa. it was an MS fundraiser that rocky was doing around the 70s. After the banquet we were allowed to get some signatures and when I got to Rocky I noticed a cigar butt in the ashtray and I asked if I could have it. He just laughed and said it was ok to have. As I started to happily walk away he said wait this one is better. He just fired up another and put it out to give me a full but slightly smoked cigar. Again I was thrilled and started to walk away and once again he called me back and asked if I would like it signed. I took it home so happy and knew I would treasure it forever because Rocky was my favorite player. His book was one of the 1st big boy books that I ever read. I was not a fan of reading but that book was so inspiring when I learned of his military days and how he was shot in the foot. Anyways I took the cigar home and my dad said he would shellack it for me. That was great. As I got older and went to college of course a lot of my stuff was packed away for my childhood memories.

Flash forward to the late 90’s. I learn that Rocky was signing in the Harrisburg area where I now live. I dug out my cigar only to find out that the shellack must have drawn out the ball point pen signature. I decided I would take my cigar back to him to tell him the story and get it signed again which I did. When I told him the story he said he did vaguely remember it but I think he was just trying to be kind. He signed it and stood up and came around the table for multiple photos. It is now signed again in a case with the original ms program. Flash forward to about 2015. I am now lucky enough to start going to the Steelers games and get front row seats in the legends club. They used to have a vip tent set up which was loaded with former greats. Rocky was almost always in attendance and again I had the sincere pleasure of talking with him a few times. Flash forward to Rocky’s induction to the Steelers wall of fame. I was sitting beside the tunnel as he came out at halftime.

When I saw him come out, we made eye contact and I swear he seemed to recognize me because he looked at me and shook my hand on his way to the field. The story isn’t quite over. If you watched the ESPN Rocky Bleier story, they start out with him walking out on the field that very same night and you guessed it, they captured that moment we shook hands. They were saying how much Rocky was loved and admired and they truly couldn’t have picked a bigger lifetime fan than me to fit their description at that moment in time. I think that is my Twitter photo. The only thing wrong with that is I had my AB 84 jersey on instead of my 20 Bleier jersey.

@DocBates2012

My experience was with Jack Lambert. Our family had come to watch the morning practice. At that time, after practice, the players simply walked through the fans up the hill to the locker room and dining hall at St. Vincent. When Jack started up the hill he was surrounded by fans seeking autographs. He stopped and said, “Look. I’m tired. I’m hungry, and I have meetings after lunch. Stay for the afternoon practice,” and he pointed to a tree, “and I will meet you all under that tree over there and sign anything you want.” So we stayed. After the afternoon practice, he did just as he had said. He sat down, leaning against the tree, signed autographs and just chatted with everyone who was there. He may have spent an hour or more under that tree. From that point, he became my favorite Steeler of all time.

In 2009 My family and I stayed in the same hotel in KC with the team, when they came to play the Chiefs and one of the hotel employees that we knew gave us the team ITINERARY and we waited around every corner of the hotel to get autographs. Now, one of the people in our group was mistakenly given a player room on the 40th floor of the hotel, had a projector, conference table, and huge living area so we had access to the player floors!

While in the elevator with my dad, Charlie Batch walked in and we shared a couple floors and he took a picture with me BUT I awkwardly waited until he was almost out of the elevator and the doors closed on him and hit him lol. Here’s the crazy part, that same weekend was the College Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony and Magic Johnson checked into the same hotel Saturday night and my bro and I got to take a picture with him in the lobby!

FAST FORWARD 2 YEARS Steelers come back to KC and we get the same hotel AGAIN, (no itinerary this time) so my brother and I risk getting kicked out of the hotel going up and down floors in the elevator trying to see players. Keeping it short here is what happened: -Got into elevator with Charlie AGAIN -Marcus Gilbert told us to go back down lol Got up super early on Sunday because it was a night game and we were walking around the hotel about 6am. Both my brother and I had Jerseys on. When all of a sudden this grey haired gentleman stopped us and gave us each a Steelers pushpin. After going back up into the room and describing that grey haired man to my dad , he rushed us back down to the lobby, the man was still there and my dad shouted: ART! And sure as shit it was Art Jr who gave us the pins, we were young and looking for players so my bro and o didn’t recognize him lol.

@DMCPittsburgh

We went to Steelers training camp during Mark Bruener’s rookie season. My husband got his picture with him. A year later we went back to training camp. My cousin worked for the Pirates and was able to order us a Mark Bruener jersey for us through the Steelers since they were down the hall from each other at Three Rivers Stadium. The players had just finished practice and were headed to the buses. Mark sees my husband with his jersey on and stops to talk to us. Mark was shocked to see someone with his jersey on since jerseys were not easy to get like they are today. He thanked us for supporting him. My husband showed him the picture from the year before and asked him if he would sign the picture – which he did. Mark was blown away by how much he had balked up in a year’s time. He then asked our then four year old if he wanted a to take a picture. He handed my son his helmet to hold for the photo. The picture is adorable because he is holding the helmet looking up at him with his mouth wide open in excitement! He has a fan for life!

@SpiderKenX

I had a kinda cool one several years ago. I was in Vegas with some friends at the Wynn casino standing in line to get into some overpriced club that I was ready to hate. When we got in, it was Jerome Bettis’ birthday party. We go in and he’s there with a huge entourage. Takeo Spikes, Ike Taylor, many others. I was lurking like the awkward guy that I am and my extrovert friend told me Hines Ward was standing alone. He brought me over – I shook his hand and the only thing I could think of saying was “Thanks for all you’ve done for Pittsburgh.” I couldn’t hear what he said back but I got a pic with him.

@RYBH30

I had a college buddy who would often remind me he his dad played in college with Rocky Bleier at ND. Shortly after college Rocky was coming to nearby Worcester, MA to help dedicate a Vietnam memorial park. My buddy said if I mentioned his dad’s name I’d get a nice, firm handshake.. I went to the ceremony with my dad, a Vietnam vet, and was able to meet Rocky. I brought a camera and photo of him to be signed. I mentioned my buddy’s dad’s name but feel he would’ve been cordial regardless….

As he was signing the picture I brought, I mentioned to Rocky that my friends and I just booked our annual trip to Pittsburgh to see the Steelers. After signing the photo, he turned the photo over and wrote his phone # on the back, along with his address….

He told me, once I had the pictures developed, the ones he was kind enough to pose with me for, to send to him and he would personalize those as well. I sent a photo, along with an article from the local paper confirming our allegiance to the Steelers, and this was the response a week later…

@FrankAlessio2

My oldest son was high school player. All the seniors would go to Damon’s for food and wings each week. Troy Palamalu saw their letterman jackets. Talked a little football. Gave them each a bible verse to read. When time to pay, waitress says your bill was paid.

2006 Barrett Brooks was having a SB party at a bar called “The elephant & castle” in NJ. He came in w/his entourage & walked right over to me. He saw all my Steeler tattoos & let me party w/his family in the back. He did a SB toast & called me over w/him.

Read more by former Steelers via the book Steelers Takeaways: Player Memories Through the Decades.  To order, just click on the book: