lamberts-lost-tooth
05-03-2009, 05:01 AM
Bires: Estermyer, Shipley off to good starts
By Mike Bires, Times Sports Staff
Published: Sunday, May 3, 2009 12:15 AM EDT
PITTSBURGH — As first impressions go, A.Q. Shipley and Mark Estermyer couldn’t have asked for a better minicamp.
They are rookies hoping to make Steelers’ opening-day roster. It’s only “football in shorts” as coach Mike Tomlin likes to call off-season workouts. But so far, so good for the two local kids.
Shipley, a center taken in the seventh round of last week’s draft, felt comfortable in his first two days of wearing black and gold. He wasn’t in awe, even though he plays a position with a storied tradition. It’s a tradition started decades ago by the late Mike Webster, the father of one of Shipley’s teammates at Moon Area High School.
Likewise, jitters didn’t bother Estermyer, a long snapper signed as an undrafted free agent.
Because he hiked the football for Pitt, which shares a practice facility with the Steelers, Estermyer felt right at home. He even stopped by team headquarters on Tuesday and Wednesday “to get some preliminary stuff done and beat the rush” before all rookies had to report Thursday.
As fate would have it, Shipley and Estermyer even caught a break when assigned their stalls in the Steelers’ locker room.
Most rookies, even first-round pick Ziggy Hood, are dressing at smaller, temporary stalls set up in the middle of the locker room. There aren’t enough of the larger, regular stalls to accommodate the 80-plus players on the roster right now.
Shipley, though, has a stall right next to starting center Justin Hartwig.
Estermyer’s stall is right next to the Steelers’ long snapper most of the past four years, Greg Warren.
Hartwig, signed by the Steelers as a free agent last year, doesn’t seem threatened by Shipley. The two actually already have a relationship. Hartwig and some other Steelers often workout in the off-season at a gym in Moon Township that Shipley also frequents. Shipley has talked to Hartwig there in the past.
“I want to pick Justin’s brain and get into his head. I’m trying to learn as much as I can,” said Shipley, an ex-Penn State star. “I know the lineage here at the center position.”
Estermyer, too, is trying to absorb all he can. His stall is in a corner of the locker room were kicker Jeff Reed and punter Daniel Sepulveda also dress.
“I want to go out there every day and snap my butt off,” Estermyer said. “Hopefully, that will be good enough to give me a chance.”
Estermyer making the team could come down to Warren’s health and/or money matters. Warren missed the second half of last season with a knee injury. He’s also due to make twice the money the Steelers would pay Estermyer. If Estermyer proves he can handle the job, maybe money could be the determining factor.
Even though he’s a seventh-round pick, Shipley’s chances aren’t that bad. The Steelers aren’t exactly deep on the offensive line, especially after cutting guard Kendall Simmons and choosing to not re-sign tackle Marvel Smith.
Besides playing center, Shipley may also have to learn how to play guard and gain the position flexibility that the Steelers like from their linemen. Still, if the Steelers keep 10 O-linemen as they did a year ago, Shipley has a solid chance of making the final cut.
“Obviously, this is a great opportunity for me,” Shipley said. “My family’s from here. I grew up watching the Steelers. Now I’m in this locker room.”
Shipley and Estermyer hope to still be there in early September. If they are, that means they will have survived the final cut.
http://www.timesonline.com/articles/2009/05/02/sports/steelers/doc49fd19abd15ad175840682.txt
By Mike Bires, Times Sports Staff
Published: Sunday, May 3, 2009 12:15 AM EDT
PITTSBURGH — As first impressions go, A.Q. Shipley and Mark Estermyer couldn’t have asked for a better minicamp.
They are rookies hoping to make Steelers’ opening-day roster. It’s only “football in shorts” as coach Mike Tomlin likes to call off-season workouts. But so far, so good for the two local kids.
Shipley, a center taken in the seventh round of last week’s draft, felt comfortable in his first two days of wearing black and gold. He wasn’t in awe, even though he plays a position with a storied tradition. It’s a tradition started decades ago by the late Mike Webster, the father of one of Shipley’s teammates at Moon Area High School.
Likewise, jitters didn’t bother Estermyer, a long snapper signed as an undrafted free agent.
Because he hiked the football for Pitt, which shares a practice facility with the Steelers, Estermyer felt right at home. He even stopped by team headquarters on Tuesday and Wednesday “to get some preliminary stuff done and beat the rush” before all rookies had to report Thursday.
As fate would have it, Shipley and Estermyer even caught a break when assigned their stalls in the Steelers’ locker room.
Most rookies, even first-round pick Ziggy Hood, are dressing at smaller, temporary stalls set up in the middle of the locker room. There aren’t enough of the larger, regular stalls to accommodate the 80-plus players on the roster right now.
Shipley, though, has a stall right next to starting center Justin Hartwig.
Estermyer’s stall is right next to the Steelers’ long snapper most of the past four years, Greg Warren.
Hartwig, signed by the Steelers as a free agent last year, doesn’t seem threatened by Shipley. The two actually already have a relationship. Hartwig and some other Steelers often workout in the off-season at a gym in Moon Township that Shipley also frequents. Shipley has talked to Hartwig there in the past.
“I want to pick Justin’s brain and get into his head. I’m trying to learn as much as I can,” said Shipley, an ex-Penn State star. “I know the lineage here at the center position.”
Estermyer, too, is trying to absorb all he can. His stall is in a corner of the locker room were kicker Jeff Reed and punter Daniel Sepulveda also dress.
“I want to go out there every day and snap my butt off,” Estermyer said. “Hopefully, that will be good enough to give me a chance.”
Estermyer making the team could come down to Warren’s health and/or money matters. Warren missed the second half of last season with a knee injury. He’s also due to make twice the money the Steelers would pay Estermyer. If Estermyer proves he can handle the job, maybe money could be the determining factor.
Even though he’s a seventh-round pick, Shipley’s chances aren’t that bad. The Steelers aren’t exactly deep on the offensive line, especially after cutting guard Kendall Simmons and choosing to not re-sign tackle Marvel Smith.
Besides playing center, Shipley may also have to learn how to play guard and gain the position flexibility that the Steelers like from their linemen. Still, if the Steelers keep 10 O-linemen as they did a year ago, Shipley has a solid chance of making the final cut.
“Obviously, this is a great opportunity for me,” Shipley said. “My family’s from here. I grew up watching the Steelers. Now I’m in this locker room.”
Shipley and Estermyer hope to still be there in early September. If they are, that means they will have survived the final cut.
http://www.timesonline.com/articles/2009/05/02/sports/steelers/doc49fd19abd15ad175840682.txt