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November 30, 2009

"We've got to win out"

Steelers 17, Ravens 20

Brett's comment after the overtime loss to the Ravens:

"We made some big plays, but not enough of them. We've got to win out. There's no other ifs, ands or buts. We've got to win out in order for us to be playing in January."

The Steelers were without Ben Roethlisberger, their starting quarterback, and his backup, Charlie Batch. They headed into the game with their third string quarterback-Dennis Dixon. Up until the Baltimore game, he had thrown one pass in the NFL. The team was also without Troy Polamalu. But, if the Ravens thought they had an easy win coming their way, they were wrong.

From Steelcityinsider:

Nobody counted on the play of second-year quarterback Dennis Dixon making things interesting.

Dixon, making his first career start, ran for one touchdown and threw for another. It was his first mistake, however, that did the Steelers in.

Dixon was intercepted by rookie Paul Kruger on third-and-five from midfield in overtime and Kruger returned the ball to the Pittsburgh 28 to set up a 29-yard field goal by Billy Cundiff that lifted Baltimore to a 20-17 victory.

For four quarters, Dixon looked like a player who had been playing in the NFL for years. Dixon completed threw for 145 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a score with 6:32 left in the game to give the Steelers (6-5) their first lead of the game.

The touchdown was the culmination of a drive that began when the Ravens committed a costly turnover after quarterback Joe Flacco was strip-sacked by Lawrence Timmons, with the ball recovered by Brett Keisel.

The defense harassed Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco all night, sacking him five times.

To read more about the game, click here.

Game photos:

Click here to check out game pictures.

Event reminder:

Brett will be hosting the 65 Roses Sports Auction on December 3. Details are in the Events and Appearancessection on the right side of this page.

November 25-26, 2009

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

All turkeys beware...

...Keisel's theory on birds:

'If it flies, it dies.' " Brett was talking about pheasants when he said that, but just in case... any wild turkeys in his vicinity may want to go into hiding!

Brett's friend and teammate, Ben Roethlisberger is featured on the cover of USA Today Sports Weekly, and he talks about being the hunter versus the hunted.

"I like being the hunter - not the hunted," Roethlisberger says. "I realize that if you are the hunted, it means you're on top. To me, I want to hunt you - then beat you at the end. To go undefeated would be a great feat. But all the crap that goes with it - everybody chasing you - well, I want to be the guy who sneaks up from behind. That's just my mentality."

"Ducks, geese, pheasant, quail, grouse - anything with wings," the quarterback says of his fondness for hunting. "In the words of my teammate Brett Keisel: 'If it flies, it dies.'"

Thanks to Erin, from Big Ben News for sending the quote to me. Visit her site to see Ben's cover and to read more of the article.

Thanksgiving greetings from the Steelers:

Click here to watch a video featuring Steelers players sharing their Thanksgiving greetings with Steelers Nation and the military.

New photos:

Brett and his family attended teammate Deshea Townsend's Black and Gold Art Show this week. Click here to view photos from the event.

Information about Townsend's event was posted in the November 18th news.

Fan encounter:

I received the following email from Rita Bennett:

Hi Trish! I just wanted to share with you a little fan story. It was one of the pre season games this season, and my son who happens to be a youth football coach and President for Thomas Jefferson (TJ), and my grandson Andrew "Stinger" were representing their football league during pre game festivities. They were standing in line and Brett and his teammates were warming up. Andrew stood there watching in amazement in his black & gold team jersey (by the way, his football number is #99). My son said he saw Brett look over their way but never thought anything of it. Well, Brett walked over and shook my grandson's hand and took his (Brett's) hat off and gave it him. Well need I say anymore...Andrew wears that hat everywhere. I just want to say thank you to Brett for being so kind and for being a genuine # 1 player. I wear a Brett jersey and have been since last season. I just think he is one of the best players in the NFL.Thanks for letting me share this little story with you.

Rita's son, David Beatty sent a picture of his son (Andrew "Stinger" Murdy) wearing the hat Brett gave him.

Click here to see the photo.

Thank you to Rita, David and Andrew for sharing their fan encounter!

HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE THANKSGIVING!

November 22, 2009

Steelers lose in overtime

Steelers 24, Chiefs 27

From Scott Brown, Tribune Review:

Following perhaps the most unexpected loss of the Mike Tomlin era, a come-from-ahead defeat against a team that had not won at home this season until Sunday, Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton said what had to be going through every mind in a hushed and cramped visiting locker room.

"There was no doubt in my mind we were going to win," Hampton said.

The Steelers didn't just drop a 27-24 overtime stunner to the Kansas City Chiefs yesterday. They also lost Ben Roethlisberger on the first possession of overtime when the franchise quarterback took a knee to the head.

Click here to read the whole article.

The Steelers are 6-4 and will play Baltimore next week.

Brett had two tackles during the game.

Coach Tomlin did not have much news on Ben's injury after the game. He said it was "concussion-oriented" in nature. Also, Chris Kemoeatu suffered an MCL sprain in the game.

I have only located one game photo of Brett so far. Click here to see it.

Keisel talks about Steeler Nation:

"One of the reasons we're so lucky to be playing for the Steelers is that no matter where we are on the road, we feel the love from Steeler Nation. I can't tell you how many road games we played when our fans are more into the game than [home team] fans."

November 20, 2009

Keisel: Unsung hero of Steelers

From Scott Brown, Tribune Review:

LaMarr Woodley called Brett Keisel the "most underrated defensive end in the NFL."

James Farrior probably wouldn't argue with something else Woodley said earlier this week: that Keisel merits consideration for the Pro Bowl. "Best year since I've been here," Farrior said when asked how Keisel has been playing.

By applying the transitive property to Farrior's claim, Keisel is having the best year of his career since both players joined the Steelers in 2002.

Keisel leads the Steelers in quarterback pressures (16) and is tied for second in sacks (three). He has also proved to be a stabilizing force up front since the Steelers lost Aaron Smith to a season-ending shoulder injury.

"Losing a great player like that we have no time to hold our heads down and (say): 'Man, what are we going to do without (No.) 91?' " Keisel said of Smith, his close friend and former mentor. "I know it was an opportunity for me to step up and show my teammates what I was capable of and that we can still keep this bus moving."

It wouldn't be entirely accurate to say Keisel has elevated his play since Smith got hurt. That is because his coaches and teammates say the eighth-year veteran has been playing at a high level since early September, when the Steelers officially began the defense of their Super Bowl title.

"When you grade the tape, you see a guy that makes a lot of plays," Steelers defensive line coach John Mitchell said. "He plays under the radar."

Added defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau: "He had two tremendous years the past two years, but he's playing better than that right now."

LaMarr Woodley: "I thought he should have went to the Pro Bowl last year. Playing in this 3-4 scheme, you do different things, so your sacks aren't going to be as high. But the things (Keisel) does, as far as putting pressure on the quarterback, allowing guys like me and James (Harrison) coming off the edge to get sacks, have to count for something."

To read the entire article (it is a great read), click here..

Also, click here to watch an interview with Steelers sports writers talking about Brett's great season, and a quick interview with Keisel.

Pro Bowl voting...

...ends on December 21st. Keisel's teammates strongly believe he deserves to go, and he's having an amazing season. So, please take the time to vote for #99! The link is on the right side of this page.

New photos:

I added a photo of Brett and his wife, Sarah from Charlie Batch's event, In the Pocket. Click here to see it.

I also received some photos from Dave and Keri Bassili. They were in Pittsburgh to see the Steelers defeat the Browns, and also were able to meet Brett at an autograph signing at Hometown Sports. Dave was getting ready to deploy to Iraq-his fourth time. And, Keri has been there twice.

The couple are huge Steelers fans and Keri said Dave took his Terrible Towel and Steelers jersey to Iraq!

Both the Bassili's were kind enough to share their photos from the visit to Pittsburgh. Click here to see some of them.

The photo above is of Dave Bassili with Brett. There is also a picture of Keri with Brett in the photo gallery.

Thanks so much to the Bassili's for sharing their photos, and for all they have done (and continue to do) for our country.

November 18, 2009

News and Notes

From WTAE:

The Steelers are accustomed to using their helmets to help paint opposing teams black and blue, but some players are using them to express their artistic sides. Members of the Steelers teamed up with local artists to create their own signature designs as part of cornerback Deshea Townsend's Pay It Forward Foundation.

Artist Duane Rieder worked with the players to create their helmet designs.

Defensive end Brett Keisel, an avid outdoorsman, designed a helmet with a buck and its pointy antlers.

Brett's design can be seen above.

Want to own the helmet he designed...and help out a great cause?

Well, the helmets will be auctioned off on November 23rd at an event hosted by Deshea Townsend. The sale of all the helmets will help fund free health screenings in Townsend's native Mississippi and Pittsburgh.

For more information on the event, and to buy tickets, click here.

To see photos of some other helmets designed by Brett's teammates, click here.

Tomlin (during his weekly press conference) talks about Keisel:

"He’s been playing well all year. Brett is a solid, solid professional. He does a lot of dirty work. He’s really underappreciated. I think it’s the nature of the position he plays in our scheme, similar to Aaron Smith. There are a lot of people that ride the wave of destruction that he provides. I think on both of those sacks he was disruptive, but that’s nothing new for Brett Keisel. He’s appreciated on our team and in the locker room. That’s all that’s important to him.

Notes on Brett's season so far (from steelcityinsider):

He leads the team in quarterback pressures/hurries, and he has three sacks and three pass knockdowns.

Pro Bowl voting reminder:

Please keep voting to send #99 to the Pro Bowl. Fan voting ends on December 21, so we need to ROCK THE PRO BOWL VOTE FOR #99! The voting link is to the right, on this page.

November 17, 2009

Additional roles for Keisel?

From John Harris, Tribune Review:

As a concession to potential injury and their status on the team, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin relieved Pro Bowl outside linebacker James Harrison and starting defensive end Brett Keisel of important special teams responsibilities.

It was 2007 all over again for the Steelers during Sunday's special teams meltdown in a critical 18-12 loss to Cincinnati at Heinz Field. Only this time it wasn't Cleveland's Joshua Cribbs returning kickoffs for 100 and 90 yards in the same game, or Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew's backbreaking kickoff return in the AFC Wild Card playoff game. Pin this loss on the special teams for allowing another kickoff return for a touchdown, the third kickoff returned for a score against the Steelers in four games.

If Tomlin truly believes special teams are just as important as his offense and defense, he'll shake up the lineup before Sunday's game at Kansas City.

"It's something we've worked on, something that obviously we're aware of and it just seems to keep happening,'' Keisel said. "I'm sure coach Tomlin is going to address it and I'm sure some moves are going to be made. Who knows? I might be at (my old position) again.''

The kickoff team needs bigger and faster athletes like Harrison and Keisel, who were longtime special teams mainstays. Starting inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons should also return to special teams, joining starting cornerbacks Ike Taylor and William Gay, who are already on the kickoff team. It's no coincidence that the performance of the special teams has slacked off since the departure of Harrison, Keisel and Timmons.

Sure, it's a gamble to play starters on special teams because of the injury risk. Football is a violent enough sport as it is. Allowing key starters to also play special teams is the NFL's version of Russian roulette. However, the Steelers can't afford to lose any more games because of poor special teams play.

To read the entire article, click here.

Brett demonstrated what an asset he was to the Steelers early on in his career by his special teams standout play. He worked hard on special teams and later earned his position as a starter at defensive end for the team. So, seeing others not make the most of their opportunities probably surprises him.

Keisel talks about special teams :

It's definitely something that has to be addressed. We can't expect that to happen week in and week out and have a chance to win. Special teams is all about desire, desire and want-to -- you want to get down there and make the play. Hopefully we can get things figured out there."

There has been no official word, as of yet, on whether the Steelers are even considering making changes to their special teams. I will update if any news becomes available after Coach Tomlin's press conference today.

Kudos to Keisel

From Scott Brown's View From The Press Box:

Player of the game:

Defensive end Brett Keisel.

Keisel continued to play at a high level as he had four tackles against the Bengals and helped the Steelers limit Cincinnati to 61 rushing yards on 29 carries. He also got credited with a quarterback hurry, and he nearly intercepted a Carson Palmer pass deep in Steelers’ territory in the third quarter. A leaping Keisel got both hands on the Palmer pass near the line of scrimmage, and while he couldn’t hang onto it he forced the Bengals to settle for a 32-yard Shayne Graham field goal.

To read Brown's entire article. click the link after his name.

Moving on after loss to the Bengals:

"There's still a lot of football left,'' Keisel said. "There's still seven weeks left, which is almost half of the schedule. Sometimes things don't work out for you, but we're going to correct them and it's onward and upward.''

October 31, 2009

Steelers support Project Bundle Up

From Teresa Varley, Steelers.com:

Winter is just around the corner and thanks to the efforts of the Steelers and Salvation Army, some young kids will be keeping warm on bitter cold days. Steelers’ players took kids from the North Side Salvation Army shopping at Macy’s at Ross Park Mall as a part of Project Bundle-Up, a Salvation Army program that provides winter outerwear for needy children in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

“This year the waiting list is much longer because a lot of people who have been affected by the economy are coming to us,” said Major Robert Reel, the Salvation Army Division Commander. “The need is there. They have been laid off of work and are trying to hold down part time jobs.

“The players don’t have to do this. This is a night off for them. They take the time out of their schedule and come here and give time to the children. It is so valuable. The kids will never, ever forget it. I have been doing this for awhile and it warms my heart every time to see the players relate to the children and the children relate to them. They work so well together to get the items they need. The Steelers are fantastic at it. They really are great.”

Each player is paired with one of the kids and they set off on a shopping adventure to find a winter coat, hat, gloves and scarf, the perfect combination to fight off the winter chill.

To read the whole article, click here.

To see some photos of Brett at the event from this year and last, click here.

Reminders:

Please keep voting to send Brett to the Pro Bowl. The link to voting is on the right side of this page. Also, any upcoming events are listed to the right also under Events and Appearances.

The Steelers have a bye Sunday, and will take the field again on November 9 to play Denver. To get us through until the next game, click here to view highlights and interviews from previous games-including Keisel's forced fumble from last week.

October 28, 2009

Upcoming event

Brett will once again be hosting the 65 Roses Sports Auction to benefit Cystic Fibrosis. The event will be held at McFaddens on December 3rd.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, click here.

For prices to attend, click here.

For photos from previous years, click here. There are five pages of photos.

Also...

I added the Pro Bowl voting link to the right side of this page. And, I added some (not all) of the various causes Mr. Keisel supports. You can read more about each cause, listed on the right side of page under Keisel Causes, through the links provided.

"Our Brett is better than your Brett":

Thanks to Brett's sister, Peggy I heard from the person who made the sign that was flashed on FOX last Sunday. Her name is Terrie, and she is obviously a huge Steelers and Keisel fan.

Peggy met Terrie at a Steelers vs. Jets game a couple years ago and describes her as "Brett's number one fan."

Terrie said she has not missed a Steelers home game in thirteen years. This may not seem extraordinary to local Pittsburgh fans, but Terrie is definitely not local. She and her husband (who dresses as Jesus to get fans going), drive to Pittsburgh from Connecticut for every home game! Terrie said they are both self described "crazy Steelers fans."

From Peggy (Brett's sister):

"It's fans like these guys that our family truly appreciates. And, I just wanted to give a shout out to her (Terrie) and thank her for the sign. And I truly do love her and all of the great fans. Way to go Brett and all of the defensive line. You guys deserve a place in history along the likes of the Steel Curtain."

Way to go Terrie for the great sign! If you missed seeing it on television, there is a picture in the October 25 news, and here.

I've received numerous emails asking about the sign, so thanks to Peggy for helping me get in touch with Terrie!

Honorable mention:

Steelers Digest gave Player of the Week honors to James Farrior for his great defensive play vs. the Vikings. Others considered for the weekly award were: Brett Keisel, Max Starks, Keyaron Fox and LaMarr Woodley.

November 15, 2009

Bengals edge Steelers

Steelers 12, Bengals 18

The Cincinnati Bengals beat the Steelers 18-12 today to sweep their two-game series and take the lead in the AFC North Division. Neither team scored a touchdown on offense. Jeff Reed kicked four field goals for the Steelers and Graham kicked three. The only touchdown came on a 96-yard kickoff return in the first quarter by Cincinnati rookie Bernard Scott.

From Jim Wexell:

It was a brilliant effort by a Steelers defense that came into the game hoping to hold one of the NFL’s most efficient red-zone teams to field goals instead of touchdowns. For the most part, the defense achieved its objective. “Well,” said coordinator Dick LeBeau, “our main objective is to win, and we didn’t get that done.”

The Steelers’ defense was good – despite losing strong safety Troy Polamalu to a knee injury in the first quarter – limiting Cincinnati to four third down conversions on 14 attempts.

Keisel on the loss:

“They made more plays today. But hopefully this is exactly what we needed. Hopefully we needed to get knocked down a little bit. You know, we’ve lost games before and responded. We’ve got to do that this time.”

Stats:

Brett had four tackles, and although James Harrison was credited with a sack, it definitely was a shared sack with #99. He also had a great pass deflection.

Click here for game photos.

November 11, 2009-Thanks to all veterans

Post-game interview with Keisel

Semi-transcript of Brett's post-game interview:

"It was a great win against a great team. We had some starters down and a lot of players stepped up big. That is what we need going into this last stretch."

Keisel is asked about the defense trying to shut down the Broncos offense :

"That's what we try and do every game. We feel like if we can do that we can unleash our blitzes, and teams have a hard time picking up what we can do. We got big play out of Troy Polamalu there in the back, and that pretty much sealed the game."

To view Brett's post-game interview, click here. Then just scroll down the list of interviews to get to Keisel's.

From Scott Brown's column in the Tribune-Review:

Telling statistic: The Broncos had just 59 yards of total offense and two first downs in the second half. A defense that struggled to close out games earlier this season completely owned the fourth quarter at Invesco Field. Troy Polamalu’s interception set up the Roethlisberger-to-Wallace touchdown pass that gave the Steelers an 11-point lead.

Meanwhile, the only first down the Broncos got in the fourth quarter came with less than a minute left in it when the Steelers were sitting on a 28-10 lead.

“I think we’re starting to trust each other, and everyone knows what we’re running and I think when everyone does that we’re a tough defense to move the ball on,” defensive end Brett Keisel said of the Steelers’ dominance in the fourth quarter.

From Broncos defensive end Kenny Peterson:

“They just outplayed us. There is a reason why they are the defending Super Bowl champions.”

Tomlin's message to veterans and active military personnel-which aired on ESPN during Monday Night Football

"We appreciate the blanket protection that you guys provide. The sacrifice you make is not under appreciated. We really respect and admire what it is that you're doing."

Rock the Pro Bowl vote:

Please keep voting to send #99 to the Pro Bowl. The link is on the right side of this page.

For photos and news from the Denver game, check out the links in the November 10 news.

November 10, 2009

Keisel SACKS it to Denver

Steelers 28, Broncos 10

ESPN sports commentator Jon Gruden mentioned Monday night that he didn't think anyone outside of Pittsburgh knew who Brett Keisel was? Well, that could not be further from the truth, but just in case Denver was not aware of who Keisel was prior to the game last night, they sure know who he is now!

Keisel made sure to personally introduce himself to Denver QB Kyle Orton--twice. Certainly not the kind of introduction Orton welcomed, but I am sure the veterans on hand for the game (and watching from home and overseas) appreciated Keisel's salute (and sack dance).

From sports writer Jim Wexell:

"The salute to the veterans after Keisel’s first sack was first class. In fact, let that salute stand in behalf of all football fans. "

From Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post Gazette:

The Steel Hurtin' defense, playing without three starters, rose up in the mile-high altitude to deliver a crushing victory last night, the team's fifth consecutive win. The Steelers dominated the Broncos and won, 28-10, despite losing two big turnovers of their own, one for a touchdown and another that prevented one. The victory lifted the Steelers' record to 6-2 and a tie with Cincinnati atop the AFC North Division. The teams meet at 1 p.m. Sunday in Heinz Field. Denver lost its second in a row to drop to 6-2.

From Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post Gazette:

None of the pregame warnings regarding the ominous atmospherics of the Rocky Mountains foretold of the likelihood that two of the best teams in the AFC would be looking at each other upside down for most of the night, but five minutes deep in the third quarter, the defenses were scoring the touchdowns, the offenses were giving them up, and the respective special teams appeared to be conspiring toward some similarly unconventional climax.

Ty Carter's 48-yard interception return to the Denver end zone in the second quarter meant that the Steelers' defense had scored three touchdowns since the last time the offense had managed one.

When the offense suddenly sat bolt upright in the second half, going 80 yards on four plays to a 14-10 lead, the capacity crowd at Invesco Field was compelled to remember that despite the depletions in Le­Beau's defense, it was still thick with superstars. Polamalu was still flying, James Harrison still mauling, Brett Keisel still attacking everything that flashed in front of him. These are the people who make it possible for Mike Tomlin to insist that regardless of circumstances, the standard of expectation does not change. It's no coincidence that the standard of excellence players like these have long since established and so consistently achieve turns into victories in difficult environments.

"We did what we try to do every game," Keisel said when apprised of Denver's second-half rushing total -- 1 yard. "If we can make them one dimensional we can unleash our blitzes, people have a hard time picking up what we're doing."

The Steelers offense started out slow during the first half, but exploded through the second half. The Steelers defense, missing three (four counting Aaron Smith) players, held strong throughout the entire game. Orton and the Broncos were harassed the whole night by the Steelers defense. Orton had three passes intercepted (two picks by Carter and one by Polamalu), and he was sacked twice (thanks to #99). Keisel also jumped in to deflect an Orton pass, preventing the Broncos from setting up any chance of a come-back.

With the victory, Pittsburgh’s fifth straight, the Steelers set up a showdown with Cincinnati for first place in the AFC North. The Steelers will host the Bengals on November 15.

To read more about the big win over Denver, click on the respective links for the excerpts from Mr. Bouchette and Mr. Collier.

Game photos:

Click here.

Voting:

Please keep voting to send #99 to the Pro Bowl. The link is on the right side of this page.

Also...

...Ben Roethlisberger is nominated for Fed Ex Air player of the week after his performance Monday night. Click here to vote.

And, Mike Wallace is nominated for Rookie of the week. Click here to vote.

Great game by Keisel and the Steelers! Way to go #99!

October 26, 2009

"We answered the call"

Keisel talks about the defense:

"We feel like we have a really good defense. Today was a great test for us to go against a good offensive line, a great quarterback, a great running back. It was a big test for us and we answered the call."

Buzz on Keisel's play:

From View from the Press Box::

Play of the game: Brett Keisel’s strip and Woodley’s 77-yard fumble return.

How badly did the Steelers and their defense need Woodley’s first NFL touchdown? They had allowed the Vikings to drive from their own 3-yard line to the Steelers’ 8-yard line in the fourth quarter of a three-point game. They had also allowed Minnesota to convert three times on third down, including once when the Vikings needed 18 yards to move the chains.

With Favre poised to get the Vikings into the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown, Keisel knocked the ball out of the veteran quarterback’s right hand. That set the stage for Woodley, who followed his blocks as if he were a seasoned running back and weaved his way for the Steelers’ first defensive touchdown of the season.

From Ed Bouchette, Post Gazette::

You expect this kind of scoring burst when the NFL's leading passer and the league's resident Hall of Fame quarterback-in-waiting get together.

Fans jammed Heinz Field like never before to see it and they were treated to a blitzkrieg when the Steelers and Minnesota Vikings fired off three long touchdowns in the final 61/2 minutes yesterday. Only it was not Ben Roethlisberger nor Brett Favre who provided the rockets; those came from a Steelers defense too often on the other side in the fourth quarter this season, and another kickoff return by their opponent.

Another Brett -- Keisel -- joined Lamarr Woodley and Keyaron Fox to hijack the Roethlisberger and Favre Show as the Steelers' defense held off the Vikings in a fourth-quarter flurry of big plays, 27-17.

Keisel talks about the big play:

"We practice that play every day as a team, we play as a team, and today we won as a team. I saw the ball there, I swiped at it, and it worked out for us."

More buzz:

From Todd Fleming, analyst with Bleacher Reports:

Steelers Biggest "Offensive" Weapon Against Vikings? Brett Keisel

Against the Vikings, he was the Steelers' most important "offensive" player. By my count, Keisel set up two touchdowns. It was Keisel who beat one of the highest regarded offensive linemen in football, Steve Hutchinson, to strip the football away from Brett Favre and set up the first defensive touchdown in the fourth quarter.

We'll all remember watching Lamarr Woodley weave and dodge his way to paydirt. But, it was Keisel who set the play up and Woodley who was the beneficiary.

Fast forward to the second defensive touchdown. Minnesota was moving the ball seemingly at ease and looked poised to not just kick a tying field goal, but to put the ball in the end zone for the win.

The Vikings call a screen pass to Chester Taylor. Keisel smells it out, showing superb instincts. He slides down the line, creating a traffic jam around the intended target. Favre throws it anyway.

Just as the ball arrives, Keisel hits Taylor who lets the ball sail through his fingers into the waiting arms of Keyaron Fox. Again, we'll remember watching Fox zigging and zagging his way to the end zone But, without Keisel correctly diagnosing the play, the interception doesn't happen.

From a post-game interview with Brett:

Talking about the defense:

"Well, it was just... you know...we didn't want to do anything over the top. We just wanted to be basic ...everyone stay in our gaps, run to the ball...do the things we've always done around here. Rely on each other to make plays...and today I'm just proud of our defense. We stood up big. We scored two touchdowns..we had that big stop..you know when they had it down there on the couple inch line. Just a team effort...proud of our guys."

Asked about his strip of Favre:

"I just tried to get on the edge..and I came around the corner and Brett (Favre) was just coming back into his throwing motion you know & I was just able to get a hand on the ball."

Keisel talks about Brett Favre:

"What he brings to the table is still amazing to me -- how he's still one of the best in the league. "He's a winner. He's always been a winner. And it was a lot of fun to compete against him."

Pro Bowl 2010

Time to send Brett to his 1st Pro Bowl! The voting has started. I will post a link to keep on the right side of this page sometime this week. For now, click here.

Once on the ballot page, click on AFC Defense, and then on Def. Ends. You can filter by team if you want. Voting is unlimited-so please vote often. Fans count for one third of the total votes so let's show Keisel what great fans he has. He does his part on the field week after week...so we can do our part by voting for #99!

October 25, 2009

"Our Brett is better than your Brett"...

Steelers 27, Vikings 17

... from a sign held up by a Steelers fan during the game that was caught by FOX cameras. Great sign...and so true!

Today the Steelers, especially the defense, were definitely better than the "Vikings Brett".

Keisel stats:

What a game for #99! He had a sack and forced fumble, which led to a LaMarr Woodley touchdown. Keisel also had four tackles.

Ben Roethlisberger on the Steelers defense:

"Our defense showed up in big way & it was fun to watch 'em," Ben said during his post game interview. "I enjoyed watching them play, today they showed up when we needed them to. They did it."

From Teresa Varley, Steelers.com:

It was a defensive battle from the onset and it was only fitting that two defensive touchdowns sealed the Steelers 27-17 win over the Minnesota Vikings. The win improves the Steelers record to 5-2 heading into their bye week, while the 6-1 Vikings suffered their first loss of the season.

“They pounded a couple in on us but we stayed in the fight, guys didn’t blink and to their credit, we were able to win the game,” said Coach Mike Tomlin. “When you put a couple of splash plays defensively; you put 14 points on the board defensively you can overcome a lot of errors.

Brett Favre opened it up for the Vikings with an eight-yard completion to Sidney Rice, but the defense brought pressure fast. James Harrison knocked Adrian Peterson for a one-yard loss and Ryan Clark pressured Favre, forcing an incompletion to Percy Harvin and a punt.

The defense continued to bring it on the next series when James Farrior sacked Favre for an eight-yard loss back to the Vikings 10-yard line. Chester Taylor managed a four-yard carry, but on third down the defense shut them down again.

The defensive battle continued on the next drive. After allowing the Vikings their first first down of the game, Troy Polamalu busted through to knock Peterson for a three-yard loss. Woodley followed that up by sacking Favre for a six-yard loss. On third down a swarming defense wasn’t letting Taylor go anywhere, stuffing the middle for no gain.

Chris Kluwe’s19-yard punt gave the Steelers the ball with excellent field position at the Vikings 39-yard line to start their next drive. Roethlisberger hit Hines Ward for three yards and Mike Wallace was able to pull in a 10-yard reception. Wallace went around left end on the reverse for 13 yards and tight end David Johnson caught his first NFL pass for four-yards. Roethlisberger found Santonio Holmes near the goal line for what appeared to be a seven-yard touchdown, but a pass interference call negated the score. The Steelers had to settle for a 39-yard Jeff Reed field goal for a 3-0 lead.

The defense came back strong, though, knocking Peterson for a two-yard loss and pressuring Favre on third down, forcing an incompletion.

The momentum continued in the Steelers favor to start the second half. Mendenhall took it for 16 yards and Wallace for six, with a 15-yard face mask against Pat Williams tacked on. Mendenhall went off right tackle for nine yards and on third-and-one Roethlisberger took it for two yards, and was hit out of bounds by Benny Sapp who was flagged for a personal foul, giving the Steelers the ball at the eight-yard line. The Vikings tightened their grip near the goal line, holding the black and gold to a 27-yard field goal by Jeff Reed, extending the lead to 13-7. The Vikings looked primed to take the lead when Favre drove them down to the one-yard line, with the key play a 34-yard completion to Rice. With their backs against the wall the defense came up big once again, stopping them three straight times in their effort to gain a yard. Instead of seven, the Vikings had to settle for an 18-yard Ryan Longwell field goal, pulling them within a field goal at 13-10.

The Steelers failed to score, and Minnesota got the ball back. On third down, Brett Keisel sacked Favre for a 15-yard loss, forcing a fumble. Woodley recovered the ball at the 23-yard line and rambled down the field for a 77-yard touchdown, putting the Steelers up 20-10. The Vikings fired right back. Harvin was able to avoid the coverage on the kickoff and took it back 88 yards for a touchdown, bringing them back within a field goal at 20-17.

The Vikings defense was able to hold the Steelers on their next drive.With a record crowd at Heinz Field on the edge of their seats the Vikings came fighting back. But once again, the defense stepped up big. With second-and-three from the 19-yard line and 1:15 on the clock, Fox intercepted Favre and returned it 82-yards to seal a 27-17 win.

For Brett's post-game interview: Click here. Tomorrow, I will do a semi transcript of it.

For game photos of Keisel, click here.

Also, from Run Tellman Run:

They will be auctioning off a Keisel autographed football to raise money for The Hub Outreach Center (a youth center in Pittsburgh). The ball is from the fumble recovery Keisel had during the Browns game next week. I will post more information when it is available.

October 22, 2009

New Photos

Brett and his family visited The Hub Outreach Center last week with Tellman Knudson.

Tellman is is running barefoot across the country to raise money for youth homelessness in America.

Tellman keeps an online journal detailing his amazing journey. To read it, click here.

Some excerpts from his visit with Brett:

"Brett is just an awesome, stand-up individual. He only gets one day off per week from his grueling Steelers schedule, and he chose to spend it with the RunTellmanRun crew (not to mention the media circus), and help us raise awareness of youth homelessness. We both signed an official Steelers football, which will be auctioned off soon to raise funding for The Hub (stay tuned for the auction)."

"But, the shining moment came when Brett actually left. We were preparing to leave ourselves, when he popped back into the room with a scuffed-up football in his hand. It was the very ball Brett recovered after the Cleveland Browns coughed up a fumble during this past Sunday’s game. His defensive prowess on that play sealed the victory for the Steelers. Brett autographed the ball right there and handed it to Melissa, our PR gal. We’ll be auctioning it off as well to raise money for The Hub."

"See what I mean? A real stand-up guy, that Brett Keisel. I hope I meet more people like him as we move across the country."

To read the whole story about the visit or to donate to runtellmanrun, click here.

Thanks so much to Luke Q. Stafford, Tellman's PR representative for allowing me to use the photos he took.

I posted a permanant link to Tellman's site on the right side of this page. We can keep up with his travels, and hopefully help him to raise awareness and money for his great cause! Please take the time to read about what Tellman is doing.

To view photos from The Hub visit, click here.

October 20, 2009

Keisel goes for a run

From WPXI:

One of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starters took time from the football field to join one man’s barefoot journey Tellman Knudson is running barefoot across the country to raise money for youth homelessness in America.

Knudson’s journey began on Sept. 9 in New York City and made a stop on Tuesday at a homeless relief program in the Strip district. Steelers Lineman Brett Keisel met Knudson at “The Hub” on Tuesday to join in for a barefoot photo-op.

“I’ve always appreciated children,” said Keisel. “I’ve always loved kids and to help them. Sometimes we get put in situations where we can be a factor just showing up.

The barefoot runner is trying to raise $100 million for youth homelessness in the United States. “And I said, ‘if we’re going to set a goal that big, we have to do something to get a lot of attention for it,’” said Knudson.

To see a video of Brett running with Tellman, click here.

Click here and here to see Brett and his wife interviewed while visiting The Hub Outreach Center.

To read more about Tellman, and his amazing journey, click here.

Brett's post-game interview:

Steelers.com fixed the audio problems in Keisel's post-game interview. It only took one (ok... four) email requests from me asking them to fix the problem.

Click here to watch the interview.

Highlights from the interview:

Question:"Timmons credited you guys (defensive line) play for the reason he was able to get two sacks. What do you have to say about that?"

Keisel:"I'd have to agree (laughs). No, it's a team effort. You know, we're out there together trying to win. We fight together as a team. We win and lose as a team."

Question:"What about your almost interception?"

Keisel:"Crush me! I couldn't believe it. You know, I knew I batted it...I did feel the ball go through my hands and I tell our offensive guys 'if you touch the ball you should catch it', so I called myself responsible."

Question: Keisel is asked about playing Brett Favre and the Vikings.

Keisel:"Great team-legendary quarterback. Always a big fan of his (Favre).

Question: Keisel is asked about wearing #4 in high school.

Keisel: "Brett's got a great first name...I'm a big fan."

Question: He is asked about Troy Polamalu returning and his INT in Browns game.

Keisel:"The interception, in my opinion, was the biggest play of the game. They were in our red zone. He's the greatest player in the league. To have him back is huge."

I shortened many of the questions and answers...just wanted to highlight some of it. So, be sure to watch the video to hear the entire interview.

October 18, 2009

Keisel has big game in win over Browns

Steelers 27, Browns 14

The Steelers offense put up big numbers and the defense came up with some key turnovers as they defeated the Cleveland Browns 27-14 at Heinz Field. The win improves the Steelers record to 4-2 on the season, while the Browns drop to 1-5.

Ben Roethlisberger had his second 400-yard passing game of his career, completing 23 passes for 417 yards and two touchdowns. The Steelers had two 100-yard receivers, with Hines Ward having eight receptions for 159 yards and Santonio Holmes five catches for 104 yards.

The Steelers defense harassed Browns QB Derek Anderson all day, causing interceptions, sacks and fumbles.

Anderson took the blame for the miserable offensive showing, but he had no support. He was 9-of-24 for 122 yards.

Anderson's snappy touchdown drive to begin the second half brought the Browns to within 17-14. But after Roethlisberger responded with his own TD march in just over three minutes, Pittsburgh coordinator Dick LeBeau turned up the heat and forced strip-sacks of Anderson on successive possessions in the third quarter. "That first one got them amped up and fed their momentum," Eric Steinbach (Browns offensive lineman) said.

Once again the Steelers responded thanks to a few big plays. Roethlisberger hit a wide open Ward for 45 yards to the Browns 23-yard line. Wallace got the carry on the reverse and took it around right end, carrying defenders to the two-yard line for a 21-yard gain. Mendenhall finished things off with a two-yard carry for the touchdown and 24-14 lead.

The Browns got the ball back, didn’t maintain possession for long. Anderson was sacked by Lawrence Timmons, forcing a fumble that James Harrison recovered. But two plays later Parker fumbled and Elam came up with the recovery.

The turnovers didn’t stop there. Anderson was sacked again by Timmons, forcing another fumble, this one recovered by Brett Keisel."The D-line made it easier for me," Timmons said.

After Keisel's fumble recovery, Mendenhall fumbled and the Bowens came up with the recovery.

After the defense held, the Steelers were able to drive down field, culminating in a 39-yard Reed field goal to extend the lead to 27-14. The Browns tried to mount a comeback late, but Ryan Clark stepped up big, intercepting Anderson at the one-yard line to bring their drive to a halt.

Keisel stats:

#99 had six tackles, a fumble recovery and was credited with a pass deflection-which almost led to an intereption (it looked to me like Keisel had two pass deflections, but was credited officially with one). He also had several QB pressures throughout the game! Way to go!

To see photos from the game, click here.

Although happy for the win, Brett realizes the team still has many games to play:

It doesn't mean anything right now," Keisel said. "It means we dug ourselves out of a hole a little bit but I don't think it's time to pat ourselves on the back."

For Brett's post game interview, click here.

The audio for the interview was very choppy last night, hopefully it will be fixed soon.

Congratulations to Ben Roethlisberger and Heath Miller:

Ben tied Hall of Fame QB Terry Bradshaw for first on the Steelers All-Time list with 31 career 100-plus passer rating games. And, Heath Miller scored his 25th touchdown yesterday, passing Eric Green to move into second place in team history among tight ends.

October 17, 2009

Keisel to visit The Hub Outreach Center

Pittsburgh, Penn. Brett Keisel, starting defensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers, will shake hands with a Vermont man running barefoot across America on Tuesday when the two share lunch with residents of The Hub, a homeless relief program of Three Rivers Youth located in the Strip district.

Knudson is running barefoot across America to raise $100,000,000.00 to aid homeless youth in a project called RunTellmanRun. He left New York City on Sept. 9 and hopes to reach Los Angeles by mid-winter. He is currently approaching Pittsburgh on Rte. 130, averaging about 20 miles per day, and plans to run through downtown Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

Keisel -- no stranger to local and national charities, including a chair position with the Homeless Children's Education Fund -- and his wife, Sarah, will meet the residents of The Hub to better understand their situation. Knudson is there to meet residents and learn about The Hub's recent loss of federal funding and to discuss remedies.

The 285-pound Keisel, owner of two Superbowl rings, and the 150-pound Knudson, owner of several successful internet marketing companies, plan to autograph a football that will later be auctioned to raise money for Three Rivers Youth, the organization that runs The Hub.

"I can't thank Brett enough for agreeing to meet," said Knudson while on break from his run in Greensburg yesterday. "He is obviously respected in Pittsburgh, and he's going to be a great help in shining a floodlight on the problem of youth homelessness in this country."

While running through State College on October 7, Knudson visited the Stepping Stone youth shelter and pledged the next $10,000 in donations to renovate its kitchens.

"When I heard this guy, Tellman, was running across the country for charity, I wanted to meet him," said Keisel after practice today with the Steelers. " And when I heard he was raising $100,000,000 for homeless kids, and running barefoot, I knew I had to meet him."

Keisel added, "What an amazing feat for such an important cause. My wife and I are honored to be a part of it."

About The Hub:

The Hub is an outreach and drop-in center for runaway and homeless youth 21 and under. It maintains a street team to identify and recruit youth in need of immediate services like food, clothing, laundry and shower facilities. Assessment, counseling and crisis intervention are available, followed by aftercare and links to services like permanent housing, jobs or job training, health care and legal services. The Hub is a program of Three Rivers Youth, based in Pittsburgh.

To read more about Mr. Knudson and RunTellmanRun, please click here.

October 14, 2009

Team news

Aaron Smith placed on IR:

During his regular weekly news conference yesterday, Coach Mike Tomlin revealed that Aaron Smith had injured his right shoulder, and that the situation “potentially could be significant.”

It turned out to be precisely that, and the Steelers placed Smith on the injured reserve list because of the shoulder injury. The injured reserve list means Smith’s season is over.

When asked yesterday about the team’s options in light of Smith’s injury, Tomlin said, “The usual suspects. Travis Kirschke, Nick Eason and Ziggy Hood.”

To read the whole article, and the Steelers plans, click here.

Smith will be greatly missed on the field, but his leadership will still be there. Best wishes to him and his family.

Parker and Polamalu:

Tomlin announced in his press conference yesterday that both Willie Parker and Troy Polamalu will practice this week.

Tomlin talks about Cleveland's offense:

Joe Thomas at left tackle is a perennial Pro Bowl-caliber player. He’s always had fierce battles and competitions with James Harrison. That’s going to be a premium matchup in the football game, one that we’re going to keep a close eye on. Of course, we desire to apply pressure to the quarterback and James has done that for us consistently. He faces a stiff challenge in Joe Thomas. Beside him is (Eric) Steinbach. They formulate a tough left side and I’m sure they’ll be focused on running the football over there, so James Harrison and Brett Keisel have to be ready to go in that regard.

October 12, 2009

Steelers get the road win

Steelers 28, Lions 20

From Steelcityinsider.com:

The Steelers held off a late Detroit Lions rally with a flurry of sacks for a 28-20 win.

The Steelers were taken to the wire for the fifth time in five games this season, but three consecutive sacks turned back a Detroit Lions upset bid and the Steelers held on for a 28-20 win.

The 3-2 Steelers took a 28-13 lead into the fourth quarter, and once again their opponent rallied. The 1-4 Lions drove 82 yards to cut the lead to eight points with a 25-yard Daunte Culpepper touchdown pass to Dennis Northcutt with 4:57 left in the game.

The Steelers punted and the Lions began another drive from their 29 with 3:07 left. Culpepper’s 21-yard pass to Northcutt on 3rd-and-19 put the ball at the Pittsburgh 21 with 1:54 remaining, but pressure cornerback William Gay and linebacker LaMarr Woodley sacked Culpepper, and then Gay sacked him again on second down. On 3rd-and-21, Lawrence Timmons came on a delayed blitz up the middle to sack Culpepper, who was forced to throw up a long pass on 4th-and-34 that was batted away by Ike Taylor at the goal line.

The Steelers sacked Culpepper seven times, three by James Harrison. Gay and Woodley had 1.5 apiece.

Ben Roethlisberger was once again the offensive star. He completed 23 of 30 passes for 277 yards and 3 touchdowns for a passer rating of 123.9.

The Steelers outgained the Lions by only 344-335, while the Lions converted 11 of 18 third downs and had a 5:10 advantage in time of possession.

RG Trai Essex and FS Ryan Clark were injured in the game, but returned to finish. DE Aaron Smith missed the final defensive series. Coach Mike Tomlin was not asked about Smith in the post-game press conference.

Keisel stats:

Brett had three solo tackles.

To view game photos of Brett, click here.

To view photos of Brett and his family from the Steelers Fashion show, check out the news from October 9.

October 9, 2009

Keisel walks the runway

Brett and his family participated in the annual Steelers Style Fashion Show.

From Teresa Varley, Steelers.com:

For one night fashion took precedence over football when Steelers Style 09 was held at Heinz Field. The team’s annual fashion show featured players and their families modeling the latest styles from Reebok, Nordstrom and American Eagle in a show filled with plenty of energy and excitement. Art and Greta Rooney and Mike and Kiya Tomlin served as the chairpersons for the event, which benefitted the Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the Cancer Caring Center.

Fashions varied from Reebok Steelers t-shirts and sweatshirts to tuxedos and custom suits.

To view photos of Brett at the event, click here.

To view a video of the Keisel family arriving, where Brett shows off his runway "strut" , click here.

Then click on the video entitled, "Steelers Walk the Runway for Charity." If the video does not show in the current listings, you can type the title of the video into the search bar on the video page.

It was reported that the event raised $750,000!

October 6, 2009

Upcoming Steelers events

Steelers Style Fashion Show:

The Fashion Show will be on October 8th, and is being hosted by Heath Miller and Ike Taylor.

The annual Steelers Style Fashion Show features current Steelers players and their families walking the runway and entertaining the attendees with Steelers Style 09.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, click here.

Bid for Hope:

This event will be held on October 19th and is hosted by Heath and Katie Miller. Many of Miller's teammates, including Mr. Keisel attend each year. The event benefits breast cancer research. Attendees are able to get autographs from players and receive a great gift bag, while supporting a great cause!

For more information, or to purchase tickets, click here.

In the Pocket with Charlie Batch:

This event will be held on November 16 and benefits Batch's reading and computer literacy program.

It is attended by many of Mr. Batch's teammates, and offers friendly competitions with the players in pool, ping-pong and more!

For more information, or to purchase tickets, click here.

Please be aware, although Mr. Keisel has attended two of these events in the past, I do not know if he will be there this year. The events are always attended by many Steelers players every year. You can also visit the Photo Gallery on this site to view photos of Brett's attendance in the past.

October 4, 2009

Steelers hold on to defeat Chargers

Steelers 38, Chargers 28

The Pittsburgh Steelers and San Diego Chargers met for a primetime clash on NBC.

San Diego attempted to exorcise the ghosts of Heinz Field, the site of the team's 35-24 defeat to the Steelers in last January's AFC divisional playoffs.

The Steelers led from the get-go and this time around they were able to hold off a late rally and defeat the San Diego Chargers 38-28 at Heinz Field.

The game wasn’t without its tense moments when the Chargers scored 14 points late in the fourth quarter, but the Steelers weren’t going to be denied. The win evens the Steelers record at 2-2 and pulls them back into the mix in a tough AFC North.

“It’s great to get back on the winning column for us, we’re excited about that,” said Coach Mike Tomlin. “Guys stepped up and made significant plays. Enough plays for us to win tonight. It’s good to be back in Heinz Field in front of our fans. We will stack this win and move on; new week, new challenges.”

Rashard Mendenhall, who didn’t play an offensive snap against the Bengals after a poor week of preparation, showed his resiliency with a standout performance. Mendenhall had 29 carries for 165 yards and two touchdowns. Ben Roethlisberger completed 26 of 33 passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns, with Hines Ward pulling in eight receptions for 111 yards and Heath Miller coming up with two touchdown receptions.

The defense stymied the Chargers ground game, allowing a measly 16 yards rushing and forcing the Chargers to rely solely on their passing game.

The defense was swarming on the opening drive, knocking LaDainian Tomlinson for a one-yard loss after a short completion. Aaron Smith pressured Philip Rivers, forcing an incomplete pass to Tomlinson and on third down Rivers could not connect with Chris Chambers.

San Diego’s offense got moving on their next drive when Rivers hit Vincent Jackson for 15 yards and Legedu Naanee for 12 yards to their own 42-yard line. The defense clamped down after that, not allowing another yard and forcing another Chargers’ punt.

The Steelers looked set for a big win, but the Chargers ended up making the game close. In the fourth quarter, Philip Rivers threw touchdown passes of 30 yards to Antonio Gates and 13 yards to Chris Chambers. Also, Jacob Hester scored on a 41-yard fumble return.

But Jeff Reed finished the game off for the Steelers with a 46-yard field goal in the final minute. And, James Harrison's sack-strip on San Diego's final play clinched the win for the black and gold.

From Mike Prisuta:

When the quarterback holds the ball against the Steelers he’s going to get flushed and throw it away, he’s going to get chased and wind up wasting a play, and he’s going to get sacked and fumble it away. Philip Rivers experienced all of those things against the Steelers because he had the audacity to stand in the pocket on Sunday night and try to beat the Steelers deep.

To view game photos of Brett, click here.

October 2, 2009-see afternoon edition below

New photos and a fan encounter

I have finally added most of my photos from the game last week. Click here to see them. You can enlarge the photos by clicking on the photo, and then if you click again you will have a closer view.

There are about two pages of photos.

Fan encounter:

I received an email from Brad Hall after the Bengals game. He attended the game with his son, Tristan. Brad is a Bengals season ticket holder, but he said his son insisted on wearing a Steelers jersey (smart boy!) and sitting on the Steelers side during pre-game warm-ups.

From Mr. Hall:

My 6yr old was yelling for the Steelers players, when Brett walked over to my son and gave him his gloves. This was pre-game and he was 1 of 2 players that made it all the way to the fans. I have been to several games, and players just don’t do that in pre-game. Not any of the teams.

I would just like for you to post these pictures to show how we appreciate him and how he made my son’s day. Tristan Hall says thanks!! It was very cool of him to do that, and we say thanks again Brett!

To view a couple pictures the Hall's sent, click here. You can enlarge them by clicking on the photos twice.

Thanks so much for the fan story and photos! It is always nice to hear how great Mr. Keisel is with fans.

Afternoon addition:

Brett and his son, along with many other teammates joined in Aaron Smith's Light the Night Walk for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as a part of Team Elijah (Aaron's son).

From Teresa Varley, Steelers.com:

After a year filled with heartache and fear, with worries and concerns, with uncertainty and anxiety, Aaron Smith finally got to enjoy different emotions this week – happiness and joy. Smith and his wife Jaimie received news almost a year ago that sent their world spiraling. Their son Elijah, who was five at the time, was diagnosed with leukemia. Tears were shed and prayers were said. There were good days when things were hopeful and bad days when the world seemed dark.

But light has returned to the Smith family. Elijah is now a happy and healthy six-year old with a bright smile and boundless energy. And that was on full display when the Smith family, along with a huge gathering of teammates, family and friends took part in the Light the Night walk for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as a part of Team Elijah.

“It’s hard to describe the feeling,” said Smith, a burly defensive end who learned how vulnerable he can be. “To be able to come out as a family and celebrate this with people who are dealing with the same issues and same things it’s unbelievable to me and my family. I can’t say how far we have come in a year. It’s just amazing.”

All members of Team Elijah, which included the entire defensive line as well as more than a dozen more players and their families, sported t-shirts with Elijah’s drawing of a soldier fighting against the bad cancer “It’s good cells vs. bad cells,” explained Elijah. “Bad cells are dying and good cells are winning.”

With the bright lights of the downtown Pittsburgh across the river as their backdrop the walkers lit up the area near Heinz Field as over 4,000 strong walked for their loved ones holding balloons with flashing lights. And right at the front of the line of walkers was a proud Elijah, holding hands with his mom for a while and taking in everything around him on his dad’s shoulders down the home stretch. His sisters Ellaina (7), Elysia (2) and Emilia (1) were also there, proud of their brother and what he has battled.

“If you would have told me a year ago at this time we would be here I would have thought you were crazy,” said Smith. “I basically lived in a tunnel day to day. To tell me we would all be out here celebrating, coming together to fight this I would have never believed it. “Now he is doing unbelievable. He started kindergarten. He is an amazing boy.”

To read the whole article, click here.

I think Hines Ward said it best:

“We are a close knit group. Elijah has 52 uncles on the team. He is one of ours. When one family is affected and having to go through something like this then we are all affected.

To see photos of Brett from the event, click here.

You can visit Steelers.com to view all the pictures from the great event! Once you click the link, then click on "Off the Field" and then on 2009 Light the Night Walk.

September 28, 2009

Steelers lose in last seconds of game

Steelers 20, Bengals 23

You read it correctly, the Steelers lost to the Bengals. Cincinnati beat its rival on its home turf after eight consecutive losses since the opening of Paul Brown Stadium at the turn of the century.

The Steelers started out strong, outgaining the Bengals 152 to minus-10 in the first period, but were outgained, 283-221, from that point and, 139-19, in the fourth quarter.

The Steelers drove to the 1-yard line on their first possession and settled for a 19-yard Jeff Reed field goal. The lead reached 10-0 on a 27-yard Ben Roethlisberger pass to Willie Parker, and then 13-0 on a 24-yard field goal from Reed. At that point, the Steelers had held the Bengals to minus 10 yards of total offense, but the Bengals began to rally on their final drive of the half when Shayne Graham kicked a 34-yard field goal.

The Bengals cut the lead to 13-9 early in the third quarter when Johnathan Joseph intercepted Roethlisberger and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown. The snap sailed over the holder’s head on the extra-point attempt. The Steelers pushed the lead back to 20-9 when Roethlisberger sneaked 1-yard for a touchdown. But, the Bengals found ways to keep themselves in the game. Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer cinched the win when he connected with Andre Caldwell for a touchdown with seconds remaining in the game.

From Keisel:

"It's frustrating because I felt like all game we were in control. Even when they made the big pick, we were playing tough, then things shifted on us. They made a great drive at the end."

It was a tough loss, especially since it was to a divisional opponent, but the team now has to prepare to play the Chargers next week. So, as Keisel told a reporter: "We've got to take the punches and move on."

Ben Roethlisberger added: "It's adversity that we have to face and we've faced it before; so we have to see how our character can overcome something like this."

Keisel stats from Bengals game:

Keisel is credited with 2 tackles and an assist. Although, I thought I saw a couple more tackles he was in on also. Brett also deflected two of Carson Palmer's passes at the line.

I will get game photos posted soon. I was able to attend the game and had amazing seats on the 50-yard line behind the Steelers bench, so I will post those pictures later...but advance warning-amazing seats do not equal amazing photos...especially when I am the photographer!

Also:

Congratulations to Hines Ward. He became the first Steelers receiver to catch 10,000 yards worth of passes.

September 21, 2009

News and notes

Gerry Dulac, Post Gazette, published his "Steelers report card", grading each position. He gave the Defensive Line a "B":

The Bears spent most of the first half throwing, rushing only six times for 18 yards -- 15 of which came on a carry by Adrian Peterson. They finished with just 43 yards on 18 carries and didn't have another run longer than 5 yards.

DE Brett Keisel did a good job getting off blocks and stuffing the run.

Click the Post Gazette link above to read what grades other positions received.

Keisel and Roethlisberger talk about Jeff Reed's missed field goals:

"Jeff is a great kicker," defensive end Brett Keisel said. "He's going to win a lot of games for us. He has won a lot of games for us. But even the great ones miss once in awhile."

"We're not down on him one bit," Roethlisberger said. "We lost as a team, and we will move on."

Reed said it "means a lot" that Roethlisberger, Keisel and the others have his back.

It should be noted that this is the first time Reed has missed two field goals in one game since September 26, 2004, when the Steelers played the Miami Dolphins in Hurricane Jeanne-that game was also Ben Roethlisberger's first NFL start.

Moving on:

The Steelers travel to Cincinnati next week to take on the Bengals. Both teams are 1-1, so this will be a big game.

Keisel told Ron Cook, Post Gazette:

"It's going to be a big test for us.They won today, we lost. The division starts now."

September 20, 2009

First loss...and contest winner announced

Steelers 14, Bears 17

From Scott Brown, Tribune-Review:

The Steelers will no doubt leave the Windy City thinking they let one get away.

Jeff Reed missed a pair of field goals in the fourth quarter and Chicago capitalized, scoring 10 unanswered points in the final 15 minutes to beat the Steelers, 17-14, at soggy Soldier Field. With the score tied 14 -14, Reed badly hooked a 43-yard field goal attempt with just over three minutes left. Jay Cutler, who shook off a four- interception effort in his Bears debut last week, led a drive that ended with Robbie Gould kicking a 44-yard field goal with 15 seconds left.

A chance of a miracle rally ended when Stefan Logan lost a fumble on the kickoff return .

The Steelers made it look easy in the first quarter.

They held the Bears without a first down on two possessions, and after they got the ball for the first time Roethlisberger moved them 92 yards in 13 plays for a touchdown.

The Bears tied the score late in the second quarter when Cutler directed a 13-play, 97-yard drive, one the quarterback capped with a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kellen Davis. The score remained tied until Rashard Mendenhall's big run set up Roethlisberger's touchdown with five-and-a-half minutes left in the third quarter. The Steelers looked like they were going to up at least 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter.

But after a drive stalled at the Chicago 20-yard line, Reed missed a 38-yard field goal. Cutler and the Bears took advantage of the opening that Reed's errant kick, which was wide left, provided them. Cutler led Chicago on nine-play, 72-yard drive. On third down from the Steelers' 7 line, Cutler connected with Johnny Knox on a scoring pass that allowed the Bears to tie the score. He then took advantage of another Reed miss by putting Chicago into position to get a game-winning kick from Gould.

Keisel Stats:

Brett had two tackles.

Contest Winner:

Wow! I had well over 500 entries to win the jersey.

The 31st emailer was Heather from Carmel, Indiana. Congratulations to Heather!

I will be doing another contest soon so check back! Thank you to everyone who entered!

September 19, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRETT

To celebrate Keisel's birthday...

If you are my 31st emailer, you will receive an authentic SB XLIII #99 jersey! The size is XXL.

No questions to answer or hoops to jump through...just be the 31st person to email me and you win!

E-mail: trish@brett-keisel.com

Please only email the address of this site, which is listed above. You can also access the email by clicking on Contact at the top of this page. No entries will be accepted through the MySpace or Facebook pages.

I will announce the winner on Monday.

September 17, 2009

Steelers start off 1-0

Steelers 13, Titans 10

By now we all know the Steelers won their first game of the 2009 season. My site was under maintenance, so I have not been able to update until now.

The Steelers beat the Titans in overtime and start the season 1-0!

Keisel stats:

Brett had seven tackles-five solo and two assists. He also led the team in QB pressures with four! Way to go #99!

Game Photos:

Click here to see pictures from the game.

The team travels to Chicago this Sunday to battle the Bears. The game is at 4:15 p.m.

In a couple days I will be doing a contest to win Keisel and Steelers gear, so be sure to check back!

September 4, 2009

Steelers defeat Panthers

Steelers 21, Panthers 10

The Steelers closed the preseason out with a win over the Panthers last night. They end the preseason 3-1.

The starters played one series (on offense and defense). The first-team defense held the Panthers to a three and out.

Nice stat...

The first-team defense finishing the preseason without allowing a touchdown!

Photos...

I added a couple photos of Keisel from the game. Click here to see them.

The Steelers open up the regular season on September 10 at Heinz Field. They will play the Titans. It will be televised on NBC.

To read about Brett's new contract, and to see the updated bio information, check out the news from September 3 and August 31.

Site note...

My hosting company will be doing some routine maintenance, so I may not be able to do any updates from September 7-17th. I will be able to update the MySpace and Facebook pages, along with the photo gallery here on the site. The maintenance may not take as long as predicted, but I wanted to let you know. I apologize for the inconvenience. You will still be able to view the site, but I just cannot perform updates to anything but photos.

To keep up with pictures added while maintenance is going on, click here or click on Photos at the top of this page, and then click on Last Uploads.

September 3, 2009

Coaches and players happy about Keisel's contract

From KDKA:

Head Coach Mike Tomlin said signing Keisel to a new deal was a no-brainer for the team.

Tomlin went on to say:

“He’s ridiculously competitive. He has a mean streak, something that is necessary to play the position that he plays.

“He takes a great deal of pride in his work and he doesn’t care who gets the credit. A lot of times when you play defensive end in our scheme, it’s a lot of dirty work, occupying blocks, playing with great pad level, creating opportunities for others, such as James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley, who benefit greatly from the work of our ends.

He embraces all of that and does it with a smile on his face. He embodies the things that we value as a Pittsburgh Steeler.”

It has been reported by the media that many of the Steelers coaches went to the front office to say they wanted to see Keisel signed.

Ed Bouchette, Post Gazette: talked to Keisel's teammate, Aaron Smith about signing Brett:

With him (Keisel), it's the smart thing to do. You have a guy who is a solid player who can play for a long time and you don't have to teach him.

"You look at Keis, he started four years, he still has a young body, he hasn't taken a ton of snaps and you have a player who knows how to play the game and is a veteran, which is hard. Usually by the time you get to 30, guys have a ton of snaps and he hasn't. He still has a young body. In that case, they have a good situation with him."

Keisel elated...

From Mike Bires article, in the Beaver County Times:

“I’m extremely happy to be able to be here for another five years in this great city playing for this great organization,” Keisel said. “I just wanted a fair deal. To have a chance to play for a team that wins and contends every year is something special.”

I have received MANY emails and messages from friends, family and fans of Mr. Keisel offering their congratulations on his new contract. They have come from all over the world. I figured I'd post one general message here since it would be impossible to list each email and message. Congratulations to Brett (and to his family) and good luck throughout the season!

I have written an updated version of Brett's highlights with the Steelers. To read: "A glimpse at Brett's career with the Steelers": click here.

Then just scroll down past the original bio. You can also click BIO at the top of this page to get there.

Last preseason game...

The Steelers play the Panthers tonight at 8:00 p.m. Coach Tomlin has said the starters may play a couple series. If your cable company does not carry the game, or if it is blacked out in your area, you can watch it live online.

Click here to obtain the live feed. You will need to scroll down on that site to the NFL games (8:00 p.m. section), and then click on the Steelers v. Panthers game. The feed last week was a bit up and down initially, but then it was fine. Some commented that the feed works better if you close out any other opened programs or applications.

August 31, 2009

Keisel to wear the black and gold through 2013

The Steelers made a great move today. Brett Keisel was signed to a new contract that will allow us to see #99 harassing offenses for many more seasons.

As Jim Wexell has been reporting since before training camp, the team has been working to get Keisel signed before the start of the regular season. Brett has said he wants to continue his career in Pittsburgh and now he can do just that.

From Steelers.com:

The Steelers are open to negotiations with their players until the start of the regular season, and this time they took it right up to the deadline. But because they were able to sign Brett Keisel on Monday to a five-year contract that will bind him to the team through the 2013 season, it was worth the effort.

Keisel, who came to the team as a seventh-round draft choice in 2002 (the 242nd overall pick), has been a starting defensive end since 2006, and this contract ensures he will have played all of his best years with the Steelers.

Since joining the starting lineup, Keisel has been a dependable contributor to a defense that by 2008 was the best in the NFL and he wouldn’t want to be playing for any defensive coordinator in the league right now than Dick LeBeau.

“He told me this morning you are stuck with me for another couple of years,” said Keisel. “I told him, ‘A couple, I just signed for five years. It better be at least five years.’ I hope he is here as long as I am here. I really love the guy.”

Keisel posted 5.5 sacks in 2006, which still is his single-season high, but numbers never have been a complete reflection of what he contributes to the unit. Solid against the run and versatile enough against the pass that he has been used both as a rusher and in coverage, Keisel is one of those players whose value can transcend statistics.

To read the whole article, click here.

From Keisel:

“I am extremely happy for a lot of reasons- One I have the opportunity to play my entire career with one team. Two, this team, I can’t say enough about how I feel about it. I genuinely love and appreciate the players I play with and have gotten a great relationship with the players too. To be able to stay here and be a part of hopefully more Super Bowls was a dream of mine and it’s surreal that it’s going to happen.”

I will have more news as it becomes available, along with a look back at Brett's NFL career. So, be sure to check back here!

Congratulations to Brett and his family!

August 30, 2009-see update below regarding Brett's contract

It's a shutout

Steelers 17, Bills 0

From John Harris, Tribune Review:

The Steelers officially put the rest of the NFL on notice Saturday night.

Sure, it was only a preseason game that will be long forgotten once the regular season begins Sept. 10.

Yeah, and the Steelers weren't trying to show the Buffalo Bills a thing or two at Heinz Field.

Along with the Tennessee Titans.

And the Chicago Bears.

And the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Steelers' first three regular-season opponents will catch an eyeful when they study the tape from last night's first half.

It was 2008 all over again. When the starters from both teams were on the field, the reigning Super Bowl champions dominated the Bills thoroughly and completely.

In the third preseason game — the only one that's supposed to mean anything because the starters play longer than normal — the Steelers were so efficient it was scary.

The Steelers led, 17-0, at halftime.

Bills quarterback Trent Edwards was limited to 27 passing yards in the first half. Edwards was sacked once, hurried on several other throws and tossed an interception that inside linebacker James Farrior returned 22 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.

As for that Steelers run defense that was giving up more than 100 yards through the first two preseason games? Never been better.

Buffalo rushed for 28 yards in the first half. That isn't very good, until you realize the Bills had only 22 net yards passing in the opening 30 minutes.

The Steelers' defense opened the game with nose tackle Casey Hampton on the sideline and only two defensive linemen — Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel — on the field. The surprise formation worked. Buffalo passed for a 4-yard gain on first down. A running play gained a yard on second down. On third down, cornerback Deshea Townsend broke up a pass.

That pretty much sums up how the Steelers' defense played all night.

It was a performance that was more than coach Mike Tomlin could have wished for. His Steelers showed the rest of the league they remain a force to be reckoned with.

Brett talks about Farrior's great game:

"He's a beast.He doesn't slow down. The guy is a constant workaholic. That's why he's our captain."

To see a couple photos of Keisel from the game, click here.

I will add more pictures, as I find them.

To read more about the defense, click here.

Contract news:

Ed Bouchette, of the Post Gazette is reporting that Keisel could be close to signing a five-year contract with the Steelers! He reports that it could be finalized Monday. Of course, nothing is official yet but I will update as news becomes available-stay tuned!

August 25, 2009

Steeler's LeBeau nominated for Hall of Fame

From Ed Bouchette, Post Gazette:

Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is one of two seniors nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

LeBeau joins Floyd Little as the two nominees of the senior committee and will join 15 modern day candidates as finalists. The modern-day finalists have yet to be chosen.

LeBeau, 71, has been in the NFL either as a coach or player for 51 years. He still holds the NFL record for playing in 171 consecutive games as a cornerback and is tied for seventh in NFL history with 62 career interceptions. At the time of his retirement with the Detroit Lions, Lebeau was third in career interceptions. He also appeared in three Pro Bowls.

Players thrilled for LeBeau:

Before practice coach Mike Tomlin informed the team about LeBeau being a finalist and after practice the players were happy to talk about their defensive coordinator.

“He is a guy who loves to come to work and loves his job. You see that every day,” said linebacker James Farrior. “He is a guy you can tell cares about each individual player. He wants to know about your well being every day. He comes to work with a smile on his face. You have to love a guy like that.”

Fellow linebacker James Harrison chipped in with “ditto” after hearing Farrior’s comments, but added his own appreciation for LeBeau. “He is more than a coach; he is like a father figure,” said Harrison. “It’s the every day things. He has had a big impact on me. I am extremely happy they finally realized the things he has done, his accomplishments.”

“I think if he gets in I am going to run up and jump in his arms like a little baby,” said Woodson. “I will give him a hug and pick him up off the ground. It’s long overdue. It’s tremendous.”

To read the entire article by Teresa Varley, click here.

LeBeau talks about his players:

"In all seriousness, it’s our defensive players that’ve kept my name, whether it’s wearing my jersey or just playing like the devil, and I could never thank them enough. I’m very blessed. I said that before. This day would never come if it wasn’t for them, so I’m grateful to them.

LeBeau thanked the Steelers organization, Tomlin, Tom Donahoe and Gregg Williams for picking him up in Buffalo, and most of all his players.

“We have an unusual group of guys in Pittsburgh, both sides of the ball,” he said. “They just play. They don’t really look at the situation, they just play. I’m proud of them. There’s no question that they kept my name current with what they’ve done. They’ve gotten all of us, myself included, two championship rings and you can never thank them enough. This is just one more honor, and truthfully if they’re not playing the way they’re playing it doesn’t happen. I’m grateful to them. I’m grateful to the committee and all my friends that’ve helped me through the years. It’s a great day. It really is. It’s humbling, but I’m not going to turn it back in.”

News and Notes:

The Steelers hit the practice field today in preparation for the game vs. Buffalo Saturday.

Ben Roethlisberger returned to practice after his injury last week.

Ed Bouchette, of the Post Gazette, is still reporting (as are other several other media sources), that IF the team does look to extend any players contracts before the season begins, they will work to extend Keisel's contract. I hope so!

August 23, 2009

Steelers defeated by Redskins

Steelers 13, Redskins 17

The Steelers were handed their first preseason loss last night.

The starters on both offense and defense played about three series each, as Coach Tomlin predicted they would.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger did not play at all due to an injury that occurred on the last day of training camp.

The Steelers first team defense came out and shut the Redskins down right out of the box, stopping them on three plays for zero yards. But the Redskins had a little something up their sleeve and out of the punt formation running back Rock Cartwright got the direct snap and went around right end for 15 yards to keep the drive alive.

With new life the Redskins marched down the field, aided by a 10-yard completion to Chris Cooley, a seven-yard carry by Ladell Betts and carries of 11 and eight yards by Clinton Portis to the Steelers three-yard line. The defense tightened the reins there, stopping Betts short of the goal line on his next two carries and forcing the Redskins to settle for a 20-yard Shaun Suisham field goal.

Keisel had one tackle and one assist.

Photos:

Click here for game photos. I will add more as I find them.

To view training camp photos, see the link in the August 19 news below.

The Steelers will play the Bills on August 29th.

August 21, 2009

Steelers head to FedEx Field

The Steelers broke camp today, and then headed to FedEX Field to take on the Washington Redskins.

The game is Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.

It will be televised on KDKA/FSN-Pittsburgh. Also, WDVE usually broadcasts the games on the internet.

The Steelers played a softball game last night: Defense V. Offense. Jim Wexell reported that the game ended in a tie 1-1.

New fan photos:

I received some new fan photos from Lexi. She attended two days at camp, and took a few photos of Brett to share.

Thanks Lexi!

Click here to see them.

To view all training camp photos, or photos from Keisel's appearance on the Shaq show, check out the links in the August 19 news.

Go Steelers! Go #99!

August 19, 2009

Shaq Vs. debuts

Starring:

Shaquille O'Neal and Ben Roethlisberger as "the athletes".

Charlie Batch as "the coach", Brett Keisel as "the trainer" and Trai Essex as "security".

Video from the show:

If you missed Keisel's appearance, you can watch a video of the show. Click here for the video link.

It begins with Ben and Shaq playing basketball, then moves into the press conference where you will see Brett announced. Keep watching to see Brett's role as the "trainer", as he tells Ben to "keep that stomach in".

Screen captures:

Erin, from Big Ben News made some screen captures of Brett's appearance on the show.

Click here to see the photos.

Thanks so much Erin. It takes a lot of time to make the screen captures, and I really appreciate it!

Click the link above to visit her site for Ben Roethlisberger.

Her site has all the information about Ben's appearance on the show, along with pictures and video.

Replay:

WTAE will replay the debut Shaq Vs. show next Tuesday at 8 p.m.

Photo blitz:

I am adding new photos as they become available. To view them, click here.

There are several pages of photos.

August 18, 2009

Training camp photos

I am adding new photos as I find them. Training camp is winding down. The players break camp on Friday, and will head to Washington for their second preseason game.

The game will be televised on KDKA/FSN-Pittsburgh. Also, WDVE usually broadcasts the games on the internet.

Brett returned to practice Saturday, and was reported to be playing fine. Tomlin had said they held him out of the Cardinals game just for precaution, as the injury was not serious. He is expected to play this weekend against the Redskins.

Photo blitz:

I am adding new photos as they become available. To view them, click here.

There are several pages of photos.

To see which photos are the "most viewed" click the link under Keisel Kam.

I will admit, the current Keisel Kam pic is my favorite so far!

Shaq Vs. :

The Shaq Vs. reality show debuted tonight. The series will feature Cleveland Cavaliers center Shaquille O'Neal stepping out of his comfort zone of basketball and challenging other high-profile athletes in competitions in their sports.

The first show featured Shaq in a visit to Ben Roethlisberger's home and then on to a challenge against him on the football field. This particular competition worked off a 7-on-7 football premise: a skeleton passing formation with receivers and backs with Ben quarterbacking one team, and Shaq quarterbacking the other.

Keisel appeared on the show also, so I hope everyone caught it. I did not know he was going to be on until I saw the show, so I apologize for not posting sooner.

Tomorrow, I will try to post some screen caps from his appearance, so check back.

August 14, 2009

Steelers defeat Cardinals

Steelers 20, Cardinals 10

The Pittsburgh Steelers won their first preseason game.

They faced off against their opponents from Super Bowl XLIII – the Arizona Cardinals.

In the first half, Jeff Reed was the first to get points on the board for the Steelers with a 50-yard field goal. A 29-yard field goal from Arizona's Neil Rackers tied the score at the end of the second quarter.

Neither team scored in the third quarter, but the Steelers picked up steam in the fourth quarter when Isaac Redman had a three-yard touchdown.

Redman scored again with a 5-yard touchdown run. Arizona responded with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Palko to Onrea Jones. Piotr Czech had a 44-yard field goal for the Steelers with less than two minutes on the clock.

Keisel was held out of the game for precautionary reasons. Coach Tomlin stated that Brett was injured during practice on Wednesday (calf injury), but added that the injury was not serious.

The Steelers next preseason game is against Washington on August 22nd.

August 12, 2009

Bring on the Cardinals

Time for game one of the preseason!

The Steelers take on the Cardinals Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. The game will be aired on ESPN.

Coach Tomlin said the starters will probably play a couple series during the game.

What does Coach LeBeau want to see from his defense tomorrow night?

“I want to see our guys grow. I don’t care if we’re young, old or intermediate, I want to see us get better. That’s what I want to see every day when we come out on the practice field. You can grow a little bit quicker in the actual game situations than you can in practice, but you have to grow in both situations to get ready for the championship season.”

Pre-Game entertainment:

The Black Eyed Peas and Tim McGraw will jump-start the Steelers' season with a free concert at Point State Park on opening night. For more information on the entertainment, click here.

Photo blitz:

I am adding new photos as they become available. To view them, click here.

There are several pages of photos.

Go Steelers! Go #99!

August 10, 2009

Tomlin praises Keisel's "standout individual effort"

From Bob Labriola's article, on Steelers.com:

Tomlin had a chance to see the video from Sunday’s goal-line drill, and he offered some insight into what happened and why.

“I thought I saw some standout individual efforts, and quite frankly that was the difference in a lot of those plays,” said Tomlin. “On the first snap, Aaron Smith had great pad level and created penetration and really took the guy who was blocking him plus a backfield guy plus a puller. One guy got three. When you stack people up like that you’re going to have a party in the backfield, and that’s what happened.

“On the second play, I thought there was unbelievable overlap and effort from Brett Keisel, who made the play and he was the backside defensive end. Those kinds of things jump out at you when you’re looking at goal-line, some great individual efforts from a couple of people that are the difference in those kinds of plays. When you’re fighting over a yard, usually that is the case.”

Photo blitz:

I am adding new photos as they become available. To view them, click here.

There are several pages of photos.

August 9, 2009

Defense wins goal-line

From Bob Labriola's article, on Steelers.com:

At the end of his media briefing following the Saturday afternoon practice, Coach Mike Tomlin suggested that the first installment of goal-line would be held on Sunday. Then with a smile, he added, “I want to make them do it in front of their families and girlfriends.”

There is no more competitive drill in Steelers training camp than goal-line, and Tomlin’s decision to wait until Family Night for the first installment ensured it would be staged at the proper emotional level. The rules were for the ball to be placed at the 1-yard line, with the offense scoring a point for a touchdown and the defense getting a point for a stop. The defense won the best of seven, 4-3, but the offense scored three times after falling behind, 4-0, to make it close.

“The emphasis of the practice was focused on short yardage and goal line,” said Tomlin. “I like some things I saw from both sides of the football, offensively and defensively. We’ll get another opportunity to do that here before too long. We’re just going to continue the process the building of our football team.”

On the first play, the offense deployed three tight ends and running backs Rashard Mendenhall and Carey Davis. The defense went with three defensive linemen – but neither Aaron Smith nor Casey Hampton – five linebackers and three defensive backs. With Chris Kemoeatu pulling from left guard and leading Mendenhall over the right side, Keyaron Fox filled the hole and delivered the hit to keep Mendenhall out of the end zone.

Same personnel groupings on the second play, and this time it was Brett Keisel who made the big hit to stop Mendenhall.

On the third play, rookie Frank Summers got the ball, but it was the same result, this time with Tyrone Carter and Fox combining on the stop. That gave the defense a 3-0 lead, and the unit cemented the win by smothering Summers on an attempted run right up the middle.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Photo blitz:

I am adding new photos as they become available. To view them, click here.

Fan photos...

...from Misty and Renee. They headed to training camp Saturday and sent me some photos of Keisel to share. Click here to view them.

Thanks so much to Misty and Renee!

Fan photos of Mr. Keisel are always welcome and appreciated. But, please only if they are in a public setting where he is willing to be photographed. I will not post any pictures where it is obvious his privacy (and that of his family and friends) was intruded upon. I appreciate your understanding. Fan photos can be emailed to me-the email address is under the CONTACT heading at the top of this page.

August 6, 2009

Chatting with Keisel The Diesel

Brett sat down to do an interview with the guys from WDVE at training camp.

He talked about his Superbowl ring, his fumble recovery during the Superbowl (and who has possession of the fumbled ball) and he also gives a shout out to Diesel Nation.

It is a very entertaining interview so be sure to check it out.

To listen to his interview, click here.

Then scroll down to Brett's interview.

Star of the two-minute drill:

From sports reporter Dale Lolley...

...Brett Keisel was the star of the first two-minute drill.

After the offense moved the ball down inside the red zone, Keisel dropped into good coverage on a short zone to screen Limas Sweed and force an incompletion on third down. He then came up the middle like a freight train on fourth down, batting down a Batch pass to end the possession.

That kind of athleticism can’t be overlooked.

Dale Lolley was one of three reporters to talk about Keisel's great play.

Also today:

Ed Bouchette, of the Post-Gazette talked to Keisel about how their defense can get better.

From the article:

Defensive end Brett Keisel does not believe it is too much to ask the defense to put more pressure on the quarterback than it did a year ago.

"That's our M.O. We feel if we can shut down teams from running, that, even if we're in four-man rush, we should be able to create pressure. We have the athletes to do that."

To read the whole article, click here.

Photo blitz:

I am adding new photos as they become available. To view them, click here.

August 5, 2009

Happy to be here

Mike Bires, of Timesonline.com recently spoke to Keisel about his contract.

From the article:

Each year, team management must decide what to do with its list of potential free agents. Some are re-signed; others aren’t for a variety of reasons.

“The Rooneys obviously know what they’re doing,” said defensive end Brett Keisel, in the last year of his contract. “They take their time in deciding who they want to keep and who they want to let go. It’s kind of out of your hands. You just have to perform and perform well.”

Already this year, the Steelers have re-signed five starters who were in the last years of their contracts. But as of right now, there are seven high-profile Steelers who have yet to be re-upped.

“If they want me to be around, I’ll be around,” said Keisel, who turns 31 next month. “I’ve had great times here, and I hope to continue that. I’m just looking to go into this year and have my best year yet and let the chips fall where they will.

“If you let it be a distraction, it can be. But I’m still under contract. I’m just happy to be here and to be healthy and to be part of this great defense we have.”

To read the entire article, click here.

Photo blitz:

I am adding new photos as they become available. To view them, click here.

August 3, 2009

Brett talks about the Rooney family

From Alan Robinson, AP:

There hasn't been a Steelers training camp like this since the year Max Schmeling knocked out Joe Louis, Gone with the Wind was published and Jesse Owens won four Olympic gold medals in Adolf Hitler-controlled Germany.

There's no Dan Rooney around.

The Steelers players reside in Rooney Hall during their three weeks at Saint Vincent College, an hour's drive east of Pittsburgh. A Rooney remains in charge of the Steelers, the only six-time Super Bowl winner.

Only it's not Dan Rooney, who is now the U.S. ambassador to Ireland, a full-time position that allows him little time for football and none for training camp. Time enough, however, to place a weekend phone call to find out how his football team is doing.

"Burt (Lauten, a team publicist) told me he called and asked how things are going," defensive end Brett Keisel said Monday. "It's different not having him here. We're missing him."

To read the entire article, click here.

From Matt Pawlikowski, Pittsburgh Sports Examiner:

He (Dan Rooney) won't be floating through the dorms or the lockeroom when the Steelers put the uniforms back on. He won't be roaming the sidelines talking with media or eating lunch in the cafeteria.

Unlike the Dan Snyder and Jerry Jones of this world, Rooney was a true Pittsburgher, a down to earth, just one of the guys type of person. He was the team owner, but never got involved in trying to make changes.

It was a reason he was so revered.

Yet while Dan will be missed for the man he is, perhaps Brett Keisel's words about the Rooney family show where his teammates stand with the fact that his son Art II is now the man in charge.

“The biggest thing is how involved they are with the city of Pittsburgh . It seems to me that they are so involved with the community and their players’ well being," Defensive lineman Keisel said. " You just don’t see them when you get on the plane on Sunday. You see them every day. They come and shake your hand and tell you they are proud of you. As a player, that means a lot.”

To see photos of Keisel at camp, click here.

August 2, 2009

Players getting physical

From Bob Labriola, of Steelers.com:

Coach Mike Tomlin said he liked the ebb-and-flow of Sunday’s lone practice session at Saint Vincent College. He just as easily could have used the phrase punch-and-counterpunch.

If it indeed is true that a team can set a tone for its season from the start of a training camp, then the Steelers seem to be headed for another year in which they play a physical brand of football.

“You cannot take the physical element out of football,” said Tomlin. “That’s what you miss during the spring and in minicamp, and that’s why you reserve judgments about the development of some people. We’re starting to see what football is about and who potentially comprise the 53 who will become the 2009 Steelers. I like it.”

Sunday’s practice was dampened literally by a passing rain shower that lasted for a little less than 30 minutes, and if it chased a number of the fans lining the hills surrounding the fields it didn’t interrupt the pace or the focus of the work.

“I thought they maintained focus through the rain, which is great,” said Tomlin. “A little ebb and flow, a very physical practice, which is what we desire.”

Jim Wexell mentioned that the first team defense had a good showing this afternoon, saying "1st team defense howled at 3rd team offense like it was old-fashioned goal line drill."

Most reports were that the players were very physical today, which pleased Coach Tomlin.

Camp tidbits:

There is a tradition with the Steelers that rookies have to get up and sing in the cafeteria during dinner and it kicked off with a bang on Saturday when rookie wide receiver Mike Wallace got things started. Head coach Mike Tomlin encouraged Wallace to go old school, so he belted out R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly.” Wallace had his teammates singing along and got a big hand when he finished. There is a lot for the other rookies to live up to now.

The start of practice just wouldn’t be the same without Chris Hoke doing his Hokie Pokey, and he gave in to the cheers of his teammates before the team began stretching during the afternoon practice.

Photos:

To see photos of Brett at training camp, click here.

I will continue to add more as I find them.

July 31, 2009

First day of training camp

The players reported to training camp today. They had their annual run test.

To see photos of Keisel during the run test, click here.

Coach Tomlin stated that all players completed the run test.

I will post more news and photos each day, so be sure to check back often.

Contract news:

It was reported today that the Steelers are in talks with Brett regarding his contract. He is entering the final year of his current contract.

July 26, 2009

The countdown is on

Training camp 2009 begins in FIVE days!

The players report to camp on July 31 and practices start on August 1.

For the complete schedule, and more information on training camp, click here.

To see photos from previous training camps, click here. There are four pages of photos. I will add photos from camp this year daily.

Also...

...I saved an article from after Superbowl XLIII to post now, so we can relive the Superbowl victory again before the new season begins.

Click here to read the article.

Reminder...

If you attend training camp, and take any photos of Brett that you'd like to share, please send them to me to post.

July 16, 2009

And the ESPY goes to...

The Pittsburgh Steelers for "Best Game" (Superbowl XLIII)... and to Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes for "Best Play" (for the game-winning touchdown reception between Ben and Santonio Holmes in Superbowl XLIII)!

Congratulations to the team, and thanks to Steeler Nation for their votes.

To see some photos from the ESPY's (which will air on Sunday, July 19th at 9:00 p.m. on ESPN), click here.

July 10, 2009

Brett Keisel reflects on another championship

From Lee Lockhart's article entitled, From Buff to the Bowl, in the Northern Wyoming Daily News:

“Starting at defensive end – Brett Keisel,” the loudspeaker barks to the sellout crowd at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

He ended last season’s NFL Super Bowl with a fumble recovery, preserving the victory for the Pittsburgh Steelers over the Arizona Cardinals, 27-23. It was a self-admitted great way to end his seventh year in the league. Outside the great finish, it was a tough year for Keisel who missed six games due to injury.

“I had to work like a madman to get back on the field,” Keisel said during an interview after a round of golf in Worland Wednesday afternoon.

Keisel returns to Greybull and the Big Horn Basin every year. He comes back for self-described “therapy.”

He comes back in order to “clear my mind and slow down. There’s something about coming back to Wyoming that is refreshing and it lets you clear your mind.”

At 30, (he’ll be 31 in September) Keisel is well aware that the average length of stay in the National Football League is three years. He has bettered the odds. He’ll start his eighth season July 31 with a new, old, familiar, training camp.

“I feel really fortunate. It’s all been with the same team, and that’s practically unheard of. And to top that all off, I have two Super Bowl rings. I feel really lucky and very blessed. It only makes me hungry for more,” he said.

One of Keisel's next goals:

With two Super Bowl rings, Keisel still has at least one unrealized goal.

“I’ve never been selected to the Pro Bowl, and that’s a big goal of mine,” he admits. And then he noted that it is tough for a defensive end in a 3-4 scheme to get selected because “a lot of the time your job is to gobble up blockers. But it has been done, and it is something I work towards.”

To read the entire interview, click here.

Also:

To see a photo of Brett signing a jersey for a fan at the golf course, click here.

Thanks to Wade Werbelow for sending me the information from the Northern Wyoming Daily News.

Reminder:

As fans, we can help Keisel fulfill his goal of being selected to the Pro Bowl. Fans count for one-third of the votes, and if the voing rules remain the same this season, there is NO limit on how many times fans can vote. WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

I appreciate all of you who voted last season for Brett, and then for teammate Aaron Smith when I received a request through Brett's family to switch our votes due to Keisel's injury- (see November 26, 2008 news in Archives).

I will post Pro Bowl voting information on this site when it becomes available.

June 26, 2009

ESPY nominations update

I left out a fifth nomination for the Steelers.

They are nominated under "Best Play" for Santonio Holmes game-winning touchdown reception from Ben Roethlisberger in Super Bowl XLIII

So, be sure to add that category to your voting. The voting information is in the June 25th news.

Click here to cast your vote.

We need to let Steelers Nation be heard..so please VOTE!!!

June 25, 2009

ESPY nominations announced

The ESPY nominations are out, and the Steelers are nominated for Best Team and Best Game! Also, Mike Tomlin is nominated for Best Coach, and James Harrison for Best NFL Player.

The awards show will air July 19 at 9:00 p.m. on ESPN.

Your vote counts!

Voting begins today, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on July 11. Click here to cast your vote.

Also...

Congratulations to Coach Dick LeBeau on his upcoming induction into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame. The class will be inducted Sept. 25 and introduced to the public at halftime of the home football game (at The Ohio State University) against Illinois the next day.

And, the honors continue for Coach LeBeau as he will also be honored in London, Ohio this Saturday. He will have a field house at his high school named after him. It will be part of a ceremony honoring LeBeau for his 50 years in the NFL as a player and a coach.

June 15, 2009

News and Notes

Training Camp '09:

The Steelers report to training camp on July 31st. Practices will begin on August 1st. It will be held at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. For the complete schedule, and more information on training camp, click here.

Steelers individual game tickets:

A limited number of individual game tickets for the Steelers 2009 home games are available through Ticketmaster beginning on Saturday, June 20, at 10:00 a.m. This marks the third consecutive season fans will be able to purchase tickets through Ticketmaster.

For more information on purchasing the tickets, click here.

Congratulations...

...To the Penguins on winning the Stanley Cup Championship...and to Ben Roethlisberger on his victory at the US Open Challenge!

To read about Ben's US Open Challenge event, and to see photos, click here.

The city of Pittsburgh (and fans from all over the world) have certainly had reason to celebrate this year!

June 9, 2009

Catching Up

I am home from vacation so I am now able to update the various events Keisel participated in recently.

Habitat for Humanity:

Keisel and several teammates worked with Habitat for Humanity on June 8th to help build a house for Debbie Miller and her family.

Miller is the recipient of the “Champions House,” presented by Habitat for Humanity to a qualified family in the Super Bowl winning city. Miller and her grandsons will soon move into a home in the Westwood section of Pittsburgh, a home that is being built from the ground up by volunteers.

Miller was taken by surprise on Monday when she was working on the house and 14 members of the Super Bowl Champion Steelers showed up to get things rolling. The players, along with assistant head coach John Mitchell, put up the exterior walls of the house and began work on interior walls, as well as handling some painting duties.

Keisel is no stranger to the home building experience, helping out his family when he was just 12-years old building their first home in Wyoming. He looked at home on the construction site and left with the satisfaction of knowing how much it meant to Miller and the kids.

“They are going to enjoy it,” said Keisel. “The kids will be able to grow up in there and that is what makes it special."

To read Teresa Varley's entire article on Steelers.com, click here.

To watch a video with Keisel and teammates, click here.

And, to see photos from the event, click here.

What a great thing for Keisel and his teammates to do for the Miller family!

Hines Ward Celebrity Softball Game:

The game was held on June 6 (see information about the game in May 29th news).

To view photos of Keisel during the game, click here.

Steelers Superbowl XLIII Ring:

The team received their Superbowl rings today. For pictures of the rings, and information on them, click here.

OTA's:

The last round of OTA's are this week. The team will then have a break until they report to training camp on July 31st.

I will post information on training camp, and on purchasing individual game tickets soon.

May 29, 2009-afternoon update listed below

One year and still going strong

It has been a little over a year since I began this website, and the number of visitors to the site just keeps growing!

I credit this to the great work Keisel does on and off the field, to his huge following of fans, and to his family's wonderful support of this site.

Brett certainly has a built up a fan base worldwide. According to the statistics from my hosting company, the United States leads in the number of visitors to the site, followed by Sweden, Canada, France, China, Spain, and Italy. Costa Rica and the Netherlands have recently been showing large numbers of visitors.

The first month I started the site, I had almost 200 visitors. As of May of 2009, which is a little over a year since the site began, I show over 126,000 visitors!

This number does not count the web robots or crawlers that automatically generate hits on a site.

Also, the MySpace page has over 1,000 friends so far.

So, I wanted to say Thank you, Tack, Merci beaucoup, Muchas gracias, etc. to everyone for visiting this site!

Also...

...Hines Ward will hold his second annual celebrity softball game on June 6. It will be held at 1 p.m. at Duquesne Field. The event is free, but donations will be taken to benefit the families of the fallen Pittsburgh police officers. At least 11 Steelers will participate with local media celebrities.

Update:

I did locate a list of Steelers who are scheduled to play in the softball game. Brett is listed as playing, as are Ben Roethlisberger, James Harrison, James Farrior, Jeff Reed, Santonio Holmes, Max Starks, Willie Parker, Deshea Townsend, Ike Taylor and Hines Ward.

1250 ESPN is offering a lucky fan the chance to "Coach the Champs." You can bid to serve as an honorary coach at the softball game.

For information on the contest, click here.

For more information on the softball game, click here.

The event information will also be listed on the right side of this page under, Events and Appearances.

To see photos from the game last year, click here.

FYI...

...The next round of OTA's will be June 9-11.

I added one more picture to the White House visit gallery. Click here to see it.

I will be out of town for a bit, so I will update any event photos or news when I return. I will be able to update the MySpace page (the link is at the top of this page), so you can check there for photos while I am gone.

May 21, 2009-afternoon update

President Obama congratulates the Steelers

The Steelers organization headed to Washington D.C. today to meet with President Obama and to make care packages for our troops.

Obama started off by saying:

"Congratulations to the Superbowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, and to the fans of Steelers Nation who wave that Terrible Towel every Sunday!"

Obama went on to say:

"This is a new team for a new era and that's embodied by Coach Tomlin."

He also referred to Dick LeBeau as "one of the greatest defensive coordinators of all time."

The President discussed how the Steelers do great work on and off the field, and while they were at the White House they would be teaming up with the USO for Operation Care Package. They would be packing up 3,000 care packages for our troops.

Ever the competitors, the Steelers were divided into three teams-defense, offense and special teams. They would race to see which team could pack the most packages.

The footage stopped before I saw who won, but my bet is on the #1 defense!

Coach LeBeau was interviewed and said he was having a great afternoon (at the White House) and it was a great honor. He went on to say how proud he was of his defense everyday.

The President also welcomed about 50 wounded warriors from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center for the ceremony. In addition to the wounded warriors and the Steelers, President Obama is meeting with Pittsburgh Police Chief Nate Harper and four officers who were the first to respond to the April shooting in Stanton Heights that claimed the lives of three city police officers.

To see a video of the visit, click here.

To see pictures from the visit, click here.

I will add more if I find any.

May 21, 2009

Keisel enjoys his work, no matter the situation

From John Harris, of the Tribune-Review:

All around the NFL, players entering the final year of their contracts are boycotting minicamps and voluntary workouts because they want new deals.

The same is not true in Pittsburgh, where several Steelers entering their final contract years report to work without protest.

"That's how it is around here," said Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel, who is entering the final year of his contract. "Everyone understands what's going on, but it's just something we don't talk about. The guys we have on this team really makes it enjoyable to come to work."

Keisel was asked if he would prefer to re-sign before the start of the season.

"It's something that's kind of out of your hands," he said. "You just have to go to work. I'm looking for the opportunity to hopefully repeat. I feel excited about our opportunity, and hopefully, we can seize it. That's my focus. I'm not really concerned about the contract.

"I just want this year to be my best yet. I feel like every year I want to improve. Once I can't do that, it's time for me to hang up the cleats."

Keisel, entering his fourth season as a starter, finished with 34 tackles and one sack despite missing six games because of injuries.

Brett talks about the upcoming visit to the White House:

"I'm excited. "It's kind of history in the making. The first black president, and we get to be the first (NFL) team to meet him. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity."

"I'd like to see more (this time). We saw a couple of rooms that I think basically everyone gets to see. I'm going to try to go through the trap doors and see if I can get lost in there."

Lets hope the Secret Service don't learn of Keisel's plans!

To read the entire article, click here.

Also...

...Be sure to read the news below (May 20) for information on watching live coverage of the Steelers trip to Washington! There are also some new basketball pics posted with yesterdays news!

May 20, 2009

New basketball photos

Brett and the Steelers basketball team played at Logan Middle School, in the East Allegheny School District, last week.

Clink Helmick attended the game, and sent several photos of Keisel to share.

Click here to see the photos.

Thanks to Clint for sending them!

Reminder:

The Steelers are scheduled to visit the White House tomorrow.

WPXI will have live coverage of the visit on their website and (for local Pittsburgh fans) on Channel 11 news.

Also:

Check out the May 13th news for information on a great way to support breast cancer research, and to get a chance to win some nice prizes!

May 19, 2009

Return of OTA's and Brett plays in golf tourney

The Steelers began another round of OTA's today. I will post any pics I find from the OTA's in the Photo Gallery.

OTA News:

From Teresa Varley's article, LeBeau Dreams up a New Defensive Package on Steelers.com:

To say that defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau eats, sleeps and breaths football is not an understatement. The mastermind behind the Steelers defense that was once again ranked number one in the NFL last season laid out a new defensive package for the team at OTA’s on Tuesday and it came to him the night before.

“He gave us a new defense today that he thought about last night when he was in bed,” said an amazed James Farrior. “He drew something up for us today. We expect stuff like that from Coach LeBeau.

“He is constantly thinking of ways we can do better,” said defensive end Brett Keisel. “We put in a whole new package today that the wizard came up with last night. He was making some potion and somehow these X’s and O’s came up and it worked really well today so I am sure it’s something we will use.”

To read the entire article, which includes some more of Keisel's thoughts on LeBeau, click here.

Hoge Starks Ward Celebrity Golf Tournament for Children:

Keisel participated in the golf event May 18th.

Since 1994, the Hoge Starks Ward Celebrity Golf Classic for Children has raised more than $1,825,000 for children in need. Former Steelers player Merril Hoge, along with current Steelers Max Starks and Hines Ward, invite Steelers coaches and players, and other celebrities, to golf with foursomes from the area and from across the country to raise awareness and funds for programs of the Highmark Caring Foundation.

To see a video from the event, click here.

To see a screen capture of Keisel at the event, click here.

I will add more photos from the golf tourney if they are available, so check back.

May 15, 2009

Steelers heading to the White House

From Ed Bouchette, of the Post Gazette:

The Steelers will visit the White House Thursday at the request of President Barack Obama.

The traditional visit by the Super Bowl champions will take place at some point in the afternoon. The Steelers last visited the White House as Super Bowl champions in 2006, when George W. Bush was president.

To see a larger version of the picture to the left, and a couple more from the 2006 visit, click here.

I will post any pictures I find of the visit as they become available.

Special offer:

Erin, at Big Ben News has an exclusive offer to visitors of her site!

Artist Robert Cherewick has released a special Artist's Reserve Edition of his popular sold-out print, "The Rookie" to fans of Erin's site. This amazing print features Ben Roethlisberger in his rookie year, and is autographed by Ben. The likeness is incredible!

Don't wait! There are a limited amount of prints available, and if you mention Erin's site, you will receive a GREAT deal on the price!

Click here to view the print, and check out the amazing offer! It is posted in the May 14th news.

May 13, 2009

News and photos

I added a few new photos to the Gallery. They are from another Steelers basketball game. Click here to see them.

And...

...Congratulations to Steelers assistant head coach/defensive line coach John Mitchell. Coach Mitchell will be inducted into the State of Alabama Sports Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2009 on May 30.

Also...

...Most of you know I also run a fan site on Heath Miller. I normally keep the News items separate for each site, but I wanted to make you aware of a great fundraiser Heath is involved with currently.

Heath hosts an event called, "Bid for Hope" for A Glimmer of Hope Foundation. The event raises money for breast cancer research. Brett attends the event also.

Glimmer of Hope is now pleased to announce the launching of Candy for the Cure. Candy for the Cure is a program developed by Glimmer of Hope to help raise funds for the nations largest under 40 breast cancer study in the country. Every dollar raised goes to support breast cancer research and the fight for a cure.

The fundraiser offers some amazing prizes to win, and you will be supporting a wonderful cause!

Click here to read more about Candy for the Cure!

May 8, 2009

Keisel shoots hoops for good cause

Brett joined some teammates to play basketball at Norwin High School on April 18th. Money raised from the game went to support Norwin PTA programs.

I posted a news story about the game in the April 19 news below, but I have now added photos from the game.

To see the photos, click here.

Remember, you can enlarge any of the photos by clicking on them!

Steelers basketball...

...I added a few more dates to the schedule, which is located on the right side of this page. Thanks again to Clint for sending more dates to me. It sounds like the basketball team will wrap the season up May 15th.

Contract talk...

...No news on any talks or offers, but DL Coach John Mitchell explained to John Harris, from the Tribune-Review, why the Steelers likely will re-sign Keisel despite the franchise's philosophy of not always retaining its older players.

Keisel and Smith missed games last season because of injuries, but Mitchell said they weren't typical injuries.

"Brett and Aaron didn't have an injury because their athletic ability had diminished. Both of those guys were running to the ball when they got nicked up by one of their own players,'' Mitchell said. "I think they can be around for the next three, four or five years. Brett takes good care of himself, and so does Aaron.''

Mitchell went on to say this about his line:

"It makes my job very easy when you have guys like that here year in and year out. It's easy to coach them. They play well because they have been in this scheme a long time. If you look at some of the numbers from this past year, I think we played very well defensively.''

Brett recently spoke with Ed Bouchette, from the Post-Gazette, about his desire to stay with the Steelers.

"I'm just speaking from my knowledge of being around here and that this is a great place to be," said defensive end Brett Keisel. "You have great owners who care about you, a great family atmosphere here in the locker room, so it's a great place for a player like myself who was drafted here."

To read the rest of either article, click on their respective links.

May 5, 2009

Everyone wants to beat the champs

James Walker from ESPN.com spoke with Keisel during mini camp.

He asked Brett about the upcoming season, and how he felt about the team having a "target" on their backs due to their Superbowl win.

Keisel's response:

"I think this team has enough veterans on it, where we know how to prepare, we know how to come into camp and we know it's starting fresh," Keisel said. "When you win a Super Bowl, you know you're going to get everyone's best shot. Everyone wants to beat the champs, and we understand that."

Keisel went on to say that the team is staying focused on their goals: "It's our main goal," Keisel said of winning another Super Bowl. "It's what we want, and it's what we're striving for. It's the focus starting now.

"[Tomlin] put that in front of all of us at our team meeting and making it evident. We understand we're not going to win the Super Bowl this week. But at the same time, he wants us out every day when we're making our decisions thinking, 'Is this going to help us win a championship?'"

Walker also inquired on Keisel's contract status. He was told by Brett that there have been no contract discussions with the team to date. Brett is entering the final year of his contract.

May 3, 2009

Mini Camp 2009

Keisel as quarterback?

Probably not...the players seemed to have traded jerseys for a bit!

The Steelers held a mini camp this weekend. Coach Tomlin said it was a productive weekend, and he was happy to come away with no major injuries.

From Bob Labriola, Steelers.com:

There was an unmistakable energy in the air, even though it had been less than three months since they returned from Tampa with the franchise’s sixth Lombardi Trophy. The Pittsburgh Steelers were back at work as a whole team for the first time since that win over the Arizona Cardinals, but Coach Mike Tomlin made sure to keep it in perspective.

“You know I’m not a big proponent of football in shorts,” said Tomlin about minicamp. “The rookie minicamp, for me, is about teaching. It’s about getting to know these guys to see how they take in information, to see how they deal with the ups and downs of good plays and bad plays from an assignment standpoint. But football will be played in Latrobe.”

“I thought it was a very productive day for us,” said Tomlin. “These are instructional camps for us. This is a time for teaching, for giving and receiving information. Everybody was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and it was a productive day from that standpoint. We also were injury-free, which is another thing we desire to get done with these camps. I really like the energy and enthusiasm of the group today.

“It was a good start to our minicamp, but I don’t gauge the success of these weekends, because it’s not football, it’s teaching.”

Photos...

...can be viewed here.

To view all the photos from mini camp, including some good pictures of the players on "hat" day, click here.

April 30, 2009

Coach Mitchell talks about Keisel

Jim Wexell talked with Steelers defensive line coach John Mitchell regarding the Steelers draft and the current defensive line players.

Coach Mitchell on Keisel's contract status:

"Players play, coaches coach, and administrators administrate. My job is to coach, so I don’t get involved in that.

But Keisel’s a good football player. I think he’s proven he can play here. Those types of guys are hard to replace.

Here’s something you have to look at also: When we got Aaron Smith, it was two years before he played. With Brett Keisel, it was four years before he got on the field, although he was a very good special teams player. Chris Hoke was here three years before he got on the field. My point is that Ziggy’s a good football player, but he’s not going to come here tomorrow and set the world on fire. I’m excited about it. We’re happy with him. But we’re going to have to bring him along and he’s going to have that learning curve.

So a guy like Brett Keisel, I think Brett Keisel has five or six years of good football in him."

Mitchell addresses the topic of age in his line, and recent injuries:

"People say I’ve got a bunch of old guys. Aaron Smith is 33. You can’t get around that. But he’s 33 chronologically. Physically, he’s not 33. You look at Brett Keisel; he’s 31 (Brett will be 31 in September).

But go back and look at the tape of these guys. When they got injured, they were doing the things that we asked them to do: They were running to the football. When you get good defensive linemen that run to the football, they’re going to have nicks.

They did not get injured, either one of them, because of diminishing abilities or skills. They got injured running to the football, which we require them to do.

Now, if I had a guy who was 57 years old, or someone my age, I would worry. A 33-year-old guy and a 31-year-old guy and a 31-year-old guy, Casey Hampton, who don’t have a lot of wear on their body? I’m not going to worry. Do they have chronological age on them? Yes. But these guys have a lot of football left in them."

Mitchell on what it takes to be a defensive lineman for the Steelers:

"Any defensive lineman that we draft is not going to get the press and we’re not going to ask him to get 20 sacks.

We’re going to ask him to keep those linebackers free, make sure that it takes five offensive linemen to block our three, and so they’re not going to get the pub.

We’ve got to have a special guy, and those guys are not out there very often because most of the defensive linemen in this league, especially ends, they think about sacks and they equate that to money in their contract down the road.

That’s not what you’re going to do with the Pittsburgh Steelers."

Coach LeBeau also talked about Brett at the Dapper Dan Banquet:

"I remember there were two guys I always saw working hard in the room-Brett and James Harrison, they were in there everyday.”

And:

In an interview from last year, Brett commented that he "had another good seven years left in him" to play.

I do not have any news or updates on Keisel's contract, but I am hoping the Steelers work it out to keep him! He deserves to finish out his career with the team he has worked so hard for all these years!

Also...

I added a few more dates (thanks again to Clint) to the list of Steelers basketball games. They are on the right side of this page under, Steelers Basketball.

Side note from Trish:

Congratulations to OSU alumni, Chris Spielman on his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame!

April 28, 2009

News and Notes

I received an email from Clint Helmick with some more dates for Steelers basketball. They are listed on the right side of this page (in the gray area) under Steelers Basketball.

Please remember that I have no idea if Brett is playing in any of those games.

Thanks to Clint for sending the dates for me to post.

Mini Camp:

The Steelers will hold a required mini camp beginning May 1 and ending May 3.

I will post mini camp photos of Keisel as I find them, so be sure to check back.

Game update:

The Steelers/Bengals game in Cincinnati on September 27, has moved from 1:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.

April 26, 2009

Keisel lends a hand for teammate

Brett joined his teammate Ben Roethlisberger to play basketball to support the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation. This is the second year Brett has played in the game, and it was nice to see many more #99 jerseys in the crowd this year!

From The Courier.com:

Just as Ben Roethlisberger leads the Pittsburgh Steelers week after week in the National Football League, Roethlisberger was the key cog in his team's 106-96 victory over area all-stars as part of the Ben & Friends Benefit on Saturday at Findlay High School.

The former Findlay High basketball and football star led all scorers with 51 points. A teammate of Roethlisberger's on the football field did his share of damage on the hardwood, as Steeler teammate Brett Keisel scored 29 points.

The high scorer for the area all-star team was Liberty-Benton's Derek Recker with 31 points. He netted seven three-pointers, including some from NBA range in the exhibition contest. Also chipping in were Findlay's Jared Harris with 13 points, McComb's Kevan Westengarger with 12 points, Arlington's Damin Oman with 11 points and Findlay's Matt Strzempka with 10 points.

Proceeds from the event benefit Findlay High student athletes and the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation.

Ben's sister, Carlee also joined team Roethlisberger this year. At halftime, Carlee's high school jersey was retired.

Brett brought the crowd to their feet with an amazing slam dunk. The picture above shows him receiving congrats from his teammates and the fans.

Keisel signed autographs between quarters and after the game. At one point, during a break from the game, Brett was surrounded by kids requesting his autograph. Of course, he made sure they all got their items signed.

To see a short video of the game, click here.

To see photos from the game, click here.

And, to see more photos of the game, click here.

I am not sure how much money was raised for Ben's Foundation last night, but it was reported that he raised nearly $70,000 in the first two years he did this benefit!

April 23, 2009

Updating the photo gallery

As many of you know, I switched to a different photo gallery company.

The process was not easy as I was not able to just simply transfer albums from one company to the other. I have to manually upload each picture in every album individually, and redo all the captions for each photo.

So, it is taking me awhile to get the large volume of photos transferred.

I have received several emails asking about some of the albums that have not been transferred, so I wanted to let everyone know I am still working on it.

Sorry it has taken so long, and thanks for your patience!

You can keep up with the latest uploads by clicking here.

Or just click on the Photos link at the top of this page and look through all the albums. You can also click on Last Uploads from the Photos page.

April 21, 2009

Keisel Talk

From Pro Football Weekly writer, Nolan Nawrocki's article, Teams' defensive schemes shape their draft decisions:

Pittsburgh Steelers

There is no one in the NFL better than Hall of Fame-worthy, legendary defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau at disguising pressure packages the way he so tactfully does with a quartet of athletic linebackers who drop into coverage as well as they can rush the passer.

Despite all the headlines that may go to James Harrision, James Farrior, LaMarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons, few are as underrated as DE Aaron Smith, NT Casey Hampton and DE Brett Keisel, all of whom excel doing the dirty work in the trenches, plugging the run and occupying blockers to keep their linebackers free.

Safeties Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark are both very physical, and CBs Ike Taylor and Deshea Townsend efficient in zone coverage. The loss of Bryant McFadden creates a need for a cornerback, but this defense is as good as it gets all the way around and should remain the league’s best next season.

And:

Click here to check out the nice banner Snow College posted to congratulate Keisel on his Superbowl win.

April 20, 2009

The start of OTA's

OTA's began today for the Steelers. The first organized team activity of the season took place today at the team's practice facility on the South Side.

Keisel, along with many other starters, participated in practice today.

To see a larger version of the photo to the left, click here.

The Steelers were also sized for their Superbowl XLIII rings.

To see a couple photos of Brett during the ring sizing, click here.

To read about the rings, click here.

Also:

If you have not visited Big Ben News recently, be sure to stop over there! Ben Roethlisberger's unofficial site has an amazing new look!

April 19, 2009

Steelers Play Different Sport For Charity

From WPXI:

Steelers players played basketball for a good cause Saturday night at Norwin High School.

Brett Keisel and other members of the team faced off against faculty to raise money for the Norwin PTA programs.

"It's a great time. We play them every year. It's a great fundraiser for our school district. The kids have a blast and that's what it's all about," said Mike Feorene. The game benefited students in the Norwin School District who participate in school activities.

To watch a video of Keisel and the rest of the players in action, click here.

April 17, 2009

Brett to play in Ben Roethlisberger Challenge

Ben Roethlisberger is once again hosting a benefit basketball game in his hometown of Findlay, Ohio.

The game will be played at Findlay High School on April 25, 2009. It starts at 7:00 p.m. and doors will open at 6:00 p.m.

Brett is reported to be joining Ben again this year, and it is possible (but not confirmed) that other Steelers may join in.

The annual basketball game generates funds for the Ben Roethlisberger Scholarship, which funds scholarships for the FHS football program.

Tickets for the Ben Roethlisberger benefit basketball game will be sold from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in the athletic office. Tickets will also be sold Thursday night from 6-8 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. Tickets are also available at Morey's on Tiffin Avenue and Main Street News.

There were tickets sold at the door last year, but they sold out quickly!

There will be many raffles and auction items, including Ben's signed Super Bowl helmet.

I attended the game last year, and the guys put on a great show, and there were tons of great items auctioned!

To read about the game last year, click here.

April 14, 2009

2009 NFL schedule announced

The NFL announced the 2009 schedules tonight.

I have posted the Steelers schedule on the right side of this page under, Schedule.

NFL.com's Vic Carucci listed the TOP 10 must- see games to watch this season. Two of the 10 games are with the Steelers. One is when they play the Ravens, and the second is when they play Tennessee.

Click here to read his article.

April 9, 2009

Keisel Junior Geniuses

I have received many requests for a Q & A session with Brett. Well, who better to conduct one than his nephews and niece?

Gabe, Zack, and Abby Keisel put together a project for the Jr. Genius fair at their school. They chose to do their presentation on the Steelers, focusing on the team's history, what goes on at training camp, and what it takes to stay in shape to compete in the NFL.

As seen in the photo on the left, Gabe (left) and Zack (right) had a table set up complete with a poster of the Steelers history, including the year the Steelers organization began, the amount Mr. Rooney paid for the team, and the years and locations of Superbowl titles the team won (complete with scores). It is evident they did their research!

The table also included GameDay programs from the team, and various items from the Steelers and their Uncle Brett. They also had pictures of Ben Roethlisberger, Brett's good friend available. The table included two hand drawn pictures-one of Brett and one of Ben. To top off their amazing presentation, Keisel's highlight video was playing in the background.

Interview with Uncle Brett

The photo to the left is of Zack and Abby at their Steelers table.

Read the end of today's post to see how to enlarge the photos to see them better!

The talented trio of Jr. Geniuses interviewed Brett to find out what his hobbies are, and what moves him.

What happens at Training Camp:

Brett explained that they begin with 85 players, and will eventually get down to 43. They work on agility drills, timed sprints, and fitness training. The players also work on learning plays. The camp is six weeks, and the players live together in one facility away from their families.

What do players do in the offseason to stay in shape:

Brett said that players have to work constantly to stay in shape. They also have to eat well and stay healthy all year long.

What Moves You?

Brett loves being active and loves to set goals to achieve. He said he knew the only way to become a two-time Superbowl Champion was to be dedicated and to work hard.

What are your hobbies:

Brett enjoys spending time with his family, and he also likes to fish, hunt, and camp.

The presentation looked great, and I am sure it was the hit of the fair!

From the looks of this project, it is apparent that the hard work and dedication Brett talked about is a Keisel family trait!

I want to thank Gabe, Zack, and Abby for sharing the project with all of us! And, thanks to Jamie and Connie for their great pics and information.

To see the photos above enlarged (so you can see more clearly the poster and the hard work they put into their project), click here. You can also see a bit more close-up the items on their presentation table!

April 6, 2009

Spring workouts are here

The time is drawing near for spring workouts! One step closer to training camp 2009 and to football season!

From The Post Gazette:

The Steelers will hold their first two of 14 organized team activities before the draft April 20 and 21, according to a list of their spring drills released yesterday.

The OTAs, as they are called, are voluntary activities that include practices without pads. In addition to the 14 voluntary sessions, coach Mike Tomlin will hold a required minicamp the weekend of May 1-3.

The remaining OTAs will take place May 19-21, May 26-28 and June 9-11.

Preseason schedule finalized...

The Steelers preseason schedule is now finalized, and can be seen on the right side of this page under Schedule.

Also today:

Thanks from Blake Ferrell

I received a message from a friend of mine awhile back about Blake, who will soon turn eighteen. He was in a horrible car accident in January of this year. He suffered severe brain trauma, and was not expected to live.

Blake defied the odds and survived an injury that has a ONE PERCENT survival rate. He is now home with his family.

Due to his severe brain trauma, Blake is going through physical and occupational therapy.

He is a big Steelers fan, and during the Superbowl he was still in a semi-coma. His mother kept the television on during the game so he could listen to the game.

Blake's family sent a nice thank you for the Brett Keisel picture and Steelers gear sent. His story also reached the Steelers organization, and they sent Blake an autographed team picture and passes to training camp this year.

We wish Blake the best, and are glad to hear he is doing better!

April 3, 2009

Keisel attends Dapper Dan Sports Banquet

Coach Dick LeBeau was awarded the Dapper Dan Lifetime Achievement Award. LeBeau received tributes from players past and present, including Rod Woodson, Jason Gildon, Brett Keisel and James Farrior.

LeBeau spoke words all Steelers coaches, players, and fans wanted to hear:

"This really is a great day to be alive. I love you, Pittsburgh. You're never going to get rid of me now."

Coach LeBeau talked about life saying:

"Don't drop out of it folks. Stay in life, man. Life is for living. If you do, you might be lucky enough to fall into a bunch of guys like this (he turns to his players) that make you smart as hell."

LeBeau spoke on each of his defensive starters...

...He touched on Brett Keisel as the "skinny mountain man" from BYU.

LeBeau also said:

"I remember there were two guys I always saw working hard in the room-Brett and James Harrison, they were in there everyday.”

Also honored during the ceremony was Coach Mike Tomlin.

He was named Sportsman of the Year.

Tomlin had this to say during his speech:

"I have the best coaching job in professional sports."

"I want to thank the Rooneys for giving me the opportunity to do what I do. And our players and our coaches are second to none."

To see a partial video of LeBeau's and Tomlins's speeches, click here.

To watch both of their entire speeches, click here.

You can read Robert Dvorchak's entire article on the event, here.

Also...

...To see a few screen captures from the event, click here.

Brett is in the far left of the photos

March 30, 2009

Memorable moment from SB XLIII

Keisel's game-ending fumble recovery...

I doubt anyone has forgotten Brett's fumble recovery to seal the win for the Steelers. But, just in case a reminder is necessary, check out the great photo above!

The photo was taken by A. Charness. I think it is the best shot I have seen of the fumble recovery!

Mr. Charness took some great photos of Keisel. To see them, and to view a larger version of the above picture (and of this week's Keisel Kam picture), click here.

Thank you to Mr. Charness for sharing his wonderful photos!

March 27, 2009

Keisel and Hoke heading into space?

No, but both men did get to speak to NASA Astronaut Mike Finck while he is aboard the International Space Station.

From Teresa Varley's article, Steelers Nation extends into space,on Steelers.com:

NASA Astronaut Mike Fincke became an Internet sensation when the Pittsburgh native cheered his hometown Steelers on from of all places, aboard the International Space Station. During a video message prior to the AFC Championship game, Fincke had the opportunity to talk football and showed his support of the Steelers by putting on a hat and doing one of the most unique Terrible Towel waves ever, as he and the towel floated in zero gravity.

Fincke, who is the commander of the three-astronaut Expedition 18 crew, grew up in Emsworth, Pa. and has always been a Steelers fan and was thrilled to be able to actually watch the black and gold in action during the playoffs thanks to Mission Control. "We'd like to say that up here, its Steeler country," a smiling Fincke said during the message.

It was something that stirred Steelers fans and players alike, who were all amazed that the support reached so far. So there was no doubt that when the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh and NASA arranged to do a video link with Fincke for local students on Thursday that the black and gold would have to be a part of it.

Defensive linemen Chris Hoke and Brett Keisel joined the group of students at the Carnegie Science Center and surprised Fincke during the live video link, leading an enthusiastic Terrible Towel wave to show their support of him. Not surprisingly, Fincke had his towel and was ready to join right in.

“He is a big part of the Steelers Nation,” said Hoke. “For him to be up there waving his towel and supporting us, telling us how awesome we are and how great the game was, it was exciting. It’s guys like him who make us who we are and make the Steelers who they are.”

Hoke and Keisel both had the chance to ask Fincke questions, including how he sleeps in the space station, to what each day is like and even if they have found any aliens out there.

“It was really cool,” said Keisel. “It was something I have never experienced. I had butterflies. This guy is out in space exploring for us and the whole world. It was cool to have the opportunity to speak one-on-one with him and ask questions. It was really neat.”

Fincke, who did get to watch the Super Bowl, was all smiles when the players invited him to come and watch practice whenever he is back in Pittsburgh. “You get the whole city riled-up and bring out the best in people,” said Fincke, who returns to Earth on April 7. “You had a great season this year and will have a better one next year. You guys are amazing.”

The feeling was definitely mutual.

“It’s amazing that he maybe knows who we are,” said Keisel. “These scientists do so much for everyone’s knowledge. That they know us and appreciate what we do and we can maybe provide some sort of entertainment for him is really neat. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to talk to him.”

Hoke, who when Fincke disappeared from the video monitor for a moment while floating asked him “where did you go bro,” was looking forward to sharing the experience with his kids.

“It was so cool to talk to a guy in the space station,” said Hoke. “When you were in the room you felt like you were there with him. He is a really cool guy. To ask questions and see what every day life like is for him is amazing. I kind of wish I was up there with him right now.”

Once Hoke and Keisel were finished with their questions, area students had the opportunity to ask some of their own. Fincke shared the story of how he used to go to the Carnegie Science Center when it was known as Buhl Planetarium and as a kid hoped to one day be an astronaut.

“The greatest lesson Mike teaches all of us is to dream big,” said Keisel. “He came here when he was a little kid and dreamt about being an astronaut. He stuck with it. Went to school, did what it took and look where he is today.”

To see photos of Keisel and Hoke at Carnegie Science Center, click here.

Also:

I received a couple fan photos from Brian Griffith. They are from the San Diego playoff game. Click here to see them.

Thanks to Brian for sharing his pictures!

March 23, 2009

Looking ahead to 2009 season...

Going through football withdrawals?

Well, offseason workouts have started, and mini camps and OTA's will be here before we know it...along with training camp '09!

Also, since the Steelers are the current Superbowl champions, they get to kick off the 2009 regular season games!

It was announced today that the Steelers will play the Titans on Thursday, September 10, 2009 at Heinz Field. The game will air on NBC at 8:30 p.m.

Pittsburgh and Tennessee were the top two seeds in the 2008 AFC playoffs.

March 15, 2009

Keisel helps raise money for Woodlands Foundation

Pittsburgh Steelers' Brett Keisel, Patrick Bailey and Jason Capizzi were at Atria's in Wexford for a Woodland Foundation event.

The event included Jason Capizzi guest bartending, with several Steelers teammates attending to raise money for the 2009 Woodlands Sports Challenge.

The Woodlands Foundation is committed to enriching the lives of children and adults with disability and chronic illness in Western Pennsylvania.

To read more about the Woodlands Foundation, click here.

To see a couple photos of Brett at the event, click here.

March 6, 2009

Super Bowl champs can play some hoops, too

From Mike Bires, of the Beaver County Times:

If you loved the Pittsburgh Steelers on the football field, you’re bound to love them on the basketball court.

Yes, many of those Super Bowl champion Steelers like to show off their hoops skills. They do so in a series of fund-raising games each winter and spring held throughout western Pennsylvania.

“Not only are these guys good football players, but they’re also good athletes,” said Tom O’Malley, the president of a Pittsburgh-based insurance company who’s been coaching the Steelers’ basketball team since 1970. “So it should come to no surprise that they’re pretty good at basketball, too.”

The Steelers’ basketball team started an ambitious 66-game schedule on Friday at Ellwood City High School. It plays two to four games a week.

Providing the opposition for them are pick-up teams comprised of faculty, coaches, athletes, employees or celebrities chosen by the school or charity staging the event.

In a given season, between 30 to 35 Steelers will agree to participate for at least a few games pending their schedules. On any given night, O’Malley never knows who’s going to show up for a game. But there’s a gentleman’s agreement among players that as many as seven to 10 Steelers must show up for each game.

One of the best basketball players among the Steelers is quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who was a three-sport star in high school. He plays in about 15-20 of the games.

“A couple years ago at Ambridge, Ben did something that really turned the crowd on,” Cosgrove said. “At one point as he was running down the court, he just ran up into the stands and sat down with some of the fans. "Then someone threw him a ball, and, from the stands, he threw up a shot that went in. The place went crazy.”

Among other Steelers who play hoops well are defensive end Brett Keisel, wide receiver Hines Ward, cornerback Deshea Towsend, quarterback Chalie Batch and even linebacker James Harrison, the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2008.

Tickets for Steeler basketball games are $7 each. And at halftime at each game, the Steelers playing that day will autograph one item per boy or girl.

I would like to add, since the article mentions Roethlisberger being a three-sport star in high school, that Keisel was also a three-sport star. He was a four-year letter winner in football and basketball. He also lettered twice in track.

Some of the upcoming Steelers basketball games:

March 11: Riverside High School

March 22: Edinboro University-see March 1 news for information on that game.

April 11: Cornell High School

April 16: Robert Morris University

April 22: Ambridge High School

May 12: Beaver Falls

If anyone attends the game, and gets pictures of Keisel, feel free to send them here to post!

To see photos of Brett from previous games, click here and here.

Event reminder:

Brett and Sarah Keisel are being honored at The 10th Anniversary Champions for Children Benefit March 9th. Information on the event, along with a list of the great prizes being auctioned, can be found in the Feb. 10 news, or at the right side of this page, under Events and Appearances.

March 1, 2009

News and Notes

While Keisel and the rest of the team are enjoying some well deserved time off, I figured I'd post some links for great Steelers merchandise.

The picture shown above, of the NFL's #1 defense, can be purchased through Steelers.com. You can also order the Superbowl Team picture there.

Want to relive this season? Click here to order Six Times Super-The Official Superbowl Book of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Keisel jersey update:

As of now, it doesn't sound like Fanzz is going to carry his jersey. That may change and I will keep you posted. Thanks to all of you who contacted the store requesting the jersey. You may have luck here.

Steelers basketball:

As I mentioned, I have no idea if Keisel is playing this year, or what the schedule is, but I did receive this information regarding an upcoming game on March 22:

Edinboro University.

Again, I do not know which Steelers are playing in the game, but if you are in the area stop by and check out the action! And, if Brett does play, send some pictures our way!

February 22, 2009

Got #99 ???

That seems to be the question of the month! Everyone is searching for a #99 jersey. I have received several email requests asking where to find one.

Many stores in Pittsburgh do carry the Keisel replica jerseys. The Steelers Online Store is one that carries it. You can order online or visit any of their listed locations. Click here to check out the replica jersey, or any other Steelers merchandise. You can also special order an authentic Keisel jersey there.

I am also told a store called Fanzz in Orem, Utah carries sports apparel. If you are in the area, or outside the area, maybe give them a call and tell them you are looking for a Keisel jersey. Their telephone number is 801-224-1166. Their address is :575 E. University Parkway.

Click here to visit their website. They advertise a lot of Steelers gear, but at this time I did not locate a Keisel jersey. I am quite sure it would be a huge seller in Utah, so they may need some prompting from fans!

If anyone knows of any other stores that may carry Keisel premier jerseys, let me know. I have located replicas, and some stores will special order the authentic, but I did not locate the premier as of yet. You can email me (click on Contact at top of this page) if you have any ideas.

Also:

I have received several emails asking whether Brett will be playing on the Steelers basketball team this offseason. I do not know if he is, but if I see any information, I will post it here.

February 18, 2009

The Keisel's attend Proclamation Ceremony

The Pittsburgh Steelers were honored by Allegheny County Council for the team’s victory in Super Bowl XLIII, the sixth title won by the team.

Brett and his family, along with Steelers president Art Rooney II, attended the ceremony on behalf of the the Steelers organization.

From Teresa Varley's article on Steelers.com:

County Council President Rich Fitzgerald read the proclamation, which honored the accomplishments of the team in the game and the manner in which the team operates.

“I think its important to not just note that this is an organization and team that won a sixth World Championship, the only organization to have six Super Bowls, but the way they represented this community with such dignity and such class,” said Fitzgerald. “How they represented us not just in winning, but how they did it makes us all proud.

“As anybody knows with the Steeler nation, and it truly is a Steeler nation all over this nation, the crowds, the turnout to root for this franchise because of what they represent binds us all and makes us a part of a stronger community.”

Rooney also presented council with a game ball from Super Bowl XLIII.

“In the football world when somebody accomplishes something or has a great game, after the game they are awarded a game ball,” said Rooney. “A couple of years ago I was able to bring a game ball here in council and present it after we won Super Bowl XL. We are back again and hopefully this will become a habit that every so often we come back with a ball.

To read the entire article, click here.

To view photos from the event, click here.

February 17, 2009

Keisel in the Community

The Steelers ended their amazing season with a Superbowl victory. Keisel tackled the season, filled with one of the toughest schedules ever and a couple of injuries, with fierce determination.

Following each injury, Keisel came back to the field stronger than ever. This goes to show how hard he worked with trainers, and on his own, to get back on the field with his teammates.

You would think after all the hard work Keisel put in from training camp to the Superbowl, he would sit back and relax during the offseason.

But, if this offseason is like the ones prior, that will not happen.

Brett has talked in various interviews about how he works out daily during the offseason.

In one interview he said:

"In order to be in this league you have to stay in shape all of the time. There basically is no offseason."

Keisel wants to make sure children understand the importance of keeping in shape also. He worked with the What Moves U organization in years past. It is a curriculum-based activity program designed to fight the childhood obesity epidemic by motivating middle school students to get up and move. Under the program, teachers incorporate physical activity into their lesson plans to help children become more fit while they learn.

Keisel visited area schools to talk about staying in shape, and to teach children ways to become active.

Click here to read more about the program. There is also an article in the 2007 Articles section.

I also added some photos from some of the What Moves U assemblies. They were in the old photo gallery, and I have finally moved them to the new one.

Click here to view them. There are several pages of photos.

More photos...

...I have transferred some other albums from the old gallery. Click here to view shots from a photo shoot, and here to view pictures from an assembly Brett attended to teach children about the dangers of alcohol.

Brett is also involved with fighting Cystic Fibrosis, the Homeless Children's Education Fund (see the news from February 10 for information on this event), and various other causes. In the past he has also showcased his basketball talents while playing on the Steelers basketball team.

There are also a couple photos from his playing days at BYU. Click here to see them.

FYI...

...I have moved several news stories to the Archives page. Click on ARCHIVES at the top of this page to access them.

February 12, 2009

Boy Tackles Super job

Not all the reporters at Superbowl XLIII Media Day were seasoned vets. At least one was a first-timer.

From Jessica Balanza's article in The Tampa Tribune:

Ten-year-old Tyler Smith was among more than 3,400 credentialed reporters Super Bowl XLIII week. The fifth-grader was nominated by his teachers at Claywell Elementary to provide Super Bowl coverage for the Weekly Reader, a magazine aimed at students. Part of Tyler's job was to attend Media Day, the Super Bowl and then write stories, which were published on the Weekly Reader website.

During Tyler's two assignments, he had to time himself to also get his stories written. He said he began writing his Media Day story during a break and then finished it at home. He wrote his Super Bowl story during the game.

"It wasn't too difficult," Tyler said. "It was a little hard piecing it all together."

In an interview in December, Tyler said he wanted to be a football player. And after his Super Bowl experience he said he is considering being a reporter as a backup plan.

"I couldn't believe the amount of stuff he got to do," said Tyler's dad, Richard. "He was so calm and collected. It was a great experience for him."

Tyler's question to Keisel:

"How does this Super Bowl compare to your last one?"

Well, it’s nice and warm and sunny, and I didn’t get a chance to be interviewed by a junior reporter [last time], so that’s been exciting. It’s a great feeling to be able to play for my second Super Bowl.

Tyler is pictured above with Brett. To see a larger version of the picture, click here.

To read Tyler's story from Media Week, click here.

There is a link in the article to read the actual interviews he did. You can also view more photos.

Also:

I received another photo from Superbowl week. Jerry and Sonja, friends of the Keisel's, went to the Superbowl. They sent me a photo they had taken with Brett after the big win.

Click here to see it. There is also a picture in that same gallery of Keisel with Jerry and Sonja's two adorable daughters from 2007.

February 10, 2009

Chance to win great prizes and to support a great cause

Brett and his wife Sarah are once again attending the Champions for Children Benefit.

They are special honored guests, and are donating some great items for the auction.

The event, The 10th Anniversary Champions for Children Benefit, will be held on March 9 at the Rivers Club in Oxford Centre.

Proceeds benefit the Homeless Children's Education Fund, a cause the Keisel's support.

What is the Homeless Children's Education Fund?

The Homeless Children's Education Fund (HCEF), a not-for-profit organization, was established in 1999 to supplement federal funding for the educational needs of local homeless children. Over the years, HCEF's role in the community has developed and expanded to meet these needs.

To read more about HCEF, click here. The link is also on the links page on this site.

The event includes food, drinks, and great auctions!

Some of the items the Keisel's have donated...

... A dinner at Capital Grille with Brett and Sarah Keisel, tickets for pre-season and regular season Steelers games, official NFL balls autographed by Troy Polamalu, Brett Keisel, and the Sixpack-winning team, and VIP tickets for the 2009 Steelers Training Camp!

There are many, many more great prizes being auctioned, including a night at a Penguins game for you and nineteen friends!

Click here to view some of the items up for auction.

Click here to read more about the great event, and to order tickets. Support a worthy cause, and have fun at the same time!

I also have the event information listed on the right side of this page under Events and Appearances.

To see photos of Brett at this event last year, click here.

February 8, 2009

More photos added

I have added some more photos to the gallery. Click here to view them.

To see all the SB photos, click here.

There are five pages of photos. If you have any from the game that you would like to share, let me know! Click here to contact me.

Fan photos added:

My friend, Jennifer was lucky enough to be able to go to the Superbowl this year, and she snapped some good shots of #99 for me!

I have posted them, along with some pictures of Brett that she took last year during a Monday Night Football game. I posted awhile back about her going to the game last year...and getting Keisel's armband. He handed it to her as he left the field after the game that night!

There is a photo of him handing it to her in the pictures she sent. Click here to see her photos.

To see a larger photo of the picture shown above, click here.

The picture is of Brett's father and brother when they attended the Saturday practice prior to the Superbowl. Many of Brett's family members (and friends) went to Florida for the game to cheer him on!

February 3, 2009

The Victory Celebration Continues

Superbowl XLIII Victory Parade in Pittsburgh

An estimated 350,000 to 400,000 fans attended the victory parade today in Pittsburgh.

"What do you say to this?" Tomlin asked the massive crowd. "Steeler Nation, you leave us all speechless, man, we just appreciate the love. How about the Steelers? How about the greatest fans in the world? How about number six? Thank you, we love you guys."

Steelers' owner Dan Rooney thanked the city for its support over the years - and said there is more history to be made.

"Stay with us," Rooney said. "Maybe we'll get the seventh next year."

One by one, coaches and players spoke to the crowd.

Keisel gets huge applause and cheers with his speech:

"What's up Pittsburghhhhhhh!!! I got one question: how does that six-pack taste? Alright, alright, now we gotta shoot for seventh heaven baby! God bless you all!"

A huge black and gold banner hung in front of the City-County building, reading "Welcome to Steelers Country Super Bowl XLIII Champions." The City Council voted to symbolically change the city's name to Sixburgh for the day, as the Steelers are the first team to win six Super Bowls.

To view photos of Brett from the parade, click here.

Thank you so much to Erin, of Big Ben News for doing the screen captures and quotes for me! Visit her site to check out photos and quotes from Ben Roethlisberger during the parade!

Archives...

...I have moved many News stories to the archives. Click here to view them, or you can always click on Archives at the top of this page!

February 2, 2009

Superbowl XLIII Photos

I have added several SB XLIII photos to the gallery. I will add more as I find them.

Click here to see them. There are three pages of photos.

Also...

...Congratulations to Coach Tomlin for winning Motorola Coach of the Year and to James Harrison for winning the Defensive MVP award!

February 1, 2009

Keisel earns Superbowl ring #2

Steelers 27, Cardinals 23

THE STEELERS ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS-FOR THE 6TH TIME!

The Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off what some deemed impossible this season. With the tough schedule they were assigned, with the "so-called" aging defense, and with numerous injuries..the Steelers not only made it to the Superbowl...they won it!

The Steelers became the first team to win six Super Bowls. In the process, they denied the Arizona Cardinals a chance to become the most improbable of Super Bowl champions.

And they did it in dramatic fashion.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger rallied the Steelers after they squandered a 13-point lead, and his late-game heroics produced a 27-23 win and one of the most memorable finishes in Super Bowl history.

Roethlisberger led the Steelers on one of his patented fourth-quarter comebacks, and he capped a 78-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds left in the game. Holmes made a spectacular catch amidst heavy traffic in the back-right corner of the end zone and managed to keep his toes in bounds.

Holmes was awarded the game MVP.

Last night's game at Raymond James Stadium produced many memorable moments and the longest play in Super bowl history.

With the Steelers clinging to a 10-7 lead at the end of the first half, James Harrison picked off Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner and then made one of the best runs in Super Bowl history.

He rumbled the length of the field, breaking several tackles along the way before crashing through two Cardinals into the end zone.

His 100-yard touchdown allowed the Steelers to take a 10-point lead into the locker room. It also punctuated an entertaining first half.

The Cardinals came back, and with 2:37 left in the game Warner gave Arizona its first lead when he threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to Fitzgerald.

Roethlisberger completed four passes to Holmes on a drive that won't be soon forgotten, and a last-gasp push by Arizona ended when Warner fumbled after LaMarr Woodley sacked him. Keisel then recovered the fumble to seal the win for Pittsburgh!

Keisel had five tackles and a fumble recovery in the Steelers win!

I will add game photos and more coverage tomorrow so check back!

Congratulations to Keisel and the Steelers on a great win and a great season!

This is Brett's second Superbowl victory.

January 30, 2009

Steelers 'D' a close-knit group

From Frank Buck's article entitled, In the Line of Fire, in the Altoona Mirror:

Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel grew up in Wyoming and is an avid outdoors man.

He said he's asked several of his fellow defensive linemen to join him on a fishing trip to his home state, but none has taken him up on the offer yet.

"I took [quarterback] Ben [Roethlisberger] fishing in Wyoming last year,'' Keisel said Thursday during a Super Bowl XLIII media session at the University of South Florida. ''I've invited the defensive line guys to go, too, because the fishing there is incredible, and so is the hunting. But I think they're scared to go because they might get eaten by a grizzly.''

Keisel's assumption may be untrue because it's hard to imagine any of the Steelers' defensive linemen being afraid of anything.

They have upheld the tradition of the Steel Curtain defense and are one of the big reasons why the Steelers have the No. 1-ranked defensive unit in the NFL heading into Sunday's Super Bowl against the Arizona Cardinals.

The inability to plan a group fishing trip may be the only situation where the defensive linemen are not on the same page. The starting unit of Smith, Keisel and nose tackle Casey Hampton has a combined 25 years with the Steelers.

''We're an experienced group,'' Smith said. ''We know what to do. We have guys you can count on week in and week out, and we have quality backups so when someone goes down we don't miss a beat.''

The defensive linemen also go unnoticed many times in the Steelers' 3-4 defense. They are the guys who try and take on two blockers and free the linebackers up to make the big tackle or the sack.

One big reason (for their success) is the group's camaraderie. The linemen said they get together several times throughout the season, and their wives and kids are all friends.

They also pulled together when Smith's 5-year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia earlier this season.

''We do all really genuinely love each other,'' Keisel said. ''We consider each other family.''

From The International Herald Tribune:

Keisel talks about his teammates:

"We genuinely love each other. "Ben (Roethlisberger) has talked about being a band of brothers. It's really what it is. We care about each other. We care about each other's families. We know each other's families. We spend time with each other, just like we're a regular family. When you get that kind of chemistry, you've got a special team on your hands."

"Guys that come here from other teams say this is the greatest place in the world just because you can feel the love and feel the continuity between everybody.Now we've got to finish it. If we can go out and win this game, we have a chance to be remembered in this league as one of the great defenses of all time. Really, that's remarkable."

I added some more practice photos. Click here to see them.

January 29, 2009

Ex-Cougar Keisel back in Super Bowl, this time as starter

From Kurt Kragthorpe's article in the Salt Lake Tribune:

Brett Keisel dived to make a tackle, heard his knee pop and figured his season was over.

Two months later, he's back in the Super Bowl, preparing to start Sunday's game at defensive end for the Pittsburgh Steelers and thankful the injury that scared him became only a three-week setback.

The favorable test results and some rehabilitation sent him back onto the field for the last two games of the regular season, followed by two playoff victories that sent the Steelers back to the Super Bowl. Keisel was mostly a special-teams player three years ago when Pittsburgh beat Seattle for the championship, then he moved into the starting lineup the following season and has stayed there.

Starting Super Bowl XLIII will complete quite a climb for a player who was born in Provo, grew up mostly on a 1,000-acre ranch in a small town in Wyoming with some 150 students in his high school, had his Brigham Young career interrupted by a forced transfer to Snow College, switched positions and was five picks away from being undrafted until the Steelers took him in 2002.

Proud father

More from Kragthorpe's article:

"The best thing about Brett is he's well grounded," said his father, Lane Keisel.

He did not have much choice. Besides occupying Brett with farming chores of planting crops, irrigating and attending to horses and cattle, his father made sure he did not engage in any showboating antics while starring in football and basketball for tiny Greybull High School. By now, Lane Keisel can tolerate his son's occasional display of exuberance, like his "rowing" simulation after a playoff sack of Philip Rivers, San Diego's quarterback.

Whatever lessons were yet unlearned came in the middle of Keisel's BYU days, when academic issues sent him to Snow. He describes the experience as "the biggest blessing," although it may not have struck him that way at the time. In Ephraim, Keisel suddenly was buying his own textbooks and football shoes, after having everything covered at BYU. "It really knocked me off my high horse," he said. "It was a big, eye-opening thing for me."

"It's almost an overwhelming experience, for your own son to be part of that (the Superbowl)," said Lane Keisel, remembering his Super Bowl trip three years ago. "I knew where he'd come from and what he'd been through."

To read the entire article, click here.

The photo of Mr. Keisel was published with Mr. Kragthorpe's story.

Good news for the team and Steelers fans...

...The rumor swirling around about Dick LeBeau's possible retirement after this season appears to be just that...a rumor! LeBeau told the media this week that he is not planning to retire after the Superbowl.

He added:

"The way our players are playing, I'd sure hate to miss another year of this."

Superbowl photos:

Click here to see photos of Keisel in Tampa.

FYI

...I have moved many News stories from this page to the Archives.

January 27, 2009-evening update

More photos added

I was able to locate a few more photos of Brett from Media Day! Click here to see them!

And, thanks again for all the good luck emails for Keisel! I have received many from soldiers overseas who are taking bets on what dance Brett is going to bust out for the Superbowl.

January 27, 2009

Media Day

Today was Media Day for the Steelers. There were cameras and reporters everywhere, all trying to get to every player.

The day also consisted of the players signing footballs (see photo shown) and taking the official SB XLIII team photo. The video footage of trying to gather and situate all the players was pretty funny.

The players and coaches all seem very relaxed and comfortable under all the spotlight.

Coach Tomlin seems to be doing a great job in helping the players balance between embracing the Superbowl atmosphere, yet focusing on what they are there to do-win a game.

Coach Tomlin:

"It's my goal that we embrace all that comes with being in the Super Bowl," said Tomlin, who delivered those instructions at a team meeting yesterday. "We're not going to come down here and have the mentality that we're going to be resistant of the obligations that we have, or be resistant to these opportunities to visit with the media and so forth."

Keisel talks about Tomlin's credo:

"He just wants us to enjoy this time. We've worked hard for a long time to get to this point and to come down and not to be able to enjoy it and not have a good time would be defeating the purpose. You can enjoy putting shorts on and flip-flops, and you can enjoy the beach. There are new places, new faces to see and it's just a good time."

"We're down here to do a job and you can't lose focus of that and I don't think he'll let us lose focus of that. He at the same time wants us to be able to enjoy this, he wants us to be able to have this as a good memory. I think that's his main focus."

To see a couple photos of Brett during Media Day, and to see the SB XLII team photo, click here.

January 26, 2009

Keisel and the Steelers arrive in Tampa

The Steelers arrived in Tampa today to begin preparation for SB XLIII. From the looks of Ben Roethlisberger and Keisel in this picture, they are also preparing for Media Day.

To see a larger version of this photo, and other pictures of Keisel's arrival, click here.

To see a video from the Post-Gazette, click here.

Media Day:

NFL Network has a schedule of their airings on Media Day. Click here to view it.

Also, visit the NFL Network website to view coverage of SB XLIII news!

Huge thanks to Erin at Big Ben News for sending me pictures of Keisel's arrival in Tampa-and thanks to her for putting Brett on the front page of her site!

January 24, 2009

The Diesel Burger

From Kurt Kragthorpe's article in The Salt Lake Tribune, entitled-From Snow to Super Bowl:

Fred Taukei'aho is happily torn about Super Bowl XLIII.

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel once was his Snow College teammate and Keisel's father and brother are among his regular lunchtime customers.

Arizona Cardinals offensive Deuce Lutui also played for Snow and grew so close to the adviser of the school's Polynesian Club that he still addresses her as "Mom" -- just as Fred's wife does.

No wonder Taukei'aho said, "I don't know who to root for."

There could be only one solution: Co-Burgers of the Week.

In Fred's Sports Grill & Drive Thru on Main Street in Manti, the rival linemen in next Sunday's game have equal billing these days. Their signed, framed jerseys are displayed together on the wall just inside the door. The menu posted above the counter highlights the Deuce Burger and the Diesel Burger, each being promoted for $4.89 in advance of the Super Bowl.

Whether deciding which massive, lineman-inspired sandwich to order or which team to cheer for in the big game, the residents of central Utah's Sanpete County figure they will win either way with two ex-Badgers on the field.

Snow is guaranteed a Super Bowl champion.

Keisel, who completed his college career at BYU and won Super Bowl XL with the Steelers, probably has the bigger following, considering his father was one of 14 children who were born to George and Elfia Keisel in Manti and raised in nearby Ephraim. Three generations of Keisels still live in the area. Brett's parents moved to Fairview in 2000, after his high school days in Wyoming.

Lutui (No. 76) is Arizona's right guard and Keisel (No. 99) is Pittsburgh's right end, so they will not directly collide. Yet the basic issue of Super Bowl XLIII is whether Lutui and the Cardinals' offensive line can protect quarterback Kurt Warner and score against Keisel and the NFL's No. 1 defense.

Lane Keisel is just glad his son's pursuits of elusive targets are more fruitful than his own lately. A retired fire fighter, Lane spends his days as a trapper in the Manti-La Sal Mountains, seeking foxes, coyotes and bobcats. "Not a good year for trapping," he said.

The Diesel Burger, in honor of Keisel's nickname in Pittsburgh, was recently added to the menu. It features beef, pastrami, swiss cheese, mushrooms and tomato. Even after his morning in the mountains, Lane Keisel settled for a special-ordered junior version of the Diesel. Indeed, for the average person, these burgers are a lot to bite off.

"I'm not just saying this because [Coburn] is here, but Snow was the best thing that happened to Brett," Keisel's father said.

To read the entire article, click here.

Also...

...I have added a photo of Brett from the Steelers pep rally at Heinz Field. Click here to see it. I will add all photos pertaining to the Superbowl to that gallery, so keep checking back!

Brett talks about Steeler fans:

Brett Keisel walked into Heinz Field on Friday night with a smile on his face. Sure he just fought through traffic to get there, but it really didn’t matter. It was for a good reason.

Keisel was one of the many players on hand at the Steelers Pep Rally and for him it finally made going to the Super Bowl a reality.

“I think this is the first time it set in, when I pulled up, that we are really going to Tampa and we are really playing in the Super Bowl,” said Keisel. “It’s bizarre, but it’s an incredible feeling. I am excited for us and all of Steeler nation. Everywhere we go, doesn’t matter who we are playing, we have fans everywhere. It’s wonderful and as players we really appreciate it.”

January 23, 2009

The Speed of "The Diesel"

From Craig Wolfley's column entitled, Sideline View: AFC Championship Mojo:

Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel were constantly pushing the pocket from the inside so that Flacco had no pocket to step up into. Even a gifted athlete like Flacco can't get away from that rush. Again I was struck by the closing speed of "The Diesel." When Brett sheds a blocker his closing speed to the player with the ball is remarkable. Remember too that for much of the game the Ravens were max-protection, using guys to chip at the Silverback and Woodley.

Also:

Gregg Rosenthal, of NBCSports.com wrote an article breaking down the Steelers and Cardinals, and deciding who had the edge at each position.

Who does he give the edge to in the Defensive Line position?

Steelers:

Defensive end Aaron Smith may be football's most underrated player. He doesn't rack up stats, but takes on blockers and stops the run. Nose tackle Casey Hampton also clogs up running lanes, while defensive end Brett Keisel can rush the passer.

Cardinals:

Arizona's defensive linemen have delivered as playmakers in the playoffs. Darnell Dockett is a great pass rusher and Antonio Smith is coming on from the outside. The Cardinals finished fifth in turnovers forced and have 12 more in three playoff games.

Our pick: Steelers

January 22, 2009

Keisel Thrives in Steelers’ Defensive System

I came across a good article on Keisel today. It is written by Chris Adamski, of Red Line Editorial.

Some excerpts from his article, Keisel Thrives in Steelers’ Defensive System:

Pittsburgh isn’t the biggest city with an NFL franchise, but it’s still a little too fast-paced for Brett Keisel’s taste.

It’s not that Keisel hasn’t enjoyed his seven seasons with the Steelers or his time in Pittsburgh. He most certainly has.

But when the seventh-year defensive end stacks up his adopted in-season hometown against where he grew up, it simply doesn’t compare, in his mind.

“During the offseason, absolutely, I go back to Wyoming and just kind of lay back,” Keisel said. “Life slows down back there. I’m from a town that has one stop light, so it’s nice to get back and relax and get up in the mornings and work out, and then I have the rest of the day to fish or do whatever.”

Keisel is a native of Greybull, Wyo., in the northwestern corner of the state—not far from Yellowstone National Park. Looking at him, it would probably come as no surprise that he is from the Rocky Mountain West; despite the lack of a cowboy hat, his scruffy beard makes him appear to be a natural at home on a vast ranch.

In addition to growing up in Wyoming and still making the Equality State his permanent residence, Keisel attended Brigham Young University in neighboring Utah. Once he retires, Keisel said he “absolutely” plans to move back to Wyoming with his wife and young son.

“I enjoy going back home and slowing down a little bit and being around the simple life,” Keisel said.

Funny, because the defensive system in which Keisel has thrived in Pittsburgh is anything but simple. A seventh-round draft choice by the Steelers in 2002, Keisel has been a starter for three seasons in Pittsburgh. Under legendary defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, the Steelers have been known for their complex schemes and blitz packages.

At 6-foot-5, 285 pounds, Keisel’s athleticism thrives when given those chances—chances that LeBeau has also given, in a more conventional fashion, to Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu. But Keisel is deceptively quick and athletic for someone his size.

“Coach Lebeau has really given me the freedom to get up and move around and try and confuse the offense,” Keisel said. “It’s been a lot of fun. I feel like a “Big Troy.” I watched him for a couple years come up to the line and act like he’s going somewhere and go somewhere else. It’s been fun.”

During that breakout 2005 campaign, Keisel enjoyed perhaps his greatest game on one of the biggest of stages. Still only on the field for a limited number of snaps, Keisel had his first career two-sack game and forced a fumble during the Steelers’ win at Denver in the AFC Championship game.

That contest, of course, led to Keisel being able to enjoy his greatest triumph: winning Super Bowl XL along with his teammates. The ring he earned as reward for that feat is one of his most-prized possessions.

To read the entire article, click here.

Also...

...I have moved a large number of previous News stories to the Archives section. Click on Archives at the top of this page to check out any stories you've missed.

January 20, 2009

Brett on ESPN's First Take

Brett was interviewed by ESPN's Wendi Nix today. The interview appeared on First Take.

It was not a video telecast, but I did transcribe the interview.

Wendi: Brett, congratulations. This was the first AFC Championship game won at Heinz Field. So, I ask what was it like celebrating at home in front of the fans?

Brett: I think it was a long time coming. It was great to beat the team that we play twice during the year too in our division. So, that as very euphoric.

Wendi: Mike Tomlin told your team that only one defense would be remembered after the AFC Championship game. What did your defense prove in that win?

Brett: It just proved that we can do what we've done all year long. Which is play hard and play 'til the end. We have alot of love for each other in that locker room and we knew it was going to come down to us in the game. And, if we could shut them down we would win. We had the points at halftime and we just stuck together 'til the end. Which is what we've done all year and I'm proud of our guys.

Wendi: Well, this is your seventh year with the Steelers. Where does this years defense rank among those in your time in Pittsburgh?

Brett: It's on the top. This defense is so fast and plays so physical. It's definitely on the top. You know, we just really love going out there and competing with each other, we love our coaches and we just really have a good time. We very excited to be going to Tampa.

Wendi: As you begin your preparations, and I know it's early, you've got two weeks. But, what stands out to you about that Cardinals offense?

Brett: The head honcho, Ken Whisenhunt. You know, we've been to the Superbowl together. I guess that the biggest thing for me is I know alot of those guys that will be on the other side and I have alot of respect for those guys. I guess that's the most shocking thing about the whole deal.

Wendi: Does it make it unique preparing for a team whose head coach you know so well. Also, Russ Grimm was on that coaching staff with Bill Cowher.

Brett: It's extremely unique. Kevin Spencer basically gave me my shot in this league on special teams seven years ago (Spencer left the Steelers and now is on the Cardinals coaching staff). So, I have alot of love and respect for alot of those guys and it'll be great to see them again.

Wendi: Hard to believe the Steelers have a chance to win their sixth Superbowl. That is more than any other team. What would that mean to you to be a part of that?

Brett: It'll be incredible to go down in history. To do something no other team has done. It would just be a great finish to a great season and we're all excited about the opportunity.

The team had today off, but will resume practice on Wednesday.

January 19, 2009

Defense wins championships

Hines Ward on the Steelers defense:

"Sometimes guys get hit so hard, you don't know if they're going to get up. They say defense wins championships, well, we have the No. 1 defense. And they're the reason why we're really going to the Super Bowl."

An excerpt from Tribune-Review writer John Harris:

I'd be remiss in not making the Steelers' defense the lead of this column following the team's biggest win since the last game of the 2005 season.

By virtue of Sunday night's brutal, hard-hitting, 23-14, Rembrandt-quality win over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game at Heinz Field, the Steelers will make their second trip to the Super Bowl in three years. They have the unique opportunity to become the first team to win six Super Bowls when they face the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII on Feb. 1 at Tampa, Fla.

If they've done it once, the Steelers defense has done it at least a dozen times this season.

Make no mistake, this is the No. 1 defense in the NFL we're talking about. That's the real reason why the Steelers are playing in Super Bowl XLIII.

You may fool the Steelers once, as Baltimore did on a short touchdown drive following Jim Leonhard's long punt return in the first half. Twice, even.

Do it three times, and the Steelers probably lose. That's the beauty of the Steelers' defense. They bend, but they don't break.

How good is this Steelers defense?

Baltimore didn't commit a turnover in its first two playoff games. The Ravens turned the ball over four times against the Steelers, including three Flacco interceptions.

Things like this happen all the time against the Steelers' top-ranked defense.

Excuse me, make that the Steelers' Super Bowl defense.

To read the entire article, click here.

Game Photos:

Can be seen here.

Take a trip down memory lane...

...Click here to see some pictures of Brett from Superbowl XL.

Thanks to everyone for all the emails and messages! I am sure Brett knows you all wish him and the team good luck!

To read the entire article, click here.

For Troy Polamalu fans...

Most of you know my good friend Erin runs Big Ben News, a website on Ben Roethlisberger. Well, my other good friend Jan recently started a website on Troy Polamalu. Click here to check it out!

January 18, 2009

Here we go Steelers...

...Here we go...all the way to SB XLIII!!

Steelers 23, Ravens 14

Yes, it's true. The same Steelers with the toughest schedule in the NFL, the same Steelers with the defense the media dubbed as "too old", and the same Steelers who overcame numerous injuries to key players all season. That same team is heading to Florida to play the Arizona Cardinals in Superbowl XLIII!

The Steelers players, coaches, and management said all year that the schedule and injuries would not define them. So true!

The defense the media called 'too old" all throughout the offseason are ranked #1...yes #1.

About the game:

The Steelers defense harassed rookie Joe Flacco all game long. Normally unflappable, he looked lost at times and finished 13-for-30 for 141 yards and three costly interceptions.

All-Pro strong safety Troy Polamalu intercepted a Joe Flacco pass intended for Derrick Mason and cut cross-field to return it 40 yards for a touchdown with 4:24 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Steelers scored another turnover to clinch the victory with 3:29 remaining, when free safety Ryan Clark laid a crushing hit on Ravens running back Willis McGahee to force a fumble recovered by linebacker Lawrence Timmons at the Baltimore 38. McGahee, placed on a stretcher and carted off, had significant neck pain but movement in his arms and legs.

Safety Tyrone Carter intercepted a third Flacco pass to seal it.

The Steelers took a 13-0 lead, as Jeff Reed converted first-quarter field goals of 34 and 42 and Santonio Holmes caught a 65-yard scoring pass from Ben Roethlisberger in the second. Reed added a 46-yard field goal in the third. Roethlisberger completed 16 of 33 passes for 255 yards and a touchdown, while Flacco struggled in going 13-for-30 for 141 yards and three interceptions. The Steelers outgained the Ravens, 307-214, in total yards.

The wild-card Ravens (13-6) scored on McGahee touchdown runs of 3 yards and 1 yard, both following pass interference penalties. The first came in the second quarter, after a flag on cornerback Bryant McFadden. The second came with 9:29 remaining in the fourth, after cornerback Ike Taylor was whistled for interfering with receiver Marcus Smith in the end zone.

The Steelers will play for the Lombardi Trophy for the seventh time in franchise history. They won Super Bowls IX, X, XIII and XIV in the 1970s and Super Bowl XL in 2006. Their only NFL Championship defeat came to the Dallas Cowboys, 27-17, in Super Bowl XXX in 1995.

Superbowl XLIII:

The Steelers face the Cardinals on February 1, 2009 in Tampa, Florida

I will post game photos later, so be sure to check back.

I will also try to locate some interviews with Keisel after the game.

This will be Keisel's second trip to the Superbowl! Congrats to Brett and the Steelers!

January 15, 2009

Keisel counts his blessings

Excerpts from Scott Brown's article in the Tribune-Review entitled:

Keisel counts blessings after injury scare:

The scene -- a smiling Keisel answered questions about Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens -- stood in stark contrast to one that played out less than two months ago.

Keisel experienced as lonely a feeling as an athlete can have while sitting in an MRI machine. As pictures were taken of the left knee that he feared had betrayed him, Keisel said prayers to keep from thinking the worst: that his season had come to an end.

If the Steelers' 35-24 win over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday was any indication, Keisel's knee is better than ever.

Keisel recorded a sack against the Chargers and figured prominently in one of the game's pivotal moments. On the only play the Chargers ran in the third quarter, Keisel batted a Philip Rivers pass into the air and linebacker Larry Foote intercepted it.

If that game bodes well for Keisel against the Ravens, so does the fact he starred the last time the Steelers played in the AFC Championship Game.

The 6-foot-5, 285-pounder, in fact, staged his coming-out party in the Steelers' 34-17 win over Denver in January 2006. He sacked Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer twice.

Keisel cracked the starting lineup the following season and didn't miss a game until this season when calf and knee injuries sidelined him for six contests.

"I know Brett is one of those guys that had a different bounce in his step when he came back from his injury," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.

There is a simple reason for that: Keisel feared the worst had happened after he hurt his knee while making a tackle in the Steelers' 27-10 win over the Bengals on Nov. 20.

"I thought right off the bat I was done for the year," Keisel said. "I never really had leg problems at all, but when I got hit I just felt it. People always talk about a popping sensation, and I felt that. The whole ride to the hospital, I'm like, 'It's over.'"

To read the entire article, click here.

January 14, 2009

Player of the Week

Once again, the Steelers Digest player of the week is:

Brett Keisel !

From Steelers Digest:

Critical plays at critical times. Brett Keisel had four tackles, two for a loss of yardage and one for no gain. He batted a pass into the air that Larry Foote intercepted at the Steelers 21-yard line to help protect a 21-10 lead; and he sacked Philip Rivers in the fourth quarter.

Way to go Keisel!

Locker room interview:

Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, right guard Darnell Stapleton, defensive end Aaron Smith, defensive end Brett Keisel and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger discuss the upcoming AFC Championship game with the Baltimore Ravens:

To view the video click here.

January 13, 2009

Life is good

MiKe Prisuta, of The Pittsburgh Tribune spoke with Keisel after the Chargers game. When Brett was asked about the upcoming game against the Ravens, here is what he had to say:

"We're in the AFC Championship Game at home. Life is good."

To read Prisuta's article, click here.

Keisel's sack of Rivers:

Brett Keisel pulled down Rivers and then got up and pretended he was rowing his way down the field. "That was for Rivers," Keisel said, grinning. "Nothing against him, but I was going down river.'

Ed Bouchette, of The Post Gazette talks about Keisel:

Keisel had the kind of game Sunday that helped convince his coaches to promote him to a starting job in 2006, when he took over for the departed Kimo von Oelhoffen. That previous game occurred in Denver in the AFC championship, when he had two sacks in a part-time role. Sunday against San Diego, Keisel had a sack, that tipped pass for an interception, two tackles for a loss and one for no gain.

Also...

...Keisel talks more about the Ravens game:

“It’s going to be very, very physical. Both teams know what’s at stake. Both teams know each other. Both teams like to run the ball and play tough, hard-nosed defense. It’s going to be a very physical game. We have a tough, tough, tough, team coming in here. They know us. We know them. It’s going to be a big challenge, but we’re one step away and we’re happy to be at home.”

Nice article on the Steelers...

Steelers emphatically prove they are the team to beat, by Jim Arkush of Pro Football Weekly.

Some excerpts...

... The Chargers produced 15 yards on 12 rushing attempts with LaDainian Tomlinson in street clothes. Steelers RB “Fast” Willie Parker went off for 146 rushing yards on 27 carries with two touchdowns.

At the end of the day that’s everything you need to know to understand why the Steelers were the only home team to win a football game on divisional playoff weekend, and only the third home squad to win in eight NFL playoff games this year.

Certainly, the wealth of talent the Steelers possess at linebacker, headlined this week by LaMarr Woodley with Best Supporting Actor nods to James Harrison and Larry Foote, and the most underrated defensive line in the league with Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton and Brett Keisel, had a great deal to do with the Steelers’ 35-24 win.

Tomlin echoed Turner’s sentiments, telling me, “They played us really tough in the first half and I’m concerned because they’re a great second-half team. I told our guys we have got to start winning the war at the line of scrimmage and we’ve got to keep the ball out of their hands. Certainly we want to run the ball but more than that we have to be more aggressive than them and control the tempo this half.”

While I haven’t been able to confirm it yet, I’m willing to bet the Steelers set a record in heeding their boss’ instructions, controlling the ball for the first 7:56 of the third quarter and extending their lead to 21-10, and an astounding 14:43 of the period. They allowed the Chargers exactly one play (a Philip Rivers pass that was tipped at the line by Keisel and intercepted by Foote) and 17 seconds time of possession. While the score might indicate otherwise, if this one wasn’t over with the Steelers up 21-10 at the end of the third quarter with the ball 3rd-and-1 at the Chargers’ 1-yard line, it certainly ended when the Steelers scored with 12:52 to go in the game to make it 28-10.

Rivers was sacked four times, twice by Woodley, once by Harrison and once by Keisel, but he was harried all day long and appeared to come up groggy after the second dumping he took from Woodley. By the time the final gun sounded this one was a good old-fashioned butt-whipping.

When I talked to Woodley after the game, he told me there’s really no competition between him and his fellow ’backers for sacks and big plays. “We really just feed off each other and are as much about setting each other up for the big hits and sacks as much as we are about making them ourselves,” Woodley said.

Watching them all afternoon and into the evening on the field and on their bench that was the one other striking image I came away from this game with.

This Steelers team seems to genuinely care about each other, and their coaches. They absolutely revere both Tomlin and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, and they were pulling for each other from the opening whistle to the final gun.

Admire the upstart Cardinals, Eagles and Ravens all you want. And yes, the Steelers’ battle with Baltimore next week figures to be a bloodbath that could make the Ravens’ win over Tennessee look tame. But after watching Pittsburgh handle the Chargers, I have no doubts that of the four left standing, the Steelers are the team to beat.

To read the entire article, click here.

For Troy Polamalu fans...

Most of you know my good friend Erin runs Big Ben News, a website on Ben Roethlisberger. Well, my other good friend Jan recently started a website on Troy Polamalu. Click here to check it out!

January 11, 2009

Keisel has big game as Steelers advance to AFC Championship

Steelers 35, Chargers 24

On a weekend when home field didn’t hold much of an advantage, the Steelers were the only team to come away with a win on their own turf, defeating the San Diego Chargers 35-24 to advance to the AFC Championship game.

San Diego started the game off with a touchdown, but the Steelers came right back and scored off a punt return by OSU alumni, Santonio Holmes.

The Steelers led, 14-10, at the half, then dominated the third quarter, controlling the ball for all but 17 seconds of it.

The Steelers defense sacked Rivers four times-one of those four coming courtesy of #99.

Keisel's big day

In yesterdays news I posted an article where Keisel said he was excited to play in what he called 'Steeler weather'. The kind of weather where there is snow in the air and steam coming out of your mouth.

Well, that is exactly the kind of weather the game was played in today.

Brett certainly does thrive in 'Steeler weather' as he recorded 4 tackles, a sack, and as soon as San Diego finally got good field position in the third quarter, Keisel put a stop to their drive.

Sproles' kickoff return provided the Chargers' best field position since their opening drive, but Rivers' pass was tipped by defensive end Brett Keisel at the line of scrimmage and Larry Foote made a diving interception at the Pittsburgh 21.

A great game was played by the entire Pittsburgh Steelers team and coaching staff!

The Steelers will host the Baltimore Ravens, a team they beat twice this season, at Heinz Field on Sunday, Jan. 18 at 6:30 p.m.

To view pictures of Keisel from today's game-including one of his sack dance, click here.

I will add more as I find them so check back!

January 9, 2009

Steelers 'D'-family portrait

After a recent practice session, members of the Steelers' rough and rowdy defense get together for a photo shoot.

To view parts of the shoot, click here.

The video is worth watching. The guys had a lot of fun!

To view a larger version of the picture shown above, click here.

Then just double click on the photo to see it enlarged.

Steelers weather

From Chris Jenkins, of The San Diego Union-Tribune:

PITTSBRRRRGH — That isn't just a dateline. It's a weather report.

Of course, after what they've gone through to get here, the Chargers might not care if there were penguins and polar bears frolicking in the wind-blown snow at Heinz Field on Sunday. But there's no denying they're about to play their biggest game of the year in arctic gear.

Thursday was cold and snowy, but perhaps only preamble of what's to come in Western Pennylvania this weekend. A severe winter storm is due to hit Friday and blanket the region Saturday, although the forecast calls for just a 20 percent chance of snow Sunday with temperatures in the 20s.

Another football Sunday in the life of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“Just a day in the park for us,” offensive coordinator Bruce Arians said. “We've already played five games in the snow. I can't remember a game where we had good weather. Might've been the opener. Second game of the year, we had 60 mile an hour winds at Cleveland. This? Hey, we love it.”

It?

“Steeler weather,” said defensive end Brett Keisel, born and raised in the cold of Greybull, Wyo. “It's exciting, a great atmosphere, a little snow in the air and a little steam coming out of the mouths. That's the things we love.”

To read the entire article, click here.

Keisel talks about Coach LeBeau:

“We genuinely come to work and think, I can’t wait to hear what he’s got to say and where we’re going to go next."

Keisel went on to say that playing for LeBeau made him love the game more than he ever thought possible.

To read the article this excerpt was taken from, click here.

It is a great article on Coach LeBeau!

January 8, 2009

New photos added

I know everyone has been asking for new photos, but since the Steelers did not have a game last week- there are none!

Luckily, I do have some new pictures to add though. I attended the Steelers game in Cincinnati in October. I finally got some of the pictures uploaded!

To view the pictures, click here.

There are two pages of photos-enjoy! I will get the rest uploaded soon!

I also added some photos that I took at the Ben Roethlisberger challenge back in April. They were in the old photo gallery, so I have now transferred them here.

To check them out, click here.

There are two pages of them.

Reminder:

The Steelers take on the Chargers at Heinz Field this Sunday! The game begins at 4:45 p.m. on CBS.

Sounds like the Steelers are having a great week of practice, with everyone being able to participate.

Go #99-Go Steelers!

January 4, 2009

Playoff stage is set

Playoff game:

Steelers vs. Chargers

The Steelers will once again take on the Chargers at Heinz Field. The game is January 11, 2009 at 4:45 p.m.

The last game they played against each other was filled with penalties, field goals, and a strange ending score of 11-10.

It's the only time in the history of the NFL a game was decided by that score. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 308 yards, Willie Parker ran for 115 and Hines Ward caught 11 passes for 124 yards and Pittsburgh did not score a touchdown.

Troy Polamalu had a fumble recovery for a touchdown, but it was called back. Later, the NFL ruled that the touchdown should have counted.

The Steelers defense harassed Chargers QB Philip Rivers all day. Rivers had been the NFL's ratings leader, but vs. the Steelers defense he was 15 of 26 for 164 yards, with two interceptions and a season-low rating of 44.4.

The Steelers had a rare weekend off, but will return to practice Monday. Keisel said he planned on watching this weekends playoff games:

"You can just get a little edge on them, you know: Watch them, see what they're running, try to pick up on formations and that. But nothing too serious. No, I'm not sitting there with a notepad going: 'All right, first down they're going to run a lead to the left.' But I will watch, mainly to get a look at who you could possibly be going against: See how he plays, see what type of technique he uses, things he got beat on, things he beat them on."

Keisel talks about the playoffs:

Last year, we limped into the playoffs and weren't playing our best ball. This year I feel like we are playing our best ball at the right time. I think he's (Coach Tomlin) done an excellent job of understanding where his players are physically in December. December, you have to take care of your troops."

I also want to say good luck to the Ohio State Buckeyes tomorrow night in the Fiesta Bowl! Go OSU!

January 1, 2009

Happy New Year

The Brett Keisel fan site would like to wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy New Year !

It's the time of year when we all make resolutions. So, what is Keisel's resolution for 2009?

"To be as good a father and husband as I can be."

To read the resolutions of other players, click here.

Keisel on the post season:

"We feel like we can play with anyone. We've done a good job of putting us in position to make a run, now we just need to do it. We need to seize the opportunity and do it."

December 29, 2008

Keisel:"We're on the right track for January ball."

With the regular season over, the Steelers are setting their sights on the playoffs. They will play January 11 at 4:45 p.m. The game is at Heinz Field and the Steelers will play either the Miami Dolphins, San Diego Chargers or Indianapolis Colts.

The team had today off, and will practice the next three days.

Keisel says the team is ready for the next part of their season to begin:

"We've been talking about finishing all year, and now it's time to move on." We're going to have some time to heal up and get rested. We're on the right track for January ball."

Game photos...

...can be seen here.

Also...

...the Steelers blood drive was a big success! Hundreds of people waited in line to donate blood. Many heard Aaron's plea and generously helped out. One person said: 'When a Steeler asks for something, people respond.'"

Way to go Steelers Nation!

To read more about the blood drive, click here.

Roethlisberger update...

The media are reporting that he was released from the hospital last night. It is not known yet if he will practice this week.

December 28, 2008

Steelers end regular season with a win

Steelers 31, Browns 0

The Steelers wrapped up their regular season schedule with a win over the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers are undefeated in their division.

The game was not without at least one dramatic moment when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger lay flat on the ground after a hit late in the first half. Roethlisberger was carted off the field on a spine board, his helmeted head secured as a precaution.

He was diagnosed with a concussion and taken to a local hospital for observation.

From Coach Tomlin:

"To this point all tests are negative, which is a positive. We're optimistic about where he's going to be capable of being. The bye is going to be helpful in regard to that."

Roethlisberger was down for a long time while the Steelers medical staff assessed him. Brett stayed on the field with Ben, along with several other teammates. It was definitely scary to see him down that long, and we are all relieved that he seems to be doing ok.

Byron Leftwich replaced Ben at QB and handled the offense well.

The swarming Steelers defense continued to cause nightmares for opponents with Tyrone Carter coming up big with two interceptions, returning one of them 32 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter

Keisel had a great game with five tackles. It is great to see him back on the field!

I will add photos from the game when they are available, so check back!

The Steelers will open the playoffs Jan. 10 or 11th at Heinz Field.

December 26, 2008

Keisel prepared for tough game

Even though the media and fans seem to be unconcerned about the Steelers upcoming game against the Browns, the Steelers coaching staff and team are not taking the game lightly. The team followed a pretty normal practice week, even on Christmas Day.

Keisel talks about the Browns game:

"Tough game. I think, you know, they have nothing to lose. I'm sure they'll go for a lot of fourth downs and some trick plays and things like that. And you know I'm sure they'll try and get the ball into Cribbs' hands a little bit, let him do his thing. It should be a good game. "

Keisel on the teams defensive play vs. the Titans:

"It's bothersome, for sure, because we pride ourselves on being tough defensively. We'll go back to the drawing board and we're still in position to make a run. This might have been exactly what we needed."

Steelers vote James Harrison as 2008 MVP:

For the second straight year, Steelers linebacker James Harrison was recognized for his outstanding play by his teammates who voted him the team’s Most Valuable Player.

Brett talks about Harrison being team MVP:

"This place is rich in linebacker tradition and getting to the quarterback. A lot of great players came before him, and he broke a record that stood for a lot of years.

"The man works his [tail] off every day, not only on the field but in weight room and in studying film. I just can't say enough about how much he means to this team and the kind of year he's had," he added.

December 24, 2008

Odds and ends

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

The Brett Keisel fan site would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season!

Game information:

The Steelers play their final regular season home game this Sunday. The game against the Browns begins at 1:00 p.m.

The media and some fans have said all week that this game is virtually "meaningless", but the team and Coach Tomlin disagree. During Coach Tomlin's press conference this week, he said the Steelers would "play to win." He did not give specifics on how much playing time some starters would see.

Coach Tomlin talks about Keisel's return:

"Brett Keisel came out of the game ok in his first game back in a significant period of time for him."

Keisel talks about Bill Cowher:

Ever since Bill Cowher stepped down as the Steelers head coach rumors have swirled about his return to coaching, and what team he would coach. Many speculate that the Browns will try to land Cowher. Here is what Brett had to say :

"That would shock me (if he coached the Browns).But it's his decision. If he wants to do it, that would be great. I would get to see him a couple of more times a year, which I would like. It would be cool. I love that guy."

Blood drive reminder:

Check out the December 15 news for information on the upcoming Steelers blood drive!

December 21, 2008

Steelers lose to Tennessee

Titans 31, Steelers 14

The good news...

...Keisel returned to the field.

The bad news...

...the Steelers lost.

The battle for the #1 seed in the playoffs was won by the Titans. The Steelers seemed to have trouble on offense, defense, and special teams play today.

The Steelers' defense gave up 323 yards of total offense, the first time this season it has yielded more than 300 yards in a game, and did not force a turnover.

The offense turned the ball over numerous times, and special teams play had problems also.

Coach Tomlin probably summed it up best:

“The story of the game for us is missed opportunities,” said head coach Mike Tomlin. “When you don’t take care of the football versus good people in a hostile environment it bites you. They made significant plays in third down situations, in fourth down situations. It was a good game by them and below the line by us. When that happens the score looks the way it looks.”

On a positive note...

Did I mention #99 was back?

And, let's not forget... the Steelers have already clinched the AFC North title, are locked in as the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs and will get a first-round bye. All of this was accomplished while having the toughest schedule in the league, and dealing with numerous injuries to key players all season. Definitely a reason to be proud!

To view photos of Keisel from the game, click here.

I will add more as I find them. You can always view the latest additions to the photo gallery by clicking on Last Uploads. And, to enlarge the photos and read the captions, just click on the photo.

Blood drive reminder:

Check out the December 15 news for information on the upcoming Steelers blood drive!

December 20, 2008

Steelers defense featured...

The Steelers defense was featured in ESPN Magazine. I posted the cover on the right side of this page-under Keisel Covers.

To read the article, and to see a video of the guys while being interviewed, click here.

Game update:

Brett and Ben Roethlisberger both announced that Keisel would be playing Sunday. They mentioned it after their performance at the DVE Christmas party. The crowd went wild! But, Keisel also did comment to the press that it may still be a game time call on whether he will play. Hopefully we will see #99 back on the field this weekend!

Also...

...Good luck to BYU in the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl game!

Blood drive reminder:

Check out the December 15 news for information on the upcoming Steelers blood drive!

December 19, 2008

Keisel practices all week

Brett did practice again today, so he completed a full week of practice. There are some reports listing him as questionable for the Titans game, and some say probable. I will update if anything changes, but we'll know for sure on Sunday.

Keisel, Roethlisberger, and Hartwig-future contestants on American Idol?

The trio may not be ready for the American Idol stage just yet, but they sure brought down the house at Club Diesel last night!

WDVE had their annual Christmas party at Club Diesel and Brett, Ben, and Justin joined in the fun. I have not seen the video yet, but I have heard they sang their annual Christmas song with Ralph the Cat. Usually Ben and Brett sing it, but this year it sounds like they coerced Justin to sing with them.

I will provide the video link (in the Photo Gallery) when it is available. The video link to their performance from 2006 is listed in the PhotoGallery, in the WDVE Christmas Party section (2006 party). I listed the link in the caption section of the 2006 picture.

To see pictures from the event, click here.

There are pictures from 2006, 2007, and 2008.

You can enlarge the photos by simply clicking on them.

Blood drive reminder:

Check out the December 15 news for information on the upcoming Steelers blood drive!

December 18, 2008

Brett excited to be back

From the Post Gazette today:

Defensive end Brett Keisel, who missed the past three games with a sprained left MCL, went through a full practice for the first time yesterday since his injury.

"I'm excited to get back out with my boys and stop watching," Keisel said.

Most reports say Keisel will be back in the starting lineup for Sundays game!

Pro Bowl selections:

The Pro Bowl roster was announced Tuesday. Three Steelers made the roster. They are Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, and James Farrior.

Congratulations to all three of them. Unfortunately, Aaron Smith did not make the roster.

Ed Bouchette, of the Post Gazette spoke with some of the team regarding the Pro Bowl selections, and said for the most part, the Steelers did not sound angry that either they or teammates did not make it, except for a consensus that Aaron Smith again was wrongly left off the team by the voters -- a combination of fans, coaches and players.

Here is what Keisel had to say:

"We kind of figure it's a long-shot for us anyway with the type of defense we play and everything like that. "But in our consideration around here we understand he's (Aaron Smith) had a Pro Bowl year and he's one of the great players in this league today. Everyone knows that in here and that's all that matters."

"I think we have a lot of Pro Bowl-type players in here, but we're not going to get a Lombardi Trophy in Hawaii and that's what we're shooting for. "We have a greater task at hand right now and that's what we're focused on."

Blood drive reminder:

Check out the December 15 news for information on the upcoming Steelers blood drive!

December 17, 2008

Keisel returns to the field

Good news:

Media reports state that Brett was able to practice today. He did wear a protective brace.

Hopefully things went well and he can continue to practice and get ready to play the Titans.

New photos:

I added some screen captures I did of Brett from a November appearance on the Hines Ward show. Hines interviewed Brett and several teammates before Thanksgiving to see what they were most thankful for and what food item was a "must have" for them at Thanksgiving.

The pictures include captions so you can see what Brett's answers were. He gives his mother a very sweet compliment!

I also did some screen captures from another Hines Ward Locker Room interview where Hines asks teammates who has the best nickname. You can check out the photos to see who Brett chose.

Click here to see the screen captures.

I am also including the link to the videos. Click here to see them.

The Thanksgiving episode is from November 22, 2008 and it is in Part 3. The other segment is from November 15, 2008 and it is also in the Part 3 segment.

The parts with Brett are broken up throughout both interviews, so be sure to watch the entire Part 3 segments of both episodes.

Blood drive reminder:

Check out the December 15 news for information on the upcoming Steelers blood drive!

December 16, 2008

Tomlin hopeful Keisel will return this week

Coach Tomlin held his weekly press conference today. He discussed Brett's status for this week:

"We’ll continue to look at where Brett Keisel is as he pushes toward getting back in action hopefully for us this week."

Keisel has missed the last three games because of a sprained medial collateral ligament in his knee.

We could possibly see Brett back in action against the Titans this week!

Blood drive reminder:

Check out yesterdays news for information on the upcoming Steelers blood drive!

December 15, 2008

Join in the Steelers Locker Room Drive

The Central Blood Bank and the Pittsburgh Steelers are joining forces for their annual blood drive.

The theme is- This year help support one of our own.

Many of you may have read the article about Aaron Smith's son in the Post Gazette recently.

His five-year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia in October of this year. Aaron and his family learned of the diagnosis prior to the Giants game, and Aaron missed several practices that week. He did play in the game, and his teammates were brought to tears when they saw him run onto the field.

Keisel had this to say about his friend and teammate:

"I love the guy so much (his voice quivering just a bit). "He's the best. If I could be like him and live my life like he lives his, I'd die a happy man. I'm just so thankful he's in my life."

To read more about the team's reaction, click here. Then look under the October 27, 2008 news story: Smith's play teaches valuable lesson.

To read the story about Aaron's son in the Post Gazette, click here.

Aaron's son needed several blood transfusions, so the family learned just how important blood drives are.

Aaron talking about the importance of blood donation:

"There's such a shortage of blood. I don't think people understand the difference they can make in people's lives by donating. I didn't understand. But you're talking about saving someone's life."

Information on the Steelers blood drive:

Date:

December 26, 2008

Place:

Heinz Field-Steelers Locker Room

Time:

10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

More information-and to schedule an appointment:

Click here.

Prizes:

Each donor will receive a 2008 "Rock and Roll Up Your Sleeve" T-shirt and a 2008 Steelers team photo. Donors will also be entered into a drawing to win two tickets to the Steelers vs. Browns game, and into drawings for merchandise!

There will be current and former Steelers there to greet donors. Please be aware that the players are there to support their teammate and the wonderful doners, but they will not be available for autographs and pictures.

Anyone who will be in the area, and is able to give blood, please take the time to give the gift of life to someone!

Game photo:

I located one picture of Keisel from the Ravens game. Click here to see it. For those who were able to see the game, there were several shots of Brett cheering his teammates on, and congratulating them as they came off the field.

No word yet on whether he will be able to practice this week. I will keep you posted.

December 14, 2008

Steelers win AFC North Title

Steelers 13, Ravens 9

The Steelers once again rallied late for a huge come from behind win, defeating the Baltimore Ravens 13-9 to clinch a playoff berth and win the AFC North Title. The Steelers also secured a first-round bye with the win.

The Steelers didn’t lead until there were just 50 seconds left in the game when Ben Roethlisberger hit Santonio Holmes for a four-yard touchdown, the only one of the day scored by either team.

“One thing is consistent, is when we need plays, when we have to move the ball, we have,” said head coach Mike Tomlin. “Guys felt the urgency of the moment and didn’t want to let their teammates down. They played to win.”

Lawrence Timmons sack of Ravens QB Joe Flacco kept the Ravens out of field goal range late in the fourth quarter. That sparked our offense.

With 3:36 remaining on the clock the Steelers got to work from their own eight-yard line. Roethlisberger hit Ward for consecutive 13-yard completions out to the 34-yard line. Washington then got into the act with a 16-yard reception, followed by a nine-yard grab to the Ravens 41-yard line. On second and one Moore took it up the middle for three yards and the first down. Roethlisberger then hit Washington for 24 yards to the 14-yard line and hit Ward at the four-yard line. On third-and-four, Roethlisberger scrambled, and hit Holmes just across the goal line for the touchdown, putting the Steelers up 13-9 and securing the win.

A late rally attempt by the Ravens was shut down when William Gay intercepted Joe Flacco in the end zone.

The Steelers defense did not allow the Ravens a single touchdown, and again key interceptions helped seal the Steelers win.

Congratulations on winning the AFC North title!

The Steelers visit the Tennessee Titans next Sunday and can take over the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs with a victory.

December 12, 2008

Keisel ruled OUT for Ravens game...

...according to several media reports.

I have not seen definite word from the Steelers, but other sources are reporting Brett did not practice today, and will not play Sunday versus the Ravens.

The good news is that we know he is getting closer to returning. And, we know the Steelers coaches and training staff are not willing to push him before the injury is healed.

Although we do not know when, we do know Keisel will be back on the field to harass opposing offenses soon!

I appreciate all the emails I received inquiring about his injury. I do not know any more than I have posted, and I will certainly keep everyone updated when information is available.

December 11, 2008

Injury update and contest winner announced

Media reports state that Brett did work out today. They said he did not practice, but there is a possibility he may practice Friday.

Coach Tomlin, as of his last press conference, has not ruled out Keisel's return to the field this weekend.

Tomlin did say they would not base Brett's return on how Travis Kirschke (who is filling in for Keisel) is playing.

Here is what Coach Tomlin had to say :

"We’re not going to base Brett’s availability on how Travis in playing, whether he’s playing great or poorly. He’s playing good but Brett’s health is Brett’s health."

Even though we all want to see #99 back on the field, it is good to know he is not being rushed back before the injury is healed.

Contest winner:

Anne Cooper from West Virginia won the autographed Keisel picture! Congratulations to her and thanks also to everyone who participated. I received entries from all over the world!

December 10, 2008

'Tis the season...

...to shop for your favorite Steelers fan-even if it is yourself!

For Keisel fans:

Steelers.com is offering a great deal when you purchase in-stock men's jerseys. You automatically receive a gift certificate with your purchase. The amount depends on the type of jersey (authentic, premier, replica) that you order. So, you can buy a gift for someone and you get a gift card for yourself-or keep both! They do have #99 jerseys in-stock as of now.

More great places to locate Steelers gear

NFL.com has a nice variety of gifts. From jerseys to t-shirts to Christmas decor, you can find something for everyone!

Also, more Steelers gift ideas can be found at The Mike Feinberg Company. They are a"one stop shop" for all your Pittsburgh Steelers merchandise needs. The company has been selling Steelers merchandise for over 40 years, and they were the original "Terrible Towel" Headquarters from the 1970s to 2000.

Click here to check out their site!

From jewelry to collectables,

Danbury Mint has it all!

This bracelet allows you to "wear" your Steelers pride every day!

The bracelet is heirloom-quality 24kt gold-plated featuring brilliant Austrian crystals and beautiful black enamels. It has seven charms including Steelers logos, Heinz Field, a football, a Steelers helmet and other Steelers memorabilia.

Click here to view their great collection!

I hope these ideas help with your holiday shopping! Your shopping days are ticking away...! Fourteen shopping days left!

A gift for a lucky Keisel fan...

...the fourteenth person to email me will win an autographed Keisel picture! Click here to email me! Good luck!

***Please be advised-the autographed picture includes Brett's name and number. It does not include a personal inscription or your name.***

Pro Bowl fan voting...

...ended yesterday. The roster announcements should be December 15. Thanks to everyone who voted!

December 9, 2008-afternoon update

Keisel may be close to returning

From Scott Brown, of Tribune-Review:

The Steelers, who are relatively healthy going into Sunday's AFC North showdown at Baltimore, could get starting defensive end Brett Keisel back this week.

Keisel, who has missed the last two games with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee, will try to practice this week.

Coach Mike Tomlin had this to say regarding Keisel:

"Brett Keisel is getting closer, probably closer enough to warrant some consideration to participate. We’ll see how the week develops with him."

Obviously, this all depends on how it goes with practice this week, but it sounds like Keisel has really worked hard to get back on the field!

December 9, 2008

Brett awarded President's Volunteer Service Award

As mentioned in the December 7 news, Brett was awarded the President's Volunteer Service award for his work with What Moves U.

Dr. Don Wright, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, presented the award to Brett prior to the Steelers game Sunday.

Keisel was recognized for his work in promoting the importance of fitness and health to children.

What a great honor!

To see a larger version of the picture, click here.

You can enlarge the pictures in the Photo Gallery by just clicking on them.

December 8, 2008

Steelers defense dominates in win over Cowboys

Steelers 20, Cowboys 13

The Steelers defense began the game with an interception of Dallas QB Tony Romo, and ended the game with an interception of Tony Romo.

The defense harassed the Cowboys offense all day long, allowing only 13 points.

The Steelers offense had some trouble early on, but came on strong in the fourth quarter. Heath Miller scored off a pass from Ben Roethlisberger to tie the game 13-13. It looked like overtime was eminent, but Deshea Townsend intercepted Romo and ran it in for a touchdown to seal the Steelers win.

Pittsburgh Tribune writer, John Harris, had this to say about the Steelers defense:

Besides shutting down some of the best offenses in the NFL, the Steelers' defense also scores points. There practically isn't anything this defense doesn't do.

The Steelers defense is so talented and dominant in every conceivable way that merely calling it great should be considered an insult.

"We're underrated. People don't really say nothing (good) about us," nose tackle Casey Hampton said. "We always hear about everybody else. We like it like that. We like for people to overlook us."

Prior to yesterday's game, the worst thing that could be said about the Steelers' top-ranked defense is that it prevented points from being scored but rarely scored them, as other top defenses have done.

To read the entire article, click here.

New photos:

I have added a couple photos of Brett from the preseason game against the Panthers. Thanks so much to Mark Kissel for sending them to me to share! Click here to see them.

There is also a picture of Brett with some children from the Make-A-Wish foundation. Click here to see that photo.

I have not yet located any of Brett receiving his award before yesterdays game. If anyone took any photos, I would love to see them!

Pro Bowl voting...

....ends tomorrow! Mark Kissel made a good point-I know some of you have a hard time NOT voting for Keisel. But, you are allowed to pick three DE's, so you can still vote for Keisel along with Aaron Smith. Either way...please keep up the voting!

December 7, 2008

Keisel to be honored today

Brett will be presented with a very special award today at Heinz Field. He will be presented with the President's Volunteer Service Award before the Steelers game.

Brett is receiving the award due to all his hard work with What Moves U. This program is designed to promote fitness and health to children. Brett went to several schools to show children how to stay in shape and get healthy.

To read more about the award and presentation, click here.

I will post pictures from previous What Moves U events later today. They are in the old photo gallery so I will transfer them here.

If there are pictures from Brett receiving his award, I will post them here also.

Way to go #99!

To read more about Brett's involvement with the program, click here.

December 4, 2008

Keisel and his teammates help a worthwhile cause...

...And a Pro Bowl voting update.

Many of those who attended the Cystic Fibrosis 65 Roses Sports Auction at the Pittsburgh Athletic Association were anxious to meet Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel and his teammates who were on hand to sign autographs.

But they got a bonus when the first autograph they were able to receive was that of six-year old Emma Chichilla, who serves as one of the CF Ambassadors. Chinchilla sat right next to Keisel and scrawled Emma on napkins for everyone who came through the line.

You can see a picture of Emma signing autographs on the right side of this page-under Keisel Kam.

“Last year she was so shy coming up to me,” said Keisel, who spent a lot of the evening hanging out with Chichilla. “I didn’t know if she thought I was scary looking or what. It amazes me from the first time I did this when she was three and now she is six. She has such a personality. She is running around and having fun. She is doing wonderful. I love her.”

Keisel, who will miss his second straight game against the Cowboys on Sunday because of a knee injury, didn’t let the pain that he might have been feeling even enter his mind when he took a look at those who are fighting a much tougher battle.

“I don’t feel anything. I am not hurt, I am just nicked up,” said Keisel. “These people go through more than I could imagine. I am great compared to a lot of them. But you won’t ever see them complain or act like they are different than anybody else which makes them special. Most of these kids run around with smiles on their faces and are happy to be alive. We don’t know the troubles they go through with this disease. To see them happy really brightens my day.”

To read the entire article, click here.

To view photos from the great event, click here.

Pro Bowl fan voting...

...is drawing to an end on December 9. But, please DO NOT stop voting until then!

As mentioned in the November 26 news, Mr. Keisel has asked that we send our votes to Aaron Smith. Reports this week indicate that Aaron is #5 right now in total fan voting (for his position). So, keep voting!

The link is on the right side of this page. Aaron Smith is listed under the same Defensive category as Brett-Defensive Ends.

December 2, 2008

Keisel hosts 65 Roses Sports Auction

Brett hosted the 65 Roses Sports Auction last night at the Pittsburgh Athletic Association. It is his third year hosting the event, which benefits Cystic Fibrosis.

Many of Keisel's teammates attended the event, and fans were able to get autographs. There were auctions, bowling, food, and raffles. Those who attended also were able to get their picture taken with Brett.

It looked like alot of fun, while contributing to a great cause!

To see photos from the event, click here.

You can see a larger version of each picture by clicking on them.

There are three pages of photos.

Injury update:

Coach Tomlin held his weekly press conference today. He said Keisel will not play this week against the Cowboys. He is still being listed as week-to-week.

December 1, 2008

Steelers pummel the Patriots

Steelers 33, Patriots 10

The Steelers scored 30 unanswered points, including 13 in the third quarter to take a lead over the Patriots that they wouldn’t relinquish, en route to a 33-10 win at Gillette Stadium. The win, which had great play all around, improves the record to 9-3 and keeps them on top of the AFC North.

“It was just that - a team win,” said head coach Mike Tomlin. “I think we had significant plays in all three phases. We had big returns, we got turnovers, the kicking game, the offense got going there and the defense, well, they were their usual selves. Needless to say, we’re pleased with this. We’ll keep it in perspective. We’ll put it with the other ones. Our greater challenges, of course, lie ahead.”

A dominating defense gave up only one touchdown when the Patriots were spotted great field position because of a turnover. James Harrison sacked Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel twice, forcing fumbles both times which the Steelers recovered. Troy Polamalu added an interception to stop a late drive by The Patriots and Lawrence Timmons did the same, returning his pick 89 yards to the one-yard line.

The Steelers took the field at Gillette Stadium leading the NFL in rushing, passing, total and scoring defense. Still, the manner in which they relentlessly hammered away at Cassel was impressive.

They sacked him five times, limited the Patriots to one third-down conversion in 13 attempts and held an offense that had put up over 1,000 total net yards in its past two games to a mere 267.

AFC-North news:

The Ravens had a field day with the Bengals, winning 34-3. The Steelers still hold a one-game lead in the division. This could make the December 14 meeting between the Ravens and Steelers huge. Due to flex scheduling, the game time for the Ravens-Steelers game is now 4:15 p.m. Let's all root for the Redskins next week to beat the Ravens!

Event reminder:

It has been posted on right side of this page, under Events and Appearances, but I wanted to remind you that Brett is scheduled to host the Cystic Fibrosis Sports Auction tonight. He and teammates will be on hand to greet fans and have a great night raising money for Cystic Fibrosis. I will post pictures from the event when available.

Brett is pictured above with Emma Chichilla, who was one of the CF's ambasssadors. Notice she is wearing her 99 1/2 shirt!

You can view pictures from previous CF auctions-the link is in the Events and Appearances section on right side of this page.

Huge thanks...

...to all of you who responded to Mr. Keisel and his family's request regarding the Pro Bowl! I have received so many emails and comments from Keisel fans, and I'm sure he and Aaron will be happy that everyone is voting. If you missed the request, it is in the November 26 news.

November 26, 2008

A request from Keisel-and an injury update

I received a request from Brett and his family.

Due to his injury, they are asking that all of us keep Rocking the Pro Bowl vote, but to do it for Brett's friend and teammate, Aaron Smith.

Brett has mentioned many times how much he respects Aaron on and off the field. And, Aaron says the same of Brett. Check out Aaron's comments about Brett on the right side of this page, under Worth Repeating.

Aaron has been a leader on the team for awhile, and is highly respected by his teammates and coaching staff. There is a great article about him in the Team News section . Click here to read it-under October 27 news.

Keisel talking about Smith this season:

"I love the guy so much". He's the best. If I could be like him and live my life like he lives his, I'd die a happy man. I'm just so thankful he's in my life".

"From the second I landed here, I've had my eyes on 91, just watching how he practices and how he gets himself ready to play."

Defensive coordinator, Dick LeBeau, talking about Smith:

"Aaron Smith, they just don't block him". I've been back five years and I can count on one hand the number of times in five years he's been blocked. Why people don't recognize that around the league, I don't know. He's tremendous."

Troy Polamalu talking about Smith:

"You know what you're going to get from him every play. He's such a smart player and his technique is so flawless".

So....

...with all that being said, I do agree that we should switch our votes to Aaron Smith for this years Pro Bowl.

By no means am I saying Brett does not deserve to make the Pro Bowl. He is having a GREAT season! But, with his injury it will be tough for him to make it. We will root for him to make it back as soon as possible from his injury, and next season we WILL help him get to Hawaii!

Pro Bowl voting:

Here is the link to vote, and it's also still on right side of this page. Click here to vote. You still click on Defense and Aaron is listed under same category as Brett-Defensive Ends.

Brett and his family appreciate all our votes, and all the support and good thoughts being sent for him during his injury. Let's show the same support to Aaron with our Pro Bowl votes.

I am sure we can convince Aaron to bust out a new sack dance during the Pro Bowl!

Injury update:

Coach Tomlin held his weekly press conference yesterday. He announced that Brett has an MCL sprain and will not play in the Patriots game. Brett will probably also miss a couple more games. He is being listed as week-to-week.

Travis Kirschke and Nick Eason will fill in for Keisel while he is out.

I will update further if any more news becomes available.

November 23, 2008

Game photos added

I figured we were all going nuts with no Steelers football today, so I rounded up several game pictures of Brett from the Bengals game.

Click here to see them.

The photos really show what a great game our #99 had!

The Steelers will return to the field next Sunday to play the New England Patriots.

Also:

I appreciate all the emails and messages being sent regarding Keisel's injury. No official statement has been released by the team, and I would assume that will not happen until they return to practice. So, I do not have anything new to add at this time.

It is great that everyone wants to send messages to Brett, but I think what we should do is what we do best-cheer the Steelers on to victory!

We will probably learn the extent of the injury soon, so we just need to think positive and wait for Keisel to return to our #1 defense!

Pro Bowl reminder:

We can still keep showing our support of Brett by continuing to vote to send him to the Pro Bowl! The link will remain up on the right side of this page-ROCK THE PRO BOWL VOTE FOR KEISEL!

November 21, 2008-afternoon update

Upcoming Keisel appearance

Brett is scheduled to appear on Joe Rossi’s Outdoor Adventure, in a fishing segment. It will be televised in Pittsburgh on FSN at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday. If you miss that airing, it will be shown again on November 30th at 9:00 a.m.

Brett is scheduled to appear with Steve Renosky of the Yellow Creek Trout Club. It will be televised from the Trout Club.

Injury news...

...There is not a lot of news yet. The local Pittsburgh media are reporting that Keisel has a sprained knee, but no information on the extent of the injury is known yet.

November 21, 2008

Steelers remain undefeated in AFC-North

Steelers 27, Bengals 10

The Steelers and Cincinnati played last night as if they had little rest between games, and then the Bengals went to sleep.

The Steelers, who trailed, 7-0, after one period, scored 20 points in a row on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Heath Miller, two Jeff Reed field goals of 37 and 38 yards and a 2-yard run by Gary Russell. Roethlisberger added another touchdown on an 8-yard scramble late in the game.

The Steelers defense stood strong after the Bengals initial touchdown, allowing only a field goal for the remainder of the game.

Keisel had five tackles, and I will say he also had 1/2 sack. Woodley was given full credit for the sack, but it looked to me like Keisel was in on it also.

Brett did leave the game in the fourth quarter, and did not return. The media has said he has a sprained knee, but no official reports are out yet.

I will update with any information that I get.

As the announcers tonight commented, Brett is having one of his best seasons, so let's hope he is ok.

I will also post any pictures I find of the game.

November 19, 2008

Keep ROCKING the Pro Bowl vote

Keisel fans:

Keep up the voting to send Brett to the Pro Bowl!

The link is still on the right side of this page-voting is quick and painless!

Remember that you can vote as many times as you like, so VOTE NOW-VOTE OFTEN!

Fox News ran a story today saying the Redskins are leading the way in fan votes for their players.

Their fans have 20 Redskins leading the way in Pro Bowl votes. I realize they are in the NFC, so it does not affect our division, but we need to do the same thing-ROCK THE VOTE!

Fans count for one-third of the votes so let's do our part to send Brett and his teammates to Hawaii.

Imagine the dance moves Keisel will bust out in Aloha-land!

Thank you!

Reminder...

...The Steelers take on the Bengals Thursday night at Heinz Field. The game will be televised on the NFL Network, and also locally in Pittsburgh on the CW. WDVE will probably also carry the audio telecast. Click here to listen to it. Once on their site, click on Listen Live at the top of the page.

Go #99-Go Steelers!

November 18, 2008

#99 1/2

Another #99 for Steelers fans to look forward to?

Looks like it!

Connor, from Utah, dressed up like Brett for Halloween-complete with a #99 jersey, Steelers hat, and Steelers football!

Looks like a future DE in the making.

His brother, Brock is also pictured. I added a couple more photos of them, including one with Brett, to the photo gallery. Click here to see them.

Remember, you can enlarge the pictures in the photo gallery by simply clicking on them. I also added a couple more pictures from the SD game. Click here to see them.

November 16, 2008

Keisel gets his first sack of the season

Steelers 11, Chargers 10

Score seem a little strange? It should! This is the FIRST time the NFL has recorded a score of 11-10.

Leave it to the Steelers to be the first!

Once again, the Steelers defense was amazing. Troy Polamalu set the tone early, with his interception of Chargers QB Philip Rivers. James Harrison would later add two points to the Steelers score with a safety.

Roethlisberger played like his shoulder was not an issue, throwing for over 300 yards. The offense did not score a touchdown, but Jeff Reed was clutch, as usual. Reed nailed three field goals-with one being the game winner.

Did I mention...

... who was the team leader in tackles today?

Yep, #99 led the way in tackles with a total of 7. He has 30 tackles so far this season. Keisel also recorded his first sack of the season! He sacked Rivers causing a nine-yard loss for the Chargers. Keisel and the Steelers defense were relentless today...allowing only 10 points by the Chargers.

Way to to Keisel....way to go Steelers!

More good news...

...Baltimore lost today! So, the Steelers are back in first place in the AFC-North.

The team has a short week coming up as they face the Bengals on Thursday.

Game photos...

...can be seen here.

I will add more if I find any, so be sure to check back.

You can view the latest uploaded pictures anytime by clicking on Last Uploads at the top of the Photo Gallery page.

Also, if you want to enlarge the picture, just click on it.

Pro Bowl reminder:

You can still cast your votes to send Keisel to the Pro Bowl. The link is on the right side of this page. Thanks to the many people who have emailed me to say they are voting daily!

November 12, 2008

Keisel: "We're excited to turn things around"

Brett and Ben Roethlisberger talked to the Post-Gazette today about the upcoming game with San Diego. Click here to watch the quick video.

It was reported that Roethlisberger did practice today. Heath Miller had been listed as questionable, but reports are indicating that he will not play Sunday.

Also:

I made a few screen captures from the interview. To see them, click here.

November 10, 2008

Indy hands the Steelers their 1st AFC loss

Colts 24, Steelers 20

The Steelers jumped out to an early lead but weren’t able to hold on, falling to the Indianapolis Colts 24-20 at Heinz Field. The Steelers are now 6-3 and tied with the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North, although they do hold the advantage having defeated the Ravens earlier this season.

The Steelers got off to a strong start, moving the ball at will on their opening drive. Roethlisberger completed short passes to Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes and then Moore had a three-yard carry to move the chains. Moore had consecutive four yard carries, and then Roethlisberger went deep to Holmes for 23 yards at the Colts 19-yard line. Roethlisberger kept it in the air, hitting Nate Washington for a 16-yard completion to the Colts four-yard line. Moore capped the 10 play, 62-yard drive when he punched it in to the end zone from one-yard out for an early 7-0 lead.

The Colts would answer with a score of their own.

Aaron Smith had a big sack, and the defense held the Colts back for several possessions.

But, Indy gained some momentum after a turnover and scored before halftime.

The Steelers still kept the lead until late in the fourth quarter, when the Colts Dominic Rhodes scored a TD. It would seal the loss for the Steelers

It was a tough loss. But, now it's time to regroup and prepare for the Chargers who will come to Heinz Field next weekend.

Brett talks about the team losing their lead in AFC-North...

..."We won't panic," Keisel said. "Maybe we needed this punch in the face."

Keisel was also quick to praise QB Ben Roethlisberger, saying "I give him credit for going out and competing."

Roethlisberger has been playing with a separated shoulder and several other injuries for many games.

New photos...

I added a couple pictures from the Colts game, and I also did some screen captures of Brett when he appeared on the Hines Ward Show. Click here and here to see them. You can also see the videos of Brett on the show. The link is in the November 9 news.

Pro Bowl reminder:

You can still cast your votes to send Keisel to the Pro Bowl. The link is on the right side of this page. Thanks to the many people who have emailed me to say they are voting daily!

November 9, 2008

Watch Keisel on Hines Ward show

As mentioned earlier in the week, Brett appeared on the Hines Ward show. I will do some screen captures from the show, along with quotes soon.

For now, you can click here to enjoy the videos!

There are five separate videos, so be sure to watch them all.

Brett greeted the fans who attended the taping of the show as he came onto the stage. He also made sure to stop over to see his lovely wife, Sarah and their son who were in the audience.

As usual, he was very entertaining and the fans had a great time!

Also...

...be sure to cheer the Steelers to victory over the Colts this afternoon! The game is on KDKA and CBS in some areas.

November 7, 2008

Linebackers' success due to Steelers' defensive line

FINALLY, the defensive line gets some credit!

In his article, Jim Wexell talks with members of the Steelers defense, including Keisel. Wexell talks about how fast Brett is and about his amazing hit on Washington's Clinton Portis.

Wexell thought that would be Keisel's favorite play of the game, but being the team player that he is, Brett described this as his favorite play Monday night:

"My favorite play would probably be Aaron's sack, just because I love it when he or any interior guy gets a sack," he said. "Nick (Eason)'s sack was great, too, but I liked this one because Aaron and I have that nice little dance we bust out in if one of us gets a sack. It's sweet man."

Keisel calls this the best defensive line he's seen since he was drafted in 2002.

To read the entire article, click here.

November 6, 2008

Pictures from Redskins game.

I have added some more pictures of Keisel from the Redskins game. Click here to view them.

Thanks again for all the great comments you are posting on the photos. To read the comments click on Last Comments at the top of the Photos page.

Thanks to Haydee for sending me the Redskins game photos of Brett!

Rock the Pro Bowl vote

...Please remember to cast your votes to send Keisel to the Pro Bowl. The link is on the right side of this page.

And...

...I have received some emails asking for a link to watch Keisel on the Hines Ward Show. I know he was scheduled to appear yesterday, but the actual airing of the show is not until Saturday night. So, the link to view the show won't be updated until after the actual air-date, I assume.

If Keisel was on the show, and the link becomes available I will certainly post it.

November 5, 2008

This defense doesn’t rest

From Bob Labriola's article in Steelers.com:

It read this way: field goal, field goal, punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, blocked punt, end of half.

That is how each of the Washington Redskins’ first half offensive series ended in last Monday night’s game against the Steelers, and their two field goal “drives” lasted a total of six plays and gained a combined 14 yards.

Calling the Steelers defense the league’s best unit to this point in the 2008 season might be debated by the representative from Baltimore, but there are statistics that help make Pittsburgh’s case.

The Steelers defense currently is ranked in the top five in 10 different defensive categories, including yards allowed, sacks, third-down conversions and points allowed. And their run defense, which was a bit of a problem at the end of the 2007 season, has been as stingy and nasty as ever.

When Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew managed 24 yards on 15 carries, it was, well, the Jaguars offensive line was operating without three injured starters. But when the Giants’ Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward went 31 times for 84 yards, a 2.7 average, while running behind the best offensive line in football, there was no way to mitigate the accomplishment.

And then, there was the job the Steelers did on Clinton Portis, who came into the game leading the NFL in yards rushing and rushing touchdowns. Portis finished with 51 yards on 13 carries, and 22 of those yards came on one first quarter carry.

“We have a philosophy of give us a blade of grass to defend and we will defend it; they embraced that,” said Coach Mike Tomlin of his defense. “It was not the first time that they have taken the field under those circumstances, and it probably won’t be the last. I think that we have the kind of defensive unit that responds to those challenges. That is why you are comfortable taking some of the risks that you take at times because of what they are capable of doing.”

To read the entire article, click here.

Also:

I did see where some of the Hines Ward Show episodes are aired online. If Brett's appearance tonight is one of them, I will post it. Let's hope it is!

November 4, 2008-afternoon update

Keisel to appear on the Hines Ward show tomorrow!

Steelers.com reports that Keisel is due to appear on the Hines Ward show November 5, 2008. He was supposed to be on the show October 22, so I am not sure if this is a second appearance or if he was rescheduled for some reason.

Since I am not local to Pittsburgh, I do not get the Hines Ward show so if anyone can attend I'd love some pictures! Click here for more information.

Also...

...Coach Tomlin stated that Ben Roethlisberger had an MRI today-no news on the results. The Steelers are listing Heath Miller as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Colts.

Voting reminders...

...Please remember to cast your votes to send Keisel to the Pro Bowl. The link is on the right side of this page. Coach Tomlin is also up for Coach of the Week! Click here to read about his nomination and for a link to vote for him!

November 4, 2008

Steelers defense stands strong!

Steelers 23, Redskins 6

The Steelers took a big step toward solving the NFC East, thanks in large part to a unit that looks like a championship-caliber one.

Unrelenting defense and a key special-teams play allowed the Steelers to overcome the loss of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and their early offensive struggles Monday night at FedEx Field.

A defense that is arguably the best in the NFL limited the Redskins to a pair of field goals after Washington started its first two possessions at the Steelers' 36- and 30-yard line, respectively, following a failed onside kick and a Roethlisberger interception.

Ben Roethlisberger finished the first half, but did not return at all during the second half. Heath Miller also left the game and did not return.

Back-up QB Byron Leftwich calmly led the Steelers on a pair of long touchdown drives in the second half.

The Steelers sacked Campbell seven times, and their pressure forced the him to throw his first interceptions of the season.

The Redskins gave it a valiant effort late in the fourth quarter on a drive that was kept alive by a roughing the passer call against James Farrior. Campbell tried to get it in the end zone, but despite an initial ruling of a touchdown he was stopped one-yard shy by Brett Keisel. The Redskins went for it on fourth down, but the defense swarmed and Campbell couldn’t connect with tackle eligible Lorenzo Alexander.

The Redskins had two more tries to get on the board again, but the defense remained strong and held on for the win.

Keisel was credited with one solo tackle and one assist.

The Steelers record is now 6-2 and they sit atop the AFC-North division.

Thanks....

...for all the comments about the new photo gallery! I am glad everyone likes it. You can leave comments about the pictures now, and you can also read the comments others have posted.

Click here to view the gallery. I have added some new ones I found from the Giants game, and will add pictures from the Redskins game as I find them!

October 31, 2008-Happy Halloween

Keisel participates in "Challenge the Champions"

Once again, Brett took time out from his busy schedule for a good cause. Teammate James Farrior hosted the "Challenge the Champions" event at Carnegie Science Center.

From Teresa Varley's article, A chance to make a difference:

For those who had a chance to mingle with Steelers players, obtain autographs and play interactive games against the black and gold, Challenge the Champions was about having fun and helping to raise funds for a fantastic organization, Every Child, Inc.

For 14-year old Aaron, it was a whole lot more. It was about his life changing for the better.

Aaron is one of the special kids who are served by Every Child, Inc., an organization whose goal is that every child, no matter what type of problem they have, is given the opportunity to grow up in a loving and safe environment.

That is all Aaron has ever wanted. And now, he will have that. He is about to be adopted. And after meeting him, you couldn’t be happier. He is full of life and energy, has a smile that goes from ear to ear and has a love for certain things, among those the Steelers and more importantly his mom.

“I really appreciate them coming out here tonight,” said Aaron of the Steelers players. “I am a Steelers fan. I play football and basketball. I really appreciate it.”

He then looked over toward the woman who is in the process of adopting him.

“I appreciate her a lot too,” said Aaron. “A whole lot. She’s my mom.”

Linebacker James Farrior served as the honorary chair for Challenge the Champions, held at the Carnegie Science Center, and had a chance to spend time with Aaron, talking with him, playing games and just sharing some quality time that will provide a lifetime of memories.

Joining Farrior at the event were Casey Hampton, Ike Taylor Chris Hoke, Deshea Townsend, Charlie Batch, Brett Keisel, Travis Kirschke, Bruce Davis, Patrick Bailey, Roy Lewis and Desmond Sherrod.

To read the entire article, click here.

Also...

...Brett was interviewed recently about defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau:

"It's been the greatest joy of my career. Since he came here, I think it really lifted all of us up. We all just really respect him.''

Click here to read the whole article.

And...

...FINALLY, I have added the new photo gallery! I apologize for the delay, and you will notice it still does not contain all the pictures from the old gallery. But, I am working to get it completed as quick as possible.

Click here to view the gallery. Or you can still click on Photos at the top of this page.

There are new pictures added to these albums:

Challenge the Champions, Project Bundle-up, Glimmer of Hope, and 2008 season.

I hope you enjoy the new album.

It allows for more interaction, as viewers can leave comments regarding the pictures. You can also use the Search function to look for pictures you want to see.

Thanks SO much to my web designer, Nathan Schivley, and to Erin at Big Ben News for all their help!

Pro Bowl reminder:

...The "Rock the Pro Bowl Vote" link is on the right side of this page. I received an email from Diana Napper, who is with the Glimmer of Hope" Foundation (the event Brett attended this week-October 28 news). She said:

"Hi Everyone, If you could please go on the Pro-bowl site and vote, I would appreciate your help as these players have been a tremendous help for breast cancer research.

Please let them know that we are grateful for all the good they do on and off the field."

Please vote for:

Alan Faneca: New York Jets-Listed under Guards

Heath Miller: Pittsburgh Steelers- Listed under Tight Ends.

Brett Keisel: Pittsburgh Steelers-Listed under Defensive Ends

Alan Faneca hosted the event in years past, while playing for the Steelers. Heath Miller and his wife took over for the Faneca's this year, but Alan and his wife did return to Pittsburgh to attend the event this year.

To read more about the Glimmer of Hope Foundation click here.

Thanks to Diana for her email!

October 29, 2008

Keisel is Steelers Digest Player of the Week!

Keisel is getting alot of recognition from his awesome play during the Giants game. The accolades continued when he was named Steelers Digest Player of the Week!

From the article:

So much of being a defensive lineman in the 3-4 defense involves occupying blockers so others can make plays.

Last Sunday against the New York Giants, Brett Keisel did that and much more.

Keisel had 11 tackles to tie James Farrior for the team lead, and he also had two of the Steelers' four tackles for loss. He is the Steelers Digest Player of the Week!

Way to go #99!

Event reminder...

...Brett will once again be hosting the 65 Roses Sports Auction. I posted information about the event, pictures from the previous auctions, and how to order tickets or donate to the worthy cause. It is on the right side of this page under Events and Appearances.

Pro Bowl reminder...

...Keep voting for Keisel to make the Pro Bowl! The "Rock the Pro Bowl Vote" link is on the right side of this page!

Also...

...Brett attended the Challenge The Champions event last night. I will post pictures soon!

October 28, 2008

Brett attends Glimmer of Hope event.

Brett Keisel and several of this teammates attended the Glimmer of Hope Foundation's "Bid for Hope VII" event last night. It was held at Jerome Bettis' Grille 36. The event benefits breast cancer research, and was hosted by Heath Miller and his wife Katie.

The event included an autograph signing session, and a silent raffle.

A Glimmer of Hope is a Pennsylvania non-profit organization that has been supporting breast cancer research since 1994 and has raised over $900,000 to further fund the largest pre-menopausal breast cancer study in the United States.

To read more about the foundation, click here.

I will add more photos from the event once the new photo gallery is installed.

Thanks...

...to everyone who has contacted me to say they are voting to send Keisel to the Pro Bowl! Remember, the voting link is on the right side of the page under "Rock The Pro Bowl Vote."

Friendly reminder...

...this is a fan site for Brett Keisel which only deals with his work with the Steelers and various events. No personal information will be published or answered at any time!

October 27, 2008

Even with the loss, Steelers defense applauded.

Although the Steelers did not come away with a win Sunday, their defense is being commended all over the media and news.

From Jim Wexell:

The New York Giants breached the Steelers’ 10-yard line three times in the first half and came away with only two field goals.

In the second half, the Giants again had a first down inside the 10, and again the Steelers held them to a field goal.

Gerry Dulac, of the Post Gazette said:

The Giants and their No. 1 rush offense were held to 83 yards on 35 carries, less than half their per-game average. What's more, their longest run was 13 yards. DE Brett Keisel was outstanding, making three big plays in short-yardage situations, including a fourth-down stop on a goal-line stand in the second quarter. The return of DE Aaron Smith helped.

And, Mike Prusuta with the Tribune wrote a nice piece about the Steelers defense. Click here to read it.

Prisuta's story mentions Brett's tackle of Derrick Ward late in the game. What a huge stop there! The Giants realized there would be no way to run the ball around #99. And, for those of us who saw the hit, it was amazing! Normally after a loss I can expect to receive numerous emails about what the team did wrong, but every email so far has been to comment on what a great game Keisel and the defense played. And, to congratulate Keisel on that big hit!

Smith's return...

...Keisel and teammates became emotional when talking about what it meant to have Aaron Smith on the field with them Sunday. Click here to read the article.

Reminder:

The ROCK THE PRO BOWL vote link is on the right side of this page-VOTE!!

October 26, 2008

One of the great players in this league...

...NFL analyst Troy Aikman had some great things to say about Brett during the Steelers-Giants game.

After one of Keisel's 11 tackles, Aikman said:

"Brett Keisel, in my opinion, is really one of the great players in this league. I mean, this is a guy, an emotional leader, who missed some time, and him being back has really given this defense a lift. He's not a guy who you see with alot of sacks, but someone who is very disruptive. He runs sideline to sideline; an extremely versatile player. "

Now on to the game.

The Steelers battled all day against the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants, but in the end a bizarre play set the wheels in motion for a disappointing 21-14 loss at Heinz Field.

The loss drops the Steelers to 5-2 on the season, but they remain in first place in the AFC North.

The Steelers got on the board first with Moore’s touchdown and the Steelers defense put on a strong performance in the red zone in the first half, holding the Giants to three field goals. After opening up a 14-9 lead in the second half on a Nate Washington touchdown grab, the Giants took over following a safety when replacement long snapper James Harrison snapped the ball over Mitch Berger’s head and through the end zone to tie the game. The Giants scored on their next series to secure the win.

It was a tough loss, especially after the defense held the Giants to field goals so many times. Keisel tied with James Farrior for the most tackles. Each had 11. Brett had 6 solo tackles, and 5 assists! Way to go #99!

Update...

...I have received several emails asking about recent pictures from games and events. I apologize for the delay, but I am switching photo galleries and have been working to get the new one ready to go. It should not be too much longer. I appreciate your patience.

Reminder:

The ROCK THE PRO BOWL vote link is on the right side of this page-VOTE!!

October 23, 2008

Greybull football team has new look

Excerpts from Nathan Oster's article, Keisel Gives back to Buffs, in the Greybull Standard:

The Greybull Buffs took the field in Big Piney last Friday with a new look, compliments of perhaps the most accomplished athlete to ever don the blue and gold of GHS.

Brett Keisel, who starts at defensive end for the Pittsburgh Steelers and is a 1997 GHS graduate, was the man responsible for a shipment of 44 new Nike football shoes that arrived at the school last week.

White with the Nike swoosh set in navy blue, the shoes were handed out to team members last Tuesday, and were on their feet by day’s end.

“It was like 40 kids at Christmas time around here,” said Greybull football coach John Cundall, who, along with his three assistants, also got matching turf shoes of the same color.

“This was a fantastic gesture, a kind gesture, and something he wouldn’t have had to do,” said Cundall of Keisel’s donation.

“An NFL player is so busy during the season. For him to take time out of his schedule, and make this happen for us … it’s just something we’re all very appreciative of.”

To read the entire article, click here.

New addition...

...I have added the Pro Bowl voting link to the right side of this page. Let's ROCK THE PRO BOWL vote for Keisel!

October 22, 2008

Keisel helps kids bundle up!

Brett and his family were on hand to help local children keep warm this winter.

From Teresa Varley's article, Steelers help keep kids warm:

On an unseasonably cold October night that sent a chill right through you, Steelers players did their part to make sure a group of kids didn’t feel the effects of it as they took part in Project Bundle-Up.

Project Bundle-Up is a Salvation Army program that provides winter outerwear for needy children in Southwestern Pennsylvania and was founded by Patricia Rooney, wife of Steelers chairman Dan Rooney, and Joe DeNardo, retired WTAE -TV weatherman.

The players took kids from the Homewood-Brushton Salvation Army shopping at Macy’s at Ross Park Mall in the Pittsburgh area for winter coats, hats, scarves and gloves.

“This is what it is all about, giving back to the community, especially with these kids who are in an unfortunate situation and aren’t as blessed as we are,” said wide receiver Hines Ward. “We are able to be role models. These kids look up to us and watch us each Sunday.

The players definitely seemed to have as much fun as the kids, with smiles and laughter plentiful as even kids who were timid and shy when they first met the players opened up and were sharing stories and showing their purchases off to each other by nights end.

I will add more pictures of Brett from the event later.

Reminder...

...Pro Bowl fan voting is still underway. Check out the news from October 20 to see how to vote for Keisel.

October 21, 2008

Catch Brett on the Hines Ward Show!

Brett is scheduled to appear on The Hines Ward Show tomorrow.

Short notice, but for local Pittsburgh fans (or anyone who is able to get to Pittsburgh tomorrow) you can attend the taping of the show.

The information is included on the right side of the page under Events and Appearances. There is a link which provides the time, location, and price of attendance. It also includes when the show will air on KDKA.

If anyone is able to attend and can take some pictures, I'd love to post them!

Reminder...

...Pro Bowl fan voting is still underway. Check out the news from October 20 to see how to vote for Keisel.

October 20, 2008

Vote Keisel into his first Pro Bowl!

Brett was able to fulfill his dream of being drafted into the NFL, he earned a role as a starting player with the Steelers, and won a Superbowl. Now, it's time to send him to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl.

The Pro Bowl pits the best players from the AFC against the best from the NFC. Fans, players and coaches vote to determine rosters.

Fans are one third of the vote, so this is where we can help Keisel.

Click here to vote. Click on Defense and then he is listed under Defensive Ends. The great thing about the fan vote is that we can vote as many times as we want so...Vote now-vote often!

We know Brett has a great following of fans, so let's do our best to get a huge number of fan votes for him!

I will also be posting the Pro Bowl voting link on the right side of the page soon, so if you lose the link just stop by and vote from here.

October 19, 2008

Steelers continue to dominate the AFC North

Steelers 38, Bengals 10

The Steelers took on the Bengals at Paul Brown stadium. I was able to attend the game, as were thousands of Steeler fans. The Bengals fans seem to have given up on their team, with hundreds of tickets being sold on various sites.

Keisel was back in the line-up and his desire to hit the field was quite obvious. He was going full force during warm-ups, then pacing the sidelines and stretching until the game started. Once the game began, he was ready to go. When the offense was on the field he cheered and danced when they scored. He congratulated the offensive teams as they exited the field. It was fun to watch how excited he was to be back!

The Bengals struggled but did give the Steelers some trouble at times, and did manage to get 10 points on us, but for the most part the Steelers controlled the game.

The official word is that Brett recorded a solo tackle, but I really thought he had some assists also.

Mewelde Moore had his first 100-yard game and the Steelers defense recorded seven (yes seven!) sacks.

To read more about the game, click here.

I will post pictures from the game as they become available, and will also post the ones I took at the game soon.

Also...

...be sure to check back this week as I will be posting information on how to vote Brett into his first Pro Bowl!

October 16, 2008

Keisel happy to be back on the field

From Teresa Varley's article on Steelers.com:

Brett Keisel was hot and sweaty after practice at the UPMC Sports Performance Complex. He had an ace bandage holding a bag of ice on his calf. He looked tired.

It was the perfect end to the day for him.

“It feels so good. I love being with my brothers out there,” said Keisel, the Steelers starting right defensive end. “To be able to go out there and work and be with my friends and feel like you are a part of something again instead of being on the side. It makes all of the difference in the world. That’s why you work so hard to get back.”

Keisel is slated to return to the starting lineup on Sunday against the Bengals after a frustrating calf strain forced him to miss the last three games. He is more than ready to get back in action.

“Honestly, to this day I think someone had a bean-bag gun that was camouflaged as grass so the refs couldn’t see it and shot me in the calf,” joked Keisel. “It was a non-contact injury. I was coming out of my stance. It was strange, but it’s one of those things you can’t control. The training staff did a really good job of getting me back. I am able to come back earlier than what people anticipated.

“I feel great now. I feel excited to get back into a game situation this week. That is going to be the biggest test. You can try and simulate the speed in practice, but it is not close to game speed. I am excited to see what it’s like on Sunday.”

Keisel is one of those players who absolutely hates being on the sidelines. It ate at him to not be able to practice and be on the field with his teammates on game day.

“It was really hard,” said Keisel. “You feel helpless. I hate being hurt. I hope I am never hurt again. You can only lift so many weights in a day. I would lift and go out and watch practice for a bit, get upset and come in here, throw some ice on my calf and go home.”

The only thing that saved him was the Steelers were winning during the time he was out, taking away some of that pain.

“I thought Travis (Kirschke), (Chris) Hoke, Orpheus (Roye) and Nick (Eason) really played incredible,” said Keisel. “I was proud of the way those guys stepped up their game and came in and played and played to win. I have all of the confidence in the world in all of the guys we have in our defensive line room. Those guys can start for a lot of teams in this league. We are fortunate to have quality guys that are ready to come in and play at a high level like they are.”

Not bad for a group that was called an “aging defensive line” by many before the season started.

“It did bug me to hear people say that, it bugged me a lot because I feel like as a unit up front we are one of the best in the league,” said Keisel. “To pinpoint us and say we can’t play at as high a level as we used to wasn’t right. I think each year we are getting better. I think we play together as good as anyone in the league.”

On many teams if two starters like Keisel and Casey Hampton went down to injuries a veteran would have to be signed from outside to bolster the position. But the Steelers were able to find the answer within, from a bunch of guys some had written off.

“What happened to Casey and I showed how important it is to have quality guys that are ready to play at any time,” said Keisel. “I am proud of our guys and the organization for keeping us intact. Not only are we great competitors on the field, but we are all really good friends and it makes coming to work fun. We are going to keep riding the ship and getting better.”

And he plans on riding that ship for some time to come.

“I think I still have another good seven years in me,” said the 30-year old Keisel. “I am excited about this season and the position we are in. Let’s rock and roll.”

Take note:

Mr. Rooney and Coach Tomlin: We want Keisel around at least seven more years here in Pittsburgh!

Also today:

From Michael David Smith, of the FanHouse Blog:

Getting defensive end Brett Keisel back from a calf strain is big for the Steelers' defense. Keisel had started every game for Pittsburgh in the last two-plus seasons, and his return will make a good defense better.

October 14, 2008

It's official-Keisel will play Sunday

Coach Tomlin held his weekly press conference today. Along with discussing the game plan for the team's upcoming battle with the Bengals, Tomlin discussed injuries.

Here is what he had to say regarding Keisel:

"Brett Keisel is back in the lineup this week. He'll start at defensive end."

So, we have the official word from Coach Tomlin! Keisel will be back on the field to take on the Bengals Sunday!

Also...

...I moved some more News articles from this page to the Archives. To view them, click the Archives tab at the top of the page.

October 8, 2008

Keisel is back in action

Brett Keisel returned to the practice field Tuesday, and the media swarmed.

Keisel was happy to be back out with his teammates, and said he probably could have returned for the Jacksonville game if necessary.

Tomlin called Keisel a "live wire" on the field yesterday.

To see a short video interview with Keisel, and see some shots of him on the practice field Tuesday, click here.

October 7, 2008-evening edition

Keisel is ready to go hunting-for Bengals

As mentioned in the earlier news, Keisel returned to practice today.

The media caught up with him after practice.

Here is what Brett told KDKA about how it felt to practice:

"It felt good, it felt great to get back out with my teammates today, and test it a little bit. It felt great and I didn't have any problems at all. So...I'll be hunting Bengals next week.

To view the entire video, click here.

Then click on the video entitled, Bye-Week helps injured players recuperate.

.

I will post some screen caps from the interview in the Photo Gallery .

October 7, 2008

Keisel returns to practice!

It's true! #99 returned to the practice field today.

Coach Tomlin said, "it was great to get Brett back today as a full participant."

When Tomlin was asked if Keisel looked good today he replied :

He did. I know one thing; he is appreciative of having the opportunity to practice. He was the liveliest set of legs that we had out there today.

This is great news. Hopefully he will be able to return for the Bengals game after the bye week. Tomlin said the players will have time off until Monday.

October 6, 2008

Steelers defeat Jaguars 26-21

An injury depleted Steelers team headed to Jacksonville to take on a team who defeated them twice last season. The second loss to the Jags ended the Steelers post season.

Pittsburgh was minus several starters, including Brett Keisel, and QB Ben Roethlisberger had been listed as questionable all week due to an injured shoulder.

The Jaguars probably expected a less physical fight from the Steelers.

Wrong!

The Steelers replaced their injured starters and Roethlisberger came out passing.

Ben threw for 309 yards, and Mewelde Moore (Willie Parker's replacement) added 99 yards on the ground.

The Steelers defense swarmed all over Jags QB David Garrard.The defense held the Jaguars to 213 yards, more than 200 fewer than the Steelers accumulated.

The Jags had a chance to win at the end of the game, but again the Pittsburgh defense held strong.

While the Steelers have to definitely be looking forward to the bye week so they can get some starters back, it was apparent that they were not letting injuries define them.

As James Harrison said:

"I don't want to use the excuse of people being hurt,". "We came out here and did what we had to do."

To read more about how well the defense did, and more about the game, click here.

The team has a bye week this week, and will return to action against the Cincinnati Bengals on October 19. Hopefully many starters, including Keisel, will return for that game.

October 1, 2008

On the Sidelines with Brett Keisel

Teresa Varley, from Steelers.com recently talked with Brett Keisel to give readers a glimpse of what he does away from the game.

From her article:

Defensive end Brett Keisel is an imposing figure on the football field, but off of it he has a big heart and uses that to make a difference in the community.

Keisel hosts the annual Cystic Fibrosis 65 Roses Sports Auction, an event that he warmed up to as soon as he met some of those who suffer from CF, including one of the Ambassadors, five-year old Emma Chichilla.

“To be around her and see her smile and laugh pulls strings on your heart when you see it first hand like that,” said Keisel. “I have relatives with the same disease so anything we can do. It’s easy for us to do too. We go out there, show our faces and sign some autographs. It makes a big difference that’s why it’s important to do it.”

Keisel is no different than today’s kids, having played sports at a young age, and that is why he wanted to get involved with What Moves U? What Moves U is a curriculum-based activity program designed to fight childhood obesity by motivating middle school students to get up and move. Teachers incorporate physical activity into their lesson plans to help children become more fit while they learn.

“It’s important because in today’s day and age we are in an obese nation where a lot of kids are overweight,” said Keisel. “It’s easy for me to come out and try to tell kids to eat healthy and get active and try to lead a healthier, happier life style.”

His commitment doesn’t stop there as he is involved with Animal Friends and the Homeless Children’s Education Fund.

Keisel talks about his start in football, community efforts and different topics in this installment of On the Sidelines.

To read the Q & A session, click here .

FYI...

...In the article, Brett mentions his work with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He will once again host the 65 Roses Sports Auction benefiting CF. More information about this years event can be found on the right side of this page under Events and Appearances. You can also view pictures from previous years of the event.

The event offers an opportunity to see Keisel and some of his teammates in person, while supporting a worthy cause. I will post more information about donations and tickets soon!

Also...

...Coach Tomlin did announce that Keisel will not play this week against Jacksonville. Still sounds like his return could be October 19.

September 30, 2008

Steelers win in OT, but injuries continue to mount

The Steelers defeated AFC North division opponent, Baltimore Ravens in overtime 23-20.

As QB Ben Roethlisberger said, "It wasn't pretty, but it's a win."

Things were looking dismal the entire first half, but a pivotal penalty in the second half by the Ravens got the Steelers back in the game. Roethlisberger connected with OSU alum Santonio Holmes for a TD, and then the defense made a huge play. Harrison caused a fumble, and Woodley returned it for a touchdown.

The Ravens mounted a comeback and tied the score. The game went into overtime and the crowd quieted as the Ravens won the coin toss. As the announcers were commenting that so far this season every team who won the toss ended up winning the game, the Steelers defense stopped the Ravens. The Steelers offense then got into field goal range, and Jeff Reed took care of the win.

The Steelers lost many players to injuries, including Kendall Simmons, running backs Rashard Mendenhall and Carey Davis, and linebackers Keyaron Fox and Andre Frazier.

Hopefully the guys will get healthy this week as they have another big game on national T.V. next week against Jacksonville.

Then the team has a bye week, and the guys get a chance for some R & R. And, hopefully Keisel will return after the bye week!

It really was not a pretty game, but the fact that the team did not give up and continued to fight was impressive.

Update...

... Coach Tomlin announced that Rashard Mendenhall and Kendall Simmons have both been placed on IR.

To read more about the game, click here .

September 26, 2008

Keisel may return for Bengals game

Scott Brown, of the Tribune-Review , had some good news for Steelers fans today.

Brown reports that Brett could possibly return to the field October 19th, which would be a week after our bye week.

From the article:

Starting defensive end Brett Keisel is no longer wearing a protective boot on his right foot and is optimistic that he will resume playing after the Steelers' bye week.

The Steelers have a bye the week after they play the Jaguars on Oct. 5. They play the Bengals in Cincinnati on Oct. 19.

Keisel strained his right calf in the Steelers' 10-6 win over the Browns on Sept. 14.

To read the entire article (which also includes injury updates on other players and other team news), click here .

Thanks again for all the emails regarding Brett's injury! It would be awesome to have him back for the Cincinnati game, but please be aware this date is estimated.

Also...

...How do the Ravens Insiders feel about their ability to be able to run the ball Monday?

An excerpt from Aaron Wilson's interview with scout.com's NFL expert Adam Caplan:

I think the Ravens will be more successful running the ball this time around and don't underestimate the loss of DE Brett Keisel.

Keisel is an athletic defensive lineman who could also drop into coverage. He gave their defense the ability to use different looks.

September 24, 2008

New fan picture received

Kare sent us a picture of Brett from the 2008 Fan Blitz in Pittsburgh. To view a larger version of the picture, click here . Then click on Fan Pictures.

Keisel talks about the Steelers ownership issues

From Frank Fitzpatrick's article, The Rooneys and Pittsburgh:

"We met with Mr. Rooney and obviously he told us about the situation and what was going on," Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel said after his team's 38-17 opening-day victory.

"But now no one ever talks about it. No one worries about it. All we're worried about is going out on Sundays and trying to win.

"I mean, I guess we could all chip in and buy 1 percent," Keisel added, "but that probably wouldn't change too much."

To read the entire article, click here .

Update on Keisel trivia contest

The winner of the contest, Jackie, read about the little boy who wanted the season to be cancelled since Brett was injured (see News story from September 21st). She decided he deserved the prizes more than she did, and graciously instructed me to send them to him. He and his family have been going through some tough times and Jackie said, "he needs it more than she does."

I know he will appreciate what Jackie did. As I previously mentioned, she is a huge Keisel fan so this was a special thing for her to do! Steeler fans are the best!

September 23, 2008

Keisel in Steeler Nation book

Jim Wexell's book, Steeler Nation: A Pittsburgh Team, An American Phenomenon has been released!

Wexell's book is described as, "the trip every Steelers fan would love to make."

About the book...

...The book tells the tale of a six-week football road trip that swung south from Pittsburgh through Atlanta and Mobile, west through New Orleans, Phoenix and Los Angeles, north to Seattle, and then back east through Yellowstone Park, Denver, St. Louis and Cincinnati.

The trip covered nearly 10,000 miles as Wexell talked to Steelers fans, players, ex-players, as well as their family, friends and rivals, while the Steelers played their way to a division championship. The author found fans in the most remote outposts of the country and he walked in the footsteps of the current Pittsburgh Steelers.

The lives of 19 current Steelers are examined, including James Harrison, Heath Miller, Willie Parker, Lawrence Timmons, Hines Ward, Ike Taylor, Casey Hampton, Troy Polamalu, Brett Keisel, Aaron Smith, and Ben Roethlisberger, and the result is plenty of fresh information about the group that made up the core of the 2005 championship team.

Along with pre-game tailgates and post-game interviews, included in Wexell’s trip are visits with the greatest Steelers bars and fans in the country, and interviews with former Steelers greats such as Greg Lloyd, who discusses his past, present and future with typical Lloyd passion.

Ready to order?...

...click here !

Also...

...in a game with very few positives, the Steelers defense is praised for their efforts against the Eagles.

From Teresa Varley's article, A good effort by the defense:

The Eagles went into Sunday’s game against the Steelers as one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, averaging 37.5 points in their first two games.

And the Steelers defense was ready for the challenge.

They held them to 15 points and allowed only 260 yards and 16 first downs, a performance which normally would solidify a Steelers win. It didn’t.

“I want to say right now that I have to thank our defense,” said quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. “They gave us many chances to win that game. They were the reason that we were able to stay close and have an opportunity to win the game. My hat goes off to our defense and the way they played -- it was something special.”

To read the entire article, click here.

September 21, 2008

Steelers suffer first loss of season

The Steelers lost to the Eagles by a score of 15-6 today.

With as many sacks as QB Ben Roethlisberger suffered, we are lucky the Eagles only managed 15 points. Our defense played well, this being their first game without Keisel.

Roethlisberger had to leave the game late in the fourth quarter due to an injury to his hand. It is being reported that there are no broken bones, but more tests will be run.

The Steelers will need to regroup and get ready for their next game. It is a monday night game vs. AFC North opponent Baltimore Ravens.

To read more about today's game, click here.

On a positive note...

...there is a winner in the birthday contest! Jackie from Sacramento, CA. was the 19th person to answer all questions correctly! Congrats to Jackie. She is a huge Keisel fan and is going nuts over not seeing him on the field!

Thanks to everyone who participated! I received entries from all over the world, including Japan and Germany! Keisel fans are everywhere!

I wanted to also share this.. I received an email from a mother of a 5 year old. Her son was so upset over Brett's injury and she said he couldn't understand why the NFL could not cancel the season until Brett returned! Very cute!

Answers to trivia:

1. Brett attended Greybull High School.

2. He participated in basketball and track in high school.

3. He played for BYU and Snow College.

4.Brett had 31 QB pressures last season.

5. Brett was inducted into the Wyoming Sports Hall of Fame as Athlete of the Year.

6.Two nicknames mentioned in articles on this site were: Diesel and Jeremiah Johnson.

I plan to do more contests in the future, so keep checking back!

Also...

I do not have any more injury updates on Keisel, other than what the media and Coach Tomlin reported. Those updates are in the September 18 news. I will update if any more information becomes available.

September 20, 2008

Tomlin to rotate players to fill in for Keisel

Everyone has wondered how the Steelers coaching staff would replace Brett Keisel this week.

Well, it will not be done with one player according to Coach Tomlin.

Teresa Varley, from Steelers.com spoke to Coach Tomlin and some Steelers players about the upcoming game.

From her article, All hands on deck on defensive line:

Head coach Mike Tomlin has yet to indicate who will start at defensive end for Brett Keisel on Sunday in Philadelphia, but whoever it is won’t be expected to carry the load alone.

Expect a rotation with Travis Kirschke, Nick Eason and Orpheus Roye to pick up the slack for the absence of Keisel, who suffered a calf strain against the Browns.

“We followed the rotation principle at the defensive line,” said Tomlin. “We have suited six guys and played six. Now is an opportunity for Orpheus Roye to step up into the rotation. It won’t be one guy; it will be a collection of guys that get an opportunity to play in his spot. As always our standard of expectation won’t change. We expect those guys to play and play at a high level.”

Kirschke knows that the defense will miss Keisel’s presence, but he is hoping that it won’t show on the field.

“That’s my job, when a guy goes down to hop in there and hopefully don’t miss a beat,” said Kirschke. “We are going to miss a special guy. He is a great player, great person off the field. But between myself, Nick and Orpheus we have a big job to fill and we look forward to that. Any time you have depth and can keep guys fresh that is an advantage for us. It’s nice to have guy that are capable of doing. “

Kirschke and Eason shared playing time after Keisel left the Browns game and it’s a role that Eason is ready for as well.

"I've felt better, more comfortable,” said Eason. “By being more comfortable in this defense I'm able to play a little faster and with more confidence."

Defensive end Aaron Smith said one of the keys is that nobody takes too much upon themselves and tries to overcompensate for the loss of Keisel. “That would be the worst mistake you could make,” said Smith. “The guys we have backing us up are very capable. On a lot of teams they will be starting. We will move on without missing a beat.”

That will be a key as they face a tough challenge on Sunday against an explosive Eagles offense led by quarterback Donovan McNabb.

“He is tough. He is a great player,” added Smith. “The way he gets creative with the ball he makes it hard. You don’t want him to sit back there because he will pick you apart. You have to try to pressure him, but you don’t want to pressure him too much so that he can run around and play free-lance football. It’s kind of a catch 22 and you have to find a happy medium.”

Well...

...we all know losing Brett this week is a key loss. And, if we didn't know it...just read any article coming out of the Steelers or Eagles media this week. Every single one mentions him. But, we know his teammates will step up!

The Steelers take on the Eagles at 4:15 p.m. on CBS.

Update...

...there is not a winner yet in the Keisel birthday contest! Keep trying! I've had many responses but no winner yet!

Congrats to BYU on their big win today over Wyoming!

September 19, 2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRETT

Keisel celebrates his birthday today, and a lucky fan gets to celebrate also!

How well do you know Brett?

If you have followed his career, or read about it here on the site...then you could be a winner!

The 19th person to email me with the CORRECT answers to the following questions will win:

~ An autographed picture of Keisel

~ An autographed Steelers mini helmet

~ A 2007 set of Steelers football cards (Keisel is not in the set, but I am including a separate Keisel football card)

~ A Steelers 3' x 5 ' flag

Here are the questions:

1.What high school did Brett attend?

2. What two sports, besides football, did Keisel play in high school?

3. What two colleges did Brett attend?

4. How many QB pressures did Brett have last season?

5. What prestigious award did Brett win recently from his hometown of Wyoming?

6. What are one of Keisel's two nicknames-the ones mentioned in the articles on THIS site?

The questions are not difficult, and all of the answers can be found on this site!

You MUST email the address on the site. Click here for my email address. Please do not send entries through the MySpace page. I will announce the winner here, once I have one. We are still experiencing weather-related outages, so if the electric goes out again there may be a delay.

September 18, 2008

Keisel injury update

Most of us saw Keisel leave the Browns game during the first quarter. He never returned during the game, and reports are that he injured his right calf. Earlier in the week the media reported that Keisel would be undergoing more tests.

The media stated that Keisel could be out up to two months, although Coach Tomlin has listed him as week-to-week. Tomlin did say Brett was out for the Eagles game this weekend.

Click here and here to read more about the injury.

I have received so many emails and messages regarding Keisel, and will update more when and if anything else is released. I am sure he would be pleased to hear how everyone is rooting for him-and we all know he will work to get back as soon as possible!

For those who asked about sending cards to Brett...I am sure he knows and appreciates that everyone is thinking of him, and I think what we all can do for him is root the Steelers on to victory each week!

Also...

...I apologize for the LONG delay in updates. Our area suffered the remnants of Hurricane Ike last weekend and we were without power until last night. I am thankful to have electric back, but there are thousands of others here in Ohio and other areas who are still without electric and water. Thanks SO much to Erin at Big Ben News for posting a message on her site to let fans know I was out of commission for a bit!

And..

...be sure to check back tomorrow! Barring any more electric outages, I plan to post a contest for Keisel fans to win Keisel and Steelers gear!

September 11, 2008

Keisel takes time out for a fan photo

This photo was sent to me by Jerry Geer.

He and his adorable daughters ran into Keisel in Denver, the night before the game against the Broncos in 2007.

The Geer's are from Wyoming, Brett's hometown, and are huge Steelers fans!

Click here to see a larger version of the picture. Then click on the Fan Pictures album.

Thanks so much to Jerry for taking the time to share the photo with us!

Also...

...congratulations to Willie Parker for winning the AFC Player of the Week award!

September 10, 2008

Keisel talks about Texans game

On the big win...

"We're a good team, you know?" defensive end Brett Keisel said. "But I don't think anyone in here is going, 'Oh, yeah, we're so great, we got this big win!' All of us understand the schedule this year and all of us understand after each game we have another tough opponent ahead."

"I'm happy with the way we played but I'm not too excited," said Keisel, expressing the general consensus among his teammates. "I thought we should have won this game before we started."

On the big defensive stand in the first quarter...

If you’re looking for a turning point in Sunday’s massacre, it was the Steelers’ defense stuffing the Texans on a fourth-and-1 call near midfield on the game’s first possession.

“Fourth-and-a-foot,” Keisel said. “And we stopped them.”

From the Steelers’ 48-yard line, coach Gary Kubiak ordered Matt Schaub to run a quarterback sneak. But just as the ball was snapped, nose tackle Casey Hampton plowed into center Chris Myers and stopped Schaub cold. Keisel came in and finished things off.

On the offense dominating time of possession...

"I told Willie just now, I'm like, 'Man it's so nice to just go sit over there and drink Gatorade and watch you guys take off eight minutes off the clock."

Also...

...Scott Brown, of the Tribune-Review talked with Keisel about how being a father has motivated him.

From his article, Life-changing events motivate lineman:

As a rule, NFL defensive linemen don't tolerate slaps to the face or getting their hair pulled. Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel makes a notable exception. It is for his son, Jacob, who has possibly made him a better football player and has definitely made him a more dedicated one.

"It made me realize how important my job is, to not only myself but to my family," said Keisel, who turns 30 a week from Thursday. "It just made me work that much harder to be that much better of a player."

"It's such a miracle," Keisel said. "To watch him grow and watch him progress, he's starting to slap me on the face and grab my beard and pull my hair. It's just so cool because it's kind of like looking at yourself a little bit."

To read the whole article, click here .

New additions...

I added two articles, click here and here to read them.

The other addition is on the right side of this page underneath the Disclaimer section. I added a Worth Repeating section where I will post quotes about or by Keisel from time to time. Be sure to check it out!

September 7, 2008

Steelers win big

The Steelers defense swarmed the Texans from the start of the game-and never let up in the 38-17 win.

Scott Brown, of the Tribune-Review, said:

The Steelers' defense dominated the Texans and set the tone on the first possession of the game when it stopped Houston on a fourth-and-one near midfield.

FYI..

...Keisel and Hampton were the ones to stop the Texans on that drive!

Keisel had 3 solo tackles and 2 assists. He also had several pressures on Schaub.

To read about the big win over Houston, click here .

Coach Tomlin also praised the defense in his postgame speech, pointing out that the defense held the Texans to 234 total net yards, forced 3 turnovers and had five sacks.

Also...

...I added a new Q & A with Keisel. Click here to read it.

New game photos added...

Click here to see them. They are in the 2008 preseason and regular season album.

September 6, 2008

Are you ready for some football....

...I hope so because the season is finally underway!

The Steelers face the Texans tomorrow at Heinz Field, and the defense already knows what to expect.

From Mike Prisuta's article, Texans' blocking style mirrors Broncos' :

Although the Steelers are preparing for just their third all-time meeting with the Houston Texans, for the defensive linemen, it'll be a case of dejà vu all over again in Sunday's regular-season opener.

"Watching the film, if you changed the uniforms, it would seem like you're playing the Denver Broncos," Steelers defensive end Aaron Smith said. Call it the Alex Gibbs effect.

Houston's first-year assistant head coach/offense coached the offensive line for the Broncos from 1984-87 and 1995-03. The same zone-blocking, cut-'em-when-you-can approach that opened so many holes for so many running backs for so many years in Denver is all the rage with the Texans.

"Similar scheme," Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel said. "They're kind of lighter guys, not big, heavy bruisers, and they really turn and run. They're trying to turn and run and get separation from you and not really push you away but just get in the way so the back can scoot through."

The Broncos were often a lightning rod for controversy for their perceived habit of relying upon illegal chop blocks as well as cut blocks. A chop block consists of an offensive lineman engaging a defensive lineman high and then a second offensive lineman attacking the defender low. A cut block occurs when an offensive lineman takes out a defender at the knees.

Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher was among those who went public with complaints over the way Denver played the game back in the day.

The Texans haven't been accused of such tactics.

"I haven't seen the high-low blocks and the things that Denver apparently has a reputation for," Keisel said.

Then again, "any time you're getting cut, you always think it's dirty," Smith said. "Nobody likes to get cut."

The Texans will employ cut blocks to seal the back side of stretch plays, which will either provide cut-back lanes for their running backs or space into which quarterback Matt Schaub can bootleg after executing a play-action fake.

"Same as Denver," Smith said, "run, run, run, run and then boot."

The Steelers know what they'll need to do to combat such tactics tomorrow at Heinz Field.

"Keep your pads square, don't get turned and flow to the ball," Keisel said. "Everyone needs to rally. When we run to the ball like we can, we're tough."

The Texans' offensive line is tough enough that the Steelers defensive linemen are anticipating having to do the dirty work much more than they are playing a lead role.

Then again, why should this game be any different?

"It's like that every game," Keisel said. "'Hamp' (nose tackle Casey Hampton) is taking on three guys, Aaron and I will try to get two and we'll let those LBs flow to the ball and knock people out."

The game begins at 1:00 p.m., and will be aired on CBS for some viewers. You can also catch the audio feed on WDVE. Click here for WDVE, and then click on Listen Live at the top of their web page.

Go #99!!! Go Steelers!!!

September 4, 2008

Keisel talks about Ben Roethlisberger being elected co-captain

Brett and teammates spoke to Ed Bouchette, of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette about why Ben was elected co-captain of their offense. Ben shares the captain role with Hines Ward.

Here is what Keisel had to say about Ben:

Defensive end Brett Keisel is the closest friend Roethlisberger has in the locker room, and he disputes that the quarterback was snubbed last year when the players voted linebacker James Harrison as their MVP.

"Not to say Ben didn't play great last year," Keisel said, "but everyone thought James not only dominated on defense but on special teams too, and I think that's where he got the nod for that vote.

"Ben is a leader, he's a great leader. If you watch practice, you watch him, he has control of all his guys, he has control of the offensive line, everyone looks up to him for leadership. I think they're seeing that from him this year and that's why they elected him captain."

"He's a young guy," Keisel said. "I think his best years are ahead of him. I think he gets better every year and he wants to win. He has that winner's attitude where he hates losing. He wants to do anything to win, and that's what the great quarterbacks have."

To read the whole article, click here.

And...

I have added some photos of Brett visiting Children's Hospital in 2007...

To view them, click here .

Then click on 2007 Children's Hospital Visit.

September 2, 2008

Snow College proud of Keisel

Excerpt from an article by Greg Dart-Snow College Athletics:

The impact Snow transfers are making exceeds the state boundaries, with players at Washington State, Oklahoma State and Troy, just to name a few. Badgers are also making their mark in the pros, including Philadelphia Eagles 1,000-yard receiver Kevin Curtis, defensive lineman Brett Keisel of the Pittsburgh Steelers, linebacker Derek Smith of the San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders tight end John Madsen, and Arizona Cardinals lineman Deuce Lutui.

"Our players are succeeding everywhere they go," said Kevin White, Snow College athletic director. "I think people are really starting to see the caliber of football we are playing in Ephraim."

To read the entire article, click here.

Brett played for Snow College before transferring back to BYU.

And....

...are you getting excited about the first Steelers game this weekend?

Click here to read about the match-up between the Steelers and Texans!

More photos...

...added to the Miscellaneous and Football cards photo albums. Check them out here .

September 1, 2008

New photos added...

....from photographer Brad Jones!

Brad was nice enough to send more pictures of Brett. They are from the Tampa Bay game in 2006.

He took some great shots so be sure to check them out!

The one used for tonight's news story is one of Brad's...to see it enlarged and many more..... click here . They are in the Brad Jones Collection album.

Also...

...Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette recently talked to Keisel about how opposing teams try to penetrate the Steelers defense.

From the article..

Instead of offenses being aggressive in their run-blocking, they try to take advantage of the Steelers' complicated, aggressive, blitzing defense. It may be a reason for their plans to align Keisel at different positions in the defense more than last season.

"Teams really aren't trying to push us back, like drive us back," Keisel said. "Teams are trying more to do what we call zone block, which is kind of let them come into you and let them run that way."

Here is how Keisel said it's done:

"If I'm the offense, and you go into the 'A' gap, rather than coming at you and missing you, I just come back, let me go there and just push."

He said it's similar to punt protection and works best against 3-4 defenses because "you can bring so many guys and you have so many different looks that you have to account for. Rather than say we're going to charge this as an offense, let them come to us and when they come we'll take it as it goes."

To read the article, click here.

August 31, 2008

Steelers unveil rejuvenated pass rush

By: Mike Prisuta of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review :

LeBeau's defenses have endeavored over the years to produce pressure through the disguising of coverages and blitzes that rely more on deception than overwhelming numbers.

The plan this year may involve taking deception to another level through the increased use of "walk-around" defenses in passing situations.

The Steelers re-introduced these looks to their defense last season.

While remaining relatively basic in approach this preseason, they featured on occasion defenses in passing situations in which only Smith had has hand on the ground when the ball was snapped.

There's much more where that came from, defensive end Brett Keisel said, if the Steelers can perfect it.

"We have some nice things in place," Keisel said. "Whether we can all get on the same page and use them, I hope so. All that stuff can create a great deal of difficulty for an offense. You don't know who's coming (on a blitz) and that has a nice impact.

"We want to make them think we're doing one thing and do another. That's kinda the way the league is going. It's kind of developing into that type of scheme."

The Steelers approached last season intent on improving their pass rush. Their sacks total fell from 39 to 36 but they wound up No. 1 in the NFL in total defense after finishing ninth in 2006.

The intent for the regular season that begins Sept. 7 against Houston is to ramp up the pressure, pile up the sacks and have fun doing both.

"We're all kind of in a nice competition," Keisel said. "We're all kind of talking to each other about different sack dances and things like that. Hopefully, we can bust those out.

"We expect a lot from ourselves this year as far as getting to the quarterback."

To read the entire article, click here.

Also...

Congrats to Brett's alma mater, BYU, on their victory over Northern Iowa!

August 30, 2008

Which NFL team has the best fans.....

.....who else but the Steelers!

As ESPN's Matt Mosley says,

" Terrible towels, diehard fans, smashmouth ball, three head coaches since '69 -- yup, it's a Burgh thing.

Excerpt from his article, NFL's best fans? We gotta hand it to Steelers (barely):

The only problem with ranking the NFL's 32 fan bases -- other than the sheer insanity of the exercise -- is that someone must finish last. But let's not focus on the Cardinals right now.

The idea to rank the 32 fan bases was hatched by our Committee on Rankings in Bristol, Conn. With the steadfast belief that everything in sports should be quantified on at least a twice-weekly basis, we were off and running. A team of eight esteemed bloggers was asked to rank fans over the past five seasons using scientific criteria such as "Tailgate factor" and "How well do they travel?"

When all was said and done, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers ended up tied for first. But much like the International Gymnastics Federation, we came up with an elaborate tiebreaking process in which Hall of Fame writer John Clayton of ESPN was called upon to keep things above board. Clayton, who grew up in the East Braddock section of Pittsburgh, picked the Steelers, which seems totally fair.

But even without John's gentle nudge, Steelers fans are deserving of the top honor. The decline of the steel industry in the 1970s coincided with the rise of the Steelers dynasty. At a time when the city's collective psyche was taking a major blow, the local football team offered a weekly respite.

A generation of young people left the city to find work elsewhere, but they remained passionate about their hometown team. And that's why your local stadiums are often invaded by a black-and-gold army.

"People save up all year and then plan their vacations around traveling to Steelers games," said native Pittsburgher Bill Hillgrove, a retired local TV icon and the team's radio play-by-play voice the past 15 seasons. "When you arrive at the team hotel, the fans are all waiting in the lobby."

To read the entire article, which also lists where other NFL fans were ranked, click here.

Also, please notice the photo ESPN used for the story-showing a fan with #99's jersey on!

New photo collection

Please be sure to check out the photo gallery for some new photos of Brett. They were taken by photographer Brad Jones at the Minnesota game. Thanks so much to him for sharing them with us!

Click here to see them. They are in the Brad Jones Collection album.

August 29, 2008-late edition

Photos added from Panthers game

I have added some pictures of Brett from the Panthers preseason game.

Click here to view them.

They are in the 2008 Preseason and Regular Season album.

The Brett Keisel fan site would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Labor Day weekend!

August 29, 2008-early edition

Kickoff luncheon signals start of the season

From Teresa Varley's article on Steelers.com :

The excitement for a new football season was in the air on Thursday at the 2008 Steelers Kickoff Luncheon, held at the Pittsburgh Hilton Hotel.

The luncheon, which is hosted by the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, was a chance to introduce the 2008 team and coaches to the fans and sponsors in attendance.

“It’s fun,” said defensive end Brett Keisel. “The fans can see us up close and personal and see our whole team. It’s fun to connect with our fans.

“You know it’s time to go when we have this luncheon. It’s time to gear up and rock and roll. We are excited about this year. We have a good team. We’re excited about where we are going and about this team.”

Players and coaches, who entered the ballroom down the center aisle right in the midst of the crowd, were then introduced to the crowd, with everyone getting a warm welcome but possibly getting the biggest hand was defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau.

To read the entire article, click here .

I added two photos of Brett from the event. Click here to view them. They are in the 2008 Kickoff Luncheon album.

Interview with Keisel...

..I added an interview with Keisel to the Articles section. Click here to read it.

August 28, 2008

Steelers defeat Panthers 19-16

The Steelers ended preseason play tonight by defeating the Panthers 19-16.

Jeff Reed, once again, sealed the win with a field goal.

The Steelers are 3-1 in preseason play.

The first team defense looked good again, holding the Panthers inside the 20-yard-line at one point, forcing them to kick a field goal.

Keisel had 2 solo tackles and one assist during the game.

Brett still feels there is room for improvement :

“I think we still have a lot of room to improve,” said Brett Keisel. “Overall, I’ll give us a B-minus. I want us to go out and dominate people. I want us to go out and play three plays and come sit on the bench and watch the offense. But we had bad field position and we held them to a field goal and that’s a plus.”

To read the whole article, click here .

If I locate any game photos of Brett, I will add them.

Also...

...I added an article written about Brett in 2006. He was featured on the cover of Steelers GameDay, the cover picture is on the right side of this page under Keisel Covers. The article, along with many more articles on Brett is in the Articles section. Click here to read the article from GameDay.

And...

...I added some team photos to the gallery. Check them out here . They are in the Team Photos album.

August 27, 2008

Big year for Keisel and Steelers defense

Jim Wexell, and the Steelers feel that the defense will have a big year. In his article, Pass Rush Taking on Special Look , Wexell writes about why Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel feel the Steelers defense could have a big year:

The Steelers' 36 sacks last season were their lowest since 2003. But that's all about to change because of what might be Dick LeBeau's fastest defense ever.

If the Steelers’ pass rush continues to flash, the NFL’s No. 1 defense last season will have gotten better. Much better. Of course, no one believes it will happen, particularly since Casey Hampton’s too fat, Aaron Smith and James Farrior are too old, Troy Polamalu’s injury-prone, and Brett Keisel was all hype last season.

The Steelers chuckle when they hear these stereotypes, and they hope no one’s expecting the quickness, strength and depth of the pass rush they’re about to unleash this season.

“Leave it alone,” Keisel says of the story idea.

Then again, Keisel couldn’t contain his own optimism.

“I think our defense is so fast; we can do so many things,” he said. “I think if we can live up to our potential this year, we should see some special things.”

Special things?

“Well, leave it alone,” he repeated.

But he was too late. Smith tried a similar tact. “It’s a little early to tell, don’t you think?” he asked. But then even he became lost in his optimism. “From watching practice, yeah, I think we’ve improved,” he said.

A monstrous defensive end, Smith appears to be 100 percent recovered from a biceps injury that knocked him out of the final four games last season (1-3). Known as a run-stopper deluxe, Smith’s been applying pressure and even has a sack this preseason. His counterpart on the 3-4 line, Keisel, is quicker, been more active, and also has a sack.

“I think Brett’s really coming into his own. I think this is the chance for him to have a Pro Bowl year,” Smith said. “He’s feeling more comfortable, more confidence. He’s a great player. It’s just a matter of him maturing.”

Last year, Keisel was the key piece in Dick LeBeau’s new “mixer” defense, in which only Smith put his hand on the ground on passing downs. Keisel roamed and blitzed like a linebacker, and much was expected from him.

“I think he put a lot of pressure on himself, too,” Smith said. “A lot of people said a lot of good stuff and all of the sudden he felt like he had to live up to it.”

But Keisel, while leading the team with 31 QB hurries, had only two sacks. And now, few are expecting much more.

“But I think he’s going to be a surprise for some people,” Smith said. “I think he’s really come on strong this last camp. He had an unbelievable camp in practices. There aren’t too many guys who can block him in practice.”

And these are just the defensive ends. While Smith and Keisel have more speed than any other pair of 3-4 ends in the league, real pressure is the domain of the Steelers’ linebackers. With camp phenom Lawrence Timmons thrown into the mix, and LaMarr Woodley replacing Clark Haggans, and James Harrison proving he was not a late-blooming fluke last season, the Steelers are poised to post their best sacks total since the 2005 championship season, when they had 47.

“Timmons, he’s a freak. He’s so fast,” said Keisel. “Woodley is so strong and quick for his size, too. Yeah, those guys could help us a lot. Teams can key on one side. They’ll chip and double like offenses do. So, if you’re solid all over the place, and you don’t know who’s coming or who’s going, it opens it all up.

“I watched the tape last week, where we had eight guys in the box and Aaron was the only one down. That’s hard to pick up. If some guy messes up one little thing, you have that opening to make a play. Hopefully we can do that.” With eight first-half sacks in three preseason games, compared to six first-half sacks in the first four preseason games last year, Coach Mike Tomlin has gone so far as to say, “I like where our pass rush is.”

And LeBeau, the mad scientist of a coordinator, has hedged any retirement plans because “some of our young guys are showing a penchant for blitzing effectively” and “if we play defense like we did last year, it’s going to be hard to give it up.”

By any statistical research or “video evidence,” as Tomlin likes to say, the pass rush has improved. And that could lead the Steelers to the “special things" they haven't seen since 2005.

August 26, 2008

With age comes experience

The media talked the entire offseason, and during training camp, about how the Steelers defense were an aging bunch.

Every news story brought up the ages of the veteran players, and speculated on whether they could still play effectively.

Well, after the first team defense's play against the Vikings, I think the question was answered!

Ed Bouchette of the Post Gazette wrote:

Steelers defensive linemen think 30 is the new 25.

Saturday night, they took a step toward making converts out of skeptics by shutting down Minnesota's Adrian Peterson, Chester Taylor and the NFL's No. 1 running team from last season.

The old guys up front, with a good supporting crew behind them, held the Vikings to 17 yards rushing in the first half -- 11 by Peterson and 5 by Taylor.

Defensive End, Aaron Smith had this to say:

"Actually, I think age is to our benefit because we have experience," Smith said. "Guys can rotate and get in there and play. If you have young backups, sometimes they don't know what they're doing when they get into a game. At least now with the veterans you know what to expect and how they'll perform."

Brett Keisel was also asked how he felt about the age comments,

"I feel like I'm a spring buck," said Keisel, and on this line he is.

"Besides Nick, I'm the youngest guy out there right now.

"We are young bucks, though. I still feel good, like I'm still improving. I think we still play really well up front. Obviously, we had some slipups last year but we've held ourselves to a high standard and I think we've done pretty good with that."

To read the entire story, click here .

Also,

I want to thank Kyrsten for the picture listed with this story!

She attended the game in Minnesota and was lucky enough to actually have her #99 jersey autographed by Keisel.

She may share her story, and some pictures with us later.

August 24, 2008

High praise for Steelers defense

Jeff Reed scored the only points for the Steelers during their game against Minnesota, but it is the play of the first team defense that everyone is talking about today.

From Scott Brown of the Tribune-Review :

The Vikings managed just one touchdown in the almost three quarters they played against the Steelers’ first-team defense. And the Steelers dominated the line of scrimmage, shutting down Minnesota’s running back tandem of Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor while sacking quarterback Gus Frerotte three times in a 12-10 win over the Vikings in front of a sellout crowd of 62,625.

And...from John Harris, also of the Tribune-Review :

As advertised, the Steelers promised to pretend that Saturday night's preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings was actually a regular-season contest.

The Steelers were most dangerous when they had only two defensive linemen on the field, Smith and right end Brett Keisel. The formation worked best in obvious passing situations, which was a tribute to the Steelers and their ability to stifle dangerous running back Adrian Peterson.

To read the whole article, click here .

I added some pictures from the game to the gallery. Click here to check them out! They are in the 2008 Season and Preseason album. I will keep adding pictures as I get them, so be sure to check back!

I also have received some messages from Keisel fans that I wanted to post for other fans to read:

"Hey, keep up the good work. I expect you to be giving opposing QB's nightmares this season!"-Jackie, CA.

"Diesel, have a great season! Can't wait to see you torturing offenses!"-J.R.-serving in Iraq.

"WAY TO GO BRETT, GREAT GAME !!!"- Tina, WV

"Way to go Steelers defense! Showing why you are the best in the business! Keisel-have a great season. We're rooting for you in North Carolina." Jeff, N.C.

"I am ready to get the season going and will catch all the games I can. I will wave my Terrible Towel and #99 jersey proudly!" David-serving in Iraq.

"Keisel you are a monster on the field! Keep up the good work-love watching you play. Go Steelers!" Lisa, NY.

"We all know Brett was the top fisherman on his trip with Ben! Have a great season Steelers!" Dan, WA.

I will post more during the season!

Brett certainly has fans from all over!

August 23, 2008

Defense holds Vikings to 10 points

The Steelers won their preseason game against the Vikings 12-10.

Jeff Reed scored all of the points off field goals.

The first team defense were all over Vikings QB Gus Frerotte, sacking him three times.

Keisel had three tackles during the time he was in the game.

The game story can be read here .

I will also post game pictures later tomorrow.

August 21, 2008

Keisel talks about Farrior's new contract

When asked how Keisel felt about teammate James Farrior being signed to a 5-year deal with the Steelers he said:

"He means everything to (the defense)." He's the heart and soul of our defense. He makes all the right calls, puts everyone in the right situations. We're all happy he'll be here a little bit longer."

To read the whole article on Farrior's contract, click here.

And...

..I added some new pictures to the Fan Pictures album-thanks to Alison!

To view them, click here , and then click on Fan Pictures.

FYI..

..the game Saturday versus Minnesota will be televised on CBS. Gametime is set for 8:00 p.m.

Since it is the third preseason game, we will probably see the starters getting more time on the field.

Also, the last preseason game against the Panthers will now start at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30 p.m.

August 20, 2008

New pictures added.....

....from training camp and the first two preseason games!

Sorry for the delay in updates. I am back from vacation so I will be getting the site updated as quickly as possible.

Click here to view the latest additions to the Training Camp and Preseason 2008 photo galleries.

As seen in the photo above, Keisel caused some trouble for Bills quarterback J.P. Losman. The Steelers lost the game 24-21. The next game is this Saturday, against the Minnesota Vikings.

Some comments from Scout.com regarding Keisel:

Brett Keisel adds pass-rushing speed not usually found in 3-4 ends.

DE Brett Keisel, the team leader in QB pressures last season, had another one early on Donovan McNabb. One of the top scouts here thinks Keisel’s a tremendous asset to the defense, that he’s another guy with speed, and thinks he’s going to have a great year.

Also,

I just have to say congratulations to Michael Phelps-8 gold medals is amazing!

Congrats to him and all the Olympic participants!

August 9, 2008

Calling all pet lovers (and Keisel fans)

Animal Care and Welfare is sponsoring a rabies and microchip clinic today!

It will be held from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at PAWS HERE AWHILE PET RESORT located at 316 NOLL ROAD, GEORGETOWN, PA.

You can bring in your dog or cat for their rabies shots, to be microchipped, or for other services.

You can also enter a raffle to win a football autographed by Brett Keisel!

There will be dog yards and pools for your pet to play in, and you can support animal welfare.

For more information, click here .

Be sure to check the link for times for the events and costs.

Sorry for the short notice on the event, but I was just notified this morning.

August 8, 2008

Steelers kick the preseason off with a win

The Steelers played their first preseason game of the 2008 season tonight.

They defeated the Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 16-10.

Roethlisberger led the first team offense down the field on the opening drive of the game.

The drive ended with a TD pass to Santonio Holmes.

The first team offense and defense saw very limited play.

The back-ups and rookies got the most playing time, and unfortunately back-up quarterback Charlie Batch was injured.

Early reports say he broke his collarbone and could miss at least one month.

More news on the game is available in the Team News section.

I added a picture of Keisel from the game to the photo gallery and will add any others I locate.

To view the picture, click here .

FYI...

I will be on vacation beginning tomorrow for a week.

I had hoped to be able to update the site while away, but the mobile set-up may not work as well as I'd hoped. So, it's possible I may not update the site for a week.

I should be able to update the MySpace page with photos and some news, so you can check there periodically.

I apologize for the inconvenience.

Be sure to check back though, as I will add all the updates when I return!

August 7, 2008

countdown to first preaseason game is on

It's hard to believe that the first preseason game of 2008 is less than 24 hours away!

Coach Tomlin has already announced that the starters will probably not see more than a series or two.

So, we will see a lot of action from the rookies and back-up players.

Practice today was closed, so no pictures are available, as of yet.

I will post any of Brett that I locate later.

The first preseason game is against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Game time is 7:30 p.m. at Heinz Field.

It will be shown on KDKA and FSN-Pittsburgh. NFL Network may also air the game.

WDVE-Steelers Radio Network should also have the audio. You can check that out at WDVE.

Just click on Listen Live, and if they have the feed it should play.

To read some game notes, click here.

Update....

Each day I am moving many of the older news stories from this page to the archives. You can visit the archives page by clicking at the top of this page on "Archives", or at the bottom of the page on "Archives."

August 6, 2008-late edition

Keisel on Savran on SportsBeat today

Brett was interviewed today by Stan Savran, of Savran on SportsBeat on FSN.

Savran talked with Brett about the upcoming season, Coach Tomlin, Brett's son, and.... the dentist?

Highlights of the interview are transcribed below.

Savran begins the interview by saying Brett has his sunglasses.

Savran:

"He's wearing my sunglasses!!" (Brett takes his time putting on the sunglasses).

On the shirt:

Savran:

"Look at that, he is wearing our "McDonalds High School Football on FSN" t-shirt! You are a true company guy!"

Brett:

"I support the home team, you know that!" (Brett displays his FSN-Pittsburgh t-shirt)

On the baby and the dentist:

Savran:

"How ya doin' Brett?"

Brett:

"Great, thanks for having me back, Buddayyy!"

Savran:

"First thing, big change in your life, you are a dad now! Tell me about that."

Brett:

"Greatest thing that's ever happened to me. I have such love for that little man, it's crazy! But Jacob Cassius, he's gettin' big, almost 20 pounds and he's only 4 months old...so he might be like his daddy, we'll see."

Savran:

"I hope he's a good hooper and a good football player."

" Now, it turns out that we go to the same dentist's office - they told me, this guy, 6'5, big...is the biggest baby they have ever had to deal with. They always have to give him a little lollipop...now, what is with that?"

Brett:

I like lollipops after the dentist, what's wrong with that? I need some sugar, my mouth's all numb, I need something to suck on for the drool, you know!"

On how things are going so far:

Brett:

"We know what to expect from Mike, he knows what to expect from us, it's a good camp. It's three weeks, which is fabulous. I think things are going really well. I have seen alot of great things from the young players that we have right now which is nice to see. We need that. We need guys to come in and be a force on special teams."

On him being asked about going back to special teams:

Brett:

"Absolutely. they have talked to me, there is definitely a chance you will see me running down the field on some kickoffs again, just like old times. I told them a long time ago that would be something I would be interested in doing and if they need my help out there, I would be more than willing to do it."

Savran:

"Alot of times they play you from a 2-point stance, is that going to continue? Were you comfortable doing that? Other teams have done it with incredible athletes so...."

Brett:

"Thanks Stan, that's really sweet of you! I might have to give you a kiss for that!"

Savran:

" Uh, I can't run that far....can I get a head start?"

Brett laughs....and answers the question:

"You're going to get alot of that this year. We are all more comfortable - last year was the the first time we had done it, we are all more comfortable now, we understand the defense, I think it's really going to pose a threat to offenses week in and week out."

On Mike Tomlin and being mentally tough -

"I think he has a great feel for us. I think we are all getting a better understanding of what he wants, he's getting a better understanding of us and noticing when we need breaks, when we don't need breaks, when he need a push us or when he needs to come off. I think it's going to be a tough schedule and a good year."

Last question:

Savran:

"Last thing - nobody likes to be away from their family, nobody likes to be away from their newborn, but your wife is the one who has to get up with him at two in the morning...is it a little more peaceful being up here and not having to deal with that?"

Brett:

"It is, but I would take watching him anytime of the day...he is a great baby. We have been blessed, he sleeps through the night, takes good naps, doesn't blow out his diaper too much..."

Savran (laughs):

"That's all right, we hear the same thing about you!"

Brett:

"Easy...easy...."

Savran:

"Brett, thank you very much, have a great season, looking forward to seeing you!"

Brett:

"Thank you!"

To check out screen captures from Brett's interview, click here . Then click on the Savran on SportsBeat album.

****Huge thanks to Erin, from Big Ben News, for doing ALL the screen caps and transcribing the interview for us!****

FYI...

..Big Ben News is still experiencing site problems but Erin is working to get them resolved. As previously mentioned, her photo gallery is still up so all new pictures of Roethlisberger are updated daily!

To access her photo gallery, click here.

August 6, 2008-morning update

Keisel returned to practice Tuesday

Ed Bouchette, of the Post Gazette, reported that Keisel did return to practice yesterday. As did many of the veterans who sat out the day prior.

And...

the story to go along with the funny Brett and Ben camera picture from yesterdays's practice....

James Walker, of ESPN.com said,

"During some down time in practice, Roethlisberger asked a photographer if he could borrow their camera to take some live shots of special teams.

Teammate and defensive end Brett Keisel then jumped in front of the tri-pod.

"Oh, no," Roethlisberger said as he jumped back from the lens. "That is waaaay too scary."

I found a close-up of the picture which is shown above. The full picture can still be seen in the photo gallery.

August 5, 2008

The defense prevails again

For the second time, the defense won the goal-line drill during practice.

Meaning they are undefeated!

To read the article about the goal-line drill, click here.

I have added some new camp photos to the photo gallery.

Be sure to check out the picture showing what happens when Brett and Ben take over camera duties!

The photo is in the training camp section of the Photo Gallery .

Also...

I want to send a very special thank you to Mrs. Keisel for sending us some photos of Brett.

Check out the Greybull/BYU and Miscellaneous Photo albums for the pictures!

She also sent some magazine covers Brett was featured on, and a BYU football card. They are displayed on the right side of this page.

I will be adding an article from the magazine soon.

One more thing...

I have received numerous emails regarding the story from July 29-Who is the better fisherman?

All here say Keisel definitely won-but I am sure Ben's fans on his site may not agree!

August 4, 2008

Second week of training camp underway

Week one of camp is over, and now we are looking forward to the first pre-season game on August 8.

News out of camp today stated that Monday was a day off for some veteran players.

Some reports stated the players sat out due to minor injuries, but also to give the veterans a well-deserved break.

Keisel was reported to be one of the veterans who did not practice today.

I added a couple pictures from training camp to the photo gallery-click here to see them.

I also added some great pictures taken by a fan who attended training camp last week.

Ryno allowed me to post them here. They are in the photo gallery under Fan Pictures so be sure to check them out.

August 3, 2008

Keisel happy being the underdog

Brett Keisel is not worried about those who say the Browns are the team to beat in the AFC North.

He told the Herald Tribune, "We like being the underdog. When you're the underdog, you've got something to prove," ... "We're happy where we're at; we're happy with our team."

Sounds like being called the underdog suits Keisel just fine!

Teammate Aaron Smith summed it up by saying,

"Predictions don't mean anything, until you line them up."

To read the entire article, click the Herald Tribune link above.

I have added some more camp pictures. Click here to view.

Also..

Tomlin gave Keisel and many veteran players the morning off from practice Saturday!

And..

Chalk one up for the defense! Check out the Team News from today to find out why.

August 1, 2008

Keisel's 2008 official photo

The official Steelers individual photos are out for 2008.

And, the Steelers had their first night practice tonight!

Tomlin promised it would be a great practice for the fans.

I will update the photo gallery, and any other Keisel news from camp when it becomes available.

July 31, 2008-late edition

Big Ben News site update and new pictures added

I know many visitors here also visit Big Ben News.

Erin and I are friends, and I wanted to let everyone know that the site program for Big Ben News has been experiencing some problems recently.

She is unable to do any updates, but is working on the problem and hopes to have it corrected by the weekend.

Luckily, she can still update the photo gallery. So, you can still view all the latest training camp photos, or any other photos in the gallery.

Erin appreciates your patience while she works to get the program fixed, and I will update you when I hear anything else.

Click here to visit the Big Ben photo gallery.

And...

I have updated the Keisel photo gallery with training camp pictures from today.

July 31, 2008

And...the picture blitz continues!

I have updated the gallery with more photos from day 3 of training camp.

I also added a photo Lexi from Big Ben News sent. She was able to attend training camp today, and snapped a photo of #99 for us.

Thanks Lexi!

To view photos from training camp and fan pictures, click here. Then click on Training Camp 2008 to see the pictures from camp, or scroll down to Fan Pictures to see the photo Lexi sent.

I also added some news from day 3 of camp. Click here to read the article. It mentions a TD scored by Nate Washington, but contested by Keisel.

FYI...

There will be no morning practice thursday.

Also...

Since the Steelers are taking a break from practice this morning, I thought I'd add some non-football news and photos.

Guitar Hero Championship?

No, the guys are not participating in a Guitar Hero championship, (although it looks like they know a thing or two about the game).

Keisel and teammates appeared on television in November 2007 on CMT.

They sang "Are You Ready for Some Football?" as a tribute to Hank Williams Jr. who was being honored on CMT.

I am not sure their singing skills would make it on American Idol, but they definitely entertained everyone-including themselves!

To see screen captures from the show, click here.

Then click on T.V. Guest Appearances.

Thanks to Erin for the screen caps!

I will add photos from the afternoon practice when they are available.

July 30, 2008

Who says big guys aren't fast?

Mike Prisuta with the Pittsburgh Tribune reports:

"Keisel easily won the "big guys" heat of Sunday's conditioning test, sprinting past quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who had opted to run with the linemen, and outdistancing most of the rest of the field by half the football field on his eighth and final 100-yard dash."

WAY TO GO KEISEL!

To read the entire article, which also talks about Brett's possible return to special teams, click here.

Also,

I added more training camp pics to the Photo Gallery.

July 29, 2008-late edition

So, who is the better fisherman?

John Shumway, of KDKA attempts to determine just who is the better fisherman...Brett or Ben?

He starts off by asking Brett about his offseason workout schedule.

Keisel said he usually works out 2-3 hours daily.

Shumway goes on to say that Keisel and his family spent alot of the offseason in Wyoming (where Brett is from).

Keisel said he always enjoys going home and being with his family and friends..and forgetting about football for a little while.

Shumway had spoken with Roethlisberger during the offseason after Ben's football camp. Ben said he was heading to Wyoming to go on a camping trip with Keisel.

Shumway said Ben had been low key about the trip, telling him they caught a couple fish.

Anyone who knows Keisel or Roethlisberger knows of their competitive spirit on the field...and off.

When Brett was asked about the trip he said, "We did catch several fish and rode some horses, saw some beautiful country. It was a blast. "

But, the question we all want to know...WHO WAS THE BETTER FISHERPERSON (as Shumway put it)?

Keisel's reply, "I am, of course! I'm always better..I'm better at fishing, better at shooting hoops, I'm better at everything."

John Shumway asks if Ben would say the same.

"No"... is Keisel's reply (said while laughing).

To listen to the interview, click here.

I will also add some screen captures from the interview to the training camp Photo Gallery.

It will be interesting to see what answer Ben gives when asked about the camping trip! Somehow I doubt we'll ever know for sure who caught more fish, but my guess is Keisel!

Thanks so much to Jackie, one of Keisel's biggest fans, for sending me the interview!

July 29, 2008

Brett Keisel not bothered by the heat

KDKA reports that on day two of Steelers training camp the players are in for a very tough workout especially with the mix of the heat and the humidity with the twice-a-day practices.

Players were going for the water as temperatures climbed into the 80s today.

When Brett Keisel was interviewed about the heat he said, "It's gonna get hot today it feels like. But, so far it's been great. I mean I looked at the forecast and it was around the 80's all week, so we'll take that anyday."

To read the entire article and listen to the interview, click here.

I also made some screen captures from the interview and will keep adding pictures from camp as they become available.

Click the Photo Gallery to view the training camp pictures.

Also today, the team unfortunately lost punter Danny Sepulveda for the season due to a torn ACL.

Read more news on the team here.

July 28, 2008-late edition

Welcome to the Keisel picture blitz!

Well, the Steelers, fans, and media have officially taken over Labrobe.

Camp was swarming with the media and fans trying to capture every moment of training camp.

Brett had several interviews, and I have posted the links to each one I found. Two are in today's earlier news.

Click here for an interview with WTAE.

I have also updated the Photo Gallery with training camp pictures and screen captures I made from the WTAE interview.

Click here to get to the pictures, and then click on Training Camp 2008.

Enjoy the photos and interviews!

July 28, 2008

Additional roles for Keisel?

Steelers training camp 2008 is in full swing!

The players reported July 27, 2008 and completed their annual run tests.

While there were a few set backs, the players all were reported to be in good condition and ready to start camp.

Mike Prisuta, of the Tribune-Review reports that Keisel may be taking on an additional role this season.

According to Prisuta, Keisel revealed that he was told to report to camp in great shape (which he did) because his presence may be required, once again, covering kickoffs.

I recall an interview last season where Keisel said he would volunteer to go back on kickoff coverage, and analysts and fans agreed they would love to see him there.

So, we just may see it this season!

For the Prisuta interview, click here.

Prisuta's interview also discusses some surprises that happened at camp today.

For information on the first practice, visit the Team News section.

Also today,

WPXI interviewed Keisel regarding Casey Hampton.

To watch the video, click here.

Keisel also spoke with KDKA telling them,

"He (Casey Hampton) just had a couple too many marshmallows, he’s alright – it’ll be fine.

Today I saw him over there- he was running the whole practice so I’m sure the weight will just come running off."

Then, on a serious note, Brett added, "Casey will be ready to go when the season starts, we all know that. We're all supporting him and he'll be fine."

Thanks so much to Jan from Steelers News Network for sending over the screen capture and interview of Brett from KDKA!

July 24, 2008

Couple new pics added

I added a new section to the photo gallery, which displays a couple Keisel football cards. To view them click here. Then click on Football Cards.

I also added a new pic of Brett from his BYU days. It is on this page on the right hand side (it's also in the Photo Gallery under Greybull and BYU). I have received some emails from BYU fans asking why there are not many pics from his college days, so I will see what else I can find!

Again, I want to thank everyone for all the great emails I have received! Brett certainly has a great following!

I also added a new article to the team news page. Click here to read it.

Some of the previous news stories have been moved to the archives.

You can find the archives page link at the bottom of this page, or just click here.

July 17, 2008

Offenses better watch out for Keisel this season

James Pete, from MVN, discussed the Steelers defensive line in his latest blog.

"A case could be made that the front three of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense are one of the best units in the NFL."

Defensive Tackle Casey Hampton, and Defensive Ends Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel form a perfect Dick LeBeau front-line. They are staunch against the run, but can break free and make plays in the backfield if the blitz is working correctly."

In regards to Keisel, Pete says:

"Brett Keisel signed a new deal before last season, and many speculated that he was going to be placed in a role similar to former Ravens end Adalius Thomas.

That didn’t happen as much as Dick LeBeau would have liked, but look for things to change this season.

Already this year, there’s been more speculation that Keisel, LaMarr Woodley, James Harrison and in some cases, Lawrence Timmons and Bruce Davis, will all have opportunities to move around.

Keisel is truly solid against the run, and consistently leads the Steelers in hurries, even if he doesn’t get to the quarterback. He can overpower linemen, but his strength is the speed into the backfield.

He uses his mobility and speed to beat the linemen to a spot in the backfield, and disrupting the action.

The typical Steelers defensive linemen absorbs the offensive line (see Casey Hampton) to allow the linebackers through in blitz-schemes. Keisel can absorb, but is best on the move. Look for more of that this year, with a better group of linebackers behind him."

Pete goes on to say, " I think Keisel is primed to have a break-out year. This year’s version of the Steelers linebacking crew should give him more opportunity to move around. If he can play in that Thomas, Vrabel mold, he could be dangerous."

To read the entire article, click here.

Keisel will definitely be exciting to watch this season! Unless you are a fan of the opposing team, of course.

July 4, 2008

HAPPY JULY 4TH!!

The Brett Keisel fan site wishes everyone a happy and safe holiday weekend!

Training camp is just around the corner, so be sure to stop back to check out the latest pictures & updates from camp!

Also...

June 29, 2008

Announcing the newest Steelers rookie.....

AKEEM HAVENS!!!

ESPN aired their first My Wish segment for 2008 today.

Akeem's story is in both the May 29 and June 26 news.

I have included screen captures of Brett meeting Havens, and of Brett and the Steelers defense attempting to stop Havens from scoring his first TD.

The defense tried their best, but were unsuccessful, as Havens scored.

This will be the only time Coach LeBeau is ok with his defense allowing a TD!

To view the pictures of Brett with Akeem, click here.

Then click on the My Wish 2008 gallery.

To read more, and to watch a video of the My Wish segment, visit ESPN.

The smiles on Akeems's and his families faces conveyed how special this day was for them. The Steelers organization gives us yet another reason to be proud Pittsburgh fans!

I want to say a special thanks to Erin, at Big Ben News, for doing the screen caps for me! Visit her site to view pictures of Akeem with Ben Roethlisberger!

June 26, 2008

Must-See TV

From Scott Brown's column, View from the Press Box:

Steelers fans (or even just jaded sports fans) should do themselves a favor and watch SportsCenter on ESPN this Sunday at 11 a.m.

ESPN is airing the first segment in its latest “My Wish” series, and Sunday it will feature 14-year-old Akeem Havens, who spent a day with the Steelers last month.

Havens is a quadriplegic, and the Flowery Branch, Ga., resident got about as raw a deal as life can deliver. He was in a car accident when he was 7 or 8 years old and even though he had been wearing a seat belt Havens still ended up in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Somewhere along the way Ben Roethlisberger became his favorite athlete and Havens got more than he could have dreamed for when he requested, through Make-A-Wish Foundation, a chance to play video games with the Steelers quarterback.

Roethlisberger and his teammates treated Havens as if he were one of them for a day -- the Steelers even staged a press conference to announce his signing to the team -- and I can only imagine what a thrill it was for Havens to experience something like that.

Reporters here that day weren’t privy to everything Havens did with the Steelers, but I’m sure ESPN will do a good job of taking viewers through the day that Havens will never forget as well as capturing how much it meant to him and his family.

Programming note: The date for the airing is listed as June 29th, but the times vary. ESPN is reporting that the segment will air at 6:00p.m.-but other places are saying it will air in the morning. The only consistent news is that the segment will air June 29th!

I posted an article about Akeem's day with the Steelers (located in archives-May 29 news), along with a picture of Brett and Havens.

June 24, 2008

The end of the OTA pictures.....

I added the last of the Offseason conditioning/OTA pictures today.

Don't worry.. training camp will be here soon-ending the photo drought!

To view the new pictures, click here.

Then click on the Offseason Conditioning 2008 album.

Enjoy!

June 17, 2008

Keisel wants more sacks in 2008

In an interview with Pro Football Weekly, Keisel said he would like to improve on his sack total from last season.

Steelers DRE Brett Keisel knows that defensive linemen in the Pittsburgh defensive scheme aren’t judged solely on their statistics.

“All of us know our defense is not made for us to make a lot of plays,” Keisel told PFW.

[DL coach John Mitchell] tells us, ‘I don’t care if you don’t make one play. Do your job.’ ”

All the same, Keisel wants to improve upon the two sacks he posted a season ago.

“I got close a lot last year,” he said. “I want to finish those plays.”

Keisel, 29, enters his third year as a starter after four seasons as a reserve.

Picking up Dick LeBeau’s defense, he said, is easier said than done, noting that he's seeing some of the Steelers' young defensive linemen having to work hard to pick up the scheme.

“His defense is awesome,” Keisel said, “but it can be complex. It took me about three years (to get comfortable).”

As a whole, the defense is looking to bounce back after struggling somewhat in the final weeks of the ’07 season. “We’ve learned from it,” Keisel said.

Also...

Brett talks about Aaron Smith's progress after his season-ending injury last year.

The article is in the Team News.

And...

I have added a few more pictures from the Hines Ward celebrity softball game Brett played in recently.

They can be seen in the Hines Ward celebrity softball game album.

June 15, 2008

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Father's Day!

Enjoy the day!

Also...

The Steelers finished up their last OTA this week. They will resume practice at training camp. Players report July 27.

To view training camp dates, click here.

For detailed training camp info, click here.

The latest OTA pictures of Brett can be seen in the Offseason Conditioning 2008 album.

June 10, 2008

The Steelers show off their bowling skills

Coach Tomlin decided to hold practice "off" the field on Tuesday.

The coaches, players, and Steelers personnel, hit the bowling lanes instead of the practice field.

The group showcased their bowling skills, and enjoyed a buffet lunch.

Evidently, the guys are just as competitive bowling as they are playing football!

They all looked determined to win as they took to the lanes.

Punter Danny Sepulveda had the best score, a 237, which was a big improvement from last year.

Danny admitted he was a bit upset with his poor score the year before, so he's been practicing so he could beat out this teammates. He even carries his own bowling ball and shoes with him!

To view a slideshow of the team bowling, click here.

Also, I have moved some of the previous news stories to the archives page.

You can find the archives page link at the bottom of this page, or just click here.

June 9, 2008

Steelers, Local Celebs Play Softball For Charity

The Steelers and local celebrities turned out to play a Pittsburgh Celebrity Softball game hosted by Hines Ward.

Ward, Ben Roethlisberger, Brett Keisel, and other players were on hand for the event held at North Allegheny High School.

The event raised money for the Hines Ward Helping Hands Foundation and Pittsburgh city schools.

Brett played on the black team (Team Hines). They lost to Ben Roethlisberger's gold team 15-13.

I vote for a rematch!

To view more photos of Brett at the game, check out the Photo gallery

For a slideshow of the game, click here

June 6, 2008

New photos added!

I have added some new pictures to all of the football season albums. I have also added a couple new albums, so check out the Photo gallery!

I really appreciate all the positive emails I have received from Keisel fans regarding the pictures and articles!

I am still adding content, and will update as quickly as possible.

Special thanks to Erin for sending more photos my way-including the Keisel Kam pic shown this week!

June 4, 2008

Kudos for Keisel

Rich Briggs, of the Weekly Recorder, mentioned an encounter with Brett during a basketball game this past winter. Mr. Briggs was announcing a game where Brett and some Steeler teammates were playing basketball for area fundraisers.

The Steelers play basketball games for charities at local schools during the offseason.

Briggs had this to say regarding Brett:

"On the heels of my two columns regarding manners and looking out for young people, my school hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers basketball team last Saturday night in a fundraiser, despite the snowy conditions.

At halftime, one of the players, Brett Keisel, decided to sit next to me, as I was announcing the game at our scorer’s table, while signing autographs for some of the fans in attendance.

I will go on record as saying that Brett Keisel is one of the nicest guys to wear the Black and Gold. He was very personable and was great with the fans.

However, I noticed one thing that bothered me. There were a number of young people, with their parents, or a parent, who asked Mr. Keisel to autograph an item. He did so without hesitation, yet I rarely heard a thank you from these young people, and even from some so called adults.

I blame the adults in this instance for not telling these young people to say thank you to Mr. Keisel for signing their items.

He was most gracious no matter the situation, but I had a hard time with these people not even saying thanks, saying it half-heartedly, or not correcting their children for not saying thanks.

It was the least they could do, especially since the players did come out in such horrible conditions, even though the event had been planned for two months.

To Brett Keisel, I say thank you for being warm, generous, and friendly. The Steelers are fortunate to have you, as we all are in the Pittsburgh Region."

***I also attended a game where Brett played basketball to support his teammate Ben Roethlisberger's hometown athletic department.

The story is further down on this page-April 5, 2008.

I noticed how gracious and friendly Brett was with the fans. They surrounded him every time he came to the sidelines. He signed as many autographs as he could before the break ended. He also signed autographs after the game ended.

And, this was not a regular Steelers basketball game, where the players are supposed to stay after and sign autographs. There was no formal autograph session, yet he stayed anyhow.

***Many people around me commented on how impressed they were with how well he interacted with the crowd. He joked around and really seemed to be enjoying himself. And again, this was all to support his teammates charity, not his own.***

May 29, 2008

Keisel and teammates help Ben Roethlisberger fulfill a teen's dream.

Ben Roethlisberger always has the help of his teammates on the field, but today they helped him in a different way.

Brett and teammates helped Ben grant Akeem Havens wish of becoming an honorary member of the Pittsburgh Steelers team.

KDKA gives an account of how Havens spent his day:

Akeem Havens, of Georgia, spent the day with Big Ben at Steelers Headquarters on the South Side.

He was also signed on as part of the Pittsburgh Steelers Rookie Class of 2008 and attended practice with the entire team.

"It's just one of the best things I've done," said Havens, "probably one of the 'funnest' days of my life."

Havens was paralyzed and is suffering from kidney failure from an accident that he was in at the age of 7.

On Wednesday, Havens was treated to a tour of Heinz Field and a visit to the Sports Museum.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Pennsylvania and Southern West Virginia is celebrating 25 years of making the dreams come true for children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Ben's teammates took pictures with Akeem and spent time talking with him.

To view other pictures of Brett with children from the Make-A-Wish Foundation click here.

Then click on the Make-A-Wish album.

To see pictures of Akeem with Ben Roethlisberger, please visit Big Ben News.

May 28, 2008

Keisel helps tackle the childhood obesity epidemic

Brett Keisel and teammates helped children stay in shape by teaching them how to punt, pass, and kick recently.

The children were able to watch how the pros do it, and then show off their own skills for the players.

Keisel has been part of the What Moves U campaign for awhile now.

WHAT MOVES U is a curriculum-based activity program designed to fight the childhood obesity epidemic by motivating middle school students to get up and move. Under the program, teachers incorporate physical activity into their lesson plans to help children become more fit while they learn.

The WHAT MOVES U program was developed by the NFL and the American Heart Association to encourage children to adopt a healthy lifestyle. The statewide program is sponsored by the departments of Health and Education, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Keisel is a firm believer in keeping in shape, and has donated his time over the last couple years to helping kids learn how to exercise and stay in shape.

“As a player I need to eat well and exercise, and using these tools to be a role model and inspire our children to be healthy is a great passion of mine,” said Brett Keisel. “This program teaches students that they don’t have to be a professional athlete to incorporate physical activity into their everyday lives.”

You can visit the Articles and Photo Gallery sections to view more on Keisel's involvement with the program!

For more photos from the Punt, Pass, and Kick event click here.

They are located in the Punt, Pass, and Kick album.

May 27, 2008

Proud daddy

If Keisel seems to be walking around with a permanent grin on his face these days, it is not due to his latest sack or tackle.

It's too early in the offseason for sacks and tackles, but Keisel certainly has reason to be happy.

Tribune-Review writer, Scott Brown, in his column, View from the Press Box, reported that Brett, and his wife Sarah, welcomed to their family a baby boy in March.

Brown wrote, "Defensive end Brett Keisel is a daddy.The glow on Keisel's face when he talked about his son, who was born in March, is all you need to see to conclude that fatherhood agrees with him."

Could this bring another Keisel to the Steelers in 2030?

Too soon to tell at this point, but it sounds like Brett is definitely a proud daddy!

Congratulations to the Keisel family!

May 20, 2008

No rest for Keisel

Keisel talking with Coach Tomlin during Organized Team Activities (OTA's) on May 20, 2008.

Today was a return to off-season voluntary training, and many players attended. It is more for the rookies, but many veterans (Brett included) practiced also.

To read more about today's practice, visit the Team News.

To view pictures from offseason workouts, mini camp, and this weeks OTA's, click here. They are located in the Offseason Conditioning album.

May 19, 2008

A LUCKY fan!

I received this picture from Jennifer Gralak. She and her husband attended a Monday night football game last season.

As you can tell, she had a great location to meet and greet the team.....

And, she was lucky enough to see Keisel coming by. In this picture he is actually giving her his arm band!

Very lucky woman!

Jennifer had a couple other pictures of Brett from the game, and they can be seen here.

Click on the album entitled, Monday Night Football-Jennifer Gralak.

** Jennifer also shared some pictures of Ben Roethlisberger from that game. They can be seen at Big Ben News in their photo gallery!**

Thanks so much to Jennifer for sharing her photos!

May 18, 2008

Keisel "struts" to benefit Animal Welfare

Brett and his family took part in the Mighty Mutts Dog Show on May 18, 2008.

He was the lead dog walker for the Mutt Strutt, and joined many other dog owners in a walk to benefit Animal Welfare.

The weather did not seem to dampen any spirits as everyone had a great time with their families.

To see a larger view of the picture above, and others of Brett at the event, click here.

May 17, 2008

Before he became a Steeler...

This photo is from 1997- Brett's senior year at Greybull High School, in Greybull, Wyoming.

Brett mentioned in an interview that their team went 8-2 his senior year.

Wonder if Brett had any idea that he'd go on to win a Superbowl?

If he listened to the people in his town, he should have known he'd go on to become a top NFL player.

Most of his coaches realized he was destined to excel, and they were right!

To view a larger version of this picture click here. Once on the gallery page, click on Greybull High School and then click on the smaller picture to enlarge it.

I also added a picture of Brett from his days at BYU to the gallery with the Greybull picture!

Special thanks to David Bernard, from Greybull, Wyoming, for sending me the high school photo!

May 10, 2008

Brett Keisel and the Steelers Basketball team visit Mars High School

Keisel and the Steelers basketball team visited Mars High School on May 10, 2008.

They played against a team of Mars coaches.

Everyone had a good time at the game, and the Steelers players autographed all sorts of things for the fans after the game-including a cell phone and a shoe!

Keisel had at least one dunk, and threw several long passes all the way from the side of the opposing team to his teammate at their end of court. Passes were right on target and ended in scores each time.

Courtesy of: Butler Eagle News

April 26, 2008

Keisel attends Steelers Fan Blitz 2008

The Steelers held their annual Fan Blitz during draft weekend.

Brett Keisel attended the event , along with many teammates.

Fans had the opportunity to get player autographs, tour the Steelers locker room, and even try on Steelers uniforms! There were fun activities for children and many raffles and prizes throughout the day!

Sounded like a great way to spend draft weekend-with your family and the Steelers!

More pics of Brett at the event can be seen here.

April 20, 2008

Has Keisel changed careers? To a dog walker?

No, he hasn't changed careers. But, he is lending a hand (or a leash) to The Mutt Strut-Mighty Mutts Dog Show in Riverside Park, North Shore.

On May 18, 2008, Brett will be the lead dog walker for the Mutt Strut event, benefiting Animal Welfare. The event kicks off at 8:00 a.m. The Pooch Promenade will start at 9:00 a.m. with Brett leading the way!

There will be a dog show at 10:00 a.m. and all breeds (pure or mixed) are welcome.

For further information: The Mighty Mutts Dog Show

Thanks to Kathy, at Big Ben News, for the heads up on the event information!

Q & A with Brett Keisel

By: Jim Wexell-SteelCityInsider.com

Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel talks about Year Two of the Mike Tomlin era, and provides insight on the young linemen on both sides of the ball.

Q: What are you seeing in Year Two of Mike Tomlin?

A: It’s much better. Not that it was horrible before, but we know what to expect from him; he knows what to expect out of us. When you have that, and know that, things work better. Last year everyone was up in the air. We didn’t know how this guy would handle practices. This year we know what he expects and it’s gone real well I think.

Q: After Bill Cowher, did the veterans go in thinking Tomlin had to prove something?

A: I don’t know. The main thing is you just don’t know what to expect with a guy. With Cowher, we had that level of comfort. We knew what he expected; we knew what practices were going to be like; we knew what tempo he wanted for practice. No one knew what to expect. So this year there’s just that much more of a comfort level with these guys. We know what he’s doing when he puts the news up and things like that. It’s gone real well.

Q: Everyone likes Tomlin, right?

A: I think so. I think guys do like him and I think he’s getting to the point – when you get a team that respects their coach to the point where they’re ready to go out and bleed for him game in and game out, because it knows you have each other's back – when you get a team like that, you have a special team and I think this team’s starting to show that.

Q: What do you see on the field? What do you like?

A: I like how he lets his coaches coach, but he’s not afraid. If he sees something that’s messed up he’s going to come in and tell you he doesn’t like the tempo or he’s not happy with a certain thing. I think that’s what great coaches do. He definitely has the respect of this team.

Q: What do you like talent-wise?

A: I haven’t been able to watch much of the offense. Our young guys seem to be playing well. I think our front is picking things up better than I’ve seen in a long time, which is nice.

Q: The offensive line?

A: No, our line, our young guys, which is nice to see because it’s not the easiest thing to pick up, especially now when they’re throwing so much at you in a short amount of time.

Q: Who’s impressing you?

A: All three of the new ones. They’re still raw, but as far as picking up the D and being where they’re supposed to be, that’s what you look for now, their mental state.

Q: This team could surprise. But do the lines have enough depth?

A: I think the offensive line’s playing real well together. Last year there was a lot of shuffling and things like that. It seems like this year they’re staying with the same guys each time. You’ve got to have that continuity with each other.

Q: Is Chris Kemoeatu for Alan Faneca going to be okay?

A: I think so.

Q: Tell me a bit about him.

A: Chris is a great talent. He hasn’t had a chance to play because he’s been behind Alan, but he was a beast in college and he’s really gotten to the point where he understands what the offense is doing. He can make his calls and things like that. I think he’s going to be fine.

Thanks to Kathy for sending me this article!

April 16, 2008

STEELERS 2008 SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

The NFL announced the 2008 football schedules! The Steelers have the toughest schedule in the league this season.The entire schedule can be seen on the right.

Not only do the Steelers face tough opponents, but they have the maximum number of night games allowed by league rules.

Scott Brown, of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review had this to say regarding the schedule: "The Steelers 2008 schedule, released by the NFL today, includes five night contests and a daunting stretch that includes consecutive games against the Super Bowl-champion Giants, Redskins, Colts and Chargers."

Ed Bouchette, of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette added, "Not only do the Steelers have the toughest schedule in the league, the NFL issued them one in which they won't have the chance to feel comfortable with any one kickoff time."

In an interview with The Post Gazette, Steelers President, Art Rooney II, summed the schedule up best by saying,

"I really have to say that it is a group of teams that are formidable teams; it will be a true test,'' Rooney said at Steelers headquarters. "I think that the message for everybody in this building is they better be working very hard to get ready for this season."

April 5, 2008

Brett helps Ben Roethlisberger give back to Findlay athletics

Brett joined teammates Ben Roethlisberger and Nate Washington on April 5, 2008 on Ben's hometown basketball court in Findlay, Ohio. Ben was hosting his 2nd annual "Ben Roethlisberger Challenge."

Team Roethlisberger (comprised of his two teammates and former Findlay High basketball players) took on local all-star seniors from various high schools in Hancock county.

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I was able to attend the game that night. To say these guys are competitive is an understatement. They are great athletes and they were amazing to watch. Brett was gracious to the crowd, signing autographs in between quarters, when he could. For him to give up a weekend to travel to his teammmates hometown and play for their athletic scholarships speaks volumes to his character.

Some quotes from and about Brett:

Keisel, a 6-foot-6, 300-pounder, was an impressive force inside all night. He scored 22 points as the Steelers' connection accounted for 89 of Team Roethlisberger's 107 total points.

My jumper's off but I have a nice post game,” said Keisel. “When you're 300 pounds and these high school kids are a buck-85, 200 at the most, it's easy to move them.”

For Keisel, who was a McDonald's All-American in basketball during his prep career at Greybull, Wyoming, high school, taking part in the event was a “no-brainer.” “Ben and I have developed a good relationship so when he asked me to come along and do something that helps his high school football team, it was easy to say yes. “We are so fortunate to be blessed the way we are, being in the position we are. To have the opportunity to do this was just a good decision for me.”

Matt Phillips, of VanBuren, said: “It was an adrenalin rush playing against Ben and Nate Washington. And that big guy (Keisel) is by far the biggest guy I've ever played against in any sport. “I'm glad I had the chance to do this. It was a lot of fun.”

Keisel scored 12 of his 22 points in the first quarter when Team Roethlisberger jumped ahead 31-23. But the senior all-stars switched from a zone to man-to-man pressure in the second quarter, and limited the veterans to 22 points.

To view more pictures from the game, please visit the Photo gallery.

March 5, 2008

Keisel gives a "boost" to a young fan during Steelers basketball game

Steeler defensive end Brett Keisel was up to his antics again Wednesday Night, this time at the Riverside High School.

Antics that included hoisting a lucky fan, this time a young Steeler fan, high above his shoulders for a slam dunk and also throwing down a dunk of his own -- all part of the show the Steeler basketball team put on against the Riverside B.E. Taylor & Company squad.

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To see some pictures from the game, please visit the Photo gallery.

Thanks to Ellwoodcity.org for the story and pictures!