Steelers arrive at St. Vincent in style
Antonio Brown arrives at training camp
Pittsburgh Steelers players report to training camp Thursday, July 27, 2017 at St. Vincent College in Unity to begin preparations for the season. By Renatta Signorini
Antonio Brown made the most-luxurious arrival at Steelers training camp, but James Harrison made the loudest.
It was quite the spectacle for both players — Harrison manned a St. Vincent Fire Department truck with the siren blaring, while Brown had a calmer entrance in a Rolls-Royce Phantom I driven by collector Jon Leimkuehler of the South Hills.
“This is my hobby, so I'm doing this for the fun of it. It's lots of fun,” said Leimkuehler, who owns about a dozen antique cars and chauffeured Brown to the first day of training camp at St. Vincent College in Unity.
Players reported Thursday afternoon to prepare for the 2017 season amid a throng of media jockeying for interviews and photographs. The first public practice will be at 2:55 p.m. Friday.
Several players spoke with reporters outside the dorms that will be home for the next few weeks.
“I'm always excited to be back here,” said center Maurkice Pouncey.
Ford F-150 and F-250 pickups appeared to be heavily favored by many of the players who parked near the dorm — including guard Ramon Foster and tight end Jesse James — and shuttled suitcases and bags inside. Wide receiver Sammie Coates used the loud horn on his matte black Ford Raptor pickup.
Many players brought pillows from home and other comforts, such as televisions and fans. And, of course, foam rollers to help with sore muscles.
But the biggest item came off of guard David DeCastro's truck — a recliner that he carried by himself into the dorm.
DeCastro said he had just moved and brought the piece of furniture in for “one last hurrah.”
Others prepared for meals.
Tight end David Johnson carried in a case of water and several bags from Whole Foods from his Dodge Charger. Safety Jordan Dangerfield and linebacker L.J. Fort carried in plastic grocery store bags, one of which contained Oreo cookies.
Linebacker Ryan Shazier arrived in an aqua-colored Porsche but was quickly overshadowed by Brown and Harrison, who said his ride was symbolic.
“We're ready to go in here as a team, as a unit, like firefighters do, and come together collectively and get the job done,” he told reporters.
Staff writer Chris Adamski contributed to this report. Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-837-5374, rsignorini@tribweb.com or via Twitter @byrenatta.
