I guess Ben always gets his way. Sounds like he could be a capable guy. On the other other hand, the Vikings didn’t even keep him on the PS.

Some other roster news I noticed the other day: Kyle Clement, Arnold Harrison, Jon Dekker, and Mike Humpal are all on IR. There must be something there if they kept them, since they cut a guy like Capizzi when he got injured.

He was Ben’s best WR in college and was going to be a solid mid round pick before blowing out his knee. If he is healthy I think he could contribute, he’s certainly as good if not better than Rucker

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQYJ3mddN_c

Wow, hope they look this good together in the pros! Looks a little like Ben to Santonio.

Nance looks good, tall, fast, can get open and catch, and he has some moves. If Ben likes him, if they have chemistry, this could be a really nice move. We’ll be very deep at receiver that’s for sure.

I like the way Tomlin, Ben, Colbert/ownership, and the OC appear to be working together to really help Ben. It just seems like the Steelers are doing a great job greasing the wheels to help the team do better.

Now we know why Ben handles the pressure so well with the Steelers, looks like it was the same for him in college.

3 teams waived him, but to be fair it looks like Minnesota brought him back 3 times. Could be a great addition if he has chemistry with Ben. He looked awesome at Miami w/Ben…

Any thoughts about you guys getting Martin Nance?

Mike (Tomlin) went against him every day when he was in Minnesota. He was a practice squad guy against coach Tomlin’s defense. He knew about him and he told me he wanted to bring him in and I wasn’t going to object to it because I know Martin. He’s a very good friend and a very good receiver.

More on Nance

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080910/SPORTS09/809100238

try this one:

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080910/SPORTS09/809100238

Article published Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Steelers reunite Roethlisberger and Nance
QB, receiver were teammates at Miami (Ohio)
By Carlos “Big C” Holmes
Special to the Blade

Peaches and Herb sang “Reunited” and Bruce Springsteen sang “Glory Days.” Either way, it’s music to the ears of a couple of college teammates.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Martin Nance are being reunited in hopes of sparking some magic from their college playing days.

The Steelers made it official when they signed the 6-foot-3, 213-pound former Miami RedHawks receiver to the team’s practice squad on Monday, adding depth to the position.

Roethlisberger has publicly expressed his desire for bigger receivers which prompted the team to draft Texas wide receiver Limas Sweed (2nd round, 53rd overall) but he was inactive for his first game as a pro. It appears that the Steelers have heard the quarterback’s cry and are loading up on big receivers with the addition of Nance. To make room for Nance the team released rookie wideout Micah Rucker.

During a phone interview with Nance on Tuesday, the receiver talked about being reunited with his former college quarterback.

"It’s very exciting," Nance said. "Anytime you get a chance to play with a good friend it’s a fun opportunity and obviously the Steelers are a great team. I feel like it’s a great opportunity for me all the way around."

Nance said he’s ready to hit the ground running on his first day of practice with the Steelers.

Nance spent the last two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and was released by the club on the final day of cuts. The decision came as a bit of a surprise to some after an impressive preseason by Nance, who led the team with 130 yards receiving and a touchdown.

Viking head coach Brad Childress tossed a compliment along to Nance, saying he’s well-rounded.

"He’s got good hand-eye [coordination]. He’s a tall target so the quarterbacks don’t have any trouble finding him. He’s got kind of sneaky speed. He’s a long-stride guy and he can chew up some ground pretty quick on you. Then he’s pretty meticulous about depth of route, understanding what his conversions are – man and zone," Childress said.

Nance hopes to rekindle the chemistry that he and "Big Ben" once displayed during college, but he must first find his way onto the team’s 53-man roster.

After a breakout season his sophomore year (2003) when he was Roethlisberger’s go-to-guy, Nance racked up 1,498 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns and was well on his way to prominence. However, a season-ending knee injury suffered in the fifth game the following season (2004) put somewhat of a damper on the receiver’s career.

"Rekindling what Ben and I had in college would be the storybook ending to it all, but I have a lot of work to do," Nance said. "I have to get up to speed and learn the team’s offense. Once that happens, I think there will be an opportunity for us to play together again but that has to come naturally.

"I’ll have the opportunity to go against a great defense day in and day out in practice. This will also give me the opportunity to pick up the offense here. It’s going to be a learning experience for me, but at the same time I’m excited to get out there and show the coaches and team what I am capable of doing."

Learning the Steelers offense should be no problem for the receiver after having success learning the complex West Coast offense that the Vikings ran in Minnesota.

According to the Vikings, Nance is healthy, strong and has demonstrated the athletic ability he displayed before the ACL injury he sustained in college. Nance was also called a high-character guy and a player with a future in the NFL.

Wow, thanks alot, great info, sounds like he is a Dennis Dixion type of project., insurance for future years. or maybe even a late season rotation in..

How long can u keep an NFL player on your practice squad or is it based on the players NFL exp ?

GO STEELERS, bury some Brownies in the puppy pound on Sunday…

so then next year would be the determining year for Nance.. if he is a fit and also a potential replacement for Baker, Sweed or Washington..(hate to see Nate go, but winning is most important)!

If he turns out to be a gem in the rough, then I say we persue a lot more of Ben’s old teammates, cuz its all about the 100mil $ man .