Steelers News: Steven Nelson getting acclimated to the Steelers, and Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Steelers returned to the gridiron this week when they reported back to training camp. With practices underway, the news surrounding the black-and-gold is just starting to heat up. As the team returns from their summer break, we continue to provide you with features, commentary and opinions to tide you over until training camp starts!

Today in the black-and-gold links article we take a look at how Steven Nelson is getting comfortable not just with the Steelers, but with the city of Pittsburgh.

Let’s get to the news:

• Steven Nelson was the highest paid free agent in Pittsburgh Steelers’ history, and is finally getting comfortable in his new home.

Kevin Gorman: CB Steven Nelson navigates into Steelers’ starting lineup

By: Kevin Gorman, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Steven Nelson grew up in Georgia, played college football in Oregon, started his NFL career in Kansas City and has an offseason home in Arizona.

So it should come as no surprise that he hates to be stagnant. In fact, when he’s finished playing football, Nelson wants to travel the world. But he’s never done as much mindless wandering as his first week exploring the streets of Pittsburgh.

“The biggest thing is learning my way around the city, with the bridges and tunnels. There’s a lot of crooked roads and stuff like that,” Nelson said Thursday at training camp at Saint Vincent. “When I first got here, that first week I tried to use the GPS a lot. It wasn’t even picking up stuff. I spent a lot of money on gas, just pointless driving around for no reason.”

Nelson wasted no time navigating his way into the Steelers’ starting lineup at cornerback. He stepped into that role on the first day of practice and hasn’t missed a beat since, looking like a natural complement to play corner opposite Joe Haden.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• The Pittsburgh Steelers defense should be better, and that is thanks to the defense getting faster.

‘Everybody can run’: Steelers’ defense chases greatness with speed

By: Jeremy Fowler, ESPN

Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave is listed at 305 pounds, so he’s proud of his 4.93-second 40 time from the 2016 NFL scouting combine.

Behind him, he’ll have at least five Pittsburgh Steelers defenders who run a sub-4.5 40-yard dash.

“Everybody [on this defense] can run,” Hargrave said. “There are a lot of fast offensive guys, so we need speed to chase them down.”

The days of the Steel Curtain are over. This is the Steel Pursuit.

The Steelers still cling to traditional pillars such as stopping the run on early downs and all 11 men to the ball, but they also believe in hybrid weapons and personnel packages galore and speed everywhere.

Just look at the past two first-round draft picks. Safety Terrell Edmunds is fairly big for his position at 6-foot-1 and 217 pounds but has range and open-field speed. Linebacker Devin Bush is fairly small for his position at 5-foot-11, 234 pounds but can cover just about every blade of grass on Sundays with quickness, angles and straight-line bolts.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• Ola Adeniyi has worked hard, and that hard work is finally paying off.

It’s all paying off now for Adeniyi

By: Teresa Varley, Steelers.com

It began just before the 2018 season started. Adeniyi, an undrafted rookie free agent at the time, was thrilled he made the team’s 53-man roster. But as soon as the excitement set in, disappointment came when he was placed on injured reserve a day later because of a hamstring injury suffered in the preseason. NFL rules required he couldn’t practice for the first six weeks of the season and couldn’t play for eight weeks.

When the day came for him to be able to practice, the struggle ensued. He still wasn’t back on the field with his teammates.

“I am not going to lie to you. It was pretty tough,” said Adeniyi. “When I got the news that I was going on injured reserve I had it in mind this is happening, but I will be back after six weeks or whatever. I put in all of that work and then six weeks comes, and you are still on injured reserve. It was frustrating. I just never let it get to me, kept working every day to get better.

“I kept a line of communication with the coaches. I needed that. I talked to a lot of players. The outside linebackers kept me up. I never felt I was lost. I had people to talk to. I had support.”

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• Merrill Hoge is heading to court.

Ex-ESPN analyst Hoge: Herbicide caused cancer

By: ESPN Staff Writers

Former NFL running back and ESPN analyst Merril Hoge is suing Monsanto, saying its herbicide Roundup caused his cancer.

Hoge, 54, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2003, underwent treatment and has been in remission.

In the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Idaho, Hoge claims that he began using Roundup while working on a farm in Idaho in 1977. The suit claims that “Plaintiff’s Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma was proximately and actually caused by exposure to Defendant’s Roundup products. ... As a result of his injury, Plaintiff has incurred significant economic and noneconomic damages.”

More than 18,000 plaintiffs are suing Monsanto, claiming that Roundup caused their cancer. Juries have recently awarded plaintiffs tens of millions of dollars in lawsuits against Monsanto. Alva and Alberta Pilliod were awarded $87 million, Dewayne Johnson $78 million and Edwin Hardeman more than $25 million.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

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