DIESELMAN
07-26-2007, 09:35 PM
Casey Hampton never hid in anyone's shadow, but as a leader he's the man the Pittsburgh Steelers will turn to without Joey Porter.
http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/45/451716.jpg
Brett Keisel was asked to name one player – just one – whom he figures will emerge as the team leader in the absence of Joey Porter.
“Hampton,” said Keisel.
Why Casey Hampton? Out of respect? Maybe fear?
“No, it’s not out of fear,” Keisel said. “Hampton’s a big teddy bear, unless you’re a center. But he’s the anchor of our defense. If he doesn’t do his job, everything falls apart.
“I think everyone else could screw up and we have so much speed it’ll get to the ball. But if Hampton doesn’t take his two or three guys, things fall apart and everyone respects him for that.”
Casey Hampton has been the object of respect ever since he came out of as the top nose tackle in the land. His sidekick, Shaun Rodgers, may have had more talent, but, draftniks agreed, without Hampton to push and prod him, Rodgers’s talents might’ve been wasted.
These days, Hampton has ascended to the leadership position of the Pittsburgh Steelers. But he says it’s nothing new.
“I think I’ve been a leader for the past few years. Guys look up to me,” he said. “I’ve never been a vocal leader because that’s always been Joey’s job. That’s what he’s always done. If you’re on the team, in the locker room, things like that, you’ll kind of know that our guys look up to me, but people on the outside never really do.”
Those people never get the chance to hear the calls from the sideline for “Big Hamp” to stuff the play. There’s also that loveable “teddy bear” thing he has going for him. Teammates just want to be a part of whatever he’s doing, like at his wedding last month.
Casey married Kamaica, the mother of six-year-old Casey Jr. and Hampton’s girlfriend of nine years. Ten Steelers traveled to Houston for the gig, as did Porter and line coach John Mitchell.
“It was a beautiful wedding and I had a lot of fun,” said Keisel.
Of course, that was the company line, just in case there are kids reading.
“There was a lot of partying going on,” said Hampton with a smile as wide as the Pro Bowl nose tackle himself. “Oh, it was crazy. It was a good time. We had a real good time.”
Everyone around Hampton has a good time, except for the centers he goes up against twice a day in the summer sun at St. Vincent College.
Jeff Hartings was once asked about practicing against Hampton. He said, “Fortunately, Casey knows when to go hard and when not to. Sometimes he takes it easy on us.”
That sounds like good news for the two centers – Chukky Okobi and -- who are vying to replace the retired Hartings this year.
“I think both of them are pretty good,” Hampton said. “They just do different things. It’s going to be a tough battle. I’m interested to see the result because anything can happen.”
Can either of them play up to Hartings’s standards?
“Jeff is a different type player,” Hampton said. “I don’t think either one of them is as good as Jeff, but I think they can get the job done. I’ll say it like that.”
Hartings wasn’t a big center, and he consistently had trouble with Hampton at practice, particularly in one-on-one drills. But Hartings earned Hampton’s respect.
“Jeff, man, he was a veteran,” Hampton said. “He had a lot of tricks. He knew how to hold. He knew how to grab you. He just knew certain little things. Sixty-one (Mahan) kind of has that same thing. I think Chukky, by not playing, he hasn’t really developed those little tricks and stuff like that. But I think as he gets to playing in games he’ll learn a little bit more. But 61 kind of already has that.”
As long as he keeps his body parts intact under the summer sun, Mahan can have that and more. It only gets easier after meeting with Casey Hampton twice a day.
Jim Wexell
SteelCityInsider.com
26 July 2007
I would seriously hate to piss Casey off, the OL has got a big upside in practicing against him. :bigthumb:
http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/45/451716.jpg
Brett Keisel was asked to name one player – just one – whom he figures will emerge as the team leader in the absence of Joey Porter.
“Hampton,” said Keisel.
Why Casey Hampton? Out of respect? Maybe fear?
“No, it’s not out of fear,” Keisel said. “Hampton’s a big teddy bear, unless you’re a center. But he’s the anchor of our defense. If he doesn’t do his job, everything falls apart.
“I think everyone else could screw up and we have so much speed it’ll get to the ball. But if Hampton doesn’t take his two or three guys, things fall apart and everyone respects him for that.”
Casey Hampton has been the object of respect ever since he came out of as the top nose tackle in the land. His sidekick, Shaun Rodgers, may have had more talent, but, draftniks agreed, without Hampton to push and prod him, Rodgers’s talents might’ve been wasted.
These days, Hampton has ascended to the leadership position of the Pittsburgh Steelers. But he says it’s nothing new.
“I think I’ve been a leader for the past few years. Guys look up to me,” he said. “I’ve never been a vocal leader because that’s always been Joey’s job. That’s what he’s always done. If you’re on the team, in the locker room, things like that, you’ll kind of know that our guys look up to me, but people on the outside never really do.”
Those people never get the chance to hear the calls from the sideline for “Big Hamp” to stuff the play. There’s also that loveable “teddy bear” thing he has going for him. Teammates just want to be a part of whatever he’s doing, like at his wedding last month.
Casey married Kamaica, the mother of six-year-old Casey Jr. and Hampton’s girlfriend of nine years. Ten Steelers traveled to Houston for the gig, as did Porter and line coach John Mitchell.
“It was a beautiful wedding and I had a lot of fun,” said Keisel.
Of course, that was the company line, just in case there are kids reading.
“There was a lot of partying going on,” said Hampton with a smile as wide as the Pro Bowl nose tackle himself. “Oh, it was crazy. It was a good time. We had a real good time.”
Everyone around Hampton has a good time, except for the centers he goes up against twice a day in the summer sun at St. Vincent College.
Jeff Hartings was once asked about practicing against Hampton. He said, “Fortunately, Casey knows when to go hard and when not to. Sometimes he takes it easy on us.”
That sounds like good news for the two centers – Chukky Okobi and -- who are vying to replace the retired Hartings this year.
“I think both of them are pretty good,” Hampton said. “They just do different things. It’s going to be a tough battle. I’m interested to see the result because anything can happen.”
Can either of them play up to Hartings’s standards?
“Jeff is a different type player,” Hampton said. “I don’t think either one of them is as good as Jeff, but I think they can get the job done. I’ll say it like that.”
Hartings wasn’t a big center, and he consistently had trouble with Hampton at practice, particularly in one-on-one drills. But Hartings earned Hampton’s respect.
“Jeff, man, he was a veteran,” Hampton said. “He had a lot of tricks. He knew how to hold. He knew how to grab you. He just knew certain little things. Sixty-one (Mahan) kind of has that same thing. I think Chukky, by not playing, he hasn’t really developed those little tricks and stuff like that. But I think as he gets to playing in games he’ll learn a little bit more. But 61 kind of already has that.”
As long as he keeps his body parts intact under the summer sun, Mahan can have that and more. It only gets easier after meeting with Casey Hampton twice a day.
Jim Wexell
SteelCityInsider.com
26 July 2007
I would seriously hate to piss Casey off, the OL has got a big upside in practicing against him. :bigthumb: