| 12 August 2009
When I brought up the fact that rookie Jeremy Maclin had muffed one punt and mishandled another at the end of the morning session, he glared at me before saying, "It won't be an issue." In my book, a first-round rookie putting the ball on the ground is a worthy topic -- but that's just me. In my five-minute visit with Maclin, it's obvious that he has a ton of confidence. When I asked him if he'd be OK with the coaches not starting him at first, he quickly replied, "I didn't come here to sit on the bench." I didn't really see Maclin do a lot in the morning session, but a sixth-round pick named Brandon Gibson out of Washington State kept making play after play.
Also be sure to check out this story on Ziggy Hood from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
So far, the first-round pick is playing as well as could be expected, said 12-year veteran Aaron Smith, arguably one of the top 3-4 defensive ends in the NFL"He's progressed faster than anybody I've ever seen do it before," Smith said. "He's still got a ways to go, but as far as a rookie in camp, he's progressed much faster than I've ever seen."
Smith said Hood has done so well through the first half of training camp that he expects the former Missouri star to make an impact this season even though the Steelers are deep at defensive end.
"He's going to be a really good player for a really long time," Smith said. "He gets it. He's a smart kid and works hard."
When told of the praise Smith lavished on him, the 6-foot-3, 300-pound Hood said, "It makes you feel good, but it also makes you want to work harder because he does a lot. And for him to say that, you've got to keep that going every day and can't just rely on what he said and lay back for the rest of the season."
Pretty sure Hat's been having wet dreams involving Ziggy wearing that Steeler black and gold. Can't say I blame him.
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