Latest news with #AcrisureStadium
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NFL Draft Source Program kicks off in Pittsburgh with 165 local businesses selected
With less than a year to go, preparations for the 2026 NFL Draft are now underway. On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers hosted a welcome event for the 2026 NFL Draft Source Program Members. The Draft Source Program is a procurement program run by the NFL to engage local and diverse businesses in the 10-county Pittsburgh region to support the draft. Advertisement 'The Draft Source Program reflects the NFL's ongoing commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for businesses in the community,' said Belynda Gardner, senior director of diversity and inclusion for the NFL. 'As we prepare for the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, we're excited to welcome this outstanding group of businesses into the program and look forward to working together to deliver an unforgettable event while leaving a lasting impact on the region.' The event, held at Acrisure Stadium, was a reception to welcome the approximately 165 member businesses selected to be a part of the Draft Source Program. It included a presentation from the NFL that outlined expectations for the participating businesses, as well as a panel discussion with some of the NFL Tier 1 vendors. Click here to read more from our partners at the Pittsburgh Business Times. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
CBS News
2 days ago
- Sport
- CBS News
World Cup champion and Pittsburgh native Meghan Klingenberg announces retirement
Pittsburgh native and World Cup champion Meghan Klingenberg announced her retirement from soccer on Wednesday. The announcement came via an open letter on her and the U.S. Soccer's Instagram pages. "This sport has been the stage of a lifetime," Klingenberg wrote. "It gave me the chance to test myself, expand my world, and discover who the f**k I could become. I've grown in ways that are so unexpected." The 36-year-old was an All-American during her high school playing career at Pine Richland, where she led the Rams to back-to-back state championships in 2005 and 2006. From there, she went on to the University of North Carolina, winning two national championships and scoring 18 goals in the process. During her high school and collegiate days, she was also a part of the U.S. National Program, playing for the U-16, U-17, U-20, and U-23 teams. Then, in 2011, she got her first call-up to the main roster for the Four Nations Tournament, where she earned her first two caps with the senior squad. In 2013, she was officially named to the senior team. When the U.S. Women's National Team won the 2015 World Cup, Klingenberg played every minute of every game during the team's run to glory. As the women's national team went on their victory tour following the World Cup victory, Klingenberg returned home to Acrisure Stadium, then Heinz Field, for a friendly against Costa Rica. In what could only be described as storybook, she would score in her hometown, celebrating the goal with a Terrible Towel wave. Klingenberg's success didn't just come on the international stage. During her time in the National Women's Soccer League, she won the championship twice with the Portland Thorns. She also started 135 of 149 matches with the Thorns, logging 11,619 total minutes with the club. "Now, I feel full, grateful, at peace," Klingenberg wrote. "It's time for something new to excite me the way soccer always has. Because the purpose hasn't changed, just the stage."
Fox News
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Jordan Love 'excited' to face Aaron Rodgers when Packers meet Steelers, hopes to exchange jerseys
With Aaron Rodgers officially signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he's set for some pretty fun reunions on the 2025 schedule. Not only will he be facing his former New York Jets teammates in a Week 1 battle, but the Steelers will also be hosting the team Rodgers won four league MVP trophies with over his future Hall of Fame career. And Rodgers' Green Bay Packers successor, Jordan Love, can't wait for the "Sunday Night Football" reunion. The Packers and Steelers will square off on Oct. 26 at Acrisure Stadium in the primetime slot, and Love told Channel 3000 during his round of golf at the American Family Insurance Championship on Friday how much he's looking forward to it. "It's going to be fun. It's going to be awesome. I'm excited for it," Love said. "I can't wait to be on different sides, meeting up, and I know we'll talk pregame, things like that. And hopefully we can exchange jerseys after." Love was taken 26th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, which shocked some considering Rodgers was showing no signs of slowing down under center. Well, it seems to light an extra fire in his belly, as Rodgers went on to win back-to-back MVP awards in the 2020 and 2021 seasons while Love learned behind him as his backup. But in 2022, Rodgers saw his final season with the Packers after an 8-9 record, and Green Bay made it clear who was next up. Love took all the lessons he learned from Rodgers and cemented himself as the team's quarterback of the future, going 9-8 with 4,159 yards passing with 32 touchdowns to 11 interceptions in his third NFL season (first as the team's starter). The Packers signed Love to an extension before the 2024 season, and though he dealt with an early injury, he went 9-6 over his 15 games to lead his team to the playoffs as Green Bay went 11-6. While Love is looking to keep stacking up playoff seasons, he was tapped into Rodgers' offseason journey this year, saying he wasn't "too surprised" to see him choose Pittsburgh. "I was excited for him, that he was obviously coming back and going to be playing. There were also some rumors that he might be done, so just knowing he's going to keep playing, that's pretty awesome." Love reiterated what he's said in the past about Rodgers, that he was a good mentor while they were teammates despite Green Bay drafting Rodgers' successor. After all, Rodgers went through it himself when he was drafted as Brett Favre's replacement. "I appreciate definitely the way A-Rod handled being in that situation, and I think a big part of it – which he told me – was he knew how it was for him being in that same position and the things that he went through and the way the situation might've been handled [differently]. I think perspective was: 'I'm trying to go about this a little bit differently,' which I think was awesome," Love explained. "In my time with A-Rod, we had a great relationship. It was awesome being in the same room with him, being able to learn." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
CBS News
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
George Strait and Chris Stapleton are coming to Pittsburgh. Here's what to know.
George Strait, the king of country music, is coming to Pittsburgh with Chris Stapleton on Saturday. Straight is the only act in history to have a Top 10 hit every year for over three decades, and with more than 30 different platinum or multi-platinum albums, he has the third most certifications of any artist, only behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley. He'll be joined by eight-time Grammy winner Chris Stapleton and Parker McCollum. If you're going to the show, here's what you need to know. When do gates open? Gates open at 4:30 p.m., an hour after the ticket office opens at 3:30 p.m. The show starts at 5:45 p.m. Fans with general tickets can use any gate to enter the stadium. Those with floor tickets should use Gate 6 on Reedsdale Street. When do parking lots open? Parking lots on the North Shore will open for tailgating at 12:45 p.m. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to avoid traffic. This weekend is also Pittsburgh's Pride celebration, so more people will be coming Downtown. Acrisure Stadium says concertgoers can use JustPark to pre-purchase a parking pass, though inventory is limited. If you're looking to save money on parking, you can park Downtown and ride the T for free. Acrisure Stadium's bag policy The concert will follow the NFL's clear bag policy, but the stadium encourages fans to leave their bags at home. If you need to bring one, you can bring a clear plastic bag the size of a 1-gallon Ziploc bag or a small handheld purse clutch. One thing you don't need to bring: cash. Acrisure Stadium is a cashless venue, both for concessions and merch. Credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay are accepted.
New York Times
29-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
What a healthy Troy Fautanu and leaner Broderick Jones mean for the Steelers' O-line
PITTSBURGH — On a dreary Wednesday in Western Pennsylvania, as the rain poured relentlessly, Pittsburgh Steelers right tackle Troy Fautanu beamed with excitement, knowing that his return to the playing field signaled the end of his personal storm. 'Man, I've been looking forward to this for a really long time,' Fautanu said after the Steelers' second day of organized team activities. 'It's felt like a million years since I've been back out here.' Advertisement When the Steelers drafted Fautanu in the first round in 2024, the hope was that he could help transform a weakness on the offensive line into a strength. He impressed during training camp to put himself in position for early playing time. But during the preseason, he sustained a minor injury to his left knee that delayed his debut until Week 2 in Denver, where he played 55 offensive snaps. The following week, several members of Fautanu's extended family had flights booked to Pittsburgh to watch the rookie in his first home game at Acrisure Stadium. However, it turned out that the tough injury luck was only beginning. 'I remember exactly where it was,' Fautanu said Wednesday, pointing to the end zone. 'It was over there.' On the Friday ahead of the Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Steelers began practice with their classic drill, Seven Shots, which features seven plays from the 2-yard line. 'I was trying to anchor down,' Fautanu said. 'My foot just got caught in the ground weird. My body twisted. My leg didn't.' The torque tore the medial patellofemoral ligament in the 6-foot-4, 315-pound lineman's right knee and dislocated his kneecap momentarily. An MRI confirmed the news, and he was placed on injured reserve. Fautanu would have to undergo surgery in Los Angeles, followed by a rehab process estimated at four to six months. Though he didn't realize it right away, Fautanu's rookie season was over less than a week after it began. 'Once that happened, there were a lot of nights where you can't really see the light on the other side of the tunnel,' Fautanu said. 'You put so much into preparing for your rookie year. It was heartbreaking for me.' Fautanu, a deep thinker who says he can sometimes get himself into trouble on the field by overthinking, felt he 'didn't handle it the best' at times, as the weight of expectation and the early roadblock in his career festered into frustration. Advertisement 'You're going to have those good days, and you're gonna have those bad days,' Fautanu said. 'The good days were good, and the bad days were really bad. I was just thinking about, 'Am I gonna make it back? Is the team expecting me to be back?' There was a whole lot of stuff going through my head at the time.' Of all the teammates, coaches and others who supported Fautanu through the rehab process, he leaned most on his mother. 'My mom always knows best,' Fautanu said. 'When I'd get in those slumps, she'd call me and she knew what I was going through.' Now, about eight months removed from surgery, Fautanu is nearing the end of his long road to recovery. The coaches have been careful to work Fautanu back methodically. He's nearly up to full strength and expects he'll be a full participant when the pads come on at training camp. 'It made me more hungry than I already was,' Fautanu said. 'And I was pretty damn ready to play.' With Fautanu nearing full health, Steelers GM Omar Khan's vision for the offensive line can finally become a reality. From the moment Khan was promoted to general manager, he's made it a priority to remake the offensive line and build a team that can win games at the line of scrimmage. In his first two drafts, Khan spent two first-round picks on tackles (Broderick Jones in 2023 and Fautanu in 2024), a second-round pick at center (Zach Frazier in 2024) and a fourth-round pick at guard (Mason McCormick in 2024). Though the process is sound, the return on investment hasn't yet been realized. During the 2024 season, former left tackle Dan Moore Jr. allowed a league-high 12 sacks. Jones finished tied for second in that unflattering category with 11 sacks allowed. At the same time, the offensive line didn't open holes for running backs frequently enough, as Pittsburgh averaged just 4.1 yards per carry. Only six teams were less efficient on the ground. Advertisement Fautanu's return in and of itself is significant. It's essentially like an extra first-round pick. But the ripple effect is just as important. Even before the Steelers drafted Fautanu, they planned to play Jones at left tackle in the long term. However, that didn't come to fruition in 2024 because of Fautanu's injury, which forced Jones to spend his second NFL season on the right side. Though Jones has all the physical traits to be a successful tackle in the NFL, he also entered the league a bit raw after starting just 19 games at Georgia. Despite Jones' inexperience, the Steelers threw a lot onto his plate, asking him to start at right tackle and then, at some uncertain point, flip to the left side. With Fautanu back, Jones can focus his attention on just one position as he tries to prove he can play like a first-round pick following a pair of up-and-down seasons. 'They tried to make me the swing tackle (last year),' Jones said. 'It was kind of funky. I knew I'll be going back to left, so this offseason, I just tried to focus on nothing but the left side.' Jones reported to OTAs noticeably leaner, which was intentional. He played last year around 325-330 pounds and has now dropped about 20 pounds to be around 305 or 310. At times in Jones' second season, he didn't have the same quick feet that were a signature of his game. By slimming down, he's been more explosive at practice. 'Being back on the left, I feel like it's a bigger boost for me, just because I've been used to playing on the left side,' Jones said. 'Being out here going against people like Alex (Highsmith) and Nick (Herbig), it really helps with the confidence level. When you're able to block guys like that, it makes you feel like you can do it at any level versus anybody.' Fautanu and Jones are now in their long-term spots on the depth chart, but the spotlight is only beginning to shine on these two players. When Khan chose to take a patient, trench-oriented approach to roster building, it was a logical strategy for a team that needed upgrades, especially if it wanted to have a run-heavy offense. Now in Year 3 of the Khan era, it's time for the offensive line to become the reason the Steelers are competitive late into seasons. Advertisement But those bright lights are a welcome change for Fautanu after many dark days of rehab. 'Those nights sitting in my room, like, 'Man, am I going to come back from this?'' Fautanu said. 'But at the end of the day, I made it through. I feel like that's what made me stronger. That's what's going to make me and fuel me to play the best that I can for this team.' (Photo of Troy Fautanu: Joe Sargent / Getty Images)
