Football
The Pittsburgh Steelers played their first international game in over a decade, with the team heading to Ireland for its Week 4 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings. Not only did the Steelers pick up a win, they got a lot closer as a team. On his Not Just Football podcast, Cam Heyward said that the team bonding in Ireland was one of the highlights of the trip.
“We really captured some good team bonding. And it’s hard in our game today. Everybody’s on their phones, everybody’s got a million things going on, everybody’s got podcasts,” Heyward said. “To have an opportunity to just be with the boys, to talk about Netflix documentaries, to talk about guys having Netflix documentaries about them, The Enigma. Talking about what’s going on in our lives, how we can all just hang out, coaches involved. It was really special to be a part of. Good vibes.”
Not only did the Steelers all stay at the same location overseas, a five-star resort 40 minutes from the hustle and bustle of downtown Dublin, but they also had a long flight to and from Dublin. It’s a good chance for guys to get closer to one another. It’s different from a normal road trip, where the Steelers travel to a place where many of the players have probably played before and have their routine. It’s a new country and environment, which helped the team bond.
It’s similar to the vibe at training camp. Everyone’s staying in dorms at Saint Vincent College, and players and coaches hang out and get closer ahead of the season. In-season, it can be hard to maintain that same sense of camaraderie. Players have families and other commitments that take up their time off the field, and they aren’t spending as much time with one another. It’s good that this trip provided that opportunity.
Having a team where everyone has each other’s back and guys want to play for another is key, and it’s good to hear that the Steelers got closer as a team on this trip. They have a long second half of the season with an early Week 5 bye, and there’s going to be some tough moments where guys will need to lift each other up. Getting closer on a personal and professional level will make that easier to accomplish.
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