6 days ago
Steelers' "Friday Night Lights" practice brings fans from all over to Latrobe Memorial Stadium
More than 13,000 fans attended the Pittsburgh Steelers' annual "Friday Night Lights" practice at Latrobe Memorial Stadium.
The Steelers said 13,653 people attended the practice in Latrobe, all on hand to watch the first evening practice of training camp.
Fans waited for as long as five hours to get inside, and some fans came from surrounding states like Ohio, Maryland, and even as far as Massachusetts, to watch the live practice. Dylan Collins drove 12 hours from Boston to attend his first-ever training camp.
"I've been a die-hard Steelers fan since I was a little kid," said Collins. "My aunt lived out here, she put me on and I just kind of stuck with it ever since."
Jeffery McNeil, of Cincinnati, says he converted to a Steelers fan after his children decided to root for the black and gold, and he was blown away at the dedication of Steeler Nation.
"The unity, the fanbase, they've got the best fanbase I've ever seen," McNeil said. "The first time I had ever seen it."
Regardless of where they came from, the fans in attendance are eager to see how the Steelers' revamped roster comes together.
"I'm curious to see how the offense works together," said Justin Allen, whose young son was visiting his first training camp. "You've got a lot of new pieces. A new quarterback coming in, learning a new system. You've got new receivers, a young o-line, so I'm curious to see how they work together."
"I'm most excited to see Aaron Rodgers," said Nate Colbert of Frederick, Maryland. "If he can go and play like how we did in Green Bay, we've got it. We've got the defense to do it."
