Arthur Smith, Danny Smith, Zach Azzanni, Tom Arth Media Availability (June 11) | Pittsburgh Steelers

what do you like about this person what's up what is it you like about the Personnel you have here well we got a lot of guys that can play in multiple spots whether it's our tight end we have some receivers that give position flexibility uh you know really like the depth that we got up front right now and obviously the quarterback position you know but really the whole room is new uh players and coaches and uh there a lot gives you a lot of options you know these guys have we have experience Russ and Justin even Kyle guys that have played meaningful snaps in this league so it's been it's been fun doeses it make it easier or harder when your quarterback room is new like this cuz they're all learning at the same it's probably easier you know if you're if you take you know you get a job like this and there's a guy sorry there's a guy that's maybe been here 10 years you know they may have a certain way they've done things and so you're you're new every we're all new and so that's been fun going back and looking at the film of stuff you know all three of those guys have done it previous stops stuff I've done at different stops of different quarterbacks so to answer your question short answer yes it's it's a little bit easier when everybody's new you do mention that you got a lot of people but there are some familiar faces to you that have come in you know guys like van and Michael I mean what's it like to have guys who've been with you at other stops come here does that kind of help maybe some of the guys that are new to you learn maybe things that you like to do yeah you know there's some things that they they've been with me they know you know the coaching style there's a lot of things that we put in new that are new to those guys too you know you're you don't want to be rigid or get stale uh but you know a little personality fill in the blanks that it helps and then the other bar we got a lot of young offensive guys that were drafted here and in a previous stop I was you know heavily involved in the in the roster acquisition so there's a lot of work that was done so you're pretty familiar with guys that were coming out in the draft uh you know from 21 to 23 as well Justin Field's fundamental are you working hard on those well all those guys we're working you know whether it's Dan Moore or Isaac there's always little things you're working on that's what it is constantly improving so with all the quarterbacks we're working on everything we can seem like a reconstruction project I I know they call it reconstruction I mean that's just you know different opinions uh but certainly you know we're excited to have the opportunity to work with him and Justin's a he got a great mindset for a guy that's you know had a lot of individual success he's certainly had some Flash plays that we've all seen had some Dynamic playmaking but uh whether it's Ross him Kyle you know John rice I mean all these guys were were constantly working to enhance the fundamentals there so much about this opportunity stood out to you a lot of things and you know obviously when things don't go the way you want and uh you know thankful you know I had people call right away and that interest I got far away I promised my wife we got out of the country and uh you know so I was knew I wanted to to work uh you know I wasn't going to stay out and Mike called me I was literally halfway around the world and I said hell yeah I'm interested uh one is is I have such an appreciation of the history of this game and guys that have been big mentors to me have either either coached here or played here and I could go on and on and you know you know Mike Rael was a player here you I work for Braves and he had a big influence Mike Malarkey you know Ken wizen Hunt Russ GM dick laau I mean I got guys that I coach with in Tennessee from desay Townson to to Nick een you know L spos all worked with in Tennessee and there's so many guys players are coaches and uh swear by his place and so when Mike called me he talk about just funny how timing and life works I you know I wanted him to know hell yeah I was interested and wanted this job and so uh and to work for Mike and what this place means you know and you like I said you like the history of this game and ways that the roonies have done business here I got to know Omar a little bit over the years through the league meetings and whatnot and and certainly Mike and that was very appealing you know you it's rare when you have a guy that's been in one spot had the success he's had uh you know that's older has done it for a longer time somebody you can learn from and has really a shared belief so really it was a home run for me uh it's funny how life works that way you know things don't go your way and then door opens and uh I couldn't have asked for a better situation where were you where you were yeah I was in uh Dubai literally I was going from Dubai to the Maldives and I was sitting in a hotel room and so it was how many hours later it was dinner time I guess it was morning here uh and then as soon as I landed at JFK he told me let let me know when your state side I called him I said I'll get on playing the Pittsburgh right now and come interview I flew here the next day so you cut your vacation short no I did not my wife would have I mean you know you kind of go a submarine you're working at such a pace whether coordinator and certainly those years in Atlanta uh before we made another big life decision and again I was fortunate lucky to have options and interest uh I did not you know so I didn't I didn't want to get divorced how do you feel like you and Mike kind of compliment each other's coaching Styles and you know you said you wanted to stay in it but how tough is it to go from you know being the head guy in charge to now being a coordinator again it's not I mean if you don't have an ego or you're you know insecure I mean you you need to take a you know recalibrate and look at things you can learn and you know you get a coach like Mike to learn from and and certainly in this place and the way they've done it obviously we've gone against them with our different spots and I said there's so much shared history an appreciation I have I mean even going back I got to work five weeks with Tom Moore he was always in my ear when I saw him in a and it's the only time I've seen Tom not look old was go back those pictures on the wall and Tom talk about studying Chuck null I mean people swear about this place Mike Malarkey played for Chuck worked here for Bill Cower so I mean it was like I said I couldn't have asked for a better situation and just studying Mike and the the Steelers and what they're about and uh feel like it's a it's a good Perfect Fit Tom was old in the 80s what's that Tom looked old in the 80s he looks young and I'll tell Tom that uh I guess we don't see him I saw him twice a year played Tampa uh but God over the years he's been great just a little wisdom uh like I said it's the only time he doesn't he's looked the same since he was calling plays for pton uh but he's been awesome uh behind the scenes been a good Mentor to me as well speaking with um your offensive line and it's clear that physicality is a point of emphasis for you why is that such a point of emphasis and what does that look like here early on for you well the game do change I mean you look at both sides and the lines of scrimmage I mean you may have the the greatest designer play against this coverage and schemed up perfectly and if you can't block the guys up front uh it's going to be hard hard living uh and you look at the history they've had here I mean there's a great history on both sides of the line of scrimmage especially when they've won Super Bowls uh both sides it's just something I believed in I was raised in and you know I was an offensive lineman myself so uh and going back to your question about fit maybe that helps too when being an old lineman you know you do any job if you're asked to to lead lead if you're asked to be a you know Lieutenant be a lieutenant you know so that's all part of the learning process young offensive linemen who like in Troy brck and uh and Zach how have you seen them embrace the with what you've been trying to coach them to do well it certainly helps you know you want to be a tough physical team and and uh you know thankfully we drafted some tough physical guys who had a lot of meaningful snaps in college at a high level so we kind of knew what they were about and uh again sometimes you get lucky in the draft you don't ever always get whoever everybody you want uh but it it was cool the way it felt to us and to be able to add all three of those guys your most talented roster what's that this your most talented roster in terms of the it's like picking like your favorite child I've got three kids you know I've got I've been really fortunate I've gotten to coach a lot of great players and I have such a great appreciation for those guys uh you know the whole League's talented but uh we're certainly excited about the personel we got so much talk Arthur about having needing a second receiver number two receiver beside George what do you like about the options on this roster and do you have a legitimate number two again that's all subjective and you know things happen coming during the season again I thankful right now I get to go back and just coach the players you know thankful grateful for my previous stop but now I just dive in and you know and you may have conversations but that ultimately does not my responsibility and things happen guys get injured first play of the game and you had to contingency plans and that's our job and then the the ball's going to kick off every Sunday or now Wednesday at 1:00 on Christmas or whenever they tell us to play but you better have depth and you're always working uh continency and looking for improvement and so you deal with other circumstances throwing your way I don't get too caught up in labeling guys especially this time of year I the guys are all and we're at football and shorts trying to compete for a job a lot of things will be worked out in the trobe and things can always change too can you think creative with two athletic offensive tackles like you have is sure there're certain schematically about that yeah I mean there's certain schemes you may want to run I mean that that when you have more athletic tackles and you know that can certainly be in certain run schemes getting amount of space it could be in the screen game um whether you want to get in in the pulling them or whatever you're trying to do certainly gives you a lot of flexibility when you have athletic tackles or really athletic linemen orur you started to learn about your roster um the running back position what stands out to you about just the top two backs what they might do differently similarly and how do they fit into what you want to do well ultimately it's a it's a fine line I mean you have your beliefs but you're not so rigid you're trying to play to their strings and and you know enhance things year after year to try to get them an improve on but uh you know both nii and and Jaylen have had a lot of success in this league and so you know as they fit in there I mean you break it down give her take 17 Game season you know you hope to have 1100 plus plays and if you're balanced offense give or take where your carries are at you know nobody even Derrick Henry we didn't ask him to carry the ball 550 times so there's plenty of carries to go around uh whether that's traditionally or non-traditionally uh but been really excited uh to get to work with both those guys have been fond the spring getting to know both of them well off the field and so and we have depth I mean talk about the receivers I mean you never know what happens that we've got good competition with some vets certainly uh Cordell Patterson being here he's he's played a multiple spots and previous stops where I've been at uh we'll see how it all shakes out but we've got good depth of that room important for you to come right back into coaching and not take some time I don't know probably I don't think anybody you're well adjusted to to do this job so maybe uh you that may that's my wife I don't know I not old enough to want to sit out uh I want to compete and uh like I said just thankful opportunities here sorry do you view this as a quarterback competition or you kind of ramping Russ up at this no again like I said Mike's stated on the record you know Russ is in the poll position it's a competition obviously we get to Latrobe I mean certainly I'm sure things will heat up but uh both those guys knew that when they however they were acquired when they got here and I think it's been pretty transparent I know Mike said that on the record as well what is it about Tom AR that makes him a good quarterback coach to work with both of those guys and I know he's been you know kind of working with Justin's footwork things like that just why is he good at what he does well again when I got here uh you know some of the staff was shuffled around and guys it's been great to get to know the guys that were here some of them are in different roles um but Tom's a guy I've gotten known from afar um Cleveland being down the road I've worked with two St ignacious guys you know Tom's I guess the third and Dave regone who I was with in Tennessee and Atlanta John Ganon and I shared in office in Tennessee so I got to know them over the years uh and then his body of work Tom's another guy he's been a head coach uh you know been in different roles he's been in a you know kind of a senior assistant out in the Chargers guy that played quarterback in this league was a was a backup to Peyton Manning was you know spent some time with Mike McCarthy and and that thing got going when early on and and when he interviewed you know all the things the way he teaches and things he believes in the details the fundamentals he's a fantastic communicator and ultimately we're teachers and that's a big part of our job and Tom checked a lot of those boxes thank you thank you thank you figured out yet yes very much so for real we ready we are ready so when you you saw the the role change what was your first reaction I love it I am dead serious excited about it uh I think it's great for football um it's a challenge and I love it what's the process of trying to figure out how you'll attack it considering it is kind of a new thing it's been done in the XFL but not you know that makes it a challenge for all the special team coaches in this league me included obviously um and and it makes you work harder and and I've never been one to run away from work uh I run to it and uh so it's been a challenge from that standpoint um we'll see how it is on display I'm glad we have three preseason games you know to to find out about but uh it's it's exciting we we have uh we've come a long way you know with with our football team and uh I'm honest to God I am really excited for it on the other side of that having a guy like cord you know how exciting is that to be on the returning end of the new well I mean you know all these returners you know it it's it's going to be interesting for them it's new to them as well uh just the catch of the kick is new a hangtime is out of the game you could hang that thing 6 seconds ain't nobody going nowhere you know really so it's a waste of time so now you're getting line drives you're getting balls on the ground you're getting different catches um so it's different for them as well you know and obviously people were up on them so uh those are all part of the challenges it is a big Challenge in a lot of ways broken down individually so are you guys at the point like is there sort of a special teams coaches fraternity that has talked this through amongst yourselves and if that's the case do you kind of walk that line between hey I think I might have a loophole here or do you kind of talk through with some of your other guys well there was a committee okay of eight members of which I'm a member of uh that's put this thing together um with the legs Direction obviously uh we got to understand as special teams coaches we don't have a vote you know um but we help put this thing together and to answer your question and uh there are a lot of challenges in it and uh we'll all you know meet those challenges but we we are a group that's been very Progressive over time I mean it really has and so uh it I like that challenge like I said you know just from a work standpoint it's it's new and we all putting new stuff out there and we all have new stuff uh types of kicks like I mentioned the returns the coverage to your point um it's all new and some of them we're going to try and say this isn't it this is this ain't this is and we'll all do it together I was hearing that uh even officials game officials were reaching out to coaches like saying like are we interpreting this the same way that you are is that dialogue taking place and if so is that good to have that inter your statement is a fact and I'm going to leave it at that okay cuz I'm not an official no but is it is it good that I'm going leave it at that it is a fact okay that that has happened okay what what about you know the rules change but what else has to change are body types going to change on the the return or that's the talk you know that's interesting the body type in the coverage the body type in the return uh the quickness of the play the type of returner uh again uh you know we we're all searching for answers and and we're on a path okay in Pittsburgh I can tell you that um I have studied numerous numerous numerous plays that I have been able to find from other leagues uh that are similar there is nothing exactly like we're doing it um but there are some similarities in some things I've met with a lot of people uh that have done it uh I've watched a lot of tape that have done it and I'm sure others have too uh but those are the challenges and and some of it is going to uh you know be a challenge in practice that we go back in and we say after we look at the tape hey that was good hey that looks good hey this doesn't hey that is that ain't and we're going to all be in that dropping ad so so is it just the XFL that you watched since that was the play or no I watch Europe as well what are some of the other what did you say Europe they have something similar yes why do you think it's good for the game Danny you mentioned that right off it it puts a kickoff back into play you know it really does a fair catches now you could fair catch but it's at the spot a fair catch bailed us out last year it did it bailed us out I never had a bad call last year and I'm not saying that to me but think about this if they're kicking the ball to my left I got a right return last year I'm a fair catch that thing put it at 25 great call Danny I ain't running that thing across the field get tackled at the 14 you know what I'm saying so that was the bailout there is no bailout that's why I think it's great for the game you better be right you better be on it you better have a plan uh you better players that can execute that plan um and that's where we're at I'm I'm overly excited about it I really am it is almost energetic or as in the P you were not to say you getting obsolete but what could you do in the last year's roles like you can make an impact more you and your unit can you can no no doubt and again it put like you say you know why because of the return in the game um you know scoring has been down in the NFL in the last two years okay so this play is supposed to get better field position better field position is more scoring we'll see how it all turns out Dan you got a new punter as well what are you expecting out of him I love him I love him he's a real Pro uh he's strong he's good he's got game and I call game different types of punts we could do a lot of things with him uh in in that game um he he's a pro um I I I love him I really do he he's he's going to really help us I think you're going to see a big Improvement in that area with him you have any uh concerns about the hold kick party snap hold I don't you know we have been able to develop holders here we really have uh there's a process that we go through uh I'm dead set on it it's worked for us we've had a couple suspects come in here as punters that weren't hold good holders in college and were labeled like that that have become good holders so I that process doesn't affect me it really doesn't I know uh you know to have that holder uh this kid has done it so he's ahead of the game and I'm not saying he's one of those types but we've brought holders that weren't very good and them good and been comfortable with it so that that that's not an issue uh with me and this kid is not an issue at all in that area do you have the ear at all of Omar or Mike or whoever when you guys are in a market for a punter and you know they come to you and say or is it all SC we we we all in it together you know I mean it really do obviously you know Mr Rooney Omar Mike make those decisions uh they'll ask your opinion and and to all of us in those areas and you express your opinion um I got a line and I tell Omar and I tell Mike that all the time okay um position coaches make suggestions head coaches make decisions there's a huge difference between those two things and so I make suggestions they make decisions and we roll with it Dan what did you make of the story line that Justin Fields could return kicks and what just that it's a storyline I mean we got everybody involved you know we're going to put the best product out there you ask me who our returner is today I have no clue I have no clue we work a lot of guys it's it's a whole different process everybody is liable to be honest with you uh in any way shape or form if they could help us win a game we're going to put him out there whoever that may be two more guys two more what kind of input is BOS given with this new kickoff rule in place none no BOS is all in BOS is all in BOS and I got a great relationship BOS is all in uh he'll be good at it trust me he'll be very good at it with Mike tomin for years you just on like your guys's relationship on the field and just kind of me and Mike Tomlin yeah as he's you know obviously going to be here a little longer just how has it been to have him know at the to it's pretty nice I I'm I'm telling you I've been in five organizations okay and I'm very proud of all five I would not talk bad about any of them I'm from here this is special uh he is special I've been with great coaches I've been with Hall of Fame coaches I have learned a lot from a lot of people I don't have all the answers but I got a hell of a lot of experience and he is special and I love my relationship with him I love working with him and for him and uh i' do anything in the world for him hear about the number two receiver how do you feel about your dep the comp competition's been great these guys that's kind of what I mean by all these guys are different spots in their career competition's been great you know I I know that a lot gets made of the one the two the three listen these day and age we we move everyone around and you know guys get get balls depending on matchups so that that number thing is a little overrated to me yes we're trying to find the best three or four we can put out there for sure what's the description of this unit if you could put it in a few words like if you could put a theme on the guy that you have right now uh growing yeah we're we're work in progress we're growing today was not a great day for us all of a sudden the routine changes schedule changes more plays all the things we've been working on 8 weeks they kind of went out the window at times so yeah so growing work in progress you mentioned you're the kind of Coach that's honest transparent with guys how how is Roman taken into your style of coaching some of the things you're giving him he's he probably loves to go home at night and get away from this building I'm all over him man I have to be you know we got a limited amount of time to get a guy ready to play an NFL football game and you know I always say we're taking players making them into professionals they're players when they come from college they're not all instant professionals there's a lot that goes into playing at the NFL level and if you're not ready to go uh week one you get exposed there's a growing pain uh process there so I got to be all over him from the second he walks in this building to the second he leaves at night I have a limited amount of time to do it and that's my job so I'm going to squeeze every bit I can out of that that Spong how have you seen George respond to your style of coaching versus what he was used to at the Steelers before yeah I don't know what he was used to um I don't I don't really care I just know how I do it he's been great so far out here today he was awesome he's he's you know I can tell guys are listening when they when I say a little thing and they they pick it up and I can see him trying to do do it it might not be good yet but I can see him trying that's all I ask George has been great as of today so uh we'll stack the days and we'll see you feel like he's incorporating things that you're working on even at this stage of the year you know little by little um you know little by little we got a long way to go with everything but little little by little there's little things that I can see man there's so much in there unta potential I think if we can just get get them a little bit better it'll be Monumental talked about two three but did you you know what George is uh in regards to that I mean is he can he be that true number one receiver he can be it's right there for him you know um he's just got to got to pick it up and take the take the cheese and and you know do the things we ask him to do and he can do anything he wants he's he's that talented I think you guys all know that Ray Charles can see that right you don't need to be a coach um so we we know that that uh that that's out there for him if he wants it now he's just got to keep stacking the days and that's my job too what have you liked about Calvin Austin and how have you challenged him to improve his game he's been outstanding I mean if you that's a guy that has gone from here to here in the last8 weeks I mean it's been really fun to watch he's a he's a worker he's intentful uh he's urgent he wants to be coached and you can see it cuz his game has done that and I'm really really excited for his season if he keeps practicing the way he's been practicing what kind of role do you take in that competition do you try to instigate it are you setting them up for you know ways to compete against each other you just kind of let it happen naturally yeah you know I think uh I think they know they know exactly what it is I don't think I need to stoke it you know all that much um you know but it's fun you know it's fun you see you see the back and forth you see you know Justin go out there and make a big time play and then you know you feel Russ you know he's looking for that opportunity you know to come back and um you know it's pretty it's pretty cool to to be a part of and I think as you look at it you know you have two players at such different points in their career um but both out to prove something and I think when you have that two talented guys that have had so much success in their football lives um that are out to prove something I think you got something really special

Channel: Pittsburgh Steelers

Views: 19,534

Keywords: steelers, nfl, american football, afc north, steelers news, pittsburgh steelers news, pittsburgh, pittsburgh steelers, Pittsburgh Steelers, PIT, Steelers, 2024 NFL, 2024 Steelers, 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers, pittsburgh steelers 2024, 2024 nfl, steelers 2024, Steelers offseason, 2024 Steelers offseason, media availability, press conference, Steelers press conference, media avail, sound, player sound, minicamp, Steelers minicamp, Arthur Smith, Danny Smith, Zach Azzanni, Tom Arth

Id: Sdea_1sXNO0

Length: 24min 35sec (1475 seconds)

Published: Tue Jun 11 2024