June, 2005

Part one with Heath Miller.

What was your first Steelers practice like for you when you came in for mini-camp?

It was very fast-paced. There were a lot of things coming at me as far as the playbook, new terminology and playing with new teammates. It was fast-paced.

Was the amount of information thrown at you from the get-go overwhelming at all? Do you feel somewhat like your head is spinning?

It is a bit overwhelming when you walk in and they throw everything at you. Going through it the second time around during coaching sessions it makes sense to me.

How much do you think you will benefit from the team�s off-season program, getting a chance to learn things before training camp arrives?

It�s really beneficial. I can�t imagine walking into training camp and feeling like I did in mini-camp. I think all of the rookies should be more confident going into training camp and be able to play instead of think.

How have the veterans been with you so far? Do they welcome you and offer you advice?

I am trying to soak up everything they have to tell me. I am always running and asking the closest guy to me questions. They are always eager to help me.

From what you are hearing, what do you think will be the biggest adjust to the NFL for you?

First of all learning the playbook. Then learning to pay attention to all of the details and playing at top speed all of the time.

What�s the first thing you plan on buying with your signing bonus?

I am not sure yet.

What are the strengths that you bring to the team?

I want to and hope to be a dependable player. I want to help the team out any way that I can, whether it be special teams, different positions on offense and any way I can help.

What areas would you like to work on?

I can use improvement in all areas, whether it be route-running, catching the ball better and blocking.

Last year Ben Roethlisberger came in as the top pick and made a huge impact. Does that put any added pressure on you?

It�s high expectations to live up to, but I am not considering Ben�s last year at all. I just want to be the best player I can be and help the team out any way that I can.

What�s it like to come into a team that did have such a good season last year? Does that make you want to raise the bar as far as your performance?

There is a standard around here. There are some great players on this team and it�s a lot to live up to. It�s a good goal to set for myself to work and be as good as the other players on this team.