The calendar still read March the first time Mike McCarthy publicly referenced the date of June 12.
During a media availability in April, the Pittsburgh Steelers coach did so again.
Guess what date McCarthy — unsolicited — mentioned to reporters on the second Friday of May? And again on May 20? And for good measure, one last time as he stood behind a makeshift podium last week.
Yep, June 12.
Well, now that June 12 is here, has it been everything McCarthy hoped it would be after months of buildup to it?
“We’re in a really good spot,” McCarthy said the other day, “as far as what we’ve been able to accomplish with the football team.”
The significance to McCarthy of June 12 throughout this entire spring is that it was the conclusion of organized team activities. After four weeks of on-field OTAs interspersed with a mandatory veteran minicamp, a rookie minicamp and other scaled-down phases of OTAs, McCarthy long knew it culminated on June 12.
And in his first season as coach of the Steelers, McCarthy had a lot to do in a relatively short period of time between his first interactions with his new players and the official end of the NFL’s spring — which for the Steelers this year fell on June 12. Friday marks the end of the on-field work for the Steelers until they report to Saint Vincent College for training camp July 28.
That’s 47 days between practice sessions.
“There’s seven weeks that the players will have to prepare for Latrobe,” McCarthy said, “and every single one of them has external resources that they utilize to get ready to play football. So, it’s really being coordinated as a program, particularly our coaching staff, our training staff. Obviously, the trainers to be coordinated with those individuals in the external spaces to make sure they’re all on the same page and make sure these guys are getting ready to go.”
By design, attendance was down among the Steelers’ older players for this final week of OTAs. McCarthy wanted extra time with his younger players and wanted to afford them the opportunity for extra reps.
It’s safe to assume, though, that if the new coach had not been satisfied with how the veterans were working in picking up the new offensive and defensive schemes that he would not have been so open to so many taking this past week off.
Surely, some of the most established veterans spent the week to relax or get a jump on vacations. Generally speaking, this time between the end of spring practices and the start of training camp is the most “down” period on the annual NFL calendar.
For the Steelers’ coaches and rookies, though, relaxation has to wait another week. McCarthy said this coming Monday through Wednesday will be what he calls “rookie school” for classroom-style mental preparation for those players’ respective first pro seasons.
“That’ll be more individual time with the coaches and the rookies,” McCarthy said of next week. “Our player programs component will be a big part of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.”
Now seven weeks out from the draft — roughly the midway point between joining the NFL and taking part in a first training-camp practice — the rookies are “doing an excellent job,” McCarthy said.
“They’ve acclimated to the training environment that’s a custom of an offseason program. They’re able to keep up with the speed of it. I think they all struggle the first week the way you’re supposed to, but it’s come together for them.”
The coaching staff, likewise, has come together. Assembled by McCarthy in the weeks after his late-January hire, the head coach is satisfied that the group has evolved into a cohesive unit.
So, what’s next for them after “rookie school” wraps up by this time next week?
“Frankly,” McCarthy said, “the coaches will be on vacation.
“We’ll have work to do. We’ll have homework to do. It’s just normal that as a first-year (staff) we weren’t able to get everything done, so we’ll continue to work on that and make sure we’re ready to go for Latrobe. So, that’s really our seven-week plan.”