Steeler LB Lawrence Timmons (timmons94.com) blogs about training camp:
July 28, 2010
I did a lot of great things in the off-season. It hasn’t all been fun, though. I’ve been working out hard. I’m up to 248 pounds right now, no fat. I’ve got my abs back.
I threw out the first pitch at a minor league baseball game for the Florence Red Wolves in my hometown of Florence, South Carolina. I signed autographs all day long during the game. It’s a good feeling when your hometown fans show you a lot of love and I really appreciate it. They showed up wearing Steelers jerseys and that really made an impression on me.
I also went to James Farrior’s celebrity weekend in Richmond, Virginia. That was fun. I played in a celebrity softball game but that was kind of disappointing. I flew out every time. I thought I was a better ballplayer than that. I also signed a lot of autographs and just had a lot of fun with it.
Now it’s time to get ready for training camp on Friday. I’ve been working out like a dog so camp will be easy for me and I’m in some serious shape. I’ve been working out hard, doing two-a-days, working out then running or lifting. My trainers have me on some supplements now and I’m improving my wind, speed and strength so everything is going well.
I feel like I should have a good camp and we’re ready to get to Latrobe and start building team chemistry. That’s what training camp is really for when you have a veteran unit, doing all the reps together, feeling each other out, knowing where each guy is going to be on certain plays. You build camaraderie and get as close as possible on and off the field.
We have pretty much our whole defense back, with Bryant McFadden back to start at corner. The linebackers have been together quite a few years and we’ve all grown together. I know we’ll be one of the team’s strengths this season, and all together our defense is solid. We have no weaknesses in the secondary, on the line or at linebacker. We should definitely contend for the league’s top defense again this season.
A lot of people are asking me if we can win without Ben. Truth is, we have a lot of confidence in Byron. The last time he played here we won the Super Bowl, so I like those odds. He’s used to the system here. And if anything happened to him, we have Dennis Dixon, he posted good numbers against one of the best defenses in the league in Baltimore last year so we know we can win with him too.
I have set some goals for myself this season. Making the Pro Bowl is No. 1 on my agenda, and of course we all want to win another Super Bowl. I want to be in the high teens in sacks, maybe 17 or 18. That would be a good way to help the team win.
I want to thank all the people who came out to support me in Florence, my hometown. It means a lot to me that there are so many Steelers fans there now. It was crazy seeing all of those people wearing Steelers jerseys in South Carolina.
Interesting:
1. The organization claims McFadden and Gay will compete for the starting spot. Timmons claims it's already McFadden's job.
2. He proclaims Lefty the starter and Dixon the backup.
Not too surprising though..
"I’m improving my wind…" (insert fart joke)
he mentions b-mac coming back, but curiously no mention of larry foote. 15+ sacks is going to be tough if timmons is only on the field for 3rd downs. i hope he stays healthy. nothing worse than putting all this work in, and getting turf toe or something unrelated…
like that famous runner (jim fixx?) who was super healthy but then still died of a heart attack anyway… i guess that's not really a good analogy. more like a healthy vegetarian that ironically is trampeled to death by a herd of grass-fed buffalo.
So going to the Pro Bowl is more important to him then winning the Super Bowl huh? Interesting!
The Pro Bowl is a personal goal. I'm fairly certain everyone that wears a Steelers uni has winning a seventh ring as their #1 team goal.