A Steelers Depot daily segment. A quick hit of some Pittsburgh Steelers-related stories that may not require a complete article but nuggets worth mentioning and passing on to you guys.
Your Depot After Dark for July 22.
CORDARRELLE PATTERSON GETS MARRIED
It seems like new Steelers’ return man, Cordarrelle Patterson, had a pretty successful offseason. Not only have the kickoff rules been altered in favor of returners, but he also recently got married. Entering his 12th year in the NFL, Patterson has consistently been one of the league’s best kick returners. He even holds the record for most kick return touchdowns in NFL history.
Now, Patterson will have even more reason to perform well this year. Based on his new wife’s Instagram, it seems the two got engaged in January of 2023. Luckily, thanks to these new kickoff rules, Patterson should be able to extend his career for a few more years. However, that probably means he’ll spend less time with his family. Hopefully, he and his wife will enjoy their honeymoon.
RUSSELL WILSON PLAYING BASKETBALL
Russell Wilson will most likely be the Steelers’ starting quarterback once the season begins, and he’s been working hard this offseason to make sure that’s true. However, it looks like Wilson has taken these last few days before training camp begins to make some memories with his stepson.
In a video posted to his Instagram story, Wilson and his stepson can be seen shooting around and playing basketball at the Dallas Mavericks’ facility. Wilson is actually already a two-sport athlete, being an NFL quarterback for years and also being drafted to the MLB once upon a time. Adding basketball to his repertoire would continue to round out Wilson’s skills.
HINES WARD AT COACHING SCHOOL
Hines Ward may be more well-known as the Steelers’ Super Bowl 40 MVP, but he’s working his way up in the coaching world now. Starting as an offensive assistant with the Steelers in 2017, Ward is now the wide receivers coach at Arizona State. It appears that, much like when he was a player, Ward is putting his all into coaching, making a recent appearance at the Texas High School Coaches Association Coaching School, as seen on Texas high school football coach Matt Hove’s Twitter.
The event appears to aim to develop and educate young coaches in multiple sports. It’s unclear if Ward was there as a speaker or simply to learn, though. Either way, it seems he’s taking coaching as seriously as he can, and maybe one day, he’ll even end up back on the Steelers’ staff.
