After our family visited Pirates' spring training this winter, I had been considering visiting Steelers' training camp at Saint Vincent's College in Latrobe, PA.  But there was one particularly compelling reason to make the trip.  Last fall (2004) when Ben Roethlisberger was still just an unproven rookie, he did an in-person signing at Ross Park Mall in Pittsburgh as part of a sports memorabilia store's grand opening there.  It was a ticket-only event and the price was "just" $30 per item, with a limit of three items.  I felt that Roethlisberger was the "real deal" at that point and so I asked my Dad (who lives about five miles from the mall) if he'd be willing to take a few items to the mall signing for me to save me a four-hour drive each way.  He was up for it, so I sent my Dad a Steelers' replica helmet, official NFL football and Steelers' authentic jersey to be signed, along with information on where I wanted Ben to sign each item and what color pen he should use.  Dad was ready to go

As you might have guessed, that Roethlisberger signing was a hugely popular.  The store sold extra tickets and the whole signing was apparently very rushed and chaotic.  My Dad had no problem with the football and helmet, Ben hit the target with the right pen.  But as my Dad was putting away the other items, the attendants helping with the signing grabbed the jersey and put it in front on Ben, who signed it and the attendants gave it back to my Dad.  Unfortunately, after leaving the signing, my Dad only then discovered that Ben had signed the front numeral of his jersey, and not the back number we wanted signed.  The jersey was destined for my youngest son's room after being framed, since my oldest son already has a signed and framed Mario Lemieux jersey in his room.  My Dad was very upset about the gaffe, but the place sounded like a mob scene.

A few weeks later, my Dad saw a story on the news that Ben was going to do a free signing at an auto dealer in Monroeville, about a hour from my Dad's house.  Dad grabbed the jersey and headed out to correct the situation.  After waiting on line a good while, Dad learned that Ben was only signing crappy black & white photos and no memorabilia.  The people at the signing actually took the memorabilia items away from people on line and gave them back and they received the crappy photo.  I also wrote a letter to Ben c/o the Steelers about the situation hoping to send the jersey by mail, but by then, Ben was no longer answering mail and my letter likely hit the trash can unopened.  My eight-year old son was not going to receive his framed jersey for Christmas.

So my wife and I decided to take a short three-day trip to Latrobe to visit the Steelers' camp and try to get the Roethlisberger jersey signed on the back numeral.  The whole family made the trip, which included a day-trip to nearby Idlewild Park in Ligonier.  If you've got young children, Idlewild was very cool, reasonably priced and had great water attractions.  But anyway ...

Here's what happened during our training camp adventure.  Hopefully, my experiences at Saint Vincent's will be somewhat helpful to future collectors who look to visit the campus to add to their Steelers' collection.

Day #1

We drove over to Latrobe from our home in York in a little over three hours.  It was a beautiful day with sunny skies and no humidity.  We did arrive about an hour before practice was to start, and we were somewhat surprised that so many people were jammed into a small area just outside the door to the building where the Steelers dressed for practice.  The players would sometimes stop to sign autographs on the way to and from practice in this designated autograph area.  Hundreds of fans crammed into this small area.  Just before players would head out to the field, team ball boys would precede them.  The kickers (place kicker Jeff Reed and Chris Gardocki) along with long snapper Mike Schneck came out first every day we were there, and they signed tons of autographs.  We didn't have anything we wanted them to sign, we had many cards to get signed, but nothing "general."  More on that later.

My oldest son had the Roethlisberger jersey in hand and ready for signing, but when Ben came out for practice, we could only make it up to the third row or so, and Ben passed without signing it.  We couldn't get anyone else before practice either, most players didn't even acknowledge the screaming mob.  And I mean screaming.

We went and watched practice for a hour and then went back to the autograph area.  We had a better spot, and we just narrowly missed Ben again on his way back in.  What was amazing was the hard pushing and shoving that went on that afternoon and people fought to get closer to the players.  My son and I got pushed around pretty good and we learned from this session that we were going to need to be more aggressive.  Our only success that day was my youngest son has Ike Taylor sign his t-shirt  at the edge of the autograph area.

Day #2

The next morning, the family went to Idlewild Park where my oldest son dropped a coin into the wishing well and made his wish that Ben would sign the jersey.  My oldest son and I were the only ones to head to camp that afternoon and we arrived early enough to get a place in the first row behind the barricade in a spot where lots of players signed the day before.  As they did the day before, out came the ball boys, then kickers and long-snappers, and moments later - Ben.  Ben signed autographs on both sides of the autograph, just a few in each section.  He came right in front of my son and signed a pennant for the boy standing next to him, but skipped right past my son.  Talk about depressing!

We didn't get anyone else on their way to practice and my son and I huddled and he wanted to stay planted in our spot throughout practice so we wouldn't lose our prime location.  That's a huge commitment from a 10-year old, to stand in one spot for two hours.  After practice, we finally had some successes, picking up autographs from 2005 #1 draft choice Heath Miller (pictured at right), nose tackle Casey Hampton and quarterback Charlie Batch.  Ben did not come up the stairs through the autograph area - we heard he left the practice field on a cart and went directly to the dormitory.  It was "Family Night" for the team, as one Steelers' staff member told the autograph seekers before practice ended.  The team had apparently been at camp a month without seeing their families and tonight they would be reunited.  We were forewarned that team members might not sign too many autographs in their haste to spend time with their family.

We had near-misses with Jerome Bettis and Joey Porter as well.  Porter wasn't practicing, and he signed a huge number of autographs from the field all the way up to the stairs, but he started skipping people when he was getting close to our location.  Bettis signed quite a few autographs, but he was jumping back and forth from side to side.

Our second day was over, and the quest for Ben to sign our jersey looked like it was in real trouble.

Day #3

We arrived before 1:30 PM for a 3 PM practice on the final day of training camp.  Camp security kept all fans at the bottom of the hill until 1:30 PM and it looked like the starting area for a marathon.  When the go-ahead was given to the fans, people began sprinting up the hill for the prime positions in the autograph area.  I told my oldest son to take off and get the best spot he could.  He's a pretty quick 10-year old and he blew by a lot of people to get a great spot at the barricade where I joined him for protection.  The daily routine began - ball boys, kickers and long-snappers and then came Ben.  Ben signed just a few autographs on each side of the barricade and when he drew closer to my son, my son said "Ben, this jersey is for my little brother's room - could you please sign it?"  Ben moved closer and reached out for my son's pen - you can't imagine the relief I felt after three days of trying.  My son was a bit nervous too - "You have to take the cap off for me, buddy" Ben told my son, who was apparently surprised to have Ben's attention.  A few quick strokes of the Sharpie and it was over.  Success at last!

My son wanted to get out of line, he had enough and with the treasured jersey now complete, plus he needed to find a bathroom.  We went down the Steelers' Experience, where all three of my kids had a blast doing the various events the Steelers had set up for the kids.  At the end of practice, we planned to only get Coach Bill Cowher's autograph.  Coach Cowher makes a point of signing for every person who wants his autograph at the end of practice.  The line that forms for Coach Cowher is a very long one, but he's great with everyone.  He signs anything and takes pictures and smiles.  He signed a mini-helmet for my youngest son and daughter, and took a picture with them.

While we were waiting on the Cowher line, my oldest son was scurrying around down by the practice field where he scored signed cards from Hines Ward (major coup!), Lee Mays, Fred Gibson and Kimo Von Oelhoffen.  While my wife and daughter were serving as lookouts for whoever was signing down on the field, I suggested they take the extra mini-helmet we had to my oldest son for Ward to sign.  They took the helmet and left, but instead of going to Ward, they went to kicker Jeff Reed.  Oh well, his signature does look good on the helmet.

We walked over to the autograph area as my wife suggested some players might be signing after taking their showers.  She was right, as we saw Ward signing there.  Then came the worst moment of our three days, I went over to try to get Hines on another card with my oldest son, I was standing behind two young boys and I felt the line pressing in from behind me.  The boys got Hines to sign and were trying to leave and the people were pressing in so hard they couldn't get out.  I was standing and working hard just not to get knocked over, but the crush of the crowd did push me and other people into the barricade.  Everyone kind of froze for a second, surveying the damage.  Nobody was hurt, but I decided enough was enough and  hit the road.

My Suggestions for Autographs At Steelers' Camp

• While the Steelers may designate an autograph area, I suggest going with some friends or family members and spreading out to seek autographs in different places.  We got more autographs in places other than the designated autograph area.  Players are also sneaky - they don't always "run the gauntlet" in and out of the locker room.  I would suggest looking for the players on their way down the hill from the dormitories and after they shower.

• Players often don't wear their uniform jerseys in and out of the locker room.  They're in t-shirts and they carry their helmets and pads.  It's good to know faces, as always.

• It's hard to get specific items signed by any given player.  You've got to be in the exact right place at the right time.  It's as much luck as anything else.

• Kids have the advantage - no doubt the players sign items for kids before adults.

• Lots of rookies and other first-year players do most of the signing, not the stars.  Stars did just enough to show that they do sign for people.  You're not going to be able to have a conversation or take a picture with players in the autograph area.

• Take items that any players can sign if you want lots of autographs - we could have had lots more autos if we wanted anyone in uniform to sign something.  Remember though, the players who may be most willing to sign aren't necessarily going to make the team.

• Be prepared for lots of pushing and shoving.  It was amazing to me how hard people would push and shove on top of little kids to get crumpled pieces of notebook paper signed by any player.

• If you take kids, do the Steelers Experience before or after practice if you can.  Before and after practice, it seems everyone visiting camp is after autographs.  Once practice starts, all the kids head for the Steelers Experience and the lines form.  My kids went through lots of events during the pre-practice autograph swarm with little or no lines. 

If you ever find yourself hounding autographs at Steelers' training camp, be prepared for some physical autograph seekers and good luck to you.  Please feel free to e-mail me with any additional questions that you might have.  Hey, I'm no expert on how to be successful, but I would have appreciated knowing some of this information to help my sons and me on our trip.  I'm not sure we'll ever go back again - it was a little much for my eight-year old son and my daughter wanted nothing to do with those crowds.