On Thursday afternoon, Steelers Nation Unite members were given an exclusive opportunity to talk live with Team President Art Rooney II in a fan forum conference call. As part of the live event, known as the Weekly Huddle, members could ask their questions on the phone or send them in online for a chance to get them answered.
The official home of Steelers Nation, Steelers Nation Unite is free to join and gives fans opportunities to interact with the Steelers all year long.
Of course, fans wanted to know about everything from the status of QB Ben Roethlisberger to where the team is looking to improve on offense and defense for the 2017 campaign.
This was addressed right off the top, as the first question posed to Rooney II asked about the possibility of keeping the "Killer Bs" (Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell) together next season.
"I feel good about keeping our B's together. Antonio is under contract for this season. We are going to try to extend his contract. Le'Veon is unrestricted, but I think we have an ability to make sure he is under contract for this season, and hopefully beyond," he said. "I think we feel good about being able to handle the contract situations. I think we feel good about Ben coming back. I think we will have the killer B's together for next year, for sure."
The questions weren't just about the on-field performance, though. Having been involved with the Steelers for a long time, Rooney II was asked who has been the biggest influence on him. With so many people who have been part of the organization, it's not surprising that he could point to any number of them as impacting him in some way.
"I've had the good fortune to be around some great people who have come through our organization through the years, starting with my grandfather, father, Chuck Noll and Bill Nunn," he said. "It is really a long list of people that I would say had an influence on me. I have been blessed to be around those kinds of people and learn from them as I came up through the organization."
Rooney II also took time to thank Steelers Nation for the amazing support shown all season and all year long.
"Really, one of the things that makes it great is our fans," Rooney II said when asked about being the Steelers President. "We think we have the greatest fans in football and greatest fans in the country. So, it's just fun, whether it's home at Heinz Field or on the road seeing our fans, and how great they are with the colors they wear and the support they give to our team. That really is one of the best parts of my job, being able to get to know our fans and really enjoying their support."
And before the call was over, as is often the case when a current or former player is the guest on a call, Rooney II was asked about the song "Renegade" that plays in Heinz Field and what his reaction is when the screen goes dark on game day.
"Our players know what's coming when that board goes black and it really gets them excited," Rooney II said. "It's a great tradition that our fans have embraced and it's been fun. We usually save it for a key moment in the game where we need our fans to get loud, so it's been a great tradition and it's a lot of fun to see what happens when it gets played at Heinz Field."
To hear a full replay and highlights from the event, visit SteelersNationUnite.com to become a member and connect with the Steelers and Steelers Nation like never before.
