The party started on Sunday evening in Arlington, VA, with Steelers Nation gathering at the Tortoise & Hare bar and grill for a pregame party with former Steelers WR Antwaan Randle El.
It concluded on Monday evening shortly after 10 p.m. (ET) with a sea of yellow Terrible Towels twirling inside FedEx Field, as Steelers Nation watched their team open the season with a 38-16 victory.
In between, there was plenty of cheering, high-fiving, yelling and, of course, Terrible Towel waving, both inside and outside of the stadium, as fans from all over made the D.C. area feel like its own slice of Steelers Country.
A gallery of fan shots and Steelers Nation Unite events from the team's Week 1 trip to Washington.
When Steelers Nation Unite arrived at the Tortoise & Hare on Sunday evening, the Terrible Towels were already flying, it set the tone for what would transpire over the course of the next 24 hours. A popular Steelers bar, the Tortoise & Hare made every Steelers fan in attendance feel like they were home.
Add in former Steelers WR Antwaan Randle El, and it made for a fun night as kickoff was officially less than one day away.
That energy felt in Arlington on Sunday night was only amplified on Monday afternoon as Steelers fans began arriving at the stadium, eagerly awaiting kickoff and waving their Terrible Towels every chance they got.
Just look at this tweet below for a quick shot of what it looked like in Greater Landover, MD on Monday evening as the Steelers came running out before kickoff. To say Steelers Nation was stoked for the season to start and had a recognizable presence in enemy territory may just be an understatement.
The Washington, D.C. area wasn't the only place having fun on Monday night. Not by a longshot. With a primetime kickoff in the Eastern time zone, it made for some long nights for the members of Steelers Nation that make their in different parts of the world. During the #SNUrollcall on Twitter and Facebook, fans chimed in to let their team know they were staying up late in the U.K., Denmark, Germany and Paris.
The opposite was true for fans on the West Coast and in Mexico, as they rushed home from work (or maybe cut out of the office a bit early) to ensure they could see every play on Monday Night Football.
Now, the team returns home on Sunday afternoon to take on AFC North rival Cincinnati in what will undoubtedly be an electric atmosphere that starts in Heinz Field and reaches to all corners of Steelers Nation. Don't miss out on the exclusive content and ways to stay connected with Steelers Nation Unite, which is the official home of Steelers Nation. To learn more and sign up for free, visit SteelersNationUnite.com now.
