The excitement that encompassed Heinz Field on Sunday when the Steelers defeated the San Francisco 49ers 43-18 carried over on Monday night when the team hosted the annual Ladies Night Out, presented by Magee-Womens Breast Cancer Program, part of UPMC Cancer Centers.
"It's so nice to see all of the ladies that are Steelers fans," said Marlo Harvey from Canton, Ohio. "I think it's awesome. It's so nice to meet different people from different places. Everyone is happy and smiling and glad to be here. There are no strangers, we are one big family."
It's no secret the Steelers have a huge female fan base and they came out in large numbers, decked out in jerseys, shirts, hats and everything black and gold imaginable.
"It's crazy," said cornerback Will Gay. "The typical thought is ladies don't know a lot about football. But the Steelers ladies, they can tell you where you went wrong in the game, what you did right. That is a great thing. It tells you our fan base is a team effort, from kids to men to women, everyone knows about football."
Gay, along with defensive end Stephon Tuitt, were the featured speakers at the event, sharing what a typical week in season is like for them as well as taking questions.
"Everybody thinks we sit at the house and when Sunday comes we take the field," said Gay. "It's good to explain all of the hard work and dedication that is put in prior to Sunday. When they get that information, they understand it a lot better."
Tuitt is used to excited fan bases having played at Notre Dame, but even he is impressed with the Steelers' female fan base.
Take a look at the photos from the 2015 Ladies' Night Out held at Heinz Field.
"It's amazing," said Tuitt. "I am glad it's like that. I am glad football reaches all genders. Plus this really gives the ladies insight to what we go through preparing for game day. People don't see what we go through on a day to day basis, so this is helpful for them."
The evening was a dream night for the ladies, who also had the opportunity to tour Heinz Field, including the locker room, and take part in skill sessions with Steelers alumni Craig Wolfley, Mike Logan and Chris Hoke.
"I love that the players come and talk to us, we get to go down on the field where we watch the team play every week," said Jeanette Bongiovi from Pittsburgh. "I call this place the 'Mother Ship' because I love this place. And being here, you hear from the players and you realize they are human. They are like us. They have lives, they have families. This gives us the human side of them."
