By Teresa Varley
Steelers.com
Steelers Notebook
Nose tackle Casey Hampton will be honored by his hometown of Galveston, Texas at a benefit dinner and parade.
Hampton will be honored on March 27 at a dinner at the Pelican Club at Gaido's Restaurant in Galveston, an event that will raise money for Hurricane Ike relief. Galveston was hit hard by the hurricane.
The following day Hampton will be honored at a parade in Galveston and have his jersey retired at Ball High School.
Wide receiver Nate Washington will not be back next season as the free agent agreed to a deal with the Tennessee Titans. Washington, the Steelers number three receiver, joined the team as a rookie free agent in 2005. He had 40 receptions for 631 yards and three touchdowns last season.
Everyone in the Steelers organization is hoping for a good outcome in the search for two missing NFL players and another boater off of Florida's Gulf Coast.
One of those missing is Marquis Cooper, who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders but was with the Steelers for a part of 2006 and 2007.
Cooper played for coach Bill Cowher when he was signed in 2006, with the team for about a month. He was re-signed by coach Mike Tomlin in 2007 during training camp, but released in September after an injury. He was re-signed again in December.
"He's a great guy and we hope for the best," said director of football operations Kevin Colbert. "He played for both coaches and he could play either linebacker position."
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Running back Mewelde Moore, who signed with the team as a free agent last offseason, thinks the Steelers are successful because of the family approach.
"I think it starts up top," said Moore. "It starts with all the Rooneys and then from Coach (Mike) Tomlin down through the players. Just the atmosphere and the players, the way everyone loves football , takes care of each other, and does everything together as a team, as a family. Being a family is a big deal and that is definitely what we felt here, being a family."
