by Bo Marchionte

Latrobe, PA – It is the official unofficial symbol that indicates summer is quickly ending. Steelers players arrived at St. Vincent College this afternoon to begin training camp. It is a time to think about nothing but football for the next month. Watching players haul in their personal items is a unique gateway into how they’ll spend the next month at camp.

Some players are lugging around one suitcase after the next. Personal items being carried in that will help make their time staying in the dorm rooms more manageable over the next month.

Dorm life. Football 24/7 isn’t the cup of tea by some, but that is not the case for Steelers Robert Spillane.  

“I’m a simple man,” Spillane said. I’m a simple man. I’m minimalist. I brought one suitcase. Some people bring like five or six suitcases. I got a change of clothes and a toothbrush. I don’t need much more.”

Spillane is a throwback.

“I wake up every morning thinking about how I can better,” Spillane. “Work all day getting better and go to sleep thinking I did not do enough. That is the cycle that I live in. I’m hard on myself. I’m harder on myself than anyone is on me. So, it’s how can I keep improving my game. I found out a lot of ways that may be unorthodox to some but are ways I can definitely improve my game.”

Spillane is entering his fifth year in the NFL and his fourth with the Steelers. He has spent camp in Latrobe, but Covid-19 shutdown the annual pilgrimage to St. Vincent. This is an opportunity for plenty of players to feel camp life for the first time. It is a bonding time that can help be the launching pad into a great season.”

Like most players, Spillane used the off-season to improve.

“I’m excited to show it here, Spillane said regarding being the best he can be this up-coming season. “Finding different things. Like focusing on sleep recovery. Extra hydration. I love playing basketball that allows me to work on my foot work and athleticism. Running routes.

“Working with the track coach. I train with my shoes off a lot of the times. I train with my eyes closed. I do a lot of things that might seem weird so some, but it’s all intended to be the best football player.

“I follow a lot of great athletes. There are so many different ways to train yourself to be a better athlete. I focus on things that people might not look at as workouts, but if your intentional about you can get better.”

Undrafted out of Western Michigan, Spillane has continued to do those little things on the field as well that have helped him carve out a niche in the Steelers defense. Each season he has built on his previous years production and this year looks to be another year where he finds his number being called more and more.

So, camp begins in earnest tomorrow, Spillane and using one particular camp favorite to keep him smiling.

“Just thinking back St. Vincent’s three of four years ago,” Spillane said. “One of the best parts of camp is after practice every night. You work all day. You got meetings all day. Then you have ice cream. It’s not an exciting story but it is something to look forward to every year. I’m looking forward to the ice cream. I also kind of have a sweet tooth to.”

Camp is filled with endless hot summer days and an uncomfortable dorm bed to rest on. It is team meetings on top of practice in between film study, but that doesn’t bother Spillane.

“It’s just football and I love to do what I do,” Spillane said.

So, I’m very grateful to be out here.”

Photo Credit Frank Hyatt