Pittsburg, PA
Special Olympics Pennsylvania’s torch run returns for 14th year
A long-running tradition returned to Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
This is the 14th year for Special Olympics Pennsylvania’s “Be A Fan” torch run.
Now, the Special Olympics Pennsylvania torch is on its journey away from PNC Park through its three-day, 150-mile trip to Penn State University.
Over 350 runners representing nearly 40 law enforcement agencies are Guardians of the Flame on the torch as it’s passed off every two and a half to four miles until it reaches State College for the 2025 Pennsylvania Special Olympics Summer Games.
The competition officially starts on June 5, but on Tuesday, runners like Pennsylvania State Police’s Tabitha Jacoby are accompanied by local Special Olympics program athletes.
“They’ll say, time and time again, ‘We love you guys, you’re our heroes,’ when really, they’re our heroes,” said Jacoby.
Organizers said this torch run brings the community together like no other event.
“If you have a chance to meet one of the athletes, they’re always smiling, they’re always happy to see you. And the general public can learn a lot from these athletes,” said State Law Enforcement Torch Run Director Matt Porter.
“We have law enforcement; we have people out on the streets supporting our law enforcement. We have athletes running alongside,” said Special Olympics Pennsylvania Vice President of Strategic Partnerships Andrew Fee. Fee added that the games are “highly competitive, good sportsmanship, a lot of fun when you’re not on the field.”
These athletes compete to represent Pennsylvania in the Special Olympics USA Games.
Athletes like swimmer Gianfranco Schiaretta said he’s ready for this statewide competition, “feeling confident, feeling strong.”
He said it takes a lot of hard work, and to him, this torch, with the Flame of Hope, represents so much.
“Desire, devotion, and discipline is the biggest thing,” said Schiaretta.
It’s a symbol of what our athletes with special abilities accomplish every day.
LOS ANGELES — Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Darius Slay suffered a concussion against the Los Angeles Chargers in the second quarter and did not return.
It happened on a run play when Slay was slammed into by teammate Kyle Dugger. Dugger hit Slay right in the head on the backside of a tackle, and he stayed down.
After he walked off the field under his own power, Slay went into the blue medical tent and was immediately escorted to the locker room. He was initially ruled as questionable before being ruled out for the rest of the game with the injury. James Pierre came in and replaced him.
Slay has dealt with other injuries this year, including a dislocated finger, shoulder issue, and a self-described ‘tight calf’ at one point during the team’s game against the Green Bay Packers.
Those injury issues have forced him to be in and out of the lineup at times, though he has yet to miss a game with an injury issue.
In order to play next week against the Indianapolis Colts, Slay will have to clear the concussion protocol in seven days. That is not impossible, but it will still be somewhat tough to climb uphill to play next week.
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Eastern Michigan Eagles (1-0) at Pittsburgh Panthers (2-0)
Pittsburgh; Monday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Pittsburgh hosts Eastern Michigan after Damarco Minor scored 23 points in Pittsburgh’s 78-60 victory against the Longwood Lancers.
Pittsburgh finished 17-15 overall a season ago while going 13-4 at home. The Panthers averaged 75.9 points per game last season, 15.5 on free throws and 24.9 from beyond the arc.
Eastern Michigan finished 9-10 in MAC games and 6-10 on the road a season ago. The Eagles averaged 12.4 assists per game on 26.0 made field goals last season.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers are elevating a familiar face to the 53-man roster for their Week 10 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. With the team entering the contest with just 52 players on their active roster, they are dipping into their practice squad to fill out the group entering SoFi Stadium.
The Steelers announced multiple roster moves ahead of the game, highlighted by veteran running back Trey Sermon receiving another elevation to the active roster. This will be the fourth game Sermon plays for the Steelers this season. In his three previous appearances, he has yet to receive any carries or receptions on the offensive side, playing strictly in a special teams role.
This is Sermon’s fifth season in the NFL. Originally selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, he played in nine games in his first season. He accumulated 167 rushing yards and a touchdown on 41 carries with the 49ers before joining the Philadelphia Eagles for the 2022 campaign.
After another one-year stop in Philly, he spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. He appeared in 31 out of a possible 34 games over those two seasons, picking up 319 rushing yards, 112 receiving yards and two rushing scores.
That’s what drew the Steelers to Sermon this past summer. With 42 NFL games under his belt, the 26-year-old has plenty of experience despite being a relatively young running back.
The Steelers also saw the special teams allure in Sermon, and that was the deciding factor in bringing him in and keeping him around during the 2025 season. That versatility and special teams ability has earned him four appearances with the team and a high level of trust from special teams coach Danny Smith.
Coming off a 55-yard team rushing performance in their Week 9 win, can Sermon find his way into the offensive game plan? It’s unlikely with Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell still occupying the top two slots and rookie Kaleb Johnson slowly earning back more snaps after a justified slide down the depth chart at the start of the regular season. Still, the Steelers’ offense has yet to find a groove.
Sermon has shown he’s a change of pace back and special teams contributor in the NFL. If the Steelers are interested in shaking up any part of their offense, they can look to Sermon’s 6’0”, 215-pound frame to play a more powerful type of running football.
Otherwise, the Steelers have another trusted special teams player at their disposal in a crucial game against the 6-3 Chargers.
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