Pittsburg, PA
Steelers’ Coordinator Danny Smith Needs Pads on the Sidelines
PITTSBURGH — Danny Smith has seen it all. The Pittsburgh-born Smith attended and coached at Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School when Dan Marino was there. But the 2024 Steelers’ special teams may be even more impressive. Smith, the Steelers’ special teams coordinator, arrived at the Steelers in 2013 and has coached one of the best special teams units in the league since.
The Steelers have blocked a league-leading 13.33% of opposing teams’ field goal attempts this season. If that unbelievable rate holds for the rest of the season it would be the highest percentage of field goal attempts blocked by far with data dating back to 2003. But this isn’t anything new for Smith and his unit — the Steelers also led the league in 2018 with 7.69% and were second in the league in 2022 at 5.88%.
It’s a symbiotic relationship between Smith and his unit. When Steelers’ reliable place kicker Chris Boswell knocks in a routine 50-plus-yard kick, Smith gets so pumped up he’s sore the next day. When Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick blocks an extra point and gets wrongfully flagged for leverage, Smith blows up at the officials for blowing the call. And when the Steelers use each other to form a wall and block a game-altering field goal, Smith is in the middle of his guys celebrating with them.
“They beat the h*** out of me. I’m sore and I didn’t even play,” Smith said after the Steelers primetime win over the New York Giants. “I’m probably gonna be the first coach on the sideline in shoulder pads and a helmet.”
Smith’s special teams make big plays so often they’ve become almost unsurprising. After wide receiver Calvin Austin III returned a 73-yard punt for a touchdown against the Giants, Smith is seen pacing and chewing the most possible gum he could fit in his mouth.
Boswell has only missed once this year — a 62-yard attempt as the first half expired against the Chargers. Boswell arrived in Pittsburgh in 2015 and has been almost flawless since. The veteran kicker has the fifth-highest field goal percentage of all time at 87.889%. Of course, Smith was on the sideline for every one of those seasons.
The Steelers brought in a new punter this season in veteran Cameron Johnston. Tragically, Johnston suffered a leg injury in the Steelers’ season-opener against the Falcons. Johnston’s two punts against the Falcons were impressive and gave fans hope that the position would be more solid this season, but the situation became uncertain. Replacing Johnston was Corliss Waitman. The mid-season acquisition has been a slam dunk for the Steelers with Waitman averaging 46.8 yards per punt.
The Steelers win in unconvential ways. Other teams routinely win in shootouts — offensive showcases that aim to light the scoreboard up. But the Steelers have invested in their defense and special teams. While it’s often boiled down to, ‘the Steeler way’, the Steelers and Smith are proving the method works. If The Steelers’ special teams can continue producing big plays week after week, the black and gold are poised for a special run.
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A man from Fayette County has been arrested and is facing over 1,000 charges related to alleged animal cruelty and neglect.
Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele said that John Saxberg, 57, is facing charges in connection with what he called “a suspected illegal kennel operation” in Washington Township.
According to DA Aubele, Saxberg is accused of subjecting numerous animals to “deplorable conditions” and “circumstances constituting torture,” adding that approximately ten animals suffered serious bodily injuries.
Court records show that Saxberg is facing 1,029 criminal charges in total with offenses including aggravated cruelty to animals, cruelty to animals, neglect of animals, penalties related to dog licensing, and violations of vaccine requirements.
52 of the charges that Saxberg is facing are felonies, according to court records.
Online court paperwork shows that Saxberg was arraigned on Tuesday afternoon and is being held in the Fayette County Prison after bail was posted at $85,000.
A preliminary hearing for Saxberg is scheduled for late next week.
An Allegheny County park with 200-year-old trees has been added to a growing network of protected and publicly accessible old-growth forests.
Local leaders announced on Tuesday that Hartwood Acres is now part of the Old-Growth Forest Network, which consists of over 340 forests, though this is Allegheny County’s first.
The 692-acre property features a Tudor mansion built in 1929, and while about a quarter of the park is maintained, the other 75% is forested. Some of the oldest trees include a black oak that’s over 200 years old, and a sugar maple and red oak that are nearing 200 years old.
“Hartwood Acres is one of Allegheny County’s greatest natural treasures, and this designation recognizes both the ecological value of these forests and the generations of stewardship that have protected them,” Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said in a press release. “As we work to build an Allegheny County where everyone can thrive, that includes ensuring residents have access to clean air, green spaces, and the opportunity to connect with nature close to home.”
The Old-Growth Forest Network, founded in 2012, aims to create a national network of protected, mature and native forests that are accessible to the public. The goal is to preserve at least one forest in every U.S. county that can sustain a forest.
“The importance of the preservation of these rare forests cannot be overemphasized,” said Brian Kane, the Mid-Atlantic regional manager with the Old-Growth Forest Network. “As seen at Hartwood Acres, forests perform critical environmental services that benefit communities, such as storing carbon, providing wildlife habitat, and retaining stormwater. OGFN is grateful that Allegheny County values its old-growth forests and will enable its residents and visitors to marvel at these old hardwoods far into the future as they grow even more mature and majestic.”
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