To get to the end zone for the touchdown, Mary Beth Shaw ran a route, received a pass from Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Rodney Williams, and slightly shoved wide receiver Calvin Austin III.
On Wednesday night, Shaw was among the 1,000 ladies present on the pitch at Acrisure Stadium. It was the inaugural “SteelHERS Social,” a brand-new, women-only gathering hosted by UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital to honour Steelers supporters in advance of the 2024 campaign.
All ages of women were present at the fully booked event.
“Yes, I attempted to tackle (Austin III),” stated Marshall’s Shaw, a season ticket holder sporting a No. 43 jersey once owned by Steelers legend Troy Polamalu. “You just soak everything in when you get moments like this.”
She mentioned how engrossed Austin and Williams were in the occasion. They repositioned it so that it was closer to the end zone.
Although it was the first of its sort at Acrisure, the Steelers have previously held other events. The team has conducted clinics during summer training camp at Latrobe’s Saint Vincent College.
Attending those clinics was Tonya Norman of New Kensington, who claimed to have been a “born Steelers fan.” Jada Norman, her 19-year-old daughter, who participated in high school flag football and powder puff football, was invited.
Tonya Norman remarked, “I really enjoyed going to those clinics during training camp.” “Every member of my family has participated in sports.”
The agility ladder, a line of connected squares on the ground intended to enhance footwork, was one of the drills the women performed.
The announcement that the city will host the NFL Draft in 2026 was an appropriate time for the celebration.
Guests also enjoyed access to the field and spent time in the FedEx Great Hall, where safety Troy Polamalu of the Steelers, an NFL Hall of Famer, and his wife Theodora welcomed fans and fielded questions. The pair snapped a selfie with the audience, including Steelers presenter and sideline reporter Missi Matthews.
The event has a tailgate-style setting complete with Steelers mascot Steely McBeam, entertainment from disc jockeys, a paint-and-sip area, a black-and-gold bouquet bar featuring flowers from Pittsburgh-based And Flowers, light bites, and brownies shaped like footballs.
Baldwin artist Kait Schoeb painted Polamalu live and signed the piece for a raffle prize. An artist who does a live painting does some or all of the painting in advance and then works on location during the event. According to Schoeb, she began the composition at home and completed it in the stadium.
Halfway between Pittsburgh and Cleveland, in Ohio, Lonnie Isenberg set off with four buddies.
Isenberg purchased brand-new tennis shoes from Brooks that are limited edition in black and gold. According to Isenberg, Polamalu autographed each of their jerseys.
Isenberg remarked, “Troy is a gem, and he is so gracious with his time.”
Best friends Kathy McLafferty of Lower Burrell, who has a tattoo of the Steelers emblem on her calf, and Sherri Polhemus of New Kensington, who has one on her back, were both sporting matching designs.
“We go to training camp and we watch games together,” McLafferty, sporting a Polamalu jersey, added. From the time I was ten years old, I had aspired to be a steeler. The 1970s brought us the City of Champions and the Super Bowls.
According to Baldwin’s Rachelle Warnock, women nowadays are more informed about sports than ever.
Polamalu concurred.
According to him, as sports have developed, athletes are now viewed as real individuals with tales to tell, and women identify with those stories.
“Women connect with that, in my opinion, seeing how much my amazing wife has been the foundation of my life, career, and success.” “My wife is the star of the other 96% of our lives; football is just 4% of it.”
According to Polamalu, participating in the tournament allows him to assume some of the roles played by the players who came before him.
“Joe Greene, Mel Blount, Franco Harris, and Lynn Swann—they made significant contributions to this city,” he remarked. “It comes full circle, and the organisation doesn’t preach about that.” It appears to happen rather organically.