Tomlin Sends Hampton a Message

by JJ CooperFiled under: Steelers, AFC NorthCasey Hampton is heading into the final year of his contract, but Steelers coach Mike Tomlin isn't exactly taking it easy on the Steelers nose tackle.Last year, Hampton showed up too fat for training camp (well fatter than normal), so Tomlin sat him out of practices until he melted away some of the extra pounds. He ended up playing his normal key role as the anchor of the Steelers' defensive line, but that hasn't earned him a pass from Tomlin. When asked if Hampton is in better shape this year, Tomlin could have easily said something like: "I'm sure he will be because Casey's a professional," or something like that to send a message while also going out of his way to not needle the big man.Instead, he made it clear that he's not going to coddle Casey.Tomlin Sends Hampton a Message originally appeared on Fanhouse NFL Blog on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:48:00 EDT . Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |...