Steelers Players Apparently Don't Like Training Camp

Jul 23, 2025; Latrobe, PA, USA; General view of UPMC Field on the first day of Pittsburgh Steelers Training Camp at Saint Vincent College . Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Steelers Players Apparently Don't Like Training Camp

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Jul 22, 2026 6:00 PM ET

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The Pittsburgh Steelers' annual training camp voyage to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, isn't exactly met with overflowing excitement by the team.

On the latest episode of Cam Heyward's "Not Just Football" podcast, which featured former Steelers EDGE rusher Bud Dupree, co-host Hayden Walsh joked about some of the drawbacks of holding training camp in Latrobe from a filming perspective.

"We sometimes film the show from there and Cam just has white cinder blocks behind him," Walsh said. "It looks like he's in prison when he's in the dorms. It looks terrible."

Dupree, who is now a member of the Los Angeles Chargers and was last with the Steelers in 2020, chimed in by stating that his favorite year of training camp with the team was his final one because they didn't go to Saint Vincent College due to COVID.

"Nah, they still go to Latrobe?" Dupree asked. "The best training camp we had was the COVID year. We stayed at our own house... I hated the dorms. Hated it."

Heyward added that Pittsburgh had extra motivation to go on a deep run and win the Super Bowl that same year so they could convince owner Art Rooney II not to continue holding training camp in Latrobe.

"The COVID year, we were trying so hard to win a Super Bowl so then we could tell Mr. Rooney and be like, "Mr. Rooney, we won a Super Bowl, we don't need to go back to Latrobe," Heyward said. "It did not work out in that way. We were back in Latrobe the next year."

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What Are the Benefits of Latrobe?

The Steelers have held training camp at Saint Vincent College since the latter stages of the preseason in 1966, with the only exception being the aforementioned 2020 campaign.

As a result, it's become steeped in the franchise's history and carries both a ton of history and nostalgia. It's not necessarily the greatest setup in the world for the players or coaches if Dupree and Heyward's comments are any indication, but it's become a custom nonetheless.

One of the primary positives of staying in Latrobe is that it fosters team building and helps the team build more of a rapport due to the bonding experience that living in dorms and being around one another 24/7 brings forward.

Though the last decade or so has been defined by general mediocrity or a lack of true success, Pittsburgh has found plenty of success throughout its 60-year stint in Latrobe and thus may be hesitant to switch things up as a result.

While a majority of teams hold training camp at their stadiums or practice facilities, the Steelers have gone against the status quo. It doesn't seem like they're going to move away from Saint Vincent College in the near future, either.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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