Ziggy Time

[flippy]

I've noticed Hood being the guy that seems to be getting the double team most often without Smitty/Hamtpon in the lineup.

Nice article giving Hood some props. I didn't realize he'd dropped 6% body fat and gained a few pounds. He and McClendon must be on some kind of diet together. Heck Dwyer and Woodley look like they might be on the same diet. And Max stayed in decent shape after the surgery. Kudos to the Steelers players and dietician this offseason.

[url]http://www.heraldstandard.com/sports/steelers/hood-won-t-admit-he-had-good-game-against-colts/article_c41cf074-6e8c-592d-bbb7-10a74d976ca0.html[/url]

[D Rock]

It's always been said that Ziggy and McClendon were gym rats. Not a bad personality trait to have as someone who's career is based on being stronger than the other guy.

[SidSmythe]

It's always been said that Ziggy and McClendon were gym rats. Not a bad personality trait to have as someone who's career is based on being stronger than the other guy.

Although I know some of the biggest panzies in the world who are gym rats. There is a time for the gym and a time for working on Football Technique. I guess we will see this season.
I hope Ziggy has a breakout season this year and McClendon will just keep getting better I believe. Now all we need is a CENTER!!! Oh wait, we did that. Sorry...carry on!

[steelblood]

It is early, but our run defense has looked a little shoddy at times. I have not identified all of the guilty parties, but Foote, Sylvestor, and Timmons have had a few whiffs. McClendon had an excellent first game, but was easily sealed or moved out on many runs in Indy. Ta'Amu has looked mostly terrible so far.

[hawaiiansteel]

Ziggy underwent an intense off-season workout regimen, here are some before and after photos:

[skyhawk]

Ziggy underwent an intense off-season workout regimen, here are some before and after photos:

photoshopped for a nitric oxide ad

[hawaiiansteel]

Steelers’ Hood finding his groove

By Ralph N. Paulk
Published: Sunday, August 26, 2012



The Steelers' Ziggy Hood recovers a fumble from the Bills' C.J. Spiller in the second quarter of the Steelers' 38-7 preseason victory Saturday over Buffalo at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Hood has impressed this preseason.

Experience: Fourth year

2012 preseason: 6 tackles
(3 vs. Buffalo)

2011: 14 starts, 31 tackles, 11⁄2 sacks

2010: 9 starts, 20 tackles, 3 sacks

2009: 8 tackles, 1 sack

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — For years, the Steelers relied on the old guard, a sentry of salty defensive linemen — Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel and Aaron Smith.

But time, age and injuries have ushered in a new era. The Steelers are transitioning, if reluctantly, to a younger defensive front.

In the past, the old guard would brush off talk of being replaced. Now they are accepting their roles as mentors to a young corps of linemen, including defensive ends Ziggy Hood and Cam Heyward and nose tackle Steve McLendon.

No one, it seems, learns faster than Hood.

Hood was clearly the most dominant linemen on either side of the ball as the Steelers thumped the Buffalo Bills, 38-7, at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Saturday night. The fourth-year lineman helped disrupt Buffalo’s blocking schemes and forced quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick and Vince Young to flee the pocket.

“The longer I play, the more I can produce,” said Hood, who spent much of the offseason working on strength and conditioning. “I don’t want to keep coming off the field to take a blow.”

Hood, with Keisel sidelined with a high left ankle sprain, didn’t let up on the Bills. He was at full throttle from start to finish.

“Once we got comfortable, we played fast and comfortable,” McLendon said. “We pushed each other real hard, and Ziggy brought his A game like he has all preseason.”

Hood, though, wasn’t nearly as impressed with his performance.

“It was far from my A game,” Hood said pointedly. “I still have a lot of things to clean up. It was an OK game for me.”

Hood was far more impressive than the stat sheet tally: three tackles, a fumble recovery, a pass defended and a quarterback hit. More importantly, Hood controlled the line of scrimmage by attracting two, sometimes three, blockers.

“That’s what we do because we have to help each other out,” Hood said. “If we hold our point of attack, we can buy the cornerbacks a little more time to get their spots, and everything takes care of itself.”

Cornerback Ike Taylor said he doesn’t pay attention to what goes on up front. Yet he admitted Hood and the defensive line made life relatively easy for the secondary, which surrendered only 192 yards passing as Fitzpatrick and Vince Young were a combined 19 of 44.

“We feel like when we are on the same page, all 11 guys, we are hard to stop,” Taylor said. “(Hood) made a couple of plays, and I think that helped turn things around.”

The shift in momentum came when safety Troy Polamalu intercepted Young. Then, rookie free-agent Robert Golden swiped a Young pass to set up a Byron Leftwich 10-yard touchdown pass to receiver Derrick Williams that gave the Steelers a 28-7 advantage.

“Basically, we were trying to get the QBs off their timing,” Hood said. “We don’t have to get sacks, but we have to free up our linebackers and cornerbacks to make plays.”

[URL]http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/2480289-85/hood-defensive-steelers-tackles-game-ziggy-bills-buffalo-fitzpatrick-front#ixzz24lkx1DhO[/URL]

[Shoe]

Steelers’ Hood finding his groove

By Ralph N. Paulk
Published: Sunday, August 26, 2012



The Steelers' Ziggy Hood recovers a fumble from the Bills' C.J. Spiller in the second quarter of the Steelers' 38-7 preseason victory Saturday over Buffalo at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Hood has impressed this preseason.

Experience: Fourth year

2012 preseason: 6 tackles
(3 vs. Buffalo)

2011: 14 starts, 31 tackles, 11⁄2 sacks

2010: 9 starts, 20 tackles, 3 sacks

2009: 8 tackles, 1 sack

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — For years, the Steelers relied on the old guard, a sentry of salty defensive linemen — Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel and Aaron Smith.

But time, age and injuries have ushered in a new era. The Steelers are transitioning, if reluctantly, to a younger defensive front.

In the past, the old guard would brush off talk of being replaced. Now they are accepting their roles as mentors to a young corps of linemen, including defensive ends Ziggy Hood and Cam Heyward and nose tackle Steve McLendon.

No one, it seems, learns faster than Hood.

Hood was clearly the most dominant linemen on either side of the ball as the Steelers thumped the Buffalo Bills, 38-7, at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Saturday night. The fourth-year lineman helped disrupt Buffalo’s blocking schemes and forced quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick and Vince Young to flee the pocket.

“The longer I play, the more I can produce,” said Hood, who spent much of the offseason working on strength and conditioning. “I don’t want to keep coming off the field to take a blow.”

Hood, with Keisel sidelined with a high left ankle sprain, didn’t let up on the Bills. He was at full throttle from start to finish.

“Once we got comfortable, we played fast and comfortable,” McLendon said. “We pushed each other real hard, and Ziggy brought his A game like he has all preseason.”

Hood, though, wasn’t nearly as impressed with his performance.

“It was far from my A game,” Hood said pointedly. “I still have a lot of things to clean up. It was an OK game for me.”

Hood was far more impressive than the stat sheet tally: three tackles, a fumble recovery, a pass defended and a quarterback hit. More importantly, Hood controlled the line of scrimmage by attracting two, sometimes three, blockers.

“That’s what we do because we have to help each other out,” Hood said. “If we hold our point of attack, we can buy the cornerbacks a little more time to get their spots, and everything takes care of itself.”

Cornerback Ike Taylor said he doesn’t pay attention to what goes on up front. Yet he admitted Hood and the defensive line made life relatively easy for the secondary, which surrendered only 192 yards passing as Fitzpatrick and Vince Young were a combined 19 of 44.

“We feel like when we are on the same page, all 11 guys, we are hard to stop,” Taylor said. “(Hood) made a couple of plays, and I think that helped turn things around.”

The shift in momentum came when safety Troy Polamalu intercepted Young. Then, rookie free-agent Robert Golden swiped a Young pass to set up a Byron Leftwich 10-yard touchdown pass to receiver Derrick Williams that gave the Steelers a 28-7 advantage.

“Basically, we were trying to get the QBs off their timing,” Hood said. “We don’t have to get sacks, but we have to free up our linebackers and cornerbacks to make plays.”

[URL]http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/2480289-85/hood-defensive-steelers-tackles-game-ziggy-bills-buffalo-fitzpatrick-front#ixzz24lkx1DhO[/URL]

I really hope this is not just the customary rose-colored rhetoric you tend to hear about a team's top prospects. Because this year's defense needs more than just "solid" play from it's D-line... especially considering the investment(s) we've made there in the last three years (2 #1's). They may not need to be Steel Curtain dominant, but we're going to need like 2008 solid (when #91 & #98 were near their primes, and #99 came into his own as a legit starter).

[fezziwig]

Although I know some of the biggest panzies in the world who are gym rats. There is a time for the gym and a time for working on Football Technique. I guess we will see this season.
I hope Ziggy has a breakout season this year and McClendon will just keep getting better I believe. Now all we need is a CENTER!!! Oh wait, we did that. Sorry...carry on!

Technique is a huge part of being good compared to great. Muscles and in shape is important too but, when your in the nfl where everyone is big and strong, you now need the technique to overcome the opposing guy. Whomever said Ta Amu has looked horrible so far is more than correct. The other teams are having more difficulties not tripping over him after he gets pancaked compared to just smacking him around.

[Eddie Spaghetti]

I will be happy to eat crow if hood turns out to be a star.

he has been a disappointment to this point, IMO.

[ikestops85]

I will be happy to eat crow if hood turns out to be a star.

he has been a disappointment to this point, IMO.

Thanks for manning up ES. I know there were a few people on here who were down on Ziggy. I hope he continues to be a force.

... and just so you know I hope I have to eat some crow regarding Dwyer. The guy has reminded me of a lazy sack of, well you know, since he joined the team. This year he looks like an NFL running back and seems to get better every game. Gooooooo Jonathan!!

[Captain Lemming]

Technique is a huge part of being good compared to great. ......... you now need the technique to overcome the opposing guy. Whomever said Ta Amu has looked horrible so far is more than correct. The other teams are having more difficulties not tripping over him after he gets pancaked .......

SO other teams ARE having difficulty with Taamu.
How you MISS the brilliance of this rookies "technique.
Perhaps what you call "pancaked" is an extemely low "chopblock" type move.
He is doing what our dline always does. Take out blockers to free up linebackers.

It It "looks"" like he is getting pushed around and is just falling.
The dline doesnt EVEN KNOW he is beating them.

THAT my friend is the epitome of "technique"

[flippy]

Thanks for manning up ES. I know there were a few people on here who were down on Ziggy. I hope he continues to be a force.

... and just so you know I hope I have to eat some crow regarding Dwyer. The guy has reminded me of a lazy sack of, well you know, since he joined the team. This year he looks like an NFL running back and seems to get better every game. Gooooooo Jonathan!!

I think most of us are eating crow on both these guys.

Something happened this offseason cause a bunch of guys showed up in way better shape and/or slimmed down - Hood, Dwyer, McClendon, Woodley to name a few. Heck, even Ben looks like he dropped a few. Maybe the new wife is a bad cook....