Mike Tomlin knows a thing or two about motivating players.
So it probably shouldn't come as any surprise that the Steelers coach regularly tells rookie center A.Q. Shipley, "Man, those arms are looking short."
The length of Shipley's arms is a big reason why 225 players were selected before the Moon Area High School graduate in April. And Tomlin's daily reminders of that supposed shortcoming are his way of telling Shipley to stiff-arm the doubters.
"He tells me he's going to tell me that every day until I make this team," Shipley said after an offseason practice at the Steelers' South Side facility, "because he doesn't care how long my arms are, which is awesome."
While his arm span is a little under 30 inches — considered short for an NFL offensive linemen — a spot on the Steelers' 53-man roster is not out of his reach. Continue
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