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Friday, August 01, 2003

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

It's only a nickel, but it's a start for rookie Troy Polamalu.

	Receiver Hines Ward and defensive back Chidi Iwuoma battle for the football during passing drill at Steelers training camp yesterday. (Matt Freed, Post-Gazette)

The Steelers' No. 1 draft choice starts at safety as part of their new nickel defense.

"He looks good," defensive coordinator Tim Lewis said. "He's a smart kid. He was playing that position in college, and it's his position in the 'Okie.'"

Polamalu remains on the second team in the Okie, their base 3-4 defense, behind Mike Logan at strong safety.

He's also second team in their dime defense, but he joins Logan and the rest of the starting secondary in the Steelers' nickel defense, which they promise they will use often this season. Logan moves up to the "nickel" back and Polamalu plays deeper.

In the nickel, linebackers James Farrior and Kendrell Bell remain inside. Joey Porter and Jason Gildon play as the outside rush ends and Kimo von Oelhoffen and Aaron Smith are the tackles.

Polamalu's strained calf muscle from Wednesday night did not prevent him from practicing yesterday.

Playing footsies

Jerome Bettis hopes his teammates' foot-stomping days are over. Bettis missed his first practice yesterday because two players on defense stepped on his foot each of the previous two days.

"Yesterday, Rodney Bailey stepped on my foot," Bettis said. "The day before that, Aaron Smith stepped on the same foot. It's not bad, but it started to swell up before practice, and then it got stepped on again and swelled up a little more, and we wanted to be cautious."

Coach Bill Cowher predicted Bettis will return to practice today.

Cap friendly

Steelers officials say salary cap considerations will not affect roster cuts before the season begins. That means, for example, that they will not have to release a veteran in favor of a younger player merely because he's making more money.

"We're in good shape right now," said Kevin Colbert, their director of football operations. "Our salary cap situation is very manageable at this point."

The Steelers also will not have to renegotiate anyone's contract in order to make room under the cap. Each NFL team's salary cap is $75.1 million this year, and the Steelers predict they will be about $1 million under the cap when the season opens.

Quarterback picked up

The Steelers signed a well-traveled young quarterback to take the place of Tim Levcik, who will miss seven to 10 days with a tear of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee.

Phil Stambaugh joined them in practice yesterday afternoon as their fourth quarterback, at least until Levcik is able to get back onto the field. Steelers doctors will wait another day or so until the swelling in Levcik's knee subsides before deciding whether his knee requires surgery.

Stambaugh (6 feet 3, 225 pounds), played at Lehigh. He has been in training camps with Buffalo, New Orleans and the New York Giants and was on Jacksonville's active roster for a time in 2001. He played this year for the Berlin Thunder of NFL Europe, where he also played for the Rhein Fire in 2001. He was a quarterback for the New Haven Ninjas of the Arena League as well.

Cereal filler

Pass-rusher alert: You can have quarterback Tommy Maddox for breakfast, but he prefers you do it by eating the frosted corn flakes contained in his limited edition cereal box that will be sold at Giant Eagle.

The 14-ounce box contains two photos of Maddox on the front under "Tommy Gun Flakes." The proceeds will go to the Tommy Maddox foundation, a charity he began this season and that is described on the side panel.

Quick slants

Corner back Chidi Iwuoma did not finish practice because of an ankle sprain. ... Receiver Antwaan Randle El, whose hand was bruised Wednesday night, practiced yesterday. ... BetWWTS.com has established the odds on the Steelers winning the Super Bowl at 13-1, but 7-1 to get there. They are overwhelming 5-7 favorites to win the AFC North Division again.