Everest calls firing by Steelers a ‘shocker’

Everest calls firing by Steelers a ‘shocker’
By Alan Robinson
Published: Friday, August 24, 2012, 2:32 p.m.
Updated 18 hours ago

Former Steelers special teams coordinator Al Everest said his firing “was a shocker” but declined Friday to discuss why he and the team parted ways with only two preseason games remaining.

Everest was abruptly fired by coach Mike Tomlin following practice Thursday, the Steelers’ last such on-field work before the preseason game in Buffalo on Saturday. Everest, who had been in his job since January 2010, was replaced by his assistant, Amos Jones.

“It was professional differences, and let’s leave it at that,” Everest told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Friday.

But he added, “It was a shocker.”

Everest still was coming to grips with the firing Friday, following an evening spent mostly calling relatives, friends and NFL acquaintances. He plans to stay in coaching but said it was too early to think about where he might coach next.

Everest politely declined to discuss his departure in detail but said it had nothing to do with the decision to take Pro Bowl returner Antonio Brown off the kickoff and punt return teams. Brown, a starting receiver, recently signed a $42.5 million contract extension.

Brown upgraded the return units last season, averaging 10.8 yards on punt returns and 27.3 yards on kickoffs. But the Steelers apparently do not want to risk losing one of Ben Roethlisberger’s prime targets to a special teams injury.

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I applaud him for his professionalism and not getting in a war of words.

Anybody have an educated (or at least) a good guess why this happened?

Gingerchip wrote:

Anybody have an educated (or at least) a good guess why this happened?

Look who you're asking. Do we EVER have an educated guess about anything?

But we've got a few conspiracy theorists here. So I'm sure we can come up with something.

I bet he put hot peppers in Art Rooney's eggs.

I heard that Wallace said he wasn't coming back as long as Everest is still coaching in Pittsburgh. Since they caved and got rid of Everest, I bet you Wallace finally shows up.