Harris: Unsupervised workouts not a good idea

By John Harris, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, May 25, 2011

It's one thing for NFL players to work out together during the lockout. Teams such as the New Orelans Saints and Washington Redskins have featured full-scale practices, with players traveling from across the country to participate.

The Steelers have conducted workouts on a smaller scale, with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger throwing to his wide receivers.

If nothing else, it's great for team chemistry.

But it could be detrimental if players aren't working out properly.

With no coaches to monitor them, players could increase the risk of injury.

"I've heard that different guys' workouts from different teams have been a disaster,'' Green Bay Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk said earlier this month. "They're working out at bad high school fields and equipment and all that stuff.''

Enter strength and conditioning coach Tom Shaw.

Tuesday through Thursday, Shaw and a group of NFL players, including Steelers linebacker James Farrior, cornerback William Gay and free agent cornerback Ike Taylor, who are based at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., will train with and compete against another group of NFL players in suburban Atlanta under the direction of speed and conditioning coach Chip Smith representing Competitive Edge Sports.

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