Once they walked off the practice field at the Rooney Sports Complex, many of the rookie and first-year players in attendance likely received a call or text from their father or someone who served as a mentor asking how things went.
It's typical father-son stuff.
But Steelers first-year wide receiver Trey Griffey's dad has a little different understanding of the process of becoming a professional athlete. After all, when your grandfather was a standout Major League Baseball player and your father is in the Baseball Hall of Fame, they might know a thing or three about what it takes to make it at any sport’s highest level.
In that respect, George Kenneth "Trey" Griffey III has a leg up on his competition to earn a roster spot with the Steelers.
"He texts me every day asking how I did in practice, 'What did you do today? What did you improve?' It's a father-son relationship," the younger Griffey says about his father, Ken Griffey Jr. "That's what's great about it. I take it as an advantage. He understands what it takes. He tells me if I need to recover from something. He's always telling me to hit the cold tub. He knows what he's talking about."
It hasn't worked out just yet, but Trey Griffey hopes to find a home in his third NFL stop by returning to his family's roots. The Griffey family hails from the Monongahela River town of Donora, about 25 miles south of Pittsburgh in Washington County.
It was there Griffey's great-grandfather, Buddy, was a star halfback at Donora High School — which later merged with some others to form Ringgold High School — before earning a football scholarship to Kentucky State University.
And it was there where his grandfather, Ken Griffey Sr., found a way out of the former steel town to go on to a lengthy career in the majors. His father also was born in the town, which also has produced stars such as Stan Musial and former Army quarterback and All-American Arnold Galiffa.
"I have family that lives here, so it's always a good place. Pittsburgh is a great place to be," Trey Griffey said. "The coaching staff here is amazing. They're respectful and they coach you in the right way. Ever since I've been here, it's been great."
The Steelers signed the eldest of Ken and Melissa Griffey's three children to a futures contract soon after the 2017 season ended, making them his third stop since finishing his career at Arizona in 2016. He initially signed with Indianapolis following the 2017 draft but landed on the team's injured reserve list following OTAs before being waived July 7.
He then signed with Miami two weeks into training camp but was waived at the end of camp before signing with the Steelers. The 6-foot-3, 192-pound receiver is hopeful a full offseason and improved health will allow him a better opportunity to make the roster here.
"Things happened. That's part of the business," Griffey said of the past year. "It's 53 (active players) and the practice squad. It doesn't really matter. I'm in Pittsburgh. I love Pittsburgh and I'm just thinking about being here."
Griffey caught 79 passes for 1,241 yards and six touchdowns at Arizona, with his best year coming as a redshirt sophomore when he hauled in 31 passes for 405 yards.
But it's not so much about his college numbers as it is his ability to go get the ball. Despite having average speed — he ran a 4.59 40-yard dash at his pro day last year — he has a knack for going and getting the ball in traffic, much the same way his father patrolled the outfield as a baseball player.
"You still have to go get the ball. In football, it's the football. In baseball, it's the baseball," he said. "That's the good thing about it. But in baseball, you don't have somebody in front of you. It's still ball. Ball is ball."
One thing is certain, Griffey won't be intimidated by the name on the back of someone else's jersey. He's spent his entire life in professional clubhouse settings. But he's worked to earn his way to this point in his career.
And if it works out, nobody will be happier or more proud than his father.
"Just the love for football," Griffey told me when I asked him what made him choose football over baseball, where he was a draft pick of the Seattle Mariners in the 2016 draft. "My dad had a love for baseball. My grandfather had a love for baseball. I love football. My dad always told me, 'As long as you're having fun, I'm going to support you.' He loves it."
