2011

December 29, 2011

NEWS, QUOTES AND AWARDS

Looking for something to do New Year’s Day… before the game, of course?

Parker Polar Bear Plunge: Freezin’ For A Reason:

Scott Dittman (shown in today’s news photo) will be participating in the Parker Polar Bear Plunge, and he sent this email to thank Brett for his donation of a signed football:

Just wanted to drop a line and say THANK YOU to Brett for the donation of an autographed ball for the Parker, PA Polar Bear Plunge for charity on January 1st.

As a part of the charity, I’ve grown out my Beard since Oct 1st. It will be shaved off in the frigid water of the Allegheny River… and if enough money is raised, they will be shaving my entire head.

Last year we had almost 500 jumpers, and early indications are that we will have around 1,000 jumpers this year (with an estimated 3000 spectators). This easily makes the Parker Polar Bear Plunge the largest around.

The proceeds benefit several charities, including the Boys And Girls Club and Hunt Of A Lifetime.

Knowing that Brett is an avid hunter, I wanted to bring this charity in particular to his attention. Last year, I was heavily involved in their yearly Camo Cares event held two hours north of Pittsburgh, where we managed to raise $40,000 to help terminally ill children fulfill their dream hunt.

Event information (including how to win the Keisel autographed football):

Plunge is at 2:00 pm on New Years Day, Registration starts at 11:00 am.

The plunge is at Parker City, PA Boat Ramp and the cost is $10.00 per participant.

Local bars and restaurants open early, and there is entertainment in several packed venues afterward for the “de-icing parties” that go until well after midnight.

Football information:

This year, there is an additional way to donate via “The Beard Fund: Save It Or Shave It”. Each donor will be entered in a drawing for a Brett Keisel autographed football.

The highest donor will get to shave Scott Dittman’s beard or designate someone else to do so while in the cold river water (he’ll be sporting a Keisel jersey, of course).

If enough money ($2,500) is raised for this portion of the charity, they are going to shave his entire head. All money from The Beard Fund will be donated to the Parker Polar Bear Club to be distributed to four charities.

You must be present to win. The drawing for the ball will be held right before the plunge.

Of course, non-jumping spectators are encouraged to come enjoy the atmosphere, join the party and donate to the great causes.

The plunge benefits, Camo Cares (in support of Hunt Of A Lifetime): sending children with terminal illnesses on their dream hunts, Madelyn Stewart: local 2 year old girl with a severe blood disorder, Boys & Girls Club Of The Allegheny and Parker Volunteer Fire Department.

Visit their Facebook page to see the flyer, and for more information on the great event. Even if you are not up to the actual PLUNGE, it will be a fun event to watch take place… and you could win a Keisel autographed football while helping out four worthy causes.

If you cannot attend, but would like to donate, you can send donations to: Parker Polar Bear Club PO Box 266 Parker, PA 16049.

Thanks so much to Scott for all the information!

Keisel talks about the upcoming Browns game:

“It’s all about playing good football at the right time. We need to build off of last win and hopefully get another one this week and carry that into the playoffs.”

On Charlie Batch:

“A lot of guys would have chased a paycheck. Charlie could have done that. But this is home for him. He’s happy here. He’s involved in the community and this is a great organization to play for.”

Pro Bowl 2012:

Congratulations to Ben Roethlisberger, Mike Wallace, Maurkice Pouncey, Antonio Brown and Troy Polamalu on their selections to the Pro Bowl. Keisel was selected as a 3rd alternate. Thank you to all who voted!

Team awards:

Steelers MVP this year is Antonio Brown! The Chief award went to James Farrior and The Joe Greene Great Performance Award went to Marcus Gilbert. Read more on the awards atSteelers.com.

Check out what Steeler Nation received for Christmas (a few new photos were added today)here.

 

December 26, 2011

STEELER NATION HOLIDAY PHOTOS

The holidays were good to Steeler Nation! Their team had a big win on Christmas Eve, and will be playoff bound, and judging from the photos we received, Steelers/Keisel gear were received by many!

Fans sent photos of their Da Beard Gear, Brett “The Diesel” Keisel salsa, Hairway to Seven shirts and more!

The photo used in today’s news header is of Stephen Bowers and friends/family. I’d say they are definitely huge fans of #99..sporting his jerseys, Da Beard shirt and hat and his “Respect the Beard” shirt from last season!

Stephen is always great about sending photos of Brett from training camp, games and from the Shear the Beard event.

The Steelers are set for the future…

This future Steeler is all set to play NOW! He has the uniform, football and #99 on his helmet!

It will be awhile before the number 99 is available, but it’s great he’s thinking ahead.

He sure picked some big shoes to fill, but he has plenty of time to prepare.

Good to know we have a future replacement to carry on the legendary number!

The Steelers have a great future!

Thanks to Michael McGuire for sharing the photo of our future Steeler.

Christmas Keisel-style…

Louis Scombordi had a very Keisel Christmas!

He has on a Da Beard Gear shirt and hat, along with Brett’s jersey and salsa.

Louis said he’s getting ready for the playoffs Keisel-style!

We couldn’t agree more.

Thanks to everyone for sharing their Christmas photos!

More fan Christmas photos are posted here.

A few posts from Facebook:

“Merry Christmas Brett, my dad loves his Da Beard shirt!!! You rock!!!” –Sarah Cushing

“Merry Christmas,Brett! My brother loved his new t shirt and I was the only one in Morgantown on Monday night who was rockin’ the Da Beard -Hunt for 7 tshirt.”–Bill White

“I got a Steelers scarf and a camo Terrible Towel to hang in my office at Quantico. Great win yesterday. Got to watch with my dad and brother. Merry Christmas!:– Theresa Conte

You can also see what else Steeler Nation received for Christmas on Keisel’s Official Facebook Page and on Da Beard Gear’s Official Facebook Page. You must send a friend request to be added to the Da Beard page.

Be sure to add yourself to both pages to stay up-to-date with Keisel news and contests! Also, be sure to add Brett’s Official Twitter Page and Da Beard Gear’s Official Twitter Page.

Check out the post from December 25th and the one below from earlier today. Both are great articles on Keisel!

 

December 26, 2011

STEELERS’ KEISEL IS A GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

Brett Keisel is not ‘just a bearded guy from Wyoming,’ he is a local treasure whose abundant and tireless charity work is his way of saying thanks for what he and other Steelers receive from the community.

From Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post- Gazette:

The Pro Bowl rosters will be announced Tuesday night during — I know this will be hard to believe — a made-for-television gala on the NFL Network. Don’t be surprised if Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel makes the AFC squad. He has been that good all season. He has been the best, most consistent player on a stout defense that has led the team to an 11-4 record and the AFC playoffs.

But, if Keisel is named to the Pro Bowl — quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and safety Troy Polamalu appear to be the Steelers’ only locks — it won’t be his greatest honor. Earlier this month, he was the team’s nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, which goes to the player who combines on-field excellence with outstanding community service. It’s the league’s highest honor — better than any of the player of the year awards — if you think about what’s really important. The winner will be announced during Super Bowl XLVI week in Indianapolis.

Johnny Unitas won the first NFL Man of the Year award in 1970. Payton won it in ’77, and the award was named in his honor after his death in ’99. Former Pitt quarterback Dan Marino won it in ’98. Past Steelers winners were Franco Harris, Joe Greene, Lynn Swann and Jerome Bettis.

“Man, those guys are living legends,” Keisel said. “I’m just a bearded guy from Wyoming.”

Let’s start with that beard. With Keisel, that’s the only place to start.

The beard is famous, to the point it has taken on its own personality. Keisel swears it has great power. I think he really believes it helped the Steelers get to the Super Bowl last season. He’s convinced it will get the team there again this year and finish the job with a win in the big game. You saw the beard squished under Keisel’s chinstrap Saturday when the Steelers beat the St. Louis Rams, 27-0, at Heinz Field. You see it on a variety of T-shirts all over town. You see it in one of Polamalu’s hilarious national television commercials for a hair-care company. After the Steelers season ends — after Super Bowl XLVI, Keisel insists — you’ll see it shaved off in public for charity for the second consecutive year.

“As heartbreaking as it was for us to lose the Super Bowl last season, it was heartwarming to come home and do something good with the beard,” Keisel said. “We were able to throw an event together in about a week where I shaved it off and we raised $40,000 for Children’s Hospital. It wasn’t me that raised that money. It was the city of Pittsburgh. I was just glad to be a part of it. Children’s Hospital is very dear to me because of [teammate] Aaron Smith’s situation and the help they’ve given [his son] Elijah.”

Elijah Smith was diagnosed with leukemia in 2008 when he was 4 and is cancer-free today. “Had his last treatment Friday,” Aaron Smith gushed after the game against the Rams. “After three years, two months and two days!”

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation also is close to Keisel’s heart. He got involved with the charity six years ago and has devoted countless hours to it. “The first function I went to, this little girl, Emma, who must have been about 4 at the time, came running up to me and gave me the biggest hug,” Keisel said. “She had her backpack with her oxygen and the tubes in her nose and she tells me, ‘Thank you so much for coming to my party!’ She just stole my heart.”

Keisel has worked hard to spread the word about Cystic Fibrosis. You see him on television doing a public-service announcement with a little boy named Anthony, who has the disease, which frequently attacks the lungs. “A lot of great research is being done,” Keisel said. “Kids are living longer and they aren’t on oxygen all day anymore. They’re really making strides toward finding a cure.”

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation had one of its big fund-raisers — the 65 Roses Sports Auction — Dec. 1 at a Downtown restaurant. Keisel was honorary chairman and brought many of his teammates with him, including Roethlisberger, James Farrior, Casey Hampton, Heath Miller, Ziggy Hood and Cameron Heyward.

“The guys never hesitate,” Keisel said. “It’s something easy for us to do and it means so much to the kids … “I look at it this way. The city we’re in and the position we’re in, we have to give something back. The Pittsburgh Steelers mean so much to this city and people give us so much. How do we not give something back? That’s what I try to tell the young guys. ‘Plenty of people need our help. Find something close to you and get involved with it.’ ”

Keisel also has devoted efforts to the American Heart Association, the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society, Animal Friends of Pittsburgh, the Salvation Army’s Project Bundle Up and the Read Across America program.

The man rested Sunday. He spent a quiet Christmas at his home with his wife, Sarah, and children, Jacob and Grace.

Clearly, Keisel has found plenty of time for his day job. This has been his best season. “I would say so,” he agreed, grinning behind that beard.

Keisel long has been a big part of the Steelers defense, which ranks No. 1 in the NFL. It’s hard to put up big stats as a 3-4 defensive end, but he leads the team with 33 quarterback pressures. He has broken up eight passes with his long arms. He has three sacks.

“I think I’ve been productive,” Keisel said. “I’ve tried to be a leader for the young guys.”

You can read the entire article by Ron Cook here.

 

December 24, 2011

THE BUCK AND THE BEARD…

Steelers lineman Brett Keisel is an avid outdoorsman.

From John Hayes, Pittsburgh Post- Gazette:

The morning after the Steelers’ 13-9 win over Kansas City, Brett Keisel slept in. It was a Sunday night game, the team’s chartered plane had touched down at Pittsburgh International Airport in the wee hours, and the defensive end still felt sore all over in the morning.

But Monday, Nov. 28, was a special day for Keisel — the opening of Pennsylvania’s statewide rifle deer season. A longtime hunter and outdoorsman from the Wyoming wilds, Keisel climbed out of bed and into a Beaver County tree stand, where he scored an eight-point.

“My [deer] was shot . . . in Western Pennsylvania with my Ruger .25-06 . . .,” he wrote on his Facebook page. “One-shot kill at about 120 yards. Deer was 100 percent wild, so is hunter.”

Weeks later, Keisel’s teammates were eating venison sausage snacks in the locker room — “provided by the fruits of my labor,” he said — while in the hallway at the Steelers’ South Side training facility, Keisel talked about hunting.

“I try to hunt every year. The first couple of years [in Pittsburgh] were kind of hard, you know, because I really didn’t know where to go,” he said. “But I got in with some friends who have some property around here. I got a few deer, but I’m just enjoying getting out in the woods and listening to Mother Earth.”

A veteran hunter, Keisel proudly credits his father for teaching him everything he knows about the outdoors. Growing up on 1,000 acres of Wyoming hunting land, Keisel said he started early.

“My dad has had me in the woods since I could walk,” he said. “He’s taught me how to track, how to read markings, read the wind, all of that stuff. … We had a lot of great hunting. We hunted pheasants and ducks and geese — all of that right on our own place. I was definitely spoiled growing up . . . hunting elk and mule deer and pronghorn. We’ve hunted moose, a lot of coyotes. I’ve hunted mountain lion. Just about all the big game American species.”

Keisel talks more about what hunting means to him, instilling a love of the outdoors in his children and more in the article.

You can read the the entire article here.

Game news and photos are in the post below.

We wish you a safe and happy holiday season!

 

December 24, 2011

A HOLIDAY WIN

The Steelers kicked off the holiday weekend with a shutout of the Rams 27-0. The Steelers can win the AFC North next week with a win over Cleveland and a Cincinnati victory over Baltimore.

From Scott Brown, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Rashard Mendenhall rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown while the defense pitched its second shutout of the season as the Steelers beat the St. Louis Rams, 27-0, today at Heinz Field.

The Steelers improved to 11-4 and remain in contention for the AFC North title. They need to beat the Browns next Sunday in Cleveland, and for the Ravens to lose to the Bengals in Cincinnati to win the division — and get no worse than a No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs.

The Steelers were able to beat the hapless Rams (2-13) and rest ailing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in their final regular-season game at Heinz Field.

Charlie Batch started in place of Roethlisberger — who is nursing a high-ankle sprain but dressed as an emergency quarterback — and turned in a workmanlike performance. The 14-year veteran completed 15 of 22 passes for 208 yards and an interception. His 46-yard strike to Mike Wallace early in the fourth quarter set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Mendenhall that put the Steelers ahead 20-0 and put the Rams away.

The Steelers yielded 103 rushing yards to Steven Jackson, but little else to St. Louis’ offense. They tormented Kellen Clemens, sacking him three times.

Keisel stats:

Brett had three tackles and a pass deflection during the game.

Post game video:

Click here to watch part of Keisel (and his teammates) post game interviews.

Game photos:

Click here to view game photos.

We wish you a safe and happy holiday season!

 

December 20, 2011

“WE WILL LEARN FROM THIS AND MOVE FORWARD”

In a game which included two game-delaying power losses, the Steelers could not hold on to their division lead, as they lost to the 49’ers 20-3.

From Keisel’s post-game press conference:

Did you get to see your quarterback [Ben Roethlisberger] at all today? What did you think of him going in the way he did?

“He is a tough guy going in with one leg. I know that he would like to have a few plays back, but that is the nature of this game. We like his killer instinct, love his competitiveness and we will learn from this and move forward.”

Did this game hurt any more because you guys had a chance to control the AFC North race?

“I don’t think so. It stings anytime that you lose, especially like this when it is not really close in the fourth quarter. We have a close game coming up on Saturday. We have to learn from this one and move forward to that one. We still have two games left in the regular season and we need to focus on that.”

Talk about the lighting situation. How weird was that?

“They need to add some wax to the candle stick. It was weird, lights going out. I have never seen anything like this, but whatever. It would have been more memorable if we would have won. It was a strange night from the get-go. Lights go out then we get out there and the lights go out again. It was just a strange evening.”

After a tackle by #99, Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden had this to say about Brett:

“You know, Brett Keisel doesn’t get enough credit for being a great athlete!”

To read details from the game last night, click here.

Time to move on:

“”We better lick our wounds pretty quickly because we have a quick turnaround here.”–Mike Tomlin-from his post-game presser.

The Steelers have a short week, as they face St. Louis on Saturday.

A message from Da Beard Gear:

We would like to thank everybody in Da Beard Nation for your participation in the latest contest. The winners of the Brett Keisel autographed pictures and game worn jersey are currently being notified. Congrats to the winners! We here at Da Beard would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

If you are a winner of the photos or jersey, feel free to send us a photo with your Da Beard Gear and the contest prize. We’d love to post it in the gallery. Email information is at the top of this page, under Contact.

Also, we want to thank all of you who voted to send Keisel and his teammates to the Pro Bowl. The Pro Bowl teams will be announced at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27 on a special NFL Total Access 2012 Pro Bowl Selection Show on NFL Network.

 

December 17, 2011

KEISEL ARTWORK

This amazing painting was created by artist, Scott Spillman .

Brett owns the original painting and Scott Spillman is offering fans the chance to purchase prints of it.

The cost is as follows:

For 11 x 17 signed and numbered prints – $35.00.

For 16 x 20 signed and numbered prints – $55.00. Shipping is not included.

You can see a closer view of the painting here.

Ready to add this one-of-a-kind print to your collection?

Email: [email protected] to get the order process started.

Please include your name, address, an email address you can be reached at, and the size print you would like. Also, if you have any questions, you can email Mr. Spillman and he will be happy to assist you.

Learn more about Scott Spillman and his work here.

Reminder:

The Da Beard Gear contest to win a signed photo of #99 or his gameworn jersey ends on 12/19. You still have time to get entered by placing an order with Da Beard Gear.

All orders through 12/19 are automatically entered to win. Five random winners will receive an autographed photo and one grand prize winner will receive Keisel’s gameworn jersey from the Patriots game!

 

December 15, 2011

“BEARD GEAR GALORE”

Brett wasn’t kidding when he told Mark Madden, 105.9Xthere was “Beard Gear Galore” here on his website.

His interview with Madden is a good one where he discusses his Beard Gear, workout routines, teammate Chris Hoke (who is doing well after his surgery-per Mr. Keisel), the Steelers being 10-3 and his good friend and teammate, Ben Roethlisberger.

Click here to listen.

New Da Beard Gear item in the line-up!

The photo above is of a new hoodie the crew added. Fans asked for cold weather gear, and once again the Da Beard crew came through:

“As the colder weather begins to grip Da Beard Nation we are now offering a nice warm hoodie. The hoodie is made by Gildan. It is all black (the white piping/outline in the photo is just there for aesthetics), 50/50 cotton/poly blend. The front has DA BEARD logo printed with a diamond plate and steel look while the hood has KEISEL 99 printed on it.

To get a closer look at the sweatshirt, click here.

It comes in sizes small-4X. Of course, it is also included in the Da Beard contest which runs through December 19. All orders are automatically entered to win a signed #99 photograph or his gameworn jersey from the Patriots game. Check out the prizes in the December 12 post below.

Thanks to all who have ordered from Brett Keisel’s official merchandise line.

Da Beard Gear also offers t-shirts, hats, beanies and other novelty items. Their link is above and is always at the top of this page, under STORE or on the right side of this page under DA BEARD GEAR.

HAIRWAY TO SEVEN:

The new Hairway to Seven shirts are a hit! Featuring the “hairy cat” combo of Brett Keisel and Troy Polamalu, the new slogan is catching on with Steeler Nation. Don’t be left out of the craze!

Order your shirt or sweatshirt here.

Keisel prints:

Artist Scott Spillman will be offering prints from a painting he did of Keisel. I will post the information soon!

Reminders:

December 19 is a busy, busy day for Steeler Nation and Beard Nation. The Da Beard Gear contest ends, the Steelers play Monday night football AND fan Pro Bowl voting ends following the Monday night game.

Please be sure to keep voting for #99 and his teammates. Brett is still behind in the DE category so we need to ROCK THE PRO BOWL VOTE through December 19.!

Vote HERE.

 

December 13, 2011-evening update

“A COUPLE OF HAIRY CATS”

As posted earlier today, Brett and Troy Polamalu teamed up to produce a new t-shirt entitled: HAIRWAY TO SEVEN.

They were naturals for this promotion…as Brett said, “We’re a couple of hairy cats.”

How does Keisel think Da Beard looks on the shirt?

“I gotta say it’s got the beard lookin’ golden as ever.” He also gave Polamalu’s famous locks some love saying, “Troy’s hair obviously is glossy.”

To watch a video of Brett helping out on the production line, click here.

You can also view a slideshow, with close-ups of the shirt, here.

Ready to order? Click here.

 

December 13, 2011

HAIRWAY TO SEVEN

We’ve heard of “Stairway to Seven”…well now there’s Hairway to Seven!

This is a NO SCISSORS ZONE!

From Todays Champs:

“We’ve got 6, what’s next? It’s the Hairway to 7, and thanks to our hairy friends Brett Keisel and Troy Polamalu, we’ve got the hair to do it! This one-of-a-kind, collector’s edition t-shirt is available now. Get one for yourself and one for that other fan in your life.”

Click here to order the shirt.

From WPXI today:

“Troy and I wanted to give the fans something they could collect, something that’s unique.”–Brett Keisel.

Get your orders in now, as demand will be high for these shirts.

 

December 12, 2011

TIME IS TICKING AWAY…

The Da Beard Gear contest to win a signed photo of #99 or his gameworn jersey ends on 12/19. You still have a week to get entered by placing an order with Da Beard Gear.

All orders through 12/19 are automatically entered to win. Five random winners will receive an autographed photo and one grand prize winner will receive Keisel’s gameworn jersey from the Patriots game! The photo to the left is of the jersey and signed photo you could win. Both would be great items to add to your Steelers collection!

Da Beard Gear offers t-shirts for men, ladies and kids along with drink koozies, hats and beanies. Most of you have probably seen Brett and his teammates sporting the gear. Click here to see photos from the Da Beard Gear World Tour.The album is made up of Keisel, his teammates and fans wearing the gear.

Feel free to send photos with your Da Beard gear for us to add to the album. Email information is under Contact at the top of this page.

Next game:

The Steelers take on the 49’ers on December 19 for Monday Night Football!

Pro Bowl voting ends 12/19:

Have you voted today? Please be sure to vote Brett and his teammates to the 2012 Pro Bowl. The annual contest of the AFC and NFC’s best will take place Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012 at Aloha Stadium in Hawaii.

Even if they have to decline the Pro Bowl invite due to a Super Bowl appearance, it is still an honor to be selected by your fans, coaches and fellow players.

Defensive players on the ballot include: Brett Keisel, Ziggy Hood, Casey Hampton, James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley, James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons, William Gay, Ike Taylor, Troy Polamalu, and Ryan Clark.

Offensive players on the ballot include: Ben Roethlisberger, Rashard Mendenhall, Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown, Hines Ward, David Johnson, Heath Miller, Marcus Gilbert, Max Starks, Ramon Foster, Chris Kemoeatu, and Maurkice Pouncey.

Click HERE to vote.

We thank you for voting for #99 and his teammates. Let’s swarm Hawaii with the black and gold!

Just imagine watching Keisel’s signature bow and arrow sack celebration Aloha-style!

 

December 8, 2011

TOUGHING IT OUT

The Steelers notched another division win under their belts by beating the Cleveland Browns 14-3. Browns quarterback Colt McCoy started off well, driving his team down the field, but the Steelers defense held strong and would not allow them to score a touchdown. The Browns settled for a field goal, which would be their only points of the game.

The Steelers offense, led by Ben Roethlisberger answered the Browns score with a touchdown to make the score 7-3.

Later, in the second quarter, as the crowd at Heinz Field was cheering loudly, the stadium all of the sudden went deafingly quiet. On the ground was Roethlisberger, obviously in pain.

He limped off the field and was immediately taken to the locker room. The media reported that while X-rays were negative for a broken bone, he reportedly suffered a high ankle sprain and they were not sure he would return.

Even Ben’s teammates were unsure of his return, but as halftime ended Ben was warming up to begin the third quarter.

“He’s the toughest guy around. You could see how he was hobbling around out there. We came in here, we didn’t see him during halftime. I think everyone was kind of getting ready to go out without him. And then we get out there and he’s taking snaps. People want to hate on him, but the guy’s one of the toughest competitors in this game.”— from Steelers.com.

Keisel stats:

Brett had six tackles during the game. Da Beard even got a mention by the NFL Network analysts:

“Keisel is 6’5..his beard is 6’7.”

Brett talks about the Steelers defense during his post game interview:

“It was a tough game…holding a team to three points, especially when they went down and made that on their first drive. I’m proud of our defense.”

Listen to more here.

From Bob Labriola, Steelers.com:

Old, slow and done saved the day. Whatever chance the Steelers still have to pass the Baltimore Ravens and win the AFC North Division and then reap the postseason rewards that seem certain to be part of those spoils, they owe to their defense.

Yes indeed, the group that Warren Sapp called old, slow and done – maybe his own last gasp to remain relevant and possibly separate himself from the countless other talking heads – is playing pretty decent football, and it has on a relatively consistent basis throughout a regular season now into mid-December. It might not be traditional Steelers defense, but it’s effective in the style of the NFL in which it has to compete.

There is no more shutting down of opponents in the NFL anymore, not quality opponents anyway. Pitch-and-catch is too easy and the rules are too friendly to shut people down on a consistent basis. Now you have to be satisfied with finding ways to keep the point total down, and the Steelers have done that. That they were able to do it against the Browns allowed the game to turn out the way it did.

This Steelers defense is giving the team a chance to win, and it has been doing that all season.

You can read the whole article here.

You can read more on the game, here.

Click here to view game photos.

 

December 7, 2011

“PUTTING EVERYTHING TOGETHER”

Keisel joined Gregg Giannotti and Jim Colony, hosts of The Fan Morning Show this morning to discuss the upcoming game against Cleveland. He talked about how the team is “putting everything together” and gearing up for the game Thursday.

Listen to the interview here.

Defensive MVP:

Who did Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, say he would select as the Steelers MVP’s?

On the offensive side he picked Ben Roethlisberger. On the defensive side he picked…yep…#99!

His reasons: “He does more at the point of attack, has a gazillion pressures on the QB and he’s tipped balls that have turned into interceptions. You know, in that sense you should give him some interceptions.”

Listen to Ed’s interview here.

MVP talk comes in at about the 7:16 mark.

Steeler Nation Shout Outs:

I received a couple emails from fans I wanted to share.

From Bryan Merritt, Woodruff SC:

“Brett thanks for the autograph at the Carolina pre-season game!! We have been voting for pro bowl everyday!!!!”

Great sign Bryan, and thanks for sending votes Brett’s way for the Pro Bowl!

From Adam Hughes:

“Dear Da Beard:

I would just like to start out by saying that the power of the beard runs deep in Western Pa. On Nov 26th I played in my second high school alumni football ball game. Being in my mid 30s and playing against guys 10 to 15 years younger then myself this is not a simple task. I was so sore after last years game I wasn’t even going to suit up this year. I was approached at the end of October from one of the coaches asking me play because they were in need of a Center. Now, I had a beard at that time but mind you it was short and well trimmed. This is were I knew what I needed to gain the power and strength to play this year. I needed the “Power of Da Beard”. So to the dismay of my loving wife I let the sucker grow. I am proud to say that I was able to play the entire game and pancake a number of defensive linemen. So thank you Brett Keisel for showing me the way………and the beard!” –Adam Hughes-Riverside Panther Class of 1995.

Thanks for the email Adam. Sounds like the “Power of Da Beard” came through for you!

 

December 5, 2011

FEELING LUCKY….

Enter Da Beard Gear’s contest and you could be the lucky winner of Keisel’s gameworn jersey from the Patriots game. Keisel had an awesome game, which included a strip sack of Tom Brady, and you could win a keepsake to commemorate it!

How do you get entered?

It’s simple…place an order with Da Beard Gear (store link is beneath banner above or click link in first sentence) by December 19 and you are automatically entered. Five random winners will receive signed Keisel photographs, and one GRAND PRIZE winner receives the jersey!

Da Beard Gear offers hats, shirts, beanies, camo gear and other novelty items…all official Brett Keisel beard merchandise.

Game talk:

From Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post Gazette:

Report Card: DEFENSIVE LINE B

It was a strong performance when it mattered, especially from NT Casey Hampton and DE Brett Keisel, who did a nice job pressuring QB Andy Dalton. Cameron Heyward provided the big spark when he blocked Mike Nugent’s 33-yard field goal on the first series.

From Jim Wexell, SteelCityInsider.net:

Brett Keisel was asked if he was disappointed that he couldn’t grab Andy Dalton in the end zone for a safety late in the first half.

“No,” Keisel said. “I wanted to get six there instead of just two.”

Of course, one snap after the near-safety Antonio Brown returned a punt 60 yards for six. Good decision, Keis.

Congratulations are in order:

Wide receiver Hines Ward and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger each achieved significant milestones. Ward, who caught five passes for 30 yards, became the 19th player in NFL history with at least 12,000 receiving yards. He joined Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Art Monk as the only receivers with 12,000 career receiving yards and multiple Super Bowl rings. Roethlisberger became the Steelers’ all-time leader in pass completions (2,026), passing Terry Bradshaw with his final completion. (Courtesy of Scott Brown, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ).

Brett “The Diesel” Keisel salsa:

Information on where to purchase the delicious salsa is on the right side of this page. Fan reviews are great, but don’t take our word for it-try it for yourself. You’ll love it!

 

December 4, 2011

IT’S A SWEEP!

“If we can play well in all three phases, we’ll be a tough team to beat down the stretch.”–from Keisel’s post-game interview.

“They beat us in every area today,” said Bengals coach Marvin Lewis. “They beat us on offense, beat us on defense, and beat us on special teams.”–From Bengals Coach Marvin Lewis after the game.

Coach Lewis was correct. The Steelers played well in all areas as they defeated the Bengals 35-7 today. This gives them a sweep of their division opponent and keeps them in the running for a playoff berth.

The Steelers defense swarmed and harassed the Bengals all day, holding them to just seven points. Bengals QB Andy Dalton was sacked three times by James Harrison (one sack helped along by Keisel). Brett chased Dalton into the end zone and almost had a safety. Keisel had four tackles on the day and a QB pressure. He was nominated for Steelers Digest Player of the Week , but the honor went to teammates James Harrison.

Good reads on the game:

Round 2 goes to the Steelers Defense.

9-3 Steelers batter Bengals.

9-3 Steelers batter Bengals.

Click here to view game photos.

The Steelers have a short week as they work to prepare to host the Cleveland Browns Thursday night. The game will air on NFL Network.

 

December 2, 2011

HOLIDAY SHOPPING IDEAS

Having a hard time thinking of a gift for that Keisel or Steelers fan on your list? Here are some ideas any fan would be thrilled to receive…and maybe you will also find a little something for yourself!

Da Beard Gear;

If you are looking for a t-shirt, hat or novelty item, look no further than Da Beard Gear .

They offer one-of-a-kind Brett Keisel merchandise that any Keisel or Steelers fan would love.

Now is a great time to order-all orders received by December 19 are automatically entered in a contest to win a Keisel signed photograph (5 to be given away) or the GRAND PRIZE which is Brett’s gameworn jersey from the Patriots game. The same jersey he wore during the strip sack of Tom Brady!

All you have to do is place an order, and you may get lucky with a bonus gift!

Da Beard gear now offers a ladies t-shirt (look on the right side of this page under Da Beard Featured item for a photo), and to keep your head warm, they offer Da Beard beanies!

The photo for today’s news is of Jeff with his kids Brittney and Jacob. Jeff is wearing a Da Beard Gear hat and Jacob has a Da Beard t-shirt on. Brittney is wearing the t-shirt sold last year to benefit some causes Brett supports. The family is from Eldred, PA.

Thanks to Jeff for sharing his family photo with us!

Brett “The Diesel” Keisel salsa:

Heading to or hosting a holiday party? Pick up some Keisel salsa to take along with you! It comes in mild, medium or HOT so there is a flavor for everyone! Check the right side of this page to see where you can purchase it or to order online.

65 Roses Sports Auction:

The event to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation was last night. Keisel hosted and was joined by many of his teammates, incuding Ben Roethlisberger, Heath Miller and Casey Hampton.

From Steelers.com:

Earlier this week Brett Keisel was named the Steelers 2011 Walter Payton Man of the Year. On Thursday night he proved why he is the recipient of the honor as he served as the honorary chairman for the Cystic Fibrosis 65 Roses Sports Auction, one of the many things he does in the community.

It’s a chance for him to show his softer side, as hidden behind the mountain man with the beard is someone whose heart is huge and whose passion for helping children in need is hard to match, especially when seeing some of the young CF Ambassadors he has gotten to know over the years, including nine-year old Emma Chichilla and three-year old Anthony Sarkis.

“It’s great to see the kids I have gotten to know and watch grow up,” said Keisel, whose wife Sarah joined him at the event. “They suffer through this horrible disease but are doing better. They are doing great each year. Last year Emma didn’t even need a backpack with oxygen in it for the first time. She is doing much better. I am very excited about seeing her and Anthony.”

While the event is a wonderful reunion for Keisel and the kids, it’s also about raising awareness of the disease and funds to help battle it and find a cure.

“They tell me each year they are getting closer to a cure,” said Keisel. “Each year more and more kids are living longer and getting better. The more we can do to help raise funds and awareness, the better.

“Knowing that what we are doing is working is the best. You can see it when you talk to the kids or meet new people each year. They all talk about how thankful they are and there is hope for a cure.”

Read the entire article Steelers.com:

Thanks to all who have emailed to say they had a great time at the event, and to say thanks to Mr. Keisel for his work with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation!

 

December 1, 2011

NEWS AND NOTES

Thanks to everyone who participated in Brett’s Town Hall Meeting last night. There was a big turnout by Steeler Nation. The questions were great and everyone had fun.

Thank you to Ben Schmitt and the Concert-oh crew for all their help before, during and after the chat. I’ve received numerous comments from fans thanking Ben and Concert-oh for their help and for providing the chat, and the comments on Brett’s Facebook page were positive also.

ROCK THE PRO BOWL VOTE:

Fan voting will be coming to an end soon, so please get your votes in often! Even if #99 and his teammates cannot play due to a Super Bowl appearance, it is still a huge honor to be selected to the Pro Bowl.

Click HERE to vote.

We thank you for voting for #99 and his teammates. Let’s swarm Hawaii with the black and gold!

Just imagine watching Keisel’s signature bow and arrow sack celebration Aloha-style!

Keisel is having another great season and was recently selected as Steelers Man of the Year. Let’s also help him add a Pro Bowl nod to this season!

From NFL Network:

With the strength of the AFC residing in the North this season, it’s no surprise our Pro Bowl picks come predominantly from that division. And three of our more surprising selections come from a Cincinnati Bengals team that is only one game behind 8-3 Pittsburgh and Baltimore for the division lead. After watching the coaching tape, here’s who we believe have played at a Pro Bowl level through Week 12:

Brett Keisel, Steelers – Keisel is one of the key cogs that makes the Steelers defense work. He can line up at a variety of different spots; with his hand in the ground or as a stand-up end. He is relentless in his pursuit of the QB, and while he may not put up big numbers, his versatility, perseverance, and toughness create opportunities for the vaunted Pittsburgh linebackers to make big plays.

You can read their entire list here.

FYI:

The winner of the Facebook contest will be announced on Facebook tonight so be sure to visit Brett’s official page to see who won. The link is at the top right of this page.

Brett will be hosting the 65 Roses Sports Auction tonight to benefit Cystic Fibrosis. Information on the event is on the right side of this page under Events and Appearances.

The Da Beard Gear contest will run through December 19! Be sure to order your gear so you are automatically entered!

 

November 30, 2011

TOWN HALL MEETING IS TONIGHT

The countdown is on to round two of Keisel’s Town Hall Meeting with fans. He will be answering YOUR questions live starting at 6:30 p.m. (EST) tonight!

Ben Schmitt, with Concert-oh sent some helpful tips to get you logged on and ready to chat with #99. He also included a telephone number you can use to contact him if you experience technical difficulties.

Concert-oh Tips:

Join us at www.concert-oh.com

Join the Town Hall meeting with Brett Keisel by clicking on the red JOIN button.

To participate, DIAL IN using the passcode/PIN or choose the CALL ME option. Use the third (streaming) option for listen only.

Click on the vertical WEB CAM tab (far right) to see Brett Keisel. To make his image larger, left click on his image and select: Floating.

Select hand icon in the top right banner to be heard. Brett Keisel will unmute you when ready.

Feel free to use the public chat window for texting.

For technical difficulties – call 412-607-1508.

Please be patient when calling as Ben may be busy helping someone else at that time.

 

November 29, 2011-evening update

OH LADIES…

Brett and the Da Beard crew promised something for the ladies, so here you go!

From the Da Beard Gear site:

“Hey Ladies! We FINALLY have a shirt for you! Show your support for Da Beard in this “burnout” tee. Da Beard logo printed with a distressed look on the front. Athletic, snug fit, capped sleeves with a solid color rib neck trim. Unique dyeing process gives this garment a tone-on-tone appearance. 55% cotton/45% poly blend.”

And, to keep us warm this winter, the Da Beard crew added beanies to their line-up:

“Let your beard keep your face warm (ignore that last part if you’re female) and this beanie keep the top of your noggin’ nice and toasty during those long winter months. On the front is Da Beard logo and the back is the number 99. Comes in black or camo, 100% acrylic, knitted, uni-sex.’

Both of these items, along with all the other items on the Da Beard Gear site, are included in the contest to win autographed photos of #99 or the grand prize (Brett’s gameworn jersey from the Patriots game)! So, click on over to Da Beard Gear and get a jump start on your Christmas shopping…or get something for yourself-you deserve it. Through December 19, six random orders will receive great prizes!

To see larger views of the new items, visit the Da Beard Gear site.

I will post some ideas for Keisel-related Christmas gifts soon, so be sure to stop back!

 

November 29, 2011

KEISEL NAMED STEELERS 2011 MAN OF THE YEAR

From Steelers.com today:

Brett Keisel plays a huge role in the Steelers success on the field, but off the field, his role in the community is just as important. For his efforts, Keisel has been named the Steelers 2011 Walter Payton Man of the Year.

Keisel will be one of 32 NFL teams’ Man of the Year winners who qualifies for the league’s national 2011 Walter Payton Man of the Year award. The award recognizes a player’s off-the-field community service as well his playing excellence. The overall winner will be announced during Super Bowl XLVI week in Indianapolis.

Keisel gives his time to a number of charities in the Pittsburgh area. During the 2010 season, Keisel grew his now world-famous beard. Once the season ended, he held a fundraiser for Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC’s Cancer Research Center, called “Shear the Beard.” A sold-out crowd of spectators, teammates, family and friends watched the beard disappear. In all, the event raised more than $40,000 for the Research Center.

Keisel is honorary chair of the annual Cystic Fibrosis 65 Roses Sports Auction. The event raises money for research in finding a cure for the disease. He also serves as the Steelers spokesman for the NFL-American Heart Association Play 60 Challenge and has visited area schools conducting assemblies encouraging youth to stay active and exercise 60 minutes per day.

You can read the entire article here.

The article goes on to mention many other things Brett and his family do off the field to help others. Great read!

Congratulations to Mr. Keisel on such a wonderful honor! Thanks to Brett for all he does on and off the field.

 

November 28, 2011

GETTING IT DONE

The Steelers kept fans on the edge of their seats, but in the end they got the job done, beating Kansas City 13-9.

The Steelers defense stepped up big with four turnovers in the game.

I’m proud of our defense. We needed those [turnovers]. We haven’t been getting them. Coach [Dick] LeBeau said turnovers will come in bunches and they did [Sunday night].”–Brett Keisel.

“Defense stepped up huge. They carried us.”–Ben Roethlisberger.

Brett had two tackles and a fumble recovery in the game. You can rewatch his fumble recovery here.

Read more on the game here and here.

Click here to view game photos.

Be sure to get registered for Keisel’s Town Hall meeting. News is in the post below.

 

November 27, 2011

COUNTDOWN IS ON TO TOWN HALL MEETING

Are you registered yet for Brett’s Town Hall meeting through Concert-oh?

The live chat with fans is November 30, so be sure to register now so you’re set to chat it up with #99!

Brett had a great time interacting live with fans a few weeks ago in the first Town Hall meeting, and he’s excited to have even more fans join in this time.

Click here to register.

Site note:

The website will not be updated again until Monday afternoon due to routine maintenance. I will update all game news from the Sunday night game at that time. I apologize for the inconvenience.

Be sure to check the post below to learn about the contests we have going on currently.

 

November 23, 2011

LOTS OF CONTESTS

Keisel has several contests going on currently, so this post will help you keep up with all of them!

Da Beard Gear contest:

Order anything from Da Beard Gear through December 19, and you will automatically be entered in the contest. Five customers will win an autographed photo of Keisel and one lucky grand prize winner gets Keisel’s game jersey from the Patriots game! Yes, the same jersey worn when he strip sacked Tom Brady!

Facebook contest:

Are you following #99 on Facebook?

If not, click on over so you can enter into our Facebook only contest. Details are on the page. The winner gets a pair of signed, gameworn cleats!

FEAR “DA BEARD”, LOVE THE SALSA!

You can purchase the salsa at Western PA Giant Eagle stores and online here.

Also, the Best of Da Beard contest is still going on through November 30. Send PLB Sports photos of you and your friends showing off your best Keisel-like Beard. Winners can win Brett Keisel autographed footballs and other great prizes.

Click here to see how to enter.

Information on the contest and where to purchase the salsa is also on the right side of this page.

Now you are up-to-date with all our contests. Good luck to all of you. If you win, feel free to send us a picture with your item so we can post it on the site. The email address is under CONTACT at the top of this page.

Social Media:

Keisel is active in social media these days, so follow him on Twitter and like him on Facebook! The links are at the top right of this page. Also, his Da Beard Gear Crew are fun to follow and like. You can keep up with their latest merchandise and contests on Twitter and on Facebook.

You will need to be logged in to Facebook, and send them a friend request to see the Facebook page-quick and easy process. You can also view all their merchandise by clicking the STORE link at the top of this page.

They should have some new gear out soon to add to their exciting line-up!

Big thanks to Becky Miller for today’s news photo depicting two items Keisel is giving away- his jersey and cleats!

 

November 21, 2011-Evening update

NOTES, QUOTES AND APPEARANCES

Brett will once again host the 65 Roses Sports Auction to benefit Cystic Fibrosis. The event takes place on December 1 at McFadden’s-Pittsburgh (211 North Shore Dr.).

Join Keisel and some of his fellow Steelers to raise funds to fight Cystic Fibrosis. Walk away with a one-of-a-kind sports memorabilia and meet some of Pittsburgh’s greats, including local celebrities Steve Blass, Greg Brown, Randy Bauman and the Pirate Parrot. A commemorative football, complimentary stationed buffet, silent auction, live auction, lots of surprises and great fun are included!

A link for more information, and a registration form can be found on the right side of this page under Events and Appearances.

You can read more about Brett’s work with CF by clicking on the “Brett in the Community” link at the top of this page.

Town Hall Meeting-Live Chat Round 2:

Keisel a great time interacting with fans during his live Q & A a couple weeks ago, so he wants to do it again. Round 2 of his live chat will be November 30 at 6:30 p.m. (EST). This is a chance to get your questions answered live by Da Beard!

Brett will be live via web cam chattin’ it up with fans! You do not need a webcam to participate, but you will need to register (unless you are already registered from the last chat).

You can register now-the link is on the right side of this page under Event and Appearances.

FEAR “DA BEARD”, LOVE THE SALSA!

You can purchase the salsa at Western PA Giant Eagle stores and online here.

Also, the Best of Da Beard contest is still going on through November 30. Send PLB Sports photos of you and your friends showing off your best Keisel-like Beard. Winners can win Brett Keisel autographed footballs and other great prizes.

Click here to see how to enter.

Information on the contest and where to purchase the salsa is also on the right side of this page.

Da Beard Gear contest:

Order anything from Da Beard Gear through December 19, and you will automatically be entered in the contest. Five customers will win an autographed photo of Keisel and one lucky grand prize winner gets Keisel’s game jersey from the Patriots game!

Winners will be announced on December 19.

Keisel talks about the rest of the schedule:

“We’ve got to win out. We have to take it one game at a time and win each game if we want to be in the post-season. A lot of teams are in the same spot in the AFC. It’s going to be important winning finishing out November and going into December.”

“It’s great to get that bye (one of the benefits of winning the division). It’s nice to get that and get rested up. But we have also went in as a late seed, a sixth seed and won it that way. It just depends. As long as you are playing good football and getting into that where the team is really playing good team football at the end of the year you will give yourself an opportunity.” –From Steelers.com.

 

November 21, 2011

ROCK THE PRO BOWL VOTE

Have you voted today? Please be sure to vote Brett and his teammates to the 2012 Pro Bowl. The annual contest of the AFC and NFC’s best will take place Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012 at Aloha Stadium in Hawaii.

Even if they have to decline the Pro Bowl invite due to a Super Bowl appearance, it is still an honor to be selected by your fans, coaches and fellow players.

Defensive players on the ballot include: Brett Keisel, Ziggy Hood, Casey Hampton, James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley, James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons, William Gay, Ike Taylor, Troy Polamalu, and Ryan Clark.

Offensive players on the ballot include: Ben Roethlisberger, Rashard Mendenhall, Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown, Hines Ward, David Johnson, Heath Miller, Marcus Gilbert, Max Starks, Ramon Foster, Chris Kemoeatu, and Maurkice Pouncey.

Click HERE to vote.

We thank you for voting for #99 and his teammates. Let’s swarm Hawaii with the black and gold!

Just imagine watching Keisel’s signature bow and arrow sack celebration Aloha-style!

Meet Keisel:

I received this email from Alyson Faber:

Hi Trish, I’m a big fan of your website, and a huge fan of Brett Keisel’s!

I thought I’d share a picture of my own personal version of Keisel…she’s a 6 month old bull mastiff puppy 🙂 She’s already 55# and I can almost guarantee that she’ll be a bruiser, just like #99!

Keep up the great work with the website, it’s much appreciated!-Alyson Faber, Go Steelers!

Check back later today as I will be posting about some upcoming Keisel appearances! Also, be sure to check the news below (November 15) for the sweet contest through Da Beard Gear!

 

November 15, 2011

NEW DA BEARD GEAR CONTEST

The Da Beard Gear crew has an exciting new contest with some fantastic prizes!

All orders placed today through December 19 will automatically be entered in a prize contest. Five random customers will win autographed Keisel photos.

As if that wasn’t enough, there is a sixth prize.

THE DA BEARD GEAR GRAND PRIZE: Keisel’s game jersey from the Patriots game. The one in which he sealed the win with a strip sack of Patriots QB Tom Brady!

This contest is simple, place your order with Da Beard Gear and see if you get lucky!

Click here to check out their merchandise.

There is something for everyone. They carry adult and childrens sizes in t-shirts, stickers and drink koozies and hats. There is even a line of camo gear!

This is a great time to do some holiday shopping or to pick up a few items for yourself. And, SIX random customers will get lucky by winning either a signed photograph or a game worn #99 jersey. Winners to be anonounced December 19.. The only tough part of this contest is deciding where to display your winning items!

Everyone looks great sporting Da Beard Gear! Check out LaMarr Woodley proudly showing off his gear.

 

November 14, 2011

STEELERS GET DIVISION WIN

“Gotta get that seventh win if we’re going to win our seventh Lombardi (Trophy).” — Brett Keisel, from his post game interview, courtesy of Scott Brown-Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

The Steelers defeated the Bengals 24-17 to earn their first AFC North win. They are now 7-3 heading into the bye week.

William Gay secured the Steelers win with his late fourth quarter interception of Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton.

“It just felt good to get one, man. It’s been crazy how those just haven’t come our way.” — Keisel talking about the two interceptions by the Steelers defense.

Read the entire article (by Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) here.

From KDKA:

The Pittsburgh Steelers were looking to shake off a last-second loss to the Baltimore Ravens last weekend as they headed into Cincinnati Sunday afternoon for a showdown with the Bengals. It was a game of possible playoff implications as the Bengals (6-3) and the Steelers (7-3) met for the first time this season. They’ll play again Dec. 4 at Heinz Field.

While the Bengals rallied and tied up the game in the third quarter after falling behind the early, the Steelers never trailed and managed to hang on for a 24-17 victory.

Rashard Mendenhall ran for a pair of touchdowns in the win, and the Steelers – who came into the game with only two interceptions all season – intercepted rookie quarterback Andy Dalton twice in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

Cornerback William Gay anticipated Dalton’s throw and stepped in front of Jerome Simpson for the clinching interception inside the Pittsburgh 20-yard line with 2:27 left to play.

Read more on the game here.

Steelers salute Dalton:

The Beard shaved The Red Baron. But Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel said he approached Dalton after the game and told him he was impressed. Later he told the media that Dalton didn’t force it and the Steelers just made plays.

Click here to read what Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu and William Gay had to say about Bengals QB Andy Dalton.

Keisel had a good game against the Bengals, with five tackles (one for a loss) and a batted pass.

Click here to watch parts of Keisel’s post game interview.

Click here to view game photos.

Congratulations to William Gay who was named Player of the Game by Steelers Digest!

The Steelers have a bye next week and will return to on the field action on November 27 against the Kansas City Chiefs. The game will be nationally televised on NBC at 8:20 p.m. (EST).

Pro Bowl voting reminder:

I know many of you will be looking for something to do next Sunday since the Steelers are off (other than rooting for the Bengals to beat the Ravens). How about clicking on over to thePro Bowl ballot and voting to send #99 and his teammates to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl?

Town Hall Meeting-Live Chat Round 2:

Keisel a great time interacting with fans during his live Q & A a couple weeks ago, so he wants to do it again. Round 2 of his live chat will be November 30 at 6:30 p.m. (EST). This is a chance to get your questions answered live by Da Beard!

Brett will be live via web cam chattin’ it up with fans! You do not need a webcam to participate, but you will need to register (unless you are already registered from the last chat).

You can register here.

If you have any questions regarding registration, please feel free to email me (email address can be found by clicking CONTACT at the top of this page). The chat is a lot of fun and a great chance to talk with Brett and interact with other Steelers fans.

On the day of the chat, I will post a phone number to call for anyone who experiences technical difficulties with logging on or with the chat itself. Ben Schmitt, with Concert-oh, was a huge help last time, and he will be available again. Please be sure to register now so you are ready to roll on November 30.

 

November 10, 2011

KEISEL TALKS ABOUT BENGALS GAME

From Steelers.com:

For the last eight seasons Brett Keisel, James Farrior and others on the Steelers defense were accustomed to preparing for the Cincinnati Bengals with Carson Palmer at the helm.

But they will face a new challenge this week when the two teams meet at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Palmer is gone, traded to the Oakland Raiders, and rookie Andy Dalton has taken over under center for the Bengals, leading them to a 6-2 record so far this season.

“There is no Carson Palmer, no Ochocinco,” said defensive end Brett Keisel. “It’s different. We are going to have to really get ready for these different guys. They are playing with a lot of energy. They are playing great football. It’s going to be a handful.”

“They are playing smart ball, taking care of the football, not having turnovers. He has really picked those guys up on his shoulders and is playing great.”

Dalton, who is the NFL’s 15th-rannked quarterback, has completed 158 of 257 pass attempts for 1,696 yards and 12 touchdowns with a quarterback rating of 85.0.

Click the Steelers.com link above to read Teresa Varley’s entire article.

Midseason All-Division team: AFC North:

AFC Blogger Jamison Hensley handed out his midseason awards today.

Who won the award for best Defensive End in the AFC North?

BRETT KEISEL!

Defensive end: Brett Keisel, Steelers. He’s more than just a beard. Keisel shows up at critical times, whether it’s stripping the ball from Tom Brady at the end of games or knocking down a pass at the line of scrimmage.

To see the rest of the awardees, click here.

Congratulations to Brett and to his teammates who also made the list!

Pro Bowl 2012:

Have you voted today? Be sure to get your Pro Bowl votes in for Keisel and his teammates. Fans count for 1/3 of the total votes so please vote now and vote often! It’s quick, easy and free- no registration necessary!

The link is on the right side of this page, under Pro Bowl, but you can also click here to vote.

We thank you for voting for #99 and his teammates. Let’s send all the black and gold we can to Hawaii!

Just imagine watching Keisel’s signature bow and arrow sack celebration Aloha-style!

 

November 8, 2011

NEWS AND NOTES

Fan reaction to Brett’s Town Hall Meeting last week has been very positive. I’ve received numerous emails from fans thanking him for doing the live chat and for his interaction on his social media pages.

Here are just a few:

“Thank you so much for the chat you did with fans. It was amazing to be able to talk with you and see you, especially since I live too far away to be able to attend games or to go to events you are at. It gave me and my family a chance to see and speak with our favorite player and it was free! Thank you to the people who set it up for you and to your site for promoting it so we knew about it and mostly to YOU, Mr Keisel for giving fans like me a chance to get to know you!”– Christine.

“Thanks Mr. Keisel for being the coolest athlete ever. You rock on the field and off. I could never have imagined getting to catch a glimpse of you outside of on TV, let alone seeing you live and being able to talk to you! Amazing. Made my whole year. Please do it again for all us fans who can’t get to a game or to training camp.”–Justin

“Brett, thanks for being a stand up person. You were so sweet to do that chat, although I missed it (sorry, was at work) I got to hear all about it on Facebook from fans and know they had a great time. I will catch next one for sure even if I need to take a vacation day. I love interacting with you on social media. You are one of the rare ones who truly interacts. Love your Da Beard Gear also. Ordered shirts and hats so far and am waiting on the ladies line, hint hint.”–Lisa, Arizona.

“Trish, please tell Brett we loved the chat and we are following him on his pages and love his site. He is so great to share so much with fans and i love how everything is always so up to date. Please let him know Steeler Nation appreciates him-and you and Da Beard people!”–Larry, Montana.

“Trish, please thank the people at Concert-oh for being so helpful and patient with us non-computer folks. Ben was great!”–Alex.

Those are just a few of the emails I have received. Thank you to all who took time to email and I am glad you enjoyed the chat!

I also received some nice emails regarding Da Beard Gear:

“Got my da beard hat today and it fits great. High quality and I am proud to wear it everywhere I go!”– Brandon.

“Thank you to Da Beard crew for the quick delivery. My husband loves his shirt and hat and when women’s line comes out I’ll be ordering for myself.” —Lisa.

“Da Beard merchandise is fierce! Got my shirt and will be ordering camo here soon. Shirt is great quality and I’ve washed it several times with no fading. Thanks Keisel!”–John W.

Be sure to GET YOUR BEARD ON with Da Beard Gear!

Also…

This is a nice write-up on Brett’s Town Hall meeting.

The photo used in today’s news is of Brett (wearing his Da Beard Gear) with Ben Schmitt, the Marketing Specialist for Concert-oh. He was very helpful to all of us in getting the chat set up, and in making sure we all understood how to interact. Thanks to Ben and the whole Concert-oh crew for all their patience and help!

And…

Behind the Steel Curtain picks a “Play of the Game” each week. This week their selection was: Hampton, Keisel, Harrison Stop Ray Rice. Click here to read their breakdown of the play.

 

November 7, 2011

“WE’LL FIND A WAY TO RESPOND.”

“It was a tough one. They’re a good team and you gotta give them credit, they beat us today. We have to do better.”— From Keisel’s post game press conference.

Brett was also asked if this loss will be tough to put behind them:

“For today…today and tomorrow it’s gonna be tough, but we got a bunch of tough guys in here. We’ll find a way to respond.”

You can listen to part of his press conference here.

Coach Tomlin on the loss:

“Guys fought extremely hard. I feel like we have a really good football team. We`ll have more opportunities to show it.”

The 23-20 loss to the Ravens was a heartbreaker. It was a tough, physical game that was fought hard until the end. Keisel had five tackles on the night and helped set up some great stops on Ravens QB Joe Flacco and the Ravens offense.

To read more on the game, click here.

Game photos:

Click here to view photos.

Moving on:

The Steelers will face the Cincinnati Bengals next week, who are on a 5-game winning streak. This will be another tough division battle. We all know our Steelers will regroup and will be ready to put a halt to the Bengals winning streak!

Keisel:

We’ll lick our wounds and we have another tough one next week. There’s a lot of football left to play.”

 

November 4, 2011

STEELER NATION SHOUT OUT

We have a double shout out this week! I posted adorable Rooney yesterday, and today we have a shout out to Rick Roosa-big time Steeler fan and equally big time Keisel/Da Beard fan.

From his email:

“Hello BEARD-NATION!”

“My name is Rick Roosa and I live in Congers, NY (30 min. from Manhattan, 6 hrs from PITT). I was inspired to grow my beard late last season when I noticed the greatness growing from Brett’s face. Unfortunately the 7th Lombardi Trophy was unable to be attained on February 6th. It was on that day in my grief, I decided to shave my beard. I also made a promise to myself. From that day forward, I will not shave to the end of this 2011 season.”

“I thought I’d start my playoff beard early by about 10 months. It has been a great experience! People love the beard and I get a lot of support from men and women alike. Unfortunately, my girlfriend Julia has not been as enthusiastic about my reach for “Legendary Status”. However, she takes it in stride and realizes sometimes a beard has to do what a beard has to do.”

” I’m a big fan of Brett’s, and I was proud to make a donation to the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh to receive a chunk of “Beard I”. It also came with a before and after shot from the “Shear The Beard” event in February.”

” I actually got a chance to meet Brett this weekend after the Steelers/Titans game. It was great to meet the man who spent a lot of time talking, signing, and taking photos with the fans. I was very proud to get the chance to be photographed with Brett and Da Beard! I’ve attached some photos to show-off my own attempt at greatness. STAY STRONG BEARD-NATION!!! ”

Thanks to Rick for his email and photos.. and of course for all his support for the team and Da Beard! Another awesome member of Steeler Nation!

Fan photos:

My friend Haydee attended her first Steelers game when the team played Arizona. Her family traveled from New Mexico to Arizona to cheer on the Steelers. She took some great photos of Keisel which you can view here.

Thank you Haydee for sending the pics to share.

And,

Thank you again to Concert-oh.com and especially to Ben Schmitt for providing the forum for Keisel’s Town Hall Meeting last night! Ben was great with helping everyone get set up and logged on and with helping during the chat. I’ve received numerous emails thanking him and everyone at Concert-oh..and of course, also thanking Mr. Keisel for taking the time to chat with fans.

It was a great evening and hopefully we can do it again.

Reminder;

PLB Sports is sponsoring a “Best of Da Beard” contest to promote Brett’s new salsa line.

From their website:

Send us photos of you and your friends showing off your best Keisel-like Beard. Winners can win Brett Keisel autographed footballs and other great prizes. To enter, please email your photos to [email protected].

Get your entries in! Click here to order Brett’s awesome salsa which he declares is “THE BEST IN TOWWWWNNN!” You can also see the first winner of the weekly prize.

You can purchase his salsa in Western PA Giant Eagle stores and one fan emailed to say it is being sold in Niles, Oh Giant Eagle stores too, so check your local store to see if they have it.

 

November 3, 2011- see evening update below

BRETT KEISEL FIRED UP FOR BALTIMORE REMATCH

It’s a big game. It’s always a physical game.”— From Keisel’s interview today with KDKA AM’s Larry Richert and John Shumway.

When asked about how fans can help the Steelers Sunday:

“We need ’em to be loud and get crazy. Make Heinz Field what it is, which is a hard and wonderful place to play.”

When asked about making the game sealing strip sack of Tom Brady last week:

“It was a great feeling. I’m just happy we got a big win in front of our fans at Heinz Field.”

You can listen to the entire interview here.

Reminder:

Keisel’s Town Hall Meeting is tonight! This is your chance for a live Q & A with Brett “The Diesel” Keisel. He will be taking live questions from fans via web cam. The event is being hosted by Concert-oh.com.

Be sure to get registered NOW so you’re all ready to go when the meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. (EST) on November 3!

Let’s show Keisel our support by gathering a large group of participants!

Click here to read more and to register-it’s free!

Steeler Nation Shout out:

This is a photo from Bob and Di Nagy of Billings, Montana.

From their email:

This is our dog “Rooney” waiting impatiently for THE STEELER/Patriot game on Sunday…in Billings, Montana!!! …where Brett is a “hometown” favorite!

Thanks to the Nagy’s for sending the photo and to adorable Rooney for being such a great fan!

Rooney probably gets real impatient when bye week rolls around!

Goes to show Steeler Nation is truly made up of all kinds…humans and animals!

Evening update:

Steelers Speak-Brett Keisel edition:

Teresa Varley of Steelers.com sat down with #99 to talk Steelers football and.. of course they talked about Da Beard!

Click here to listen.

Also, thank you to all who participated in Brett’s live chat tonight. You helped make it a success. Steeler Nation rocks!

 

November 2, 2011

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Keisel’s strip sack of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was selected by the Steelers as their Photo of the Week! Get a better view of it, and order a copy here.

Analyst Merril Hoge was on WDVE this morning talking Steelers football. When asked about the talk of moving Keisel to a linebacker position at times, Hoge had this to say:

“That dude (Brett Keisel) makes more plays that are critical-important that get overlooked…He does it every week and is one of the most underrated players in football. You could utilize him like that (as a LB) however; I think they need him in the trenches. On third down they always do that with him-he’s a versatile guy.”

To listen to Mr. Hoge’s entire interview, click here.

The part about Brett comes in about six or so minutes into the interview.

Da Beard Gear Halloween contest:

The winner of the autographed photo of Da Beard is Patrick Varine.

Patrick said: “The beard is real. Actually, pretty much everything is real except my ability to put a sack on Tom Brady.”

To see a larger version of the photo and also a second one of Patrick, click here.

Congratulations to Patrick and thank you to all who entered the contest. Da Beard Gear will have more contests to come!

In order to stay informed of the latest official Keisel merchandise and of new contests, be sure to follow Da Beard Gear on Twitter and on Facebook.

Reminder:

Keisel’s Town Hall Meeting is November 3. This is your chance for a live Q & A with Brett “The Diesel” Keisel. He will be taking live questions from fans via web cam. The event is being hosted by Concert-oh.com.

Be sure to get registered NOW so you’re all ready to go when the meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. (EST) on November 3!

Let’s show Keisel our support by gathering a large group of participants!

Click here to read more and to register-it’s free!

 

October 31, 2011- Happy Halloween

NEWS AND NOTES

“I’m just so proud of everybody especially on the defense where so many guys are stepping in and playing for starters and we’re still able to play winning football. That’s what makes a great team. Hopefully, we’re on our way.”–Keisel (from Gene Collier’s article in thePittsburgh Post-Gazette.

You can listen to Brett’s post game interview here.

I added a few more game photos here.

Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, lists his “Game Clinching Moment” from the win over NE:

DE Brett Keisel usually lines up on the right side of the Steelers defense, but on first down from the Patriots 22 with 19 seconds remaining, he lined on the left side and sacked Tom Brady, forcing a fumble that resulted in a safety when Troy Polamalu punched the ball through the end zone. “First time I lined there the whole game,” Keisel said. “I saw that nobody was rushing from the left side so I thought I’d go over there and try that side.”

Reminder:

Keisel’s Town Hall Meeting is November 3. This is your chance for a live Q & A with Brett “The Diesel” Keisel. He will be taking live questions from fans via web cam. The event is being hosted by Concert-oh.com.

Be sure to get registered NOW so you’re all ready to go when the meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. (EST) on November 3!

Let’s show Keisel our support by gathering a large group of participants!

Click here to read more and to register-it’s free!

Reminder #2:

Da Beard Halloween contest:

Send us your Brett “Da Beard” Keisel Halloween costume photos.

The best costume depicting Keisel and Da Beard wins a signed photo of Da Beard!

Email your entries to [email protected].

Again, no entries will be accepted through any social media pages.

The contest will run until 12:00 p.m. (EST) on November 1.

 

October 30, 2011

STRIP SACK SEALS THE VICTORY

Keisel sealed the deal for the win over the Patriots today with a strip sack which led to a Steelers safety. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was trying to lead his team down the field for the game winning touchdown, but #99 was not about to allow it as he sacked Brady, stripping the ball from him.

From Shalise Manza Young, Boston Globe:

“With 18 seconds left, quarterback Tom Brady was standing tall, surveying the field, and didn’t see Brett Keisel coming. The veteran defensive end smacked the ball out of Brady’s hand, and in the scrum to get the loose ball, Steelers’ safety Troy Polamalu punched the ball toward the end zone.”

Coach Tomlin on the win:

“Boy that was a great win for us, at home, in front of our fans, versus a very good football team. We played good, fundamental football today, and that’s the recipe. We were where we were supposed to be, doing what we were supposed to do, for the most part in all three phases. It was enough to get a victory.”

Steelers Defense earn Player of the Week honors from Steelers Digest:

From Steelers.com:

The typical procedure is to pick an individual, but when it comes to the performance of the Steelers defense against the New England Patriots last Sunday at Heinz Field, that’s just not possible.

No James Farrior. No James Harrison. LaMarr Woodley injured a hamstring and missed the last 20 minutes of the game. Ike Taylor played through an injury. So did Keenan Lewis. Ryan Clark, too.

So many individuals made key contributions. Before he was injured, Woodley had two sacks. Larry Foote played a solid game and handled Farrior’s duties as the quarterback of the unit. Taylor’s coverage was solid all day. So was William Gay’s. Troy Polamalu was flying around. Ziggy Hood was mixing it up along the line of scrimmage. And when the defense needed somebody to make a play to close it out, Brett Keisel stepped up with a sack/strip.

The Steelers allowed the NFL’s No. 1 offense only 213 net yards, they allowed the Patriots to convert just 30 percent on third down, they held Wes Welker to six catches for 39 yards, and they limited Tom Brady to only one play of more than 20 yards.

Congratulations to the D and to the entire team on the 25-17 win over the Patriots!

To read more on the game, click here.

Keisel stats:

Brett had another big game with a strip sack, pass deflection and two tackles!

Game photos:

Click here to view photos.

Pro Bowl Slogan Contest winner:

Matt Solomowitz received the most votes, and he is the winner of Brett’s 2012 Pro Bowl slogan. His slogan will be shown on the right side of this page under Pro Bowl. Congratulations to Matt and we thank him for his design and slogan!

Thank you to all who voted-it was a close decision as all 3 finalists sent in amazing ideas! Please remember to keep voting to send all the Steelers to the Pro Bowl. The link is at the right side of this page under Pro Bowl.

I will post more news and photos as they become available, so be sure to stop back!

Reminder:

Da Beard Halloween contest:

Send us your Brett “Da Beard” Keisel Halloween costume photos.

The best costume depicting Keisel and Da Beard wins a signed photo of Da Beard!

Email your entries to [email protected].

Again, no entries will be accepted through any social media pages.

The contest will run until 12:00 p.m. (EST) on November 1.

 

October 27, 2011

TWITTER CONTEST-KEISEL STYLE

Halloween is around the corner as is a big game for the Steelers! Keisel wants to celebrate both by holding a contest to give a fan two tickets to the game against New England this Sunday!

From Brett’s Twitter page tonight:

“Enter for 2 tix to Sunday’s game tweet me a pic of you in your best Keisel costume for Halloween. Winner will be chosen at random. Good luck!”

Brett’s Twitter handle is @bkeisel99. The link is also at the top right of this page. If you are not on Twitter, you can sign up here. It’s quick and easy-and free!

The contest ends at 9:00 a.m. EST on October 28, 2011.

Can’t wait to see the winner…good luck to all of you!

Nice article from Jim Wexell, SteelCityInsider.net on Heath Miller…with several witty comments by Mr. Keisel throughout it. Thanks to Mr. Wexell for sharing his article with us!

If you don’t already subscribe to his site, it’s well worth looking into doing so.

Keisel spoke with 93.7 The Fan today about the upcoming Patriots game and his salsa. Clickhere to listen.

Information on Pro Bowl voting is below, along with a link to the ballot.

 

October 25, 2011

PRO BOWL 2012

This is a busy, busy post tonight! Lots going on so be sure to read the entire post.

Voting is underway for the 2012 Pro Bowl! The NFL returns to Hawaii for the 2012 Pro Bowl. The annual contest of the AFC and NFC’s best will take place Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012 at Aloha Stadium.

Steelers on the ballot from the offense include Ben Roethlisberger, Rashard Mendenhall, Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown, Hines Ward, David Johnson, Heath Miller, Marcus Gilbert, Max Starks, Ramon Foster, Chris Kemoeatu, and Maurkice Pouncey.

Defensive players include Brett Keisel, Ziggy Hood, Casey Hampton, James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley, James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons, William Gay, Ike Taylor, Troy Polamalu, and Ryan Clark.

Balloting is open until Monday, Dec. 19 at the conclusion of Monday Night Football (Pittsburgh Steelers at San Francisco 49ers, 8:30 p.m.).

The Pro Bowl teams will be announced at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27 on a special NFL Total Access 2012 Pro Bowl Selection Show on NFL Network.

Voting is easy, free and unlimited! No registration necessary and you can sort the ballot by position or team. You will locate Keisel under the defensive ends. We thank you for voting for #99 and all of his teammates. Let’s send all the black and gold we can to Hawaii!

Just imagine watching Keisel’s signature bow and arrow sack celebration Aloha-style!

Click here to vote.

I will post the link also on the right side of this page under Pro Bowl.

Pro Bowl slogan contest finalists:

We thank you for ALL the amazing entries received for the slogan contest. Steeler Nation came through big time for #99! Since we’re asking you to do the voting, Mr. Keisel wants to give fans the chance to choose his slogan for the 2012 campaign. He narrowed it down to three, and YOU get to make the final decision.

Before sending your vote, please carefully read the instructions:

The finalists slogans, complete with graphics, can be found here.

To vote for your favorite, please email me through the site email: [email protected].

Please do not message votes through any social media pages. And, when emailing your choice, please just send the number you are choosing. They will be labeled 1, 2 or 3. Please DO NOT send the photo–just the number of the photo.

One vote per email address please.

Voting will close at 12:00 p.m.(EST) on October 30. The winner will be announced after the Steelers game. We will then post their slogan on the site and social media pages for all to see. They also will win an autographed photo of #99.

We all thank you for your help in choosing a winner and for taking the time to vote for all the Steelers to head to Hawaii!

A special thanks to artist, Rebecca Miller for her help with the contest. As usual, we asked for her help at the last minute and she came through!

Congrats to all the finalists and again…thank you to ALL who entered. Keisel has a great group of fans!

Da Beard Halloween contest:

Yes, you read correctly…another contest…another chance to win an autographed Keisel photo!

Keisel and the Da Beard gear crew were so appreciative of all your hard work with the slogan contest, with building up the social media pages and for being the best fans in the league..so they want to give Steeler Nation and Beard Nation a chance to win a photo of Da Beard!

Send us your Brett “Da Beard” Keisel Halloween costume photos. The best costume depicting Keisel and Da Beard wins! Easy enough?

Email your entries to [email protected].

Again, no entries will be accepted through any social media pages.

The contest will run until 12:00 p.m. (EST) on November 1.

 

October 24, 2011-evening update

DA BEARD JR.

Matthew Sarkis, age 6, planned his own Halloween costume this year. Who did he choose to dress up like?

Well, Da Beard of course.

Great job Matthew!

Matthew could have started a new trend in Halloween costumes!

Thank you to Matthew and his mother, Melissa for sending the photo to share with us.

Pro Bowl slogan contest:

Thanks to all who entered. Steeler Nation really came through for #99! Brett narrowed it down to 3 choices, which will be posted here soon. He wants fans to select the winner, so check back to see the finalists and to send us your vote for the winner!

Keisel plays air guitar with musician Nick Marzock:

This photo is from the Bid for Hope event last week. Thank you to Nick for the photo.

Click here to see larger views of both photos.

Post game press conference:

You can listen to Brett and other members of the defense talk about the win over the Cardinals here.

Be sure to check out the news below to learn about a chance to participate in a live virtual web cam Q & A with Keisel!

 

October 24, 2011

KEISEL TO HOST TOWN HALL MEETING

Keisel will be hosting a one-hour virtual town hall meeting where he will take fan questions through an audio line from people who will use a virtual hand-raising tool. He will appear live via web cam.

The event will take place on November 3 at 5:30 p.m. EST.

The virtual meeting will take place through Concert-oh.com and fans can register now to get signed up for the virtual event!

Click here to get registered. It’s free to sign up and you will have a chance to see #99 live via web cam and ask him questions! We get so many questions from fans through the website and Ask the Diesel segment, so this is YOUR chance to ask Keisel LIVE!

Let’s make this a fun and successful event Steeler Nation! Be sure to spread the word to your family, friends and throughout your social media pages.

Concert-oh.com integrates video, audio, desk top sharing and more! Read more about themhere.

Thank you to Ben Schmitt for sending the information to share.

October 23, 2011

STEELERS DEFEAT CARDINALS 32-20

It’s great to put together a winning performance on the road. It’s something we hadn’t done definitively to this point. I like our efforts on all three phases. We made the necessary plays. We had some signature splash plays on defense. We made critical third down conversions on offense in the second half, things we didn’t do a week ago. All positive signs. Largely we are pleased to come into a venue like this and get a “W” and move on.–From Coach Tomlin’s post-game press conference.

The Steelers defense were without several key starters today, but still found a way to harass Cardinals QB Kevin Kolb, causing an interception, a safety and Kolb was sacked twice by LaMarr Woodley.

Ben Roethlisberger threw three touchdown passes, including the longest in team history of 95 yards to Mike Wallace.

Great team win by the Steelers!

#99 had two tackles and disrupted Kolb and the Cardinals line throughout the game.

You can read more on the game here.

Game photos:

Click here to view photos.

Also, check out the news below from last week to learn about the “Best of Da Beard Salsa” contest (links are also on the right side of this page) and check back tomorrow for information on Pro Bowl voting. We will also be announcing the winner of the Pro Bowl slogan contest.

A message from Brett to Steeler Nation:

Stacking wins like hotcakes! I love it! Onward and upward. Steeler Nation, you were amazing today! Thanks for the support in AZ!

Be sure to check out his new official Twitter and Facebook pages. Links are at the top right of this page.

We would also like to wish Aaron Smith a speedy and healthy recovery!

Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, posted a few tweets regarding Aaron Smith:

“We love him. We respect him. The least we can do is go out and win games for him.” -Brett Keisel

“Steelers players talked about dedicating 2011 season to Aaron Smith. Sounds like an inspired move to me.”–Dejan Kovacevic

 

October 22, 2011

PREVIEWING THE ARIZONA GAME

Some team defensive fun facts from Steelers.com:

The Steelers defense looks to allow less than 150 passing yards for the fifth time in the last six games.

Pittsburgh’s defense will look to hold their sixth straight opponent to 20 points or less (0, 20, 17, 17, 13).

Some Keisel fun facts, also from Steelers.com:

Tied career-high with two sacks (in Jaguars game), his first multi-sack game since 11/9/09 vs. Denver (2.0) and the fourth of his career during the regular season.

Now has 19.5 career sacks.

Game preview

From Michael Rushton, The Sports Network:

After losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII, the Arizona Cardinals were viewed as a team on the rise. A team in distress may now be a more accurate description. As for Pittsburgh, the franchise continues to set its sights on a third NFL championship game appearance in four seasons.

Steelers Defense:

Kolb figures to be in for another long day on Sunday, as he goes against the league’s top-ranked defense. Pittsburgh is allowing only 270.5 yards per game, including an NFL-best 157.7 yards through the air. The Steelers are also fourth overall with an average of 17 points allowed per game.

Pittsburgh held the Jaguars to 76 net passing yards, marking the fourth time in the past five games it has held its opponent under 150 passing yards. That 76-yard total was also the team’s fourth-lowest output under Tomlin.

Pittsburgh brought the pressure in a big way as well, notching five sacks versus the Jaguars, including four in the first half for the first time since Nov. 3, 2008. Linebacker LaMarr Woodley (27 tackles, 5 sacks) and defensive end Brett Keisel (15 tackles, 2 sacks) both had two sacks, with Keisel matching a career high. Woodley, meanwhile, has multiple sacks in two straight games, and inside linebacker James Farrior (42 tackles, 2 sacks) also had a quarterback takedown in addition to a club-leading 11 tackles. Safety Ryan Clark (38 tackles) ended with 10 stops, while Woodley had eight and Polamalu (40 tackles, 1 sack) five before exiting. Woodley has grabbed Pittsburgh’s only interception this year.

Read the entire game preview here.

 

October 21, 2011

“THE BEST SALSA IN TOWN”

Brett was a guest of the morning crew on WDVE this morning. He discussed his new salsa line, declaring it“The best salsa in TOWN!”

He went on to say: “You gotta have it for tailgating…that’s what it’s for.”

More from his interview:

The WDVE crew wanted to know (and many fans have emailed asking this same question) how hard it was to eat salsa with the beard?

“It’s not too bad, you have to have technique, you have to have technique when working with the beard-in anything ya do..brushing your teeth, waking up in the morning. I mean…waking up in the morning it’ll punch ya in the face.”

BRETT “THE DIESEL” KEISEL SALSA can be purchased in Western PA. in Giant Eagle stores and online at PLB Sports.

When asked if beard extensions were used for the Head and Shoulders for Men commercial:

“A few, not too many, but most was mine, most of it’s natural. And, Head and Shoulders, boy what a great job it’s done for the beard. I think it’s never been fuller thanks to Head and Shoulders.”

Field talk:

When asked if playing his best football right now:

Yeah, I feel like I am but that’s what I expect. Every year I want to improve, every year I want to get better. Every year I want to become more of a leader for these younger guys. I wanna show them what is expected when they’re playing Steelers football. So, that’s just the way I approach my business. I love coming down here to work with these guys. I really enjoy competing with them..and winning. I am happy about where my game is at right now, but I can always do better.”

Arizona talk:

When asked about Beanie Wells:

“He’s a young, up-and-coming back, I think he’s a good back, I think he sees holes well, I think he’s just young. He’s doing some good things for them…we gotta shut him down if we expect to get out of there with a “W”.”

He went on to say the Steelers are not close to their potential yet..feels they can do a lot better in all three phases.

Keisel’s signature sack celebration:

Said it’s a possibility he would utilize some of the dance moves Hines taught him during the Head and Shoulders commercial shoot (click here to watch the video).

When asked about his signature move-the bow and arrow sack celebration:

“I love the arrow, I think the fans love the arrow..it is archery season.”

Brett liked the idea WDVE proposed about Heinz Field promoting the arrow by having “Bow and Arrow Day” at Heinz Field and giving away suction cup bow and arrows to fans before the game.

What music does Da Beard listen to pre-game:

“I’ve been on this Johnny Cash kick. I’ve also been listening to this guy called the White Buffalo too-another bearded man.”

If WDVE posts the podcast of the interview, I will post it on the site so you can listen to the entire interview. Keisel was entertaining, as always.

Also, be sure to visit PLB Sports website to check out the great contest they are running. It’s perfect for Beard Nation! They have great weekly and monthly prizes. No purchase is necessary to enter the contest, but you can order your Keisel salsa from their site.

 

October 20, 2011

KEISEL’S PLAY GAINING NOTICE FOR STEELERS

He’s probably as good an athlete as I’ve ever seen at defensive end in terms of running, jumping, hand-eye coordination,” LeBeau said. “We’ve talked for years that he could be a linebacker, but (defensive line coach John Mitchell) won’t let us touch him.”–From an article on Yahoo Sports.

More from the article:

If things had worked out a little differently a decade ago, Brett Keisel never would have needed “Da Beard” to get noticed. Taken in the seventh round of the 2002 draft out of BYU, Keisel at the time wondered if the Pittsburgh Steelers would groom him to play outside linebacker. The franchise has built a consistently dominant defense over the years partially based upon converting pass-rushing college defensive ends into All Pro-caliber outside linebackers. Pittsburgh elected to keep the 6-foot-5, 285-pound Keisel on the line—a position that, in Dick LeBeau’s 3-4 scheme, isn’t as glamorous.

While linebackers such as James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley rack up sacks, the job description for ends Keisel and Aaron Smith is more anonymous. Keisel’s teammates recognize and appreciate his work, even if few others do.

He’s one of the best out there,” Pittsburgh defensive end Ziggy Hood said. “He’s a very under-the-radar guy who makes a lot of big splash plays. It’s not even the big plays that make you go, ‘Wow,’ it’s the other things that he does that catch your attention if you’re watching the tape. That’s something I idolize in him.”

“It’s tough to be a scheme like this,” Keisel said. “You have to be unselfish. That’s the first thing they preach when you come in here as a young guy: ‘We don’t expect you to make a lot of plays. We expect you to go your job, to hold the point of attack, to keep a couple guys on you and free up our linebackers.’ “That’s how it’s always been here. We kind of relish that. We’ll take LaMarr and James being the great players they are … and winning Super Bowls. That’s what matters to us, is winning.”

But winning two Super Bowl rings didn’t get Keisel the endorsement deals. “Da Beard,” however, has. Keisel—and some exaggerated facial hair—appear in a shampoo commercial along with Polamalu and his celebrated hair.

“You know, the beard’s done a lot for me, it really has,” Keisel said. “It’s been fun, I’ve had great responses from my teammates, from Steeler Nation, so that part of it’s been a lot of fun. I can’t say that the beard is the reason my game is what it is, because it’s not. But it does help me. It makes me unique and I like that.”

Click here to read the article in its entirety.

Pro Bowl contest:

The Pro Bowl slogan contest is closed. We will announce the winning slogan once it is selected. Thank you again to all who entered. Steeler Nation is very creative!

Please be sure to check out the BRETT “THE DIESEL” KEISEL SALSA post in the October 19 news and read about the new contest to go with it!

 

October 19, 2011-evening update

STEELERS’ KEISEL IMPROVES ‘D’ BY MORE THAN A HAIR

Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post Gazette may not be a huge fan of Da Beard:

The beard is taking over center stage again. I get that. But this is ridiculous: “The beard is back and it’s helping our team win,” Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel insisted.

Nonsense.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it until I see Keisel’s beard make its first tackle or bat down its first pass or get its first sack.

But, he is a huge fan of the guy with Da Beard:

The story here this morning is not about Keisel’s beard or its new T-shirt — “Da-Beard” — which can be purchased at brettkeisel.com. It’s about Keisel’s ability, which too often gets lost in all of his hair and doesn’t get nearly the recognition it deserves. He was the best defensive player on the Heinz Field lawn Sunday in the Steelers’ 17-13 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars, apologies to linebacker LaMarr Woodley, who had two sacks.

What a difference Keisel has made since returning to the lineup after missing two games with a knee problem. The same defense that was gashed for 86 yards and a touchdown by Indianapolis running back Joseph Addai and 155 yards and a touchdown by Houston’s Arian Foster in his absence stiffened almost immediately. Tennessee’s Chris Johnson managed 51 yards on 14 carries in the Steelers’ 38-17 win Oct. 9 and, although Jacksonville’s Maurice Jones-Drew ran for 96, he needed 22 carries and took a solid beating.

There was so much more to his performance than his work against the run. He tackled Jones-Drew for a 3-yard loss on a screen pass. He batted away another pass at the line of scrimmage, something he seems to do just about every week. And, I almost forgot, he had two sacks.

The second one was huge, coming on the first play after the Jaguars took possession at their 23 with no timeouts and 1:01 left.

It’s not much of a reach to suggest Keisel, 33 and in his 10th NFL season, is the Steelers’ best defensive lineman. Aaron Smith and Casey Hampton have been out with injuries after slow starts. Chris Hoke was injured Sunday. Ziggy Hood, in his third season, still is learning. Rookie Cameron Heyward is a mere baby in Dick LeBeau’s defense.

“I’m just trying to be a mentor and a leader for these young guys,” Keisel said. “I’m trying to be someone who is accountable. To do that, I have to go out in practice and work hard, then carry it into the games and help this team win.”

In the Tennessee game, Keisel leaped to deflect a pass that was intercepted by Woodley. Sunday, he got way up again to swat another pass away. That makes at least one such breakup in eight of his past 12 games going back to last season when he made his first Pro Bowl.

“That’s something I’ve tried really hard to incorporate into my game,” Keisel said. “I know I’m not going to get to the quarterback every time. But I’m long. I try to get my hands up on every play.”

The man’s athleticism is impressive, as good as any defensive end’s in the league, if you believe the Steelers coaches. That goes back to his high school days when he was a basketball player of some renown in Wyoming. “I was decent, but I always fouled out. I guess I liked to get physical.”

To read Mr. Cook’s whole article on Keisel, click here.

AFC Hardware:

Keisel was nominated for AFC Defensive Player of the week by the NFL. Other nominees were Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, Jets linebacker Calvin Pace and NY Jets Cornerback Darrelle Revis. Revis was announced as the winner today. Congratulations to the winner and all the nominees!

FEAR “DA BEARD”, LOVE THE SALSA:

Be sure to read the post below to check out the launch of BRETT “THE DIESEL” KEISEL SALSA! There is also a contest to go with it. I will also post the information on the right side of this page soon. Get your Da Beard on with BRETT “THE DIESEL” KEISEL SALSA!

 

October 19, 2011

FEAR “DA BEARD”, LOVE THE SALSA

We are excited to announce the launch of BRETT “THE DIESEL” KEISEL SALSA!

From the PLB Sports website:

Brett Keisel of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Geronimo Salsa are proud to present the BRETT “THE DIESEL” KEISEL line of salsas, which are available in 3 flavors: Mild, Medium, and Hot. Get your jar today! It is a must have for any Black & Gold tailgate party.

FEAR “DA BEARD”, LOVE THE SALSA!

It will be available at Western PA Giant Eagle stores later this week. Don’t worry if you are not able to get to Western PA, PLB Sports has you covered! You can order the salsa directly from the from the PLB Sports website!

Geronimo Salsa Presents: Brett Keisel’s “Best of Da Bear Contest”

What launch party would be complete without a great contest?

Visit PLB Sports website to view details of the contest and to enter. You have many chances to win great prizes, and of course you can order your BRETT “THE DIESEL” KEISEL SALSA!

No purchase necessary to enter the contest.

Please be sure to read the information on the contest as entries are to be sent through PLB Sports, not this site. The contest runs until November 30 and includes weekly and monthly prizes!

While on their site, be sure to check out the long list of other products they offer. PLB Sports is located in Pittsburgh, PA, and is the # 1 Website for Sports & Celebrity Endorsed Products.

Come on Steeler Nation, this is your chance to include Keisel at your next tailgate party or get together-Keisel salsa that is! This is a one-of-a-kind item, which with Brett’s face on the label, makes for a great collectors item. Visit their site to check out the contest details and get going on sending your photos in for a chance to win amazing prizes! Brett says the salsa is GREAT, and we know you will love it too.

Show your love for Da Beard and make this contest and Brett’s new salsa a great success!

Get your Da Beard on with BRETT “THE DIESEL” KEISEL SALSA!

Click here to see a closer view of the salsa jar label.

 

October 18, 2011

NEWS AND NOTES

Neal Coolong, from Behind the Steel Curtainbreaks down the “Play of the Game” from the win over the Jaguars:

The Steelers defensive scheme is based on disguising the intentions of each defender. There is a lot of movement from the front seven as well as the secondary, and a quarterback – rookies in particular – can get confused easily.

The plan is to create pressure through misdirection, but in some cases, the intention of the play fails. When that happens, it comes down to 1-on-1 match-ups.

In those cases, the Steelers couldn’t be more happy to have DE Brett Keisel on their side. His return after a knee injury sidelined him earlier this year has definitely ratcheted up the amount of pressure they’re bringing, and when a CB blitz fails, they can count on Steeler Moses to whip his assignment.

Click here for the breakdown of Keisel’s sack, complete with photos.

Cooling: “Keisel dominated this game, and there are four or five plays worthy of this space from him alone. This one highlights Keisel’s value, and how the Steelers defense is good enough to win the play despite it not being exactly what they had planned.

From Coach Tomlin’s Press Conference today:

Is Brett Keisel doing anything different with guys being out?

“No, he IS Brett Keisel. He is doing his usual things.”

A very Da Beard Halloween:

Melanie Gordon, from Pleasant Gap, PA carved this Da Beard pumpkin and sent it to share with us.

From her email: “This weekend we celebrated another Steeler’s win and did some early Halloween decorating with pumpkin carving. I made one especially in tribute to my favorite player, I hope you enjoy the photos.”

We sure do enjoy them, but not sure you’ll have many trick-or-treaters with Da Beard there staring them down!

Thanks for sharing your amazing talent. Click here to see a larger version of the pumpkin and to see her Steelers one!

Da Beard Gear World Tour Album:

Click here to see the latest spotting of Da Beard. Alex and Jessie, from Utah, sent us a great photo from Heinz Field this past weekend.

 

October 17, 2011-evening update

LOOKING FOR DA BEARD GEAR VENDORS

Busy, busy day for updates!

Da Beard Gear has received many requests from fans wishing to purchase their merchandise locally. As of now, you can buy online or in person in Brett’s hometown of Greybull, Wy. We would like to see Da Beard Gear offered at other locations to make it more accessible to fans.

Any businesses wishing to carry Brett Keisel’s official merchandise line can email us: [email protected]for more information.

This would be a great opportunity for you to market to Steeler Nation, one of the largest fan bases!

Da Beard in a Head and Shoulders for Mencommercial:

Visit Brett’s Facebook or Twitter page to see it. You won’t want to miss it!

For more game news, check out the last two posts. And, be sure to read about Brett and Da Beard Gear’s challenge to fans regarding Twitter in the post below.

 

October 17, 2011

“WE GOT THE WIN. NOW IT’S ONWARD AND UPWARD.”

From Ralph N. Paulk, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Keisel was easily the most energetic player on the field in the fourth quarter. He had two of his three tackles for a loss during the Jaguars’ last three possessions.

“Defensively, we had a couple of big three-and-outs in the fourth quarter,” Keisel said. “We got the win. Now it’s onward and upward.”

You can read the entire article here.

And, from Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

DEFENSIVE LINE B-

Brett Keisel had one of the more dominating performances in recent years, registering two sacks and three tackles for losses and also deflecting a pass at the line of scrimmage. It was a big lift for a line that was playing without two starters and also lost NT Chris Hoke early in the second quarter.

Also, from Gerry Dulac:

FEAR THE BEARD: The Steelers sacked rookie QB Blaine Gabbert 5 times, none bigger than when DE Brett Keisel dropped him for a 10-yard loss on the Jaguars final possession. “Any time they’re out of timeouts and you get a sack, it’s pretty devastating for the offense,” Keisel said.

Click here to read the whole article.

Game photos:

Click here to view photos.

Thank you for the numerous emails and messages complimenting Brett on his big game and the Steelers win yesterday. And, thank you for all the nice comments on both Twitter and Facebook. If you are not on Brett’s new social media pages yet, be sure to click the links for them above (on the banner) to join in the fun!

Speaking of social media…

Brett’s official Twitter page and Da Beard Gear have a great promotion going on currently. Their goal is to reach 10,000 followers by Wednesday. They are close, but need our help. If the page reaches 10K by Wednesday, Brett and the Da Beard gear crew will be giving away Hunt for Seven t-shirts, and Da Beard koozies and stickers!

Check out the gear by clicking the STORE link above, and follow their page by clicking the Twitter link in the banner-at the top right of this page.

Also, be sure to click the Facebook link in the banner to “like” Keisel’s official page. There may be giveaways there in the near future so jump on board!

Be sure to enter the Pro Bowl contest mentioned in the October 14 news. And…check in with us tomorrow for another fun contest!

Also, check out the news from yesterday (below) to read more about the game.

There is a lot going on in Keisel-land!

 

October 16, 2011

DOUBLE SACK GAME FOR DA BEARD

I’m trying. I’m trying to be a good leader for these guys. I’m trying to be someone who’s accountable and someone who helps this team win.” –From Keisel’s post game interview courtesy of Jim Wexell,SteelCityInsider.net.

The Steelers defeated the Jaguars 17-13 and Keisel had a huge game with two sacks, six tackles, including two for loss, and a pass defensed. Brett was awarded with the Steelers Digest Player of the Week award.

Congratulations to Brett and the Steelers on the win.

More from Mr. Wexell’s article:

The great Deacon Jones once said that sacking a quarterback was like taking down an entire city. Well, Brett Keisel, how did it feel to take down the entire city of Jacksonville on Sunday?

“Just trying to make a play to help us win,” said Keisel.

And James Farrior agreed with Da beard.

“That pretty much sealed the deal, that sack,” said Farrior.

The Jaguars – who’d rallied from a 17-0 deficit – had the ball at their own 23 with 1:01 remaining and no timeouts.

On the first play of the series, Keisel and outside linebacker Lawrence Timmons ran the same twist that earlier in the game – from the Jacksonville 22 with 1:01 remaining in the first half – resulted in Keisel tackling Maurice Jones-Drew for a three-yard loss on a screen pass.

So it was déjà vu all over again when Keisel beat his man for a 10-yard sack. By the time Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert could get up and scramble out of bounds, the clock was down to 26 seconds.

Two completions and a spike set up Gabbert for a 48-yard Hail Mary attempt that was broken up in the end zone by Ike Taylor and Ryan Clark.

Any thoughts while the ball was in the air?

“Don’t let him catch it,” Keisel said. “Please, please just knock it down and let us get out of here with a win.”

Keisel’s plea was answered, just as he’d answered Farrior’s plea at the start of the series.

He dominated,” said linebacker Larry Foote. “One series he made all the tackles. That’s why he’s a Pro Bowler.”

Be sure to read the entire article here. You’ll be glad you did!

Thank you to Jim Wexell for allowing me to post the article. If you are not a member ofSteelCityInsider.net, you should check it out. Well worth the membership.

Read more on today’s game.

Funny Dan Fouts (CBS sports commentator) comments from today’s game:

When asked if was intimidated by Keisel’s beard-he admitted, “Yes”.

When Keisel tackled Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew, Fouts commented, “He wrapped his beard around Maurice Jones-Drew’s ankles.”

Thanks to Anne for sending me those comments!

Don’t forget to check out the Pro Bowl contest going on-information is listed in the October 14 news.

I will post more news and photos from today’s game as they become available.

 

October 14, 2011

PRO BOWL CONTEST

Steeler Nation, it’s time to put your creative hats on to help #99! Pro Bowl voting is just around the corner, and we want to use a one-of-a-kind unique slogan for him. Who better to do this than a fan!

The photo you see was created for the campaign slogan last year, by artist and fan Rebecca Miller.

You do not have to design the photo, we just need a slogan. Becky has graciously offered her services again to design a photo to go with the winning slogan.

Brett will select the winner, and the slogan will be used on this site and on his official social media pages (links above in the banner) to encourage fans to vote for #99.

The winner will receive an autographed photo of Brett “Da Beard” Keisel.

So get your creative hats on and send us some great ideas to choose from.

Please note:

Entries will only be accepted through the site email: [email protected] –none will be accepted through any social media pages.

One entry per email address will be accepted (subsequent emails from the same address will be discounted).

And, please refrain from profanity, unsportsmanlike or negative sayings and any crude language. This is a slogan that will be seen by children and adults, so have fun with it, but keep it clean.

The slogan needs to contain Brett’s name or an easily recognizable nickname, such as “Da Beard.” So go ahead — get creative, Steeler Nation!!!

Entries will be accepted until 12:00 p.m. EST on October 20, 2011.

Also, when Pro Bowl voting starts we will be encouraging fans to vote for all of Brett’s teammates. The Steelers are a team and we want to send as many of the black and gold as we can to Hawaii!

Game talk:

Keisel talks about the task of stopping Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew:

“A big, big, big portion of their offense goes through him. He is tough to stop, low to the ground, has great feet, great balance, and an incredible ball carrier. That is going to be our goal this week, get after him and hopefully we can contain him. Not only can he run the ball great but he can catch out of the backfield, screen plays. That is one thing that makes him such a threat. He is one of those guys everybody needs to be keyed on and we will be.”

“That is the game we expect to play. It’s something we can build off of. It’s just one game and we can still have a lot of improvement. Every team is trying to pack a good running back. That is the NFL. Everyone knows the importance of a good running game. We expect to see that week in and week out. We have been good around here about stopping the run. Hopefully we can build off of last week and continue that this week.” – From Teresa Varley’s article at Steelers.com.

 

October 11, 2011

PROJECT BUNDLE-UP

“The best part is meeting the kids, talking to them, seeing how they are doing and helping them pick some warm attire for these cold Pittsburgh winters. I had a great time. Any time you get to be around a kid like Don, he is awesome. He lifts your spirits, he is happy, he loves life. “It makes me proud to come and be a part of this.” –Brett talks about his participation with Project Bundle-Up.

From Steelers.com:

On a beautiful fall evening with temperatures hovering around 70 degrees, the last thing on the mind of most people was shopping for a winter coat.

But for 45 kids from the Pittsburgh Westside Salvation Army there was nothing else they would have rather been doing. Steelers players took the kids shopping at Macy’s at Ross Park Mall as a part of Project Bundle-Up, a Salvation Army program that provides winter outerwear for needy children in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

The children that take part in the shopping night are selected based on their need, with Project Bundle-Up possibly being the only way the kids will be able to get new winter outerwear.

One child who certainly won’t forget the night is Don, a well-mannered, well-spoken 12-year old who was there with his younger brother and having the time of his life shopping with Brett and Sarah Keisel.

“I am honored to be here. I am stunned,” he said. “I never thought I would get this chance. I am so honored to be in Brett’s presence. I really enjoy being in his company. He is awesome. He has the perfect spirit. I never thought in a million years I would be doing this with a Steelers player.

“It’s a night I will never, ever forget. I will tell my kids this story. I got to meet this famous football player. He is number 99, almost 100. He is almost perfect, but nobody is perfect but he is close to it.”

As Keisel stood listening to Don, he was playfully putting hats on his head, smiling and laughing. But you could also see how touched he was, understanding the impact that all of the players who took part had on the kids.

Click here to read the whole article, and here for a few photos from the wonderful event.

 

October 10, 2011

NEWS AND NOTES

Are you following Keisel on Twitter? I hope so, because this doesn’t look like the face of a guy you want to say no to, does it?

Be sure to give #99 a follow and spread the word to Steeler Nation.

I will get the link posted on the banner soon, but here is his page: @bkeisel99.

He’s having a great time on Twitter so go ahead and join him!

Da Beard, Brett’s official merchandise line also has a twitter page and we would love Steeler Nation to follow it: @dabeardgear.

From Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post- Gazette:

A quick look at the top performances from Sunday’s game:

FIRST PICK: The Titans momentarily threatened to get back in the game when RB Chris Johnson scored on a 1-yard run to make it 28-10 and CB Alterraun Verner recovered an onside kick. But, on the next play, DE Brett Keisel tipped a Matt Hasselbeck pass, and OLB LaMarr Woodley came up with the team’s first interception of the season, resulting in a field goal. “That was a great play by Brett Keisel,” Woodley said. “That play doesn’t happen without Brett Keisel getting his hands up.”

Da Beard contest update:

The “Hunt for Seven” contest is over. There were 2 winners from PA, 2 from WY, and one each from MN, MO and OK. Congratulations to the winners and thank you to all who participated. Even though the contest is over, you can still GET YOUR BEARD ON…click the Store link above to check out Keisel’s official merchandise.

Game photos:

Click here to view photos.

 

October 9, 2011

#99 IS BACK AND TEAM GETS BIG “W”

“Feels great to come back in front of our fans and get a “W”. Nice to get a win, nice to get back out here and play. I’m happy! – Brett from his post game interview.

I’d say we’re all happy to have Keisel back and happy to see the team get a big win (38-17) over the Titans.

The defense would be without starters, Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton and James Harrison due to injuries, but they wouldn’t let that deter them back as they held the Titan’s Chris Johnson to just 51 rushing yards on the day and the Titans, as a team, had only 66 yards.

Those guys are great players but we have good depth here. This is the National Football League. Guys are going to go down; that’s part of the game.“You have to have guys step in and play.” – Keisel (Source: Mike Prisuta, WDVE).

Roethlisberger, with an injured foot, led the offense to five touchdowns, with punter Danny Sepulveda helping out by faking a punt to throw a 33-yard completion.

All in all, this was a great team effort.

Keisel stats:

Brett returned to the field in great form with 4 tackles and on Seattle’s first offensive play following the recovery of Rob Bironas’ onside kick in the third quarter, he batted Matt Hassebeck’s pass into the air, and LaMarr Woodley came down with the ball for the Steelers’ first interception of the season. (Source-Bob Labriola, Steelers Digest).

To read Mr. Prisuta’s article, D-line plays its game, click here.

To listen to Brett’s post game interview, click here.

Guess who entered the wonderful world of Twitter…

It’s official folks, Brett Keisel has an official twitter account! It is in the process of being verified, so I wanted to let all of you know it is his official account! Be sure to give him a follow and spread the word to Steeler Nation.

I will get the link posted on the banner soon, but here is his page: @bkeisel99.

Da Beard, Brett’s official merchandise line also has a twitter page and we would love Steeler Nation to follow it: @dabeardgear.

We want to thank all of Keisel’s fans for the tremendous support shown to him by all of Steeler Nation. Proud to be part of the best group of fans anywhere!

More game news and photos to come tomorrow!

 

October 6, 2011

THE DIESEL LOOKS TO RETURN

“It felt really good,” Keisel said of the knee, which he injured against Seattle. “It’s just a matter of going out and doing football movements and trying to do it at full speed. There wasn’t anything that indicated that I wouldn’t (play Sunday).” – From Scott Brown’s article in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review today.

Keisel sound bites

“I know people want to bury us, but we’ll be OK.”– On the team’s 2-2 record. (Source: Ed Bouchette,Pittsburgh Post Gazette.)

“He is an amazing player, one of the best backs in the league, no question about that,” said defensive end Brett Keisel, who will return to the lineup after missing the last two games with a knee injury. “He is so explosive and has such good feet. He is a patient runner. A lot of runners these days will run up and hit the hole if it’s not there. He will wait for the hole to open up and no one can catch him. He is definitely a handful. We all have to be gap-sound and play team ball.” – On the Titans Chris Johnson.

“We have a lot of pride with our run defense and it hasn’t been up to par to this point,” said Keisel. “We definitely need to get that turned around if we want to win games. “There is tradition here. We still have a lot of the same guys who have been here year in and year out. We need to put it together and do it for 60 minutes.”

“The biggest thing is going out and preparing each week, working on your techniques out here in practice. We don’t tackle but you can break down and get in a tackling position where you know you will be able to make that play. You have to carry that into the game, carry your practice work into the game and we will be ready to go.”-(Source: Steelers.com.)

Light the Night:

The annual Light the Night walk was held last night for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Keisel and teammates attended wearing their “Team Elijah” shirts to honor Aaron Smith’s son, Elijah who is bravely battling leukemia.

“It’s a great night. We all love Aaron and the Smith family. I am proud of the way they handled this whole situation with Elijah. We are one big family. We support and help each other out as much as we can. To do this for Elijah and all of those who suffer from leukemia is something we enjoy and has become a tradition here. Elijah has done amazing. He is getting close to kicking this thing in the butt. We love him and support him, and doing this is our way of showing that.”

Read more about Elijah and his courageous journey here.

Da Beard Gear Hunt for Seven Contest winding down:

The Da Beard Gear crew reports there is one more autographed Keisel photo to give away. What better way to celebrate #99 returning to the field than by purchasing your official Keisel gear. The Hunt for Seven t-shirt is perfect for any fan. Each order has the chance of being randomly drawn (for a short time longer) to receive an autographed photo of the Diesel! So, click the STORE link above and get your beard on!

Click here for a closer view of the shirt.

 

October 2, 2011

“WE’VE GOT SOME WORK TO DO”

From Coach Tomlin’s Post Game Press Conference:

“We’ve got some work to do. It’s not anything mystical. We will remain together. We will stay singularly focused on our work. We understand our issues are fundamental and they really are. We’ve got to do the basic football things a little better than what we are doing right now in order to be successful against some of the people we are playing. We have to tackle better, we have to block better. We will start that process tomorrow.”

The Steelers lost to the Texans 17-10, in a game where many players suffered injuries. Tomlin will update Tuesday, during his weekly press conference, the extent of the injuries to Ben Roethlisberger, James Harrison, Rashard Mendenhall and Aaron Smith.

Tomlin will probably give the status on #99 also Tuesday and I will update when news is available.

 

September 29, 2011

ROUND TWO OF “ASK THE DIESEL”

Thanks to all who have sent great questions for the Diesel to answer. I posted five new ones for you to read. They are on the right side of this page, under the “Ask the Diesel” section. The newest are posted first. This is a great way for fans to get to know Brett a little better off the field. They also make for great contest questions, so keep up on your Diesel trivia!

Quick updates:

Located on the right side of this page, under Quick Updates, you will find any injury updates or quick news items.

Upcoming game:

The Steelers will travel to Houston, TX to take on the 2-1 Texans Sunday. Kickoff is at 1:00 pm. (ET), and will be shown on CBS (regional coverage) and locally on KDKA.

Check out some game notes from Steelers.com here.

Official Keisel merchandise:

Need your beard fix? Click on over to Da Beard Gear to view #99’s official Da Beard merchandise line. The link is above under STORE.

 

September 26, 2011

AFC ROAD WIN

The Steelers survived a game that came down to the last four seconds as they beat the Colts 23-20 on a Shaun Suisham 38-yard field goal.

The game went back and forth and kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final Steelers drive in which Ben Roethlisberger took the offense on a 60-yard drive that Shaun Suisham capped with a 38-yard field goal to win the game.

Coach Tomlin summed up the win:

“We don’t care how it looks. We just want to get out of stadiums with wins, particularly road stadiums and AFC ones.”

Keisel was not active in the game due to a PCL injury. I will update on his status as the week progresses.

For more game news, click here.

Da Beard Gear World Tour:

Tito Medina, a big Keisel fan from Arizona sent us this picture wearing his new Da Beard Gear t-shirt. Clickhere for a larger view, and to see all the other locations Da Beard has been.

Great Keisel moment:

Today is the anniversary of Brett’s pick 6! Relive his interception and 79-yard touchdown by watching the video posted under the Keisel Kam photo to the right. Also, be sure to check out all the comments about his great play.

 

September 22, 2011

GREYBULL LOCATION TO OFFER DA BEARD GEAR

Brett’s hometown of Greybull, Wyoming will be selling Da Beard gear at The Greybull Building Center. It is located at 617 1st Avenue South in Greybull.

This gives Keisel’s hometown the opportunity to purchase their official Brett Keisel Da Beard Gear merchandise in person!

For those not local to Greybull, don’t worry…you can still purchase the merchandise online by clicking the STORE link above. Be sure to check the merchandise site often to see the new items being added. Thanks to all who purchased Da Beard Gear!

Reminder:

Look under Quick Updates on the right side of this page for any injury or quick news updates.

 

September 21, 2011

STEELER NATION IS EVERYWHERE…

Steeler Nation spotlight: Bret Champlin

Bret Champlin celebrated his birthday, in his #99 jersey, along with his lovely wife Maria, and their adorable daughter Sierra at a Steelers fan club in El Paso, TX.

He sent a couple photos along with this email:

This is a couple pics of me and my daughter and wife and the Brett Keisel jersey they got me, celebrating at the fan club in EL PASO TX! My b-day was on sept 11th. I was wishing for a win, but being with my family and friends and watching the STEELERS on my b-day was the best! I’m originally from NY, south of Buffalo and like 10 mins from Penn.– 4 hrs from PITT. But, ended up residing here in El Paso, TX after the Army. Glad I found a huge fan base here! I love how Brett seems down to earth and loves fishing and hunting from what I’ve read! I do as well! He’s not this flashy guy trying to be all Hollywood and I love his style! You guys should come up with a mossy oak da beard t-shirt.. or fish camo Da Beard shirt and hats since he loves to fish as well! Just a suggestion.” – Big fan, Bret Champlin.

Click here to view larger copies of the photos. Thank you to the Champlin family!

Keisel news:

Coach Tomlin confirmed yesterday that Brett has a Grade 1 PCL strain. He is listed as questionable in the game against the Colts this week, and it was reported that Brett did not practice today. I will post any further updates on the right side of this page under “Quick Updates”.

Thank you for all the nice emails wishing Keisel a speedy recovery and thank you again for all the birthday messages. He truly has the best fans!

 

September 19, 2011

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRETT-SEE UPDATE BELOW-WINNER ANNOUNCED

Today Brett celebrates his 33rd birthday, and one lucky fan will win a present!

To have a chance to win an autographed Brett Keisel game glove, be the first to email me with the answer to the following question:

What did Keisel recently say was his favorite pizza topping?

The answer was posted recently on the site, so if you’ve been keeping up with a new segment we introduced, this will be easy! The answer is still here, so if you are not sure, then you can find it on the site.

The correct answer will be the one listed on the site only.

E-mail: [email protected]

Please only email the address of this site, which is listed above. You can also access the email by clicking on Contact at the top of this page. No entries will be accepted through any of the social media pages.

Please, one email per email address only (subsequent emails from the same address will be discounted).

Thank you to Mrs. Keisel for the photo of Brett used in today’s news!

More game news:

From Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post Gazette:

DEFENSIVE LINE A

After allowing 170 yards rushing in Baltimore, the unit responded by holding Seattle to 31 yards on 13 carries, with no run longer than 8 yards. DE Brett Keisel had a quarterback hit and batted a pass and DE Aaron Smith got good pressure and forced plays inside. Even backup Steve McClendon got in on the action with a half-sack.

And, from Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Tribune Review:

Nothing could have made a neater narrative for the Steelers than to see their defense bounce back, schematically and spiritually, from that abomination in Baltimore last week. And man, that script sure erupted to life Sunday with the 24-0 shutout of Seattle at Heinz Field.

Did you see Troy Polamalu soaring Superman-style into Tarvaris Jackson for a sack? Or James Harrison one-arming Jackson like a flapjack?

Or Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel swarming side to side to quash the run? Or Ike Taylor spooking Seattle’s coaches to the degree that Jackson threw his way twice all day?

On the inside, though, the reaction was about as subdued as I was hoping it would be. Time and again, defensive players were asked whether they had just expunged that Baltimore game, and each reply came with a bristle.

Keisel: “I don’t think it goes away. We did need to respond to what happened, but this was really just one game.”

Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, in the surprise of the day, pretty much abandoned the blitz for the first three quarters. The Steelers still moved the outside linebackers back and forth and — finally — moved Polamalu back closer to the line of scrimmage, but most of the heat had to come from the defensive line. That’s exactly what veterans Keisel, Smith and Casey Hampton brought, thus freeing up the linebackers.

“It was about as simple as you get, and I don’t think Seattle saw that coming,” Keisel said, grinning through the beard. “Coach LeBeau’s got a pretty good poker face.”

To read the entire article, click here.

Update:

The winner of the Keisel autographed glove is Austin Pierce from Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Congratulations to Austin and thank you to all who entered. We had over 500 entries and everyone had the correct answer which came straight from the “Ask The Diesel” section. Send in your questions for The Diesel to answer! The site and Da Beard gear will do more contests in the future so check back often. We appreciate your support!

Great deal from Da Beard Gear:

In honor of Da Beard’s birthday today, those who place an order today or tomorrow (Monday and Tuesday) will receive a free drink koozie and sticker with their order! Great incentives to place your orders today or tomorrow! The STORE link is at the top of this page (under the banner), so click on over to check out Keisel’s official merchandise line.

 

September 18, 2011

SHUTOUT

The Steelers won their home opener in true Steelers style-with a SHUTOUT win over the Seattle Seahawks.

Fans were waving their Terrible Towels and cheering their team on as the Steelers won 24-0 to become 1-1 on the season.

Steelers Defense:

The Steelers did not allow the Seahawks to cross midfield until 10 minutes left in the game and limited them to 164 total yards.- From an article by Mark Kaboly- Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

From Keisel’s post-game press conference:

On responding to the loss last week:

“We needed to respond… we did. Anytime you’re in a fight and you get beat up like we did, you wannna come back and respond. And, it’s really just one game…we just won one game. We gotta build on this and continue to move forward if we wanna be a good team.”

On what made the difference in this week’s response to the game:

“I think it was just watching our performance last week and watchng how bad we played individually and collectively… and we’re better than that. I think it was just everyone looking at themselves in the mirror and understanding what you can do to help this team be better and going out and putting it on tape on Sunday.”

To watch other parts of his interview, click here.

Brett’s injury during the game:

Coach Tomlin discussed it during his post game interview saying: “Keisel has a potential grade-one PCL injury. We are going to get him evaluated and go from there. He potentially could have gone back in the game but it was so late in the contest. We have capable young guys and we played them.”

Game photos:

Click here to view game photos.

 

September 15, 2011

LEBEAU’S “HAWAII GUYS”

From Clare Farnsworth, Seahawks.com:

The Seahawks venture into Blitzburgh on Sunday for the Steelers’ home opener. But it could just as easily be called LeBeauburgh, because of the impact coordinator Dick LeBeau has had on the team – and the game.

It goes by Blitzburgh, proudly and appropriately.

But the Steelers’ rabid, towel-waving fans in Pittsburgh just as easily could claim to be residents of LeBeauburgh when they pack Heinz Field on Sunday for the team’s home opener against the Seahawks. It is, after all, defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau who put the Blitz in Blitzburgh – and a Steelers defense that has ranked first or second in the NFL in sacks the past four season, including a league-high 48 last season and 53 in 2007.

“He’s an amazing coach. He’s had an amazing career and impact,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said of LeBeau, a Hall of Fame cornerback for the Detroit Lions before he devised the zone blitz that has changed the way defense is played in the NFL and, of course, the way offenses play because of it.

LeBeau’s scheme features overloading the defense to one side. Then it becomes a guessing game for the offense as it who’s rushing and who’s dropping into coverage – as opposed to the send-an-entire-side-of-the-field style of blitzing the late Jim Johnson used while defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles.

LeBeau, 74, is in his second stint with the Steelers. He was their defensive coordinator in 1995-96, when Blitzburgh was populated by linebackers Kevin Greene, Greg Lloyd and Chad Brown, cornerback Rod Woodson and safety Carnell Lake – all Pro Bowl selections; or “Hawaii guys,” as LeBeau refers to them. His second stint began in 2004. The names of the players have changed, but the results have been the same thanks to defensive tackle Casey Hampton, safety Troy Polamalu, linebackers James Harrison, James Farrior, Joey Porter and LaMarr Woodley and defensive ends Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel – this generation of LeBeau’s “Hawaii guys.”

LeBeau hasn’t influenced only his players; it’s the other coaches he has worked with – as well as those who have copied what he’s done. “When he speaks, I listen, because when something comes out of his mouth, it’s like the gospel truth,” is the way Steelers D-line coach John Mitchell once put it.

Click here to read the entire article.

Quest for Lombardi #7 kickoff contest…

The contest is still going on, so fans still have a chance to win an autographed Keisel photo! Place an order with Da Beard Gear and you could be a lucky winner!

The store link is above, or click this Da Beard link!

Da Beard Gear have added some new designs and items so click the link above and GET YOUR BEARD ON!

 

September 11, 2011

“WE’LL RESPOND ACCORDINGLY…”

From Coach Tomlin’s press conference after the loss today:

“We don’t like it, but we accept it. We’ll respond accordingly.”

The good news is, according to Coach Tomlin, there were no significant injuries to mention. James Harrison suffered a knee injury, but so far Tomlin said it is not serious.

The 35-7 loss to Baltimore was tough, but we know the team will bounce back and prepare for next week, and as Coach Tomlin said, “We’ll respond accordingly.”

Keisel had four tackles during the game.

I will add game photos as I see them. Click here for photos.

Steeler Nation:

Sent several emails and Facebook messages after the game. I have posted a few of them below.

“STEELERS R STILL NUMBER ONE IN MY HEART.” – Virgie Mattis

“Regroup for sure, and get those Ravens next time. It’s just one game. We got a long season to go.” – Anne Cooper

“Saw #99 in on a few Ravens today. We will regroup and be back next week. STEELER NATION FOREVER.” – Frank Wisor

“What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger…. We love our Steelers and Da Beard! The Medina’s our looking forward to next week!” – Tito Medina

“It was a tough loss but I know #99 and Steelers will move forward and put this one loss behind them. No worries.” – Jeremy Kapp

Go Diesel! You’re a beast. This was one loss and we’re looking forward to many W’s and many sack dances from you!” – Tim Hatfield

Thanks everyone for all the positive messages and emails. The season is just beginning and we have many more games to look forward to this season!

Looking ahead:

The Steelers home opener is against Seattle at 1:00 p.m. next Sunday.

 

September 10, 2011

DA BEARD GOES SAVAGE

From the Da Beard Gear website:

We know DA BEARD looks good in Black and Gold, but DA BEARD looks SAVAGE in Camo! The front of this camo t-shirt has DA BEARD logo with KEISEL 99 on the back. The logo and wording is black with a gold outline. Brand of the shirt is Anvil and is 100% (pre-shrunk) cotton.

You can get a closer look at both sides of the t-shirthere.

It comes in adult sizes small-3X and don’t forget to pair it with the Da Beard camo hat!

News from around the web:

From Ed Bouchette’s article, 2011 NFL Preview: 3-4 … Shut The Door A Legacy of Excellence , in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette:

The Steelers welcome another member of the 30 Club to their maturing defense. This time it is the defense itself; the “34” turns 30 this season in Pittsburgh. • Installed in 1982 by Chuck Noll and Woody Widenhofer, his defensive coordinator, this will be the 30th consecutive season in which the Steelers use the 3-4 as their base defense, far longer than any team in the NFL.

“That’s amazing, how time flies by,” said Widenhofer, now retired and living in Florida. “Pittsburgh has made a tremendous commitment to that defense. They believe in it, and they go out and draft people who can play.”

Steelers defensive coaches have massaged it through the years, and one — Tony Dungy — took some of its “cover two” philosophy with him to Tampa Bay. Another, Dick LeBeau, helped revolutionize the way defense is played in the NFL by introducing the zone blitz to the Steelers as part of their 3-4 in the early 1990s when he served first as their secondary coach before becoming defensive coordinator.

LeBeau has coached the 3-4 and 4-3 and has run his zone blitz in each, but he says the 3-4 allows for more versatility and puts a premium on speed. The jobs of the three linemen are, in simple terms, to take on the blockers and not let them get out on the linebackers, who swoop in to make plays. Good linemen also will push offensive linemen back, crowding the pocket for the quarterback and not letting him step into his throws — or chasing him out of the pocket.

The current trio of Smith, Casey Hampton and Keisel likely is the best in the 30-season history of the 3-4 defense for the Steelers. Each has made the Pro Bowl.

“Every year, you look at Aaron and Casey, they don’t have a lot of tackles, but they’re the best at what they do along with Brett,” said backup nose tackle Chris Hoke, who joined the Steelers as a rookie in 2001. “They take up their blockers, make you play. They do a good job making the play that comes to their gap. That’s why James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons, LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison make so many plays. They have three good guys in front of them who take up their blockers.”

Read the entire article, here.

Avoiding a trap season:

What path might the Steelers follow and can they break the streak and become the first Super Bowl loser to return to play in the championship game?

“I hope so. I hope we’re not a .500 team or subpar team,” defensive end Brett Keisel said. “I hope we can get right back into things. We definitely have the athletes. I think we have more starters coming back than anybody. It’s on our shoulders. We all just need to play together at the right time and, hopefully, we can. “We have a good team. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t win games this year.” — From Ed Bouchette’s article, 2011 NFL Preview: The goal? Avoid trap season Super Bowl: After the Loss.

Congratulations to Troy Polamalu on his new contract!

 

September 8, 2011

STEELER NATION IS READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL…

…And they sent some messages for Brett and his teammates to get the 2011 season rolling:

“Hello, I just wanted to share the attached picture (to the left) of my son’s classroom door (Mrs. Demko’s Kindergarten class at Center Elementary School in Plum) from last year that won 1st place in the school’s Steelers door decorating contest! The students traced their hands and cut them out to make Brett’s beard! Fear the Beard! Go Steelers! Best of Luck for a successful 2011-2012 season…we’ll be watching to see how long the beard grows this year!! I hope the beard will have a little super bowl winning charm in it this year too!” – Darcy Kane and Dylan Kane

“Diesel and the Steelers ferocious D rock the house on Sunday!” – Tito Medina

“GOOD LUCK WE GONNA BE .. SEVEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SALUDOS! PLEASE GO FOR OUR SEVEN VICTORY…. GO STEELERS AND GOOD SEASON BRETT GOD BLESS YOU!!!!!” – JORGE CORTES AND MY NICKNAME IS EL PODEROSO IN ENGLISH THE POWERFUL, GUADALAJARA MEXICO

“Best of luck Brett and the team this season… Go Steelers!” – Love, Billie Jo and Greg, Pittsburgh, PA

“Best of luck to you and your teammates. May God keep you all healthy. Bring home no 7!!!! GO STEELERS!!!!” – Haydee, NM

“Keisel, you are such fun to watch on the field and the work you do off the field to help others is inspiring. Wishing you and your teammates a great season filled with fun and lots of wins!” – Mandy, Alaska

“Have a great season Brett! I know you will make Steeler Nation proud!” – Denny Karchner. Denny is shown here with the portrait (.09 Seconds Remaining) he created for Brett.

“Brett, best wishes for a great start to this new season. Denny and I are looking forward to some awesome STEELERS football. We’ll be cheering you on. Be careful! Now, go kick some NFL butt! GO STEELERS and CHEERS FOR DA’ BEARD!” – Leigh Karchner

“Good Luck Steelers. Let’s show them purple birds some good old fashion Sloberknockin’ Steeler Style Football. Here We Go Steelers Here We Go!!!!!” – Frank Wisor

“We are behind the Steelers 100% and are looking forward to many TD’s for the offense and sacks for the defense!” – Alysa H., NY

“Here we go Steelers, Here We go! Will be cheering you on from Coach’s Bar and Grill-big time Steelers bar here in Columbus, OH. Excited to see my Steelers back in action! Good luck this season guys!” – Cory Henson, Columbus, Oh

Diesel, wishing you a sack filled season mixed with many interceptions! Go #99!” – Erica S., Cambridge, Ma

“Number 7 coming up… good luck Steelers!” – Russell Keisel (Uncle Bull)

“We love the STEELERS!!! Let’s go, fight, win….!” – Carma J White

“Let the Diesel roll!!!” – Bryan Merritt, SC

This Terrible Towel was decorated by clients at Passavant Memorial Homes in Harmarville, PA. They decorate their facility each season and dress in their Steelers gear each Friday according to Tanja Porter who works there. You can read more about them in the August 26 news below.

“Good luck sunday Brett!” – Erin Lynn, Chicago. IL

“#99 and Steelers…ROCK THE HOUSE this season! I’d love to see Keisel with another pick 6.”Tom Snyder, Charlotte, NC

“I have always been a fan of Keisel but after reading on his new site all he does for charity, I respect him even more. What a great person and someone fans can look up to. Same goes for all the Steelers. Our team does so much to help others it makes me so proud to be a fan!” – Heather Brubaker, Gibsonia, PA

“Keisel, I love your new site and Da Beard gear. Thanks for letting fans have a chance to show their Da Beard pride and for letting fans get to know you better through your site. Best of luck for a great season for you and the team. Prayers for you and team to stay healthy! Thanks for always being such a great example to all!” – Mary, Swanton, Oh

“I wish the best of luck to Brett and the entire Steeler team, but most of all I wish them all a healthy season! Healthy players is the key to a successful year.” – Anne and Emily Cooper, Saint Albans, WV

“LET’S GO DA BEARD AND STEELERS!!!” – Brad Lee Jones (Brad took the picture to the left of Keisel and Aaron Smith)

“Brett and the team-so glad you’re all together again this year. Hunt for 7 is ON!” – Shelby King, Nashville, TN

“Go Steelers! My family and I are so excited to see the season finally here. Thanks to Brett and the team for staying classy during all the lockout mess and a special thanks to Mr. Keisel for all he does with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. My nephew has CF and seeing Brett take such an active interest is heartwarming. I am not sure how Brett and the guys find so much time to help others, but I am glad they do it. I hope Mr. Keisel is able to read these messages and know how much we appreciate all he and the team does both as players on the field and as gentlemen off it.” – Missy McDaniel

“Take care of business this season like you always do Diesel!” – Rocko, Nevada

Brett, thanks for making your home state proud with all you do on and off the field and thank you for keeping us up to date with your website. We don’t get enough Steelers or Keisel news in Wyoming.” – Shelley, Wyoming

“You all are the BEST! You represent the best there is about football. Hard hitting, no nonsense football. Our guys beat your guys….only we beat you more than you beat us! Kick some serious Raven butt, they deserve your best so give it to them. Lets get #7 this year, you deserve it.” – Stickchaser

“I want to wish #99 and all of the Steelers good luck this season. I hope all stay healthy too. I will be watching the game with my fellow Steelers fans at my house. We rotate houses each week and thank all of you Steelers for giving us a reason to gather, to cheer and to celebrate each season. Also to the Da Beard people-you are the best. I love all my gear and hope to be able to get some more soon.” – Bill, Pittsburgh, PA

“I am super excited to see what sack dance #99 breaks out this year and hope to see tons of sacks and another interception for TD sure would be cool!Take it to da house, da beard!” – Terry Collins, Wytheville, VA

“I wish you huge success in all you do Mr. Keisel. You are such fun to watch every week and I pray for you to stay healthy and to have a wonderful season. Thank you for always being so interactive and outgoing with us fans!” – Amy Riley, Shreveport, LA.

“Bring on the sack dance! Look forward to the dance every game and #99’s dances never disappoint. Keisel seems like such a down to earth genuine kind of guy and I really enjoy keeping up with his career.” – Melissa Porter, Charleston, WV

“Any chance Keisel will be breaking out a sack dance on Dancing with the Stars? No matter, as long as we can see him break it out during the season then I am happy. Best of luck to all of you this season. Time for #7!” – Sherry

“Good luck to all the Steelers in 2011. Steeler Nation loves ya!” – Ryan Godown, Nebraska

“Brett, bring your sack dance to Hawaii! Pro Bowl for sure this year. Best of luck to you and I’ll be voting like crazy when it’s time to get you into the Pro Bowl.” Nathan, Honolulu, HI

“I’ve been waiting so long for the first Steelers game of the season, and it’s almost here. Best of luck to Keisel and teammates for a great season and beyond.” – Russell King

“Da Beard, best of luck this season. Hope you found a way to keep moustache from irritating you during game. Beard Power is back and going to lead us to the postseason! I live in the Cleveland Browns territory but proudly wave my Terrible Towel and now my Da Beard shirt proudly!” – Tommy, Shaker Heights, Oh

“Da Beard and Da Brett are looking primed and ready to go this season. Same with Troy’s hair and Big Ben! So excited to see all the team take the field and I’ll be wearing my new Da Beard hat every week.” – Rick

“Brett, thanks for the beard man! I think it’s great how much fun you had with it and how you shaved it for charity. You are so gracious in letting us fans get to know you through your site and now through your gear line. In case you don’t realize it, we appreciate all you do for us as fans. The Ask the Diesel questions are fun and the way you respond and interact with fans is so appreciated. Thank you and have top notch season.” – Susan Farrell

“Really like the new gear shirts and hats. So hard to find Keisel attire where I live so thanks for making it available to all! Best of luck for a great season!” – Katie Pierce

“Hunt for Seven”-what a great theme for this year. Best of luck attaining your goals and best of luck in your career which I hope is nowhere near ending!” – Allen G., Atlanta, GA.

“Best wishes to a class act-Brett Keisel. You are great example of someone who just gets it. You are always gracious to the media and to fans and in the way you respect your family. Tell your mom and dad they raised you right! I wish nothing but the best for you and all your teammates.” – Alexandra Murphy, Saratoga, Fl

“Excited to see you have a great season #99. We have followed you ever since you were drafted and we’ve been to every game you played in Denver. Good luck to all of you in your quest for the next ring.” – Darron, Denver, Co.

“Keisel and the team: I know you’ll get it done this year. Your teamwork is the best and you never give up. I may live in Colorado-but I call it Keisel country. We see #99 jerseys everywhere we go. “ – Wayne

“I want to wish Brett and his teammates best of luck as they start this season. I will be watching in Ohio, where there are truly more Steelers fans than Bengals or Browns fans. My group of friends will all be wearing either a #99 jersey or Da Beard shirt. We also all have your Respect the Beard shirts from last season. Can’t wait for Sunday to see you back on the field.” Sharon, Grove City, Oh

“Good luck Brett. I am so thankful for your website. I live in Boston and we only get Patriots news. You’re my favorite player (I am from Utah) so being able to keep up with you through your site is great. I wear my Keisel jersey every Friday to work and will be purchasing a Da Beard shirt to wear on Mondays after all your wins.” – Megan K., Foxboro, MA

“Going to be a great season-I know it already. We will be there cheering you on at Heinz Field for every home game #99. We sit in a section filled with Keisel fans and love it when you run out onto the field. Good luck to all the team this year!” – Matt M., Pittsburgh, PA

I found this to be a fitting way to end the messages:

“We prayed and prayed, hoped and hoped that this day would arrive! As the lockout drug on, there were moments of doubt that were made so much more tolerable because an incredible number of our Steelers interact so freely with us, the citizens of Steeler Nation.

From James Harrison’s antics with wild boars and snakes in AZ, to the Pouncey Planking posts… to Woodley just shakin’ and bakin’ all over the Ravens… to our very own Mountain Man Keisel keeping up with us… the road through the lockout to a short but sweet training camp was made so much better!! THANK YOU for that!!

Sunday, September 11 I’ll be where I usually am: with 50 – 75 of my Terrible Towel twirling fellow fans at a local bar in Nashville, TN. We rock the house and are just SURE the Steelers know we’re out in force!

It will be bitter sweet, however. Our thoughts, prayers and reflections will certainly be present for the victims of 9/11/01 and our Nation as we continue to heal. It’s difficult to believe that was 10 years ago….

So, this Sunday….. we’ll be cheering for our Steelers and for the USA! Neither can ever truly be defeated!

HERE WE GO STEELERS!! – Annette Filippone, Nashville, TN

Thank you to all who took the time to email such wonderful messages! Keisel and the Steelers are lucky to have the best fans in the league!

Reminder:

Be sure to order your Da Beard Gear (click STORE link under banner) for a chance to win an autographed Keisel photo! There will be seven random winners drawn from orders received so make sure you’re that next LUCKY winner! The new “Hunt for Seven” shirts can be pre-ordered and will look great at any tailgate parties, office parties or anywhere you want to show your Steelers pride!

 

September 6, 2011

DA BEARD…HEATH MILLER..AND SOME GIANT ELEPHANTS

From the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium website:

Two big Steelers met up with the world’s biggest land mammals at the Zoo on Saturday.

Defensive end Brett Keisel and tight end Heath Miller stopped by the Zoo for a pep rally featuring our elephants. Both the players and the pachyderms wore black and gold as the crowd waved Terrible Towels. Tall Cathy from KISS 96.1 hosted the rally, which saw 20 fans win autographed towels, footballs, and photos with the players.

To see several photos of Brett and Heath from the pep rally, click here.

Looked like the pachyderms liked Keisel’s Da Beard t-shirt!

 

September 2, 2011

HUNT FOR SEVEN

Da Beard Gear unveiled a new t-shirt design yesterday. It features our favorite Steeler Super Hero on the front, and the location of each “hunting ground” on the back. You can view the front of the t-shirt below in September 1 news, and the back of the t-shirt is shown in today’s news.

Click here for a closer look at the design, which also shows how it looks on the actual t-shirt.

You can pre-order the shirt now through Da Beard gear (click STORE link above) and orders should ship around September 10. It comes in adult and youth sizes.

Thank you to Denny Karchner, Western Art, and Elliot Fernandez for the amazing new t-shirt design!

From Elliot Harrison of NFL.com:

Dominating Steelers defense won’t fall off in 2011:

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, soon to be 74, told all who would listen that “age is just a number” during his Pro Football Hall of Fame acceptance speech last summer. Considering the antiquity of his current defense, he’d better be right.

For the purposes of 2011, he is.

First, the facts. Nine significant contributors on Pittsburgh’s defense are either over 30 or will turn the not-so-magical age this season. And many Steelers players, James Harrison most notably, believe their aggressive defense has been singled out by the NFL as not playing within the rules.

This has allowed some to conclude the Steelers’ defense is an old, neutered dog. But all that noise will translate to a hill of beans once the real bullets start flying. After the league’s 2010 midseason crackdown on helmet-to-helmet hits, there has been nothing in the play of Harrison, LaMarr Woodley or Ryan Clark that suggests a real lack of aggression. On 99 percent of NFL plays, the game is too fast for players to think about holding up on leveling a ball carrier.

And the age thing as the “it” factor in professional football is a bit overstated, particularly in Sixburgh’s case. Players take care of their bodies far better than those of yesteryear, so while crossing 30 might be huge for a running back, it doesn’t necessarily affect a defensive lineman as adversely.

Pittsburgh left end Aaron Smith is 35 and coming off injury. He’s also one of the smartest players to play the position. As in, ever. His backup, Ziggy Hood, could start for 75 percent of the teams in the league. At the other end, Brett Keisel had one of his best seasons in 2010. Casey Hampton is a plugger in the middle, which contributed to Pittsburgh being the best run defense in the league. Throw in that the organization took highly touted defensive end Cam Heyward (who looks pretty good) with its first-round pick, and the line should be more than OK.

So tap the brakes with the comparisons to Golden Girls. They ain’t that old, and they sure as heck aren’t going soft.

Read the entire article here.

Cake anyone?

Robin Vogel created this fierce, yet delicious looking, masterpiece based on the Da Beard logo.

From her email:

“I’m not saying that making the cake today helped the Steelers win… but it certainly didn’t hurt!”

You can click here for a better view of the cake. Thanks to Robin for sending the photo..and for making all of us hungry!

Reminders:

Brett and Heath Miller will be appearing at the Pittsburgh Zoo September 3. Information is below in the August 29 news or you can click on the link (Pittsburgh Zoo)above.

“The Quest for Lombardi #7” kickoff contest…

From the next 100 orders the “Da Beard” crew receives through their website, they will randomly select SEVEN orders and add autographed Brett Keisel photos to them. Seven lucky winners in all!

Can’t think of a better way to kickoff the Quest for Lombardi #7!

The store link is above, or click this Da Beard link!

 

September 1, 2011- game update below

NEW DA BEARD T-SHIRTS

Da Beard Gear added an exciting new t-shirt design today!

Keisel and the Da Beard crew are ready to start the 2011 season, and now fans can join in on the fun by purchasing this new t-shirt, complete with our favorite Steeler Super Hero on the front, and the schedule of stops for the tour on the back.

And, by pre-ordering the shirt now, you have the chance of winning a signed photo of Keisel, courtesy of the “Quest for Lombardi #7 contest” Keisel & the “Da Beard” crew announced last night. Details are in the news from August 31 below.

The shirt comes in adult and children’s sizes. You can pre-order it now and they should ship out on or near September 10. Order yours before they sell out!

Closer look at the t-shirt:

You can get a closer look at the new t-shirts here.

Also, Da Beard Gear has several other t-shirts and merchandise to choose from, and will be adding women’s gear soon!

Thank you once again to artist Denny Karchner for the amazing design for the new t-shirts. You can view more of Denny’s work (including his work with Keisel) on his site.

Thank you to all who are ordering the Da Beard Gear items and we hope you love the new design as much as we do!

We appreciate all your feedback and suggestions. Many requests have come in for women’s gear and the Da Beard Crew are busily working to make it available soon.

Final preseason game:

The Steelers defeated the Panthers 33-17 in their final preseason game. They end the preseason at 3-1.

From Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post Gazette:

The Steelers accomplished their goal by making it through their final preseason game without serious injury.

No injuries tonight, but the trauma will happen for many over the next two days; coach Mike Tomlin must pare his roster to 53 players by 4 p.m. Saturday. Many of those cuts will come Friday, only hours after the Steelers wrapped up their 3-1 preseason with a 33-17 victory against the Carolina Panthers. The game was typical for a preseason finale, in which the only outcome any coach cares much about is his team’s health.

Because of that, Tomlin rested more than a few starters — 12 of the 22 regulars did not play, some because of injuries. Those starters who did not play included Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, Heath Miller, Rashard Mendenhall, James Harrison, James Farrior, Troy Polamalu, Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, and the injured — Bryant McFadden, Maurkice Pouncey and Ike Taylor. All but possibly McFadden should be ready to go for the regular season opener Sept. 11 in Baltimore.

Keisel had 3 tackles during the game. Since it was the final preseason game, he played just a short time.

Click here to read the whole article.

Click here for preseason game photos of #99.

 

August 31, 2011-second edition

QUEST FOR LOMBARDI #7 KICKOFF CONTEST

You asked for a Q & A with Mr. Keisel and he agreed. As mentioned before, “Ask the Diesel” is located on the right side of this page under the 2011 schedule. You also asked for more contests, and once again Mr. Keisel and the Da Beard crew agreed, so contest #2 is here!

Quest for Lombardi #7 kickoff contest…

The Steelers held their annual kickoff luncheon today (news below), and now #99 and the Da Beard crew are holding a kickoff contest of their own.

How does it work? Glad you asked!

From the next 100 orders the “Da Beard” crew receives through their website, they will randomly select SEVEN orders and add autographed Brett Keisel photos to them. Seven lucky winners in all!

Can’t think of a better way to kickoff the Quest for Lombardi #7!

The store link is above, or click this Da Beard link!

Keep visiting the “Da Beard” store as they will be adding a new t-shirt design very soon!

 

August 31, 2011

2011 KICKOFF LUNCHEON

The Steelers held their annual kickoff luncheon today at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown. It is called the “unofficial” kickoff of the season for the team.

From Steelers.com:

Football fever was in full swing on Wednesday at the annual Steelers Kickoff Luncheon, held at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown. The luncheon, which is hosted by the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, is the unofficial kickoff of the 2011 season.

Emcees Bill Hillgrove and Craig Wolfley introduced the players and coaches, with Dick LeBeau getting the loudest and longest ovation for the second straight year. Several played up their ovations, having fun with the crowd, including Troy Polamalu who did his best “pageant wave” to the crowd, while James Harrison egged the crowd on to be louder putting his hand behind his ear, and Brett Keisel showed off his new beard with pride.

To watch a short video from the luncheon, click here and to view some photos from the event, click here.

The opening game against the Ravens is September 11. We all know it will be a physical game so fans need to get tough and “GET THEIR BEARDS ON” for gameday. Click the STORE link above to order your Da Beard Gear so you will have it by September 11th! Thanks for your continued support of Keisel’s official merchandise line!

Steelers Style Fashion Show:

The Steelers players and their families will rock the runway at the Heinz Field East Club on October 6.

For more information, click here.

Rookie Cameron Heyward:

Talks about working with his defensive line teammates in a Q & A with Mike Bires, Beaver County Times:

Q: What’s it like to play on a defensive line that includes guys like Aaron Smith, Brett Keisel and even Ziggy Hood?

A: “It’s the best D-line in the NFL. These guys are solid pros. It’s an honor to play with them.”

Preseason coming to an end:

The last preseason game will be tomorrow night against the Carolina Panthers. Gametime is 8:00 p.m.

Thanks to all who have sent questions in for the next segment of “Ask the Diesel”…keep them coming!

 

August 29, 2011

ASK THE DIESEL

We have added a new feature to the site called “Ask the Diesel”. In order for it to be successful, we need your participation. This is your chance to “Ask the Diesel” questions you’ve always wondered or wanted to know about him!

Brett has already answered a few questions which you can find on the right side of this page under the schedule. You can also read about how to send your questions. Please include your name and we would like to know where you are from, but it is not a requirement.

Please use the site email which is located at the top of the site: CONTACT and read the information in the section regarding the types of questions that will be accepted.

Everyone loves a Mountain Man:

Artist Denny Karchner has once again teamed up with Keisel to create a masterpiece. This time Denny portrayed Keisel as a Mountain Man. He had Brett pose where he hunts, and for those from Brett’s hometown of Greybull, Wyoming, be sure to check out a Greybull tribute added to the portrait!

Visit Denny’s Western Art collection to view a better copy of the portrait and to read Denny’s blog about the detail put into it. Very interesting!

You can purchase a print and view more of Mr. Karchner’s Western Art here.

View Denny’s full collection of Steeler and Western Artwhich includes the :09 Seconds Remaining portrait he did of Brett this summer.

Brett and Heath Miller to attend pep rally:

Both Brett and Heath will be at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium on September 3 for a pep rally hosted by Tall Kathy of Kiss 96.1. There will be chances to win great prizes. The pep rally starts at 11:00 a.m. and you must arrive between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to be eligible to win the prizes.

Here is a link for more information regarding Brett and Heath’s appearance at the Pittsburgh Zoo .

Thanks to Rob Gratson(from Twitter) and Erin from Big Ben 7 for the heads up!

 

August 28, 2011

STEELERS TAKE DOWN FALCONS 34-16

The Steelers defeated the Falcons in front of thousands of screaming fans at Heinz Field last night. Antonio Brown got the crowd going within seconds of kickoff when he returned the opening kickoff 51-yards to set up a quick touchdown for the Steelers. Brown also caught 2 touchdown passes from Ben Roethlisberger. Big night for him!

The defense harassed both Falcons quarterbacks all evening sacking them twice.

In the last two games, the Steelers defense has recorded eight takeaways that have included six interceptions, one of which was returned 95 yards for a touchdown.

Keisel stats:

#99 had three tackles and he deflected a Matt Ryan pass into the hands of Lawrence Timmons who got the interception.

For more game news, click here.

You can watch game highlights here.

Unfortunately, the game was not without injuries. Back up quarterback, Byron Leftwich left the game with what was later reported as a broken arm. Center Maurkice Pouncey left the game with an ankle injury and Keenan Lewis left the game with an injured knee. NT Casey Hampton also left the game with an injured elbow.

Check out this article on the Steelers defense from Bucky Brooks , NFL.com.

For any new photos, click on the Photo link at the top of this page and then click on Last Uploads.

 

August 26, 2011

NEWS AND NOTES

Renee Stredney, from Ohio, was one of the winners in the Da Beard Training Camp contest. She is shown wearing her Da Beard hat, with the photo she won from the contest. You can click here to see a larger version of her photo, and to see her handsome son Hayden in his Da Beard hat.

Steelers vs. Falcons:

The Steelers will take on the Atlanta Falcons Saturday at Heinz Field. Coach Tomlin said the starters will probably play at least until halftime for this game.

To read more on what Tomlin had to say you can clickhere.

Also, for those not in Pittsburgh, you can listen to the game on WDVE or you can purchase a special preseason package from NFL.com.

Passavant Memorial Homes loves the Steelers:

Tanja Pater works for Passavant Memorial Homes in Harmerville, PA and sent some photos of decorations her clients made to show their black and gold pride.

From her email:

I work at a facility that works with mentally challenged individuals. Every year at football season we decorate for the Steelers, and every Friday we all dress in our Steeler gear. We wanted to send you a picture of our terrible towel that our group made. Some of our clients come to Steeler camp and games also, and they enjoy it very much. We hope you all like our terrible towel. We work with mentally challenged helping them with their daily activities and work programs. We just wanted to let the steelers see how much some of these guys really enjoy them and support them. We have one in particular who is pretty much everyday dressed in Steelers.

Click here to view their awesome decorations. Thanks to Tanja and the clients at Passavant Memorial Homes for their support of the Steelers and for sending us their photos.

For all who are in the path, or will be affected by Hurricane Irene, please be safe.

 

August 24, 2011

FAMILY GUY

WHIRL magazine spoke with Keisel recently about his family:

Pittsburgh Steeler Brett Keisel revels in his family — which not only includes his wife and kids, but his teammates whom he thinks of as brothers.

“The best thing about training camp, honestly, especially this year, is being able to be around your brothers again.“Seriously, this team is so close.”–Brett Keisel.

Brett’s teammates feel the same way about him:

Brett is my wingman. I can’t say enough about him. He’s a great guy, but a great competitor, too. As good of a football player he is, he is an even better person.”–Aaron Smith

“Brett is a cool cat. He is a country guy with a little swagger–And you rarely ever find that.”–Casey Hampton

A few Keisel quotes from the article:

On the effect the lockout may have on players:

“We are lucky, because we are a veteran team, so a lot of us can run the defense in our sleep. These young guys have a tough hill to climb, because we usually have OTAs, and they have a chance to learn the defense, so that when they come to training camp, we can run it full speed. But, the strong ones will push through, and the weak ones will perish.”

One positive note about the lockout:

“I had a lot of chances to spend time with my family — usually I wouldn’t have had that time, if we were in OTAs and other things.”

On possible new items for Da Beard Gear:

A couple of friends and I got together and created a logo for the new gear (Da Beard Gear). We have gotten some emails about getting some items for the ladies, so we are working on that. I’m just trying to give beard love to the fans.”

On getting back to work:

I think that everyone is excited — including us and the fans….there’s no better time than now to get back into the big dance — and we will do that.”

You’ll want to read the entire interview, which discusses his generous charity work, more on his beard and some of his thoughts on life after football (which we all hope is a long time down the road). There are also some great photos of #99 in the article!

You can read it all here.

Da Beard Gear:

More items have been added to the site. You can now order drink koozies featuring the Da Beard logo-no tailgate party is complete without them! And, you can order Da Beard stickers. Perfect to advertise your support of #99..stick ’em on your windows, bumpers, books..anywhere you want to show off your Da Beard love! Click on the store link above to check out the expanding list of items Da Beard Gear has to offer.

 

August 22, 2011

THANK YOU TO DA BEARD CREW

Sarah Swenson, from Minnesota, was one of the winners of the Da Beard Training Camp Contest. She received her autographed Keisel photo from the Da Beard crew and sent a photo with it along with a nice email:

“Thank you very much for the autographed photo. I really like the throwback uniforms, so it was cool receiving a photo featuring one. It looks good in the frame and I’m happy to add it to my collection. Da Beard Rules!”

You can see the photo of the winners in the August 15 news. And, you can see a larger version of Sarah’s photo with her “prize” here.

Thanks to Sarah and Renee for entering the contest, and thanks to Sarah for sending such a nice email!

2011 Kickoff Luncheon:

The annual kickoff luncheon will be on August 31 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Eastern time. It will be held at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown (600 Commonwealth Place Pittsburgh, PA).

The 2011 Steelers Kickoff Luncheon will feeature the 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers, Head Coach Mike Tomlin and Steelers Alumni, plus a viewing of the 2010 Highlight Film and a 2011 season preview. There will also be a silent raffle and auction and alumni autographs.

For ticket prices, and more information please click here.

Steelers crush TV ratings:

Read all about it.

Da Beard Gear:

Added some exciting new items. Last week they added larger sizes in t-shirts for adults and children’s t-shirts. This week…the additions are drink koozies and stickers. Click on the Store link above and check out all the Da Beard gear. There are many ways to “Get your beard on”!

 

August 19, 2011

POST GAME TALK

The Steelers domination of the Eagles has been the primary topic of discussion by fans and the media.

Here are some nice articles to read:

James Walker, AFC North blogger shares his observations here.

Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, gives his thoughts here.

And, Steel City Insider discusses the game here.

You may want to give some thought into subscribing to SteelCityInsider.net as Jim Wexell and his colleagues provide great insight into the games and players.

 

August 18, 2011-Evening update below

PRESEASON HOME OPENER

Everyone ready for some football? It’s the preseason home opener tonight, so Heinz Field will be rockin’ the Terrible Towels (and we hope to see some Da Beard gear in the stands too). For those who are not able to attend the game, you’re in luck as the game will be nationally televised on FOX network at 8:00 p.m. EST.

Brett was on 105.9 The X today and spoke about the game tonight against the Eagles and about the depth of the defensive line. You can listen here.

Evening update:

Tweet from Scott Brown, of the Tribune Review:

“We want to take care of our home grass in front of our fans. That was our main objective today.”–Brett Keisel

Well, the team certainly took care of that objective!

The Steelers looked good on both offense and defense in their 24-14 defeat of the Philadelphia Eagles. By half time, the defense had intercepted Eagles quarterback Michael Vick three times. Eagles back up quarterback Vince Young also was intercepted later in the game to bring the total to four picks (and one fumble recovery) for the mighty Steelers defense.

Read more on the game here.

The next preseason game will be on August 27 against the Atlanta Falcons.

 

August 17, 2011-Evening update below

BEARD TALK

Keisel did an interview with Channel 11 Sports reporter Bill Phillips, urging him to regrow his “hockey beard” for the entire football season.

Brett also talked about the great things he has been able to do for charity with his beard, like raising over $40,000 for Children’s Hospital with his “Shear the Beard” event a few months ago.

Click here to watch the interview.

Nice to see Willie Colon gettin’ his beard on at camp yesterday! You can click here to see photos of fans (and Brett’s teammates) wearing Da Beard gear.

Thanks again to all who have supported Da Beard Gear.

View training camp photos here.

Also, check out the links in the last couple news stories for fan photos sent to us from camp!

We are receiving many emails from fans who are starting their playoff beards now…sounds like Steeler Nation is ready for a great football season!

Evening update:

“THE BEARD IS COMING BACK…Brett talked with Tunch and Wolf on 970 ESPN about the return of his famous beard, a contest with his dad and brothers, and he tells a very funny story about Chris Hoke’s training camp roommate. Listen to the entertaining interview here.Keisel’s interview is from August 10-Hour 1.

Thanks to Jackie for the heads up on the interview!

Also:

Da Beard gear has added some larger sizes in t-shirts for adults and youth gear is here! For all of you kiddos out there who dream of growing a beard as beautiful as The Great Bearded One, Mr. Keisel…you can start by ordering an official youth Da Beard t-shirt!

The store link is under the banner above and on the right side of this page under “Da Beard Online Store.”

 

August 16, 2011

TRAINING CAMP WINDING DOWN

Training camp 2011 is coming to an end as of tomorrow. The last public practice was today and the players will hold private practice Wednesday before breaking camp.

Photos:

Click here to see some photos Renee Stredney took at camp on August 6.

And, click here to see photos of fans (and Brett’s teammates) wearing Da Beard gear.

Thank you to all who have sent photos from camp!

Game day:

The game against the Eagles will be nationally televised on FOX Thursday so be sure to have your Terrible Towels and Da Beard Gear ready to cheer on #99 and the Steelers!

Coach Tomlin held a press conference today and indicated the starters will probably get 20-25 reps in the game Thursday.

You can click here to read more about what Tomlin had to say today.

 

August 15, 2011

PLAYING CATCH-UP-EVENING UPDATE BELOW

Sorry for the delay in updates! We have a lot to catch up on.

First, we had a winner in the Da Beard Gear Training Camp Contest. Sarah Swenson and Renee Stredney attended camp August 6 and proudly displayed their Da Beard Gear t-shirt. Renee also ordered a hat which I will post in the gallery. Thank you to both ladies for supporting Da Beard gear! Each won an autographed photo of #99.

Da Beard Gear…

Will be adding new items to their store soon. Some new items will be ladies apparel, new t-shirts, drink koozies and stickers. Be sure to check their site in the next few weeks to take a look at the new gear. Remember, Da Beard Gear is Brett Keisel’s official merchandise line.

First preseason game…

The Steelers used their starters sparingly in the loss to the Redskins. Keisel had three tackles while he was in the game.

Photo extravaganza…

I received many fan photos this past week and really appreciate all who took the time to send them.

Sarah Swenson attended camp August 6 and sent some great photos to share. You can click on her name to check out her latest photos, and to see the ones she took last year.

Billie Jo Yakubik attended camp again on August 14 and sent more photos. Click on her name to see them. She captured some good ones of Brett sporting his Da Beard Gear hat.

Thank you ladies for sharing your pictures with us.

You can also click here to view more training camp photos.

Movie star…

Ben Roethlisberger, Heath Miller and Brett pose in the Steelers locker room August 6 just before they suited up for their roles as the Gotham Rogues in the movie, “The Dark Knight Rises”. The home team Rogues, coached by Bill Cowher, will take on the Rapid City Monuments at Heinz Field, which has also been transformed for it’s role in the movie!

Thank you to Erin, Big Ben 7 for sharing the photo from the set.

Injury update…

Keisel sat out of practice Sunday with what was reported as a slight ankle injury.

Evening update…

Thanks to Big Ben and Brett’s teammates for their support of Da Beard gear. Click here to see a couple photos of Big Ben in his gear and to see where else Da Beard has been.

 

August 5, 2011

TALKING NIGHT PRACTICE

Keisel (wearing his Da Beard hat) and Smith talked about why they like night practice, while Hamp…we’re not sure what he likes. Click here to find out.

Also, Lexi Fanty attended camp yesterday and sent a few photos of #99 to share.

She was very excited to also get to meet Big Ben. You can see a photo she took with Ben and read her storyhere.

 

August 4, 2011

PRACTICE IS ON…FOR EVERYONE!

From Greg Aiello’s (NFL PR) twitter account today:

“Our office was notified at 4:54 pm ET that the players have ratified the new 10-year CBA.”

This means all players, including signed free agent players are now able to join their teams on the practice field.

You can check out the list of free agents for the Steelers, and keep up with camp updateshere.

Camp photos:

Click here.

You can also see some behind-the-scenes photos of camp and catch some player interviews through the Steelers Training Camp Diary.

From the diary today:

A lot of young players have gotten reps, trying to make up for some lost time without an offseason program.

“It’s been beneficial for those guys,” said defensive end Brett Keisel. “(The playbook) has been toned back. We probably have one-eighth of the playbook in now. It’s going slow. There is a lot to this defense. I don’t see them picking up all of it up for at least half the year.”

The advantage the Steelers do have is experience, with veteran players able to pick things right up without much work.

“We have a lot of guys who can miss the entire offseason and run the whole defense the next day,” said Keisel. “That is one of the perks about very here so long.”

Da Beard Gear training camp contest:

Training camp is underway and Da Beard Gear wants to say thanks to the fans who are supporting Keisel’s new merchandise line and website. It’s also a great way to celebrate the end of the lockout and thank fans for their support throughout it.

Fans have been emailing asking when we will be holding a new contest…the answer is NOW!

Be the FIRST to email the site with a photo showing you sporting your Da Beard Gear at training camp and you win an autographed photo of Brett ‘The Diesel’ Keisel and we will also post your photo here on the website.

The photo will need to show you are at the 2011 Steelers training camp.

If you have not ordered your Da Beard gear yet, it’s time to get busy. They have added a new camo hat which is a must have for all you hunters, or also anyone who loves camo gear! Da Beard gear offers one-of-a-kind items and is the only place to purchase official Brett Keisel gear just like Keisel himself had on when he arrived at camp.

Click here to purchase your official gear.

Entries will ONLY be accepted by emailing the website: [email protected]. They will not be accepted through the Facebook or Twitter pages.

Show Keisel your support and “GET YOUR BEARD ON” with Da Beard gear!

Site maintenance:

The site may not be updated from August 6-August 14 due to updates and maintenance. I will be able to add photos, so you can keep up by clicking on the PHOTO tab above and then clicking LAST UPLOADS. Also, you can keep up through the FB and Twitter links at the top left hand banner.

 

August 1, 2011

CAMP PHOTOS

The players have today off, so I thought I would take time to update the photo gallery.

Thank you to those who have sent photos. Anyone who attends and has some photos of #99 they would like to share can send them to me. The email address is under Contact above.

You can check out the latest fan photos from Billie Jo Yakubik here and more photos here.

You can keep up with training camp news here.

Da Beard Gear training camp contest:

Training camp is underway and Da Beard Gear wants to say thanks to the fans who are supporting Keisel’s new merchandise line and website. It’s also a great way to celebrate the end of the lockout and thank fans for their support throughout it.

Fans have been emailing asking when we will be holding a new contest…the answer is NOW!

Be the FIRST to email the site with a photo showing you sporting your Da Beard Gear at training camp and you win an autographed photo of Brett ‘The Diesel’ Keisel and we will also post your photo here on the website.

The photo will need to show you are at the 2011 Steelers training camp.

If you have not ordered your Da Beard gear yet, it’s time to get busy. They have added a new camo hat which is a must have for all you hunters, or also anyone who loves camo gear! Da Beard gear offers one-of-a-kind items and is the only place to purchase official Brett Keisel gear just like Keisel himself had on when he arrived at camp.

Click here to purchase your official gear.

Entries will ONLY be accepted by emailing the website: [email protected]. They will not be accepted through the Facebook or Twitter pages.

Show Keisel your support and “GET YOUR BEARD ON” with Da Beard gear!

 

July 29, 2011

TRAINING CAMP UNDERWAY

The first open practice of training camp 2011 was today and Steeler Nation was there to cheer on their team, and they of course congratulated Ben Roethlisberger on his recent marriage.

Various media reports said Keisel and Hampton had great practices. The afternoon practice was shortened due to the weather.

You can keep up with training camp news here.

Training camp photos:

Click here to see photos of Keisel at camp.

The Diesel arrives:

Watch video of Brett arriving at camp here.

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette liked Keisel’s arrival enough to put him on the front page of the paper today! You can view it here.

Even the Post Gazette wants readers to get their beards on!

Da Beard Gear training camp contest:

Training camp is underway and Da Beard Gear wants to say thanks to the fans who are supporting Keisel’s new merchandise line and website. It’s also a great way to celebrate the end of the lockout and thank fans for their support throughout it.

Fans have been emailing asking when we will be holding a new contest…the answer is NOW!

Be the FIRST to email the site with a photo showing you sporting your Da Beard Gear at training camp and you win an autographed photo of Brett ‘The Diesel’ Keisel and we will also post your photo here on the website.

The photo will need to show you are at the 2011 Steelers training camp.

If you have not ordered your Da Beard gear yet, it’s time to get busy. They have added a new camo hat which is a must have for all you hunters, or also anyone who loves camo gear! Da Beard gear offers one-of-a-kind items and is the only place to purchase official Brett Keisel gear just like Keisel himself had on when he arrived at camp.

Click here to purchase your official gear.

Entries will ONLY be accepted by emailing the website: [email protected]. They will not be accepted through the Facebook or Twitter pages.

Show Keisel your support and “GET YOUR BEARD ON” with Da Beard gear!

 

July 28, 2011

KEISEL ARRIVES AT CAMP

Brett turned heads when he arrived at camp in a Kubota truck earlier today.

Players reported to training camp today at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.

The media took notice of Brett’s choice of cars and his apparel, which of course was Da Beard Gear-Brett’s new merchandise line.

The players had their conditioning test today and will have practice tomorrow. You can check out the training camp schedule on the right side of this page.

Click here to listen to Keisel’s quick press conference from camp.

Tweets:

Some funny tweets from media today:

“Steelers DE Brett Keisel shows up in a tiny work truck and a “baby beard.” He says the big beard is coming back if the team makes a deep run.”

Brett Keisel, on who the best dancer was at Roethlisberger’s wedding: “Me, of course.”

Best car: Keisel’s agriculture 50mph truck.

To see a few photos of Brett’s arrival at camp, click here.

Training camp contest:

Be sure to read the July 26 news for information on the Da Beard training camp contest!

 

July 27, 2011

U2 & DA BEARD ROCK HEINZ FIELD

For the last United States stop in their 360 Tour, U2 chose Heinz Field to perform. They played last night in front of an estimated 64,000 people.

And, of course Brett and Da Beard were there to see it all!

Click here to see a couple photos Brett sent of Da Beard enjoying the show. You can also view the other photos in the gallery to see where else Da Beard has been.

Another Da Beard sighting:

Keisel (wearing his Da Beard hat) was one of the first to arrive at the Steelers facility yesterday which was the first day the players could return after the lockout.

From Scott Brown, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

The re-opening of NFL facilities to players brought a trickle and later a steady stream of Steelers to team headquarters Tuesday.

Players didn’t do much beyond getting physicals, but for Brett Keisel, the day represented an end to his summer of boating, fishing and spending time with family and friends. And the veteran defensive end was OK with that.

“This time of year, subconsciously, your body’s telling you it’s time to get back to work,” Keisel said.

Plenty of work lies ahead for Keisel and the Steelers with the team prepared to report to training camp Thursday at St. Vincent. But relative to other teams that have or will experience significant turnover, the Steelers are in good shape. Their coaching staff returns largely intact as do most of their starters on offense and defense from the team that made it to the Super Bowl last season.

The lockout, which ended Monday after wiping out all offseason practices, will adversely affect the Steelers less than most teams.

“I think we’re one of those teams that can go to camp and be on the practice field the next day and be able to run our whole defense, really,” said Keisel, who made the Pro Bowl as an alternate last season. “A lot of us have been here for a long time, so hopefully, that’s going to be a benefit for us.”

To read the whole article, click here.

Aaron Smith:

Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, spoke with Brett about Smith recently:

I talked to him a little bit the other day. It will be great to get him back out there. i dont know what all is going on with him, but I know he’s excited and has been working hard to get back out on the field and do what he does best, which is compete. He’s heathy. He is, I think, ready to rock.”

Training camp contest:

Be sure to read the July 26 news for information on the Da Beard training camp contest! Also, training camp news is listed in the July 25 news and on the right side of this page.

 

July 26, 2011

DA BEARD GEAR TRAINING CAMP CONTEST

Training camp begins in two days and Da Beard Gear wants to say thanks to the fans who are supporting Keisel’s new merchandise line and website. It’s also a great way to celebrate the end of the lockout and thank fans for their support throughout it.

Fans have been emailing asking when we will be holding a new contest…the answer is NOW!

Be the FIRST to email the site with a photo showing you sporting your Da Beard Gear at training camp and you win an autographed photo of Brett ‘The Diesel’ Keisel and we will also post your photo here on the website.

The photo will need to show you are at the 2011 Steelers training camp.

If you have not ordered your Da Beard gear yet, it’s time to get busy. They have added a new camo hat which is a must have for all you hunters, or also anyone who loves camo gear! Da Beard gear offers one-of-a-kind items and is the only place to purchase official Brett Keisel gear just like Keisel himself wears.

Click here to purchase your official gear.

Entries will ONLY be accepted by emailing the website: [email protected]. They will not be accepted through the Facebook or Twitter pages.

Da Beard Revenge Tour:

Keisel phoned into the WDVE crew for a quick interview today. He talked about what he has done this offseason to keep in shape, his amazing dancing abilities, his trips to the dentist and of course he talked about “Da Beard”. He has officially named this season: DA BEARD REVENGE TOUR. Listen to his interview to hear what #99 has been up to, and to hear about the contest his brothers and father challenged him to recently!

Click here to listen. As usual, it’s a very entertaining interview.

 

July 25, 2011

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL

“It is a great day for everyone in the NFL and our fans everywhere. We are excited that we will be back to football this week. We were able to negotiate an agreement that is fair to both the owners and the players and it happened through a combination of hard work and determination from both sides. We are looking forward to getting to Saint Vincent College for training camp and preparing for the 2011 season.”–Art Rooney II

The long offseason is officially over! The Steelers will report to training camp at St. Vincent College on July 28.

The first official practice will take place Friday, July 29. The first practice open to the public is scheduled for that afternoon at 2:55 p.m. Only the afternoon practices are open to the public.

Click here for information on training camp, including a schedule and directions.

If you attend camp, and have some photos of Keisel you would like to share, feel free to send them to me to post here on the site. Also, be sure to purchase your Da Beard t-shirts and hats so you can wear them to camp. The link to Da Beard Gear is above under “Store” and on the right side of this page. Da Beard gear is the official merchandise line of Brett Keisel.

You can see a larger version of the schedule above (created by Rebecca Miller) by clickinghere.

 

July 21, 2011

WE’RE OFFICIAL! – SEE NEW UPDATES BELOW

Welcome to the official website of Super Bowl Champion and winner of NFL’s Best Beard, Brett Keisel!

We hope you enjoy browsing through the photos and articles. Some areas are still “under construction” so be sure to check back often.

Click on the tab above entitled “Brett in the Community” to get a glimpse of the various causes, events and activities the Keisel’s support and you can read letters of appreciation some various foundations sent talking about the work Brett and Sarah do for their causes.

Also, be sure to visit Da Beard Gear, Brett’s official merchandise line, to GET YOUR BEARD ON!

Keisel has been wearing the official Da Beard Gear t-shirt and hat at various events and around town, and now fans have a chance to do the same!

The link is at the top under “Store” and on the right side of this page. Once you purchase your gear, send us a photo of you with it and we’ll post it in the Da Beard Gear World Touralbum. Be sure to tell us your name and where you are from so we can track where Da Beard gear has been!

Brett and the Da Beard Gear crew appreciate all your support and we hope you enjoy the new site!

July 22, 2011

NEWS AND NOTES

Training camp news:

From Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post Gazette:

National Football League owners will have to wait a little longer to see if the 10-year collective bargaining agreement they overwhelmingly voted to ratify will receive similar approval from the players. But, if it does, the Steelers will open training camp Wednesday at St. Vincent College in Latrobe — at least three days earlier than they would have normally reported.

If the agreement gets the approval of the players, who still have to re-certify as a union, team president Art Rooney Ii said the Steelers will re-open their South Side training facility to their players on Saturday and start training camp July 27 — the day every NFL team is allowed to report to training camp.

“If the deal goes according to plan, we’ll have the guys report on Wednesday and we’ll have practice on Thursday,” team president Art Rooney II told the Post-Gazette Thursday night. “Opening on the same day for every team was the fairest way to do it, given that we didn’t have an off-season.”

As usual, I will post training camp news and photos here, so be sure to check in!

If you attend camp, and have some photos of Keisel you would like to share, feel free to send them to me to post here on the site. Also, be sure to purchase your Da Beard t-shirts and hats so you can wear them to camp. The link to Da Beard Gear is above under “Store” and on the right side of this page.

Da Beard Gear World Tour:

Bill Stinchcomb sent in a photo of him wearing his new Da Beard Gear hat. Click here to see it and to read his message.

Thanks Bill! Also, thanks to Doug Sarkis, Bill Wolfe and Diana Napper for their nice messages for Brett and Sarah. The messages are posted on the “Brett in the Community” page above.

Penguin Bookshop Festival:

As mentioned last week, Brett attended the festival and read a few of his favorite children’s books to the crowd. You can see what books he chose and a few photos here.

Thank you to Peggy Neal, from HCEF for the mention on their website!

 

July 14, 2011

EVENT REMINDER

Brett will be making an appearance at the Penguin Bookshop Children’s Festival on Saturday June 16. The Penguin Bookshop is in Sewickley, PA.

This event will be an effort to accumulate donated books geared towards teens for theHomeless Children’s Education Fund. Monetary donations will also be accepted.

Click here for more information on the festival and for suggested teen reading donation items.

Keisel is scheduled to appear at 11:00 a.m. and will be reading some of his favorite children’s books to the crowd. More information, including times is in the July 5 news and on the right side of this page.

Please be aware, this is NOT an autograph signing event. It will be a fun-filled day so be sure to bring your family to the festival and drop off some books to help children in the area. Thank you for your support!

 

July 13, 2011

:09 SECONDS REMAINING

Brett headed to Cody, Wyoming to pick up the portrait he commissioned from Denny Karcher. Like all of us, Brett loved the portrait.

Mr. Karchner needed to name the portrait and suggested to Brett: “:09 Seconds Remaining” since in the portrait Keisel is looking at the scoreboard, which Brett agreed was a great idea so the portait was officially named.

Denny sent some photos to share. One of them shows how much Brett loved the portrait.

Click here to see the photos, and also to see the portrait.

View Denny’s full collection of Steeler and Western Art.

Denny said he and his wife, Leigh (who took the photos Denny shared) had a wonderful time with Brett at their ranch. Brett signed some items for friends of Denny’s. One such item was the glove Brett was wearing when he scored his touchdown last season. He had given it to a fan in the stands, and it turns out, Denny knew her and was able to get the glove from her to have Brett sign it.

“Brett even signed a few things for the neighbor kids! Leigh and I can’t begin to say what a gracious and kind guy he is! What a great afternoon! “GO STEELERS!!”-Denny Karchner

Keisel was also at the ranch to pose for a “Mountain Man” photo shoot with Denny and Leigh, so Denny’s next masterpiece will be coming soon!

Happy Birthday Denny!

 

July 12, 2011

DA BEARD LAUNCH A HIT IN WYOMING

Da Beard Gear launched in Sheridan, Wyoming last Friday at the Pony Grill and Bar. Fans got one of the first up close looks at Keisel’s new official merchandise line, and they were able to have items signed by #99 himself.

Keisel and the Da Beard crew wanted to give Wyoming the first glimpse and from the looks of the photos and from the emails I have received…Wyoming loved the gesture. Fans expressed their thanks to Keisel for choosing Wyoming as many of them are not able to get to Pittsburgh to get an autograph or to meet Brett. Keisel has always been generous and thankful to Wyoming as he also hosted an autograph signing last summer in his hometown of Greybull, Wyoming to raise funds to save the town swimming pool.

Michael McGuire, one of Brett’s partners in Da Beard Gear, sent several photos from the Sheridan event. The photo above is of Keisel with McGuire and some members of the Sheridan Broncs football team. It was great to have them attend. Also, two winners of the Milward Simpson award, Kayla Woodward and Austin Woodward were on hand to join Brett (the 1997 winner of the award) for a photo.

Click here to see Michael’s photos and some other fan photos. If you have pictures you would like to add to the gallery, feel free to send them!

You can also view the Da Beard Gear World Tour album. Click here to see where Da Beard has been.

Purchase your Da Beard Gear so we can add you to the gallery!

Thanks to the city of Sheridan and the Pony Grill and Bar for a great time at the Brett Keisel signing! Thanks for the support and remember to Get Your Beard On!-From Keisel and the Da Beard Crew

 

July 8, 2011

#99 AND DA BEARD ARRIVE IN SHERIDAN

Brett and the Da Beard Gear crew were at the Pony Grill and Bar tonight for an autograph session and to unveil Da Beard gear to Wyoming.

Fans are emailing to say what a great time it was and how excited and grateful they were that Mr. Keisel chose Sheridan for the event.

The Da Beard crew and Brett are also grateful:

Thanks to the city of Sheridan and the Pony Grill and Bar for a great time today at the Brett Keisel signing! Thanks for the support and remember to Get Your Beard On!

For those who could not make it tonight, visit the Da Beard Gear store to check out the official merchandise line of Brett Keisel.

If you attended and purchased some gear, send a photo with it and we will post it in the Da Beard Gear World Tour album. Click here to view the photos we have so far.

We will continue to add to the album, so be sure to check back.

 

July 7, 2011

SHERIDAN, WYO! ARE YOU READY FOR SOME…

Fun.. with #99 and Da Beard gear? We hope so because Keisel and Da Beard Gear will be arriving in Sheridan tomorrow. Brett will be signing autographs at the Pony Grill and Bar in Sheridan, Wyoming on July 8 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Brett and his Da Beard gear partners want to give Wyoming one of the first close-up looks at the new beard merchandise line. Don’t miss out on your chance to “GET YOUR BEARD ON” with #99 and the Da Beard crew!

Feel free to send us a photo of you wearing Da Beard gear to add to the Da Beard Gear World Tour galley!

 

July 5, 2011

STORY TIME WITH KEISEL

What does #99 do when he’s not busy on the field crushing offenses? One thing he likes to do is read, so he wants to make sure all children have books available to them.

On July 16 he will be reading two of his most memorable children’s books at the Penguin Bookshop Children’s Festival.

This event will be an effort to accumulate donated books geared towards teens for the Homeless Children’s Education Fund.. Monetary donations will also be accepted.

The event will be held at Penguin Bookshop at 420 Beaver St. in Sewickley, PA. The festival begins at 10:00 a.m. and lasts until 4:00 p.m. Keisel is slated to appear between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

If you are in the area, be sure to stop by for some fun family time which will include face painting, ice cream, a visit from Elvis the Penguin and of course story time with Brett!

Click here for more information on the festival and for suggested teen reading donation items.

 

July 1, 2011

NEWS, NOTES AND PHOTOS

Upcoming autograph signing:

Check the June 27 news below for Keisel’s upcoming autograph signing news. This is the first chance many will get to see his new merchandise line, Da Beard Gear in person.

If you attend the event and take photos, feel free to send them so we can post here on the site. And, if you purchased your Da Beard gear, send us photos of you wearing it and we will add them to the Da Beard Gear World Tour gallery.

There has been a lot of positive response to the merchandise and we appreciate the support fans have shown.

Site update:

The new official Brett Keisel website is under construction and will be ready to unveil soon. As previously mentioned, the content will remain the same although the site will be have a totally new design. We will add Da Beard gear information so fans can have a one-stop place for news on #99 and to purchase their offical beard gear!

Photos:

I added some more photos of Keisel taken at Big Ben’s Football Camp. Click here to see photos of Diane Reynards kids who attended the camp.

Get your beard on…in Bermuda:

Renee Minnemeyer-Climo surprised her husband Chad with a Da Beard t-shirt for Father’s Day. They were on a cruise in Bermuda and sent a couple photos of him sporting the shirt from their balcony on the cruise ship.

What a great Father’s Day gift and Bermuda sounds like a great place to “get your beard on!”

Click here to see the photos.

Thanks to Diane and Renee for sharing their photos.

 

June 27, 2011

AUTOGRAPH SIGNING

Brett will be at the Pony Grill and Bar in Sheridan, Wyoming on July 8 to sign autographs from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Da Beard Gear will be available to purchase so stop by and “GET YOUR BEARD ON” with #99!

This will be a great way to add to your Steelers autograph collection, or to start one, and you can check out Da Beard Gear-the official beard gear of Brett Keisel.

 

June 23, 2011

DA BEARD GOES TO CAMP

As mentioned earlier, Keisel was there to lend a hand to Big Ben at his Ben Roethlisberger Football Camp at Seneca Valley High School in Harmony, PA this week.

And, thanks to some fans who just happened to have their cameras with them, we have some photos of #99!

Anita Doddroe took her grandchildren to camp again this year and said it was a great time again.

Anita:

“We had a great time at camp again this year. And, actually, one of the campers demonstrated Brett’s “down the river” post-sack dance and did a pretty good job. Brett then did the dance himself, much to the delight of all the campers! He threw in a bit of the “bow hunter”, too.

You can view Anita’s photos here.

You can see a video of the boy Anita mentioned doing Brett’s sack dance, and of Brett performing it also through the link in yesterdays news.

Cindy Dupray’s children also attended camp and she shared some great photos of Keisel which can be seen here.

Thank you to both ladies!

Fan emails:

I wanted to thank Mr. Keisel for taking the time to help out at Mr. Roethlisberger’s camp. Ben and Brett were so great with the kids and really showed the kids the importance of being good teammates. My kids (and myself) are huge Big Ben fans so this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us that was made even better by Brett being there and being so great with the kids. I also need to get a tee shirt like Brett’s. We all liked it so thanks for the info you put on the website. – John R.

The look on my son’s face when Brett Keisel walked onto the field was priceless. Ben and Brett are his favorite Steelers and this made his year. Brett was amazing with the kids & I think he had as much fun as they did. He was patient and signed so many autographs after a long day so I wanted to thank him. In these times of seeing so many negative stories about how athletes interact with fans or kids, it was heartwearming to see how well Ben and Brett (and the other teammates also) treated the kids. They weren’t bothered or impatient and it was easy to see they love the game of football and they love kids. I would bet Brett is an amazing father! – Sharon

Thank you for taking the time to share your stories!

 

June 22, 2011

FOOTBALL CAMP AND POSTI’S PIZZA

What a great combination…football camp and pizza!

Ben Roethlisberger held his annual youth football camp this week and of course Keisel stopped by to help-and to enjoy some great pizza!

It was good to see #99 sporting one of his Da Beard Gear t-shirts and we appreciate all the emails from fans saying how much they like the shirt. For those who asked-you can click the Da Beard Gear link above to purchase a shirt just like it!

Ron and Cher Post of Posti’s Pizza supplied all of the pizza for the campers and for Ben and his teammates who attended the camp. I can’t imagine how many pizzas they had to make to feed that large crew!

You can click the Posti’s Pizza link above to view the two locations for the pizza shop voted #1 pizza shop in Mars and Evans City.

Also, #99 fans, they will be featuring a “Fear the Beard” 2-topping pizza. Check with them for details on when it will be available.

You can see some photos Potsi’s Pizza took of Brett at camp here and here.

And…

You have to watch this video Lizabeth Gray took at camp yesterday. It shows a camper who, in Brett’s words, perfects his “row the boat” (or “Down Rivers”) sack dance. Of course, Keisel shows the campers his version too.

Be sure to watch the video (it’s short) to the end to see a cute little girl rush over to give Ben a hug after catching a pass from him. It’s adorable and shows how appreciate the campers were of Ben and how much fun they all (Ben and teammates included) had at his camp. It is mentioned in the video that Roethlisberger threw 500 passes so that each camper had the opportunity to catch a pass from him. It is obvious how involved Ben is with his camp. Instead of just lending his name to it, he lends his time and seems to have as much fun as the kids.

Be sure to visit Posti’s Pizza to sample their delicious pizza and to tell us all about the “Fear the Beard” pizza (when it’s available). Thanks to them for sharing their photos and for supplying Ben’s camp with lunch each day.

 

June 20, 2011

RANKING THE DEFENSIVE STARTERS

Chris G. a Steelers featured columnist with Bleacher Report, ranked the Steelers defensive starters.

While I may not agree with where Chris ranked Keisel, he did provide some good information from last season.

From the article:

In only 11 starts, Keisel had 33 tackles and three sacks. He also has shown to be excellent at getting his arms into a quarterback’s passing lanes.

Keisel had seven pass defenses last season, nearly four times more than the rest of the defensive line combined. On top of that, he had a highlight reel 79-yard interception return for a touchdown and two forced fumbles.

It is Keisel’s athleticism that separates him from the rest of his defensive line teammates. None can match his speed and leaping ability.

Click here to read more and view the other rankings.

Also…

Denny, the artist mentioned in the news below, has posted more of his work leading up to the finished portrait on his website. Click here to check it out. You will also be able to see better versions of the portrait on his site.

I have received numerous compliments on his work which are well deserved. If you like what you see, feel free to also contact Denny and let him know. His contact information is on his site. He’s a great guy and obviously a big Steelers and #99 fan. He would love to hear from you!

 

June 17, 2011

THE KEISEL MASTERPIECE

This amazing portrait was created by artist Denny Karchner. He completed it for Brett and will be doing some other work with him also. Denny was kind enough to share the completed version with us.

Denny has worked with several Steelers players and personnel in the past, and said he was “honored” and “humbled” to be working with Mr. Keisel.

It sure is easy to see why Brett wanted Denny to paint his portrait. The details Denny captured are incredible.

Please visit his site to learn more about Denny and his work. The Steelers section is here.. You can read about his work with them and see his other Steelers commissions.

Denny will be adding the Keisel portrait soon, including the various versions as he worked until completion. It is very interesting to see the portrait as it is built.

Thank you to Denny for sharing his work!

You can see a larger version of the completed portrait here.

Da Beard Gear

Have you purchased your Da Beard Gear yet? As you can see, even kids can get their beard on! Josh and Kortney Fackrell are showing their ferocious (yet adorable) Keisel stares.

If you have photos showing with the Da Beard gear on, send ’em my way. My contact information is above. Please be sure to include your name.

To view a larger version of this photo, and to see some De Beard Gear, click here.

 

June 10, 2011

HELP DAD GET HIS BEARD ON

Father’s Day is just around the corner. Why not treat dad or that special guy in your life to a unique one-of-a-kind gift this year? Help them “GET THEIR BEARD ON” by gifting them with a hat or t-shirt from Da Beard Gear.

This is the one and only place to purchase official Brett Keisel beard merchandise.

Don’t let dad get left out of the beard craze…click this link to GET YOUR BEARD ON!

Thanks to all who have purchased and supported Da Beard Gear…keep spreading the word! You can also read a message to fans from Brett on the Da Beard Gear site.

Also, I’ve received several nice messages from people who have received their hats or t-shirts and they are thrilled with the design and quality. Thank you for taking the time to email and if you would like to send a photo of you in the gear, please do so. We would love to post some photos. My contact information is at the top of this page under “Contact”.

 

May 24, 2011

WARD WINS MIRROR BALL TROPHY

Hines Ward and his dancing partner, Kym Johnson did what they set out to do…win the Mirror Ball Trophy on Dancing with the Stars!

Ward impressed the judges week after week, earning high marks consistently. He was supported by his teammates who attended the show, teammates who urged fans to vote, and of course by Steeler Nation who made sure he had the fan votes to add to his high judges scores.

Keisel joined teammates Chris Hoke, Ziggy Hood and Willie Colon Monday night to watch Dancing with the Stars and they spoke with KDKA about Ward’s chances of winning.

Brett predicted correctly on who the winner would be:

“There’s zero question that Hines is the best dancer on the show.”

Keisel on Dancing with the Stars…?

Brett was asked if he would ever follow in Ward’s footsteps and join the show:

“I don’t know…ya know…I think I got some moves. You know… I can shake it a little bit. I think with some practice I could maybe make it happen.”

To read the article and watch the short video with the players, click here.

Congratulations to Hines and Kym!

 

May 19, 2011

LOOKING BACK…

Steelers Digest did a “Year in Review-Looking back at key dates of 2010” in their latest issue.

From the article:

September 26, 2010:

In two games so far, the Steelers offense has one touchdown-on a 50-yard run in overtime of the opener-to its credit, but that changes in Tampa. Batch passes for three touchdowns, two to Mike Wallace, and the defense puts together another smothering performance in a 38-13 win over the Buccaneers.Brett Keisel’s 79-yard touchdown return with an interception is the defense’s 10th takeaway of the season.

Special Mention:

Brett and Sarah received a special mention in Whirl Magazine for their work with the Homeless Children’s Education Fund (HCEF).

As mentioned previously on this site, the Keisel’s were honored with the Champions for Children Award at HCEF’s annual Champion for Children’s Event this year.

“Sarah and Brett have supported HCEF for seven years by giving their time, talents, and treasurers. They truly are champions in our community for children and youth experiencing homelessness throughout Allegheny County.” -Bill Wolfe, Executive Director of the Homeless Children’s Education Fund.

To read the story in Whirl Magazine and to view some photos, click here.

Get your beard on:

Be sure to read the news below (May 15) for information on the new “Da Beard” gear website!

 

May 15, 2011

READY TO GET YOUR BEARD ON…!

Fans have emailed me for months asking where they can find “Da Beard” gear. I am happy to announce the launch of the Official “Da Beard” gear website!

This is the place to purchase genuine OFFICIAL Brett “The Diesel” Keisel beard merchandise. The site currently offers hats and t-shirts and will have more items later.

Visit the site and be among the first to support the beard that was voted “Best Beard” of all time by NFL Network.

Don’t find yourself left out of the beard craze…click this link to GET YOUR BEARD ON!

I will post a permanent link to the “Da Beard” gear site soon. Be sure to spread the word all over Steeler Nation!

There will also be another exciting announcement regarding this website coming soon…stay tuned!

 

May 13, 2011

AMERICA’S GAME: FEATURING THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Tired of the offseason? Ready for Sunday football…

Thanks to NFL Network, Steeler Nation will have Sunday football on May 15, 2011!

They are airing five episodes of “America’s Game” featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers. So, clear your schedule this Sunday or set your recorders, and prepare to spend the day reliving memorable Steelers moments through the eyes of some of the men who made the Steelers great.

Schedule:

2:00 p.m. – 1974 Steelers: Re-live the story of the 1974 Steelers through the eyes of Joe Greene, Andy Russell and Franco Harris. Narrated by Ed Harris.

3:00 p.m. – 1975 Steelers: Re-live the story of the 1975 Steelers through the eyes of Lynn Swann, Mike Wagner and Dwight White. The 1975 Steelers were voted as the 7th greatest Super Bowl-winning team of all-time by a panel of football experts. Narrated by Bruce Willis.

4:00 p.m. – 1979 Steelers: Re-live the story of the 1979 Steelers through the eyes of John Stallworth, LC Greenwood and John Banaszak. Narrated by Ed Harris.

5:00 p.m. – 2005 Steelers: Re-live the story of the 2005 Steelers through the eyes of Bill Cowher, Jerome Bettis and Joey Porter. Narrated by Tom Selleck.

6:00 p.m. – 2008 Steelers: Re-live the story of the 2008 Steelers through the eyes of Mike Tomlin, Ben Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu. Narrated by Jon Hamm.

Thanks to Erin for the heads up!

 

May 12, 2011

PITCH FOR HOPE WOMEN’S BASEBALL CLINIC

A Glimmer of Hope is hosting a fun event to raise money for breast cancer research!

Pitch for Hope will be held on Sunday, June 5, 2011 at PNC Park. It is a women’s baseball clinic featuring Pirate players, brunch, and a ticket for the Pirates afternoon game vs. the Phillies. The cost for the amazing event is $50.00. All participants will also receive a commemorative t-shirt.

Don’t miss out on a great opportunity to learn hitting, pitching, fielding and more from Pirates coaches and players on the PNC Park playing field, and at the same time you’ll be helping to raise funds for breast cancer research!

To view the schedule for the day and to register to attend, click here.

Participants must be at least 14 years old.

If you are unable to attend, but would like to donate to A Glimmer of Hope in their cause to combat breast cancer, click here.

More information on A Glimmer of Hope is here.

 

April 21, 2011

HUNDREDS ATTEND SPAGHETTI DINNER FOR INJURED OFFICER

“I’ve always respected what these guys have to go through, and you know, to see this type of situation…to see Pittsburgh come out and do what they do …it doesn’t surprise me one bit. It’s an awesome night and that’s why I love being from here.”–Brett Keisel, who attended the event.

From VNO7.com-courtesy of KDKA:

Hundreds turned out Saturday for a benefit dinner held to honor a Cranberry Township police officer, Cpl. Dan Hahn, who was critically injured while chasing a suspect in February.

To watch a short video from the dinner, which includes an interview with Cpl. Dan Hahn and Brett, click here.

Also,

I added a few photos of Brett from the Hampton High School basketball game he participated in last week. You can click here to see them.

The article from the game is here.

To see a slideshow of Keisel, Roethlisberger and teammates, click here.

April 19, 2011

NFL RELEASES 2011 SCHEDULE

The Steelers kick off the regular season against their AFC North rival, Baltimore on September 11.

From Steelers.com:

The Steelers will play five nationally televised primetime games, it was announced today when the NFL released its 2011 regular season schedule.

Pittsburgh’s nationally televised primetime games at Heinz Field include one against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Nov. 6 at 8:20 p.m., and another on Thursday night, Dec. 8 at 8:20 p.m. against the Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh’s other national primetime games include road contests Sunday, Sept. 25 at Indianapolis (8:20 p.m.), Sunday, Nov. 27 at Kansas City (8:20 p.m.) and Monday, Dec. 19 at San Francisco (8:30 p.m.).

To read the entire article, and to view the full 2011 schedule, please click here.

I will also have the schedule posted on the right side of this page.

You can read what James Walker, AFC North Blogger had to say about the Steelers schedulehere.

 

April 15, 2011

PITTSBURGH ALL-STAR FOOTBALLERS

The name of the team may have changed, but the fun they bring to fans at local schools has not. Each offseason many of the Steelers play basketball as a team throughout the area to help raise money for various charities. The team had been known as the “Pittsburgh Steelers Footballers” for many years, but are now called the “Pittsburgh All-Star Footballers Basketball Team” due to the NFL lockout.

Last night Keisel, Roethlisberger and teammates played basketball at Hampton High School in a game to benefit the Hampton High School senior class.

You can watch a short video from the game here.

 

April 12, 2011

2011 PRESEASON SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

There are many unknowns in regards to the NFL this year. As fans, we all hope a deal is worked out soon so we can follow the Steelers on their quest for another Superbowl championship.

What we do at least know is who the team will face in preseason play. The schedule was announced this afternoon.

The dates and times are not set yet for three of the games, but the Steelers do have one nationally televised game on the FOX Network. It will be against the Philadelphia Eagles.

2011 Preseason schedule:

Week 1: Washington Redskins

Week 2: Philadelphia Eagles (August 18 @ 8:00 p.m.)

Week 3: Atlanta Falcons

Week 4: Carolina Panthers

For more news on the schedule, click here.

 

March 25, 2011

KEISEL THE DIESEL PROMOTES THE KUBOTA DIESEL

It’s the offseason, but Brett is keeping busy with a new gig. He filmed a commercial for Murphy Family, Inc.featuring several Kubota tractors.

You can watch the commercial here.

Brett mentions his favorite Kubota tractor is…you guessed it…The Kubota Diesel!

From the Murphy Family, Inc. website:

Murphy Family Inc. has been the local leader in Outdoor Power Equipment since 1960. We have been growing ever since, recently expanding our showroom and service area. As we surpass 50 years of serving your power equipment needs, we look forward to helping you in every way possible in the future. They are located at 585 East National Pike in Washington, PA

 

March 21, 2011

WARD NEEDS STEELER NATION

Dancing with the Stars begins tonight! Hines Ward joined the season 12 cast, and he will need the help of Steeler Nation to win his quest for the mirrorball trophy.

Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) allows fans to cast votes to keep their favorite dancers in the game, so be sure to support #86 by voting all season!

You can read more about DWTS and voting procedureshere.

This will be good practice to get us ready for Pro Bowl voting later in the year!

Pittsburgh All-Star Footballers Basketball:

I will post any games I find for the Steelers basketball team on the right side of this page under Steelers Basketball. Please keep in mind, I do not have a list of which players will be playing in each game.

 

March 10, 2011

SPLASH PLAYS

Adam, from the Steelers Lounge recently wrote a piece called, Steelers Defense: Who Makes the Splash Plays?

From the article: Mike Tomlin and the Steelers are always talking about splash plays. Otherwise known as big plays. Plays that not only change games, but also win games. On defense that can be anything from interceptions, to forced fumbles, to tackles in the backfield, to sacks and so on and so forth.

I went back over the 2010 stat sheet and tallied up all of the splash plays (interceptions, sacks, tackles for loss, pass defenses, forced fumbles and fumble recoveries) to figure out the leaders on a position-by-position basis, and to also ask the question: should we care who makes them?

These numbers also include plays made on kick and punt coverages. And away we go…

Defensive line:

Brett Keisel (13), Ziggy Hood (5), Nick Eason (3), Casey Hampton (2), Chris Hoke (2), Aaron Smith (1), Steve McClendon (1).

This is the third time in the past four years — and second year in a row — that Brett Keisel has topped the list for defensive linemen.

Click here to read Adam’s entire article.

Champions for Children event update:

From the Homeless Children’s Education Fund: “THANK YOU to everyone who came and supported our 2011 Champions for Children event on Monday. We had over 300 people in attendance and we raised more than $130,000! Without your support HCEF could never accomplish the work that it does each day.”

Brett and Sarah were honored at the event with the Champions for Children Award.

 

March 8, 2011

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AND MEMORABILIA AVAILABLE

Keisel and photographer Carol Maurin have another great offer for fans. As mentioned in the February 18 news here, Brett’s photo gallery was made public for fans to order pictures, mugs, photo buttons and more to commemorate his beard, with ALL proceeds going to benefit the Homeless Children’s Education Fund and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Fans can still purchase the “beard” photos, and now they can also purchase photos (and memorabilia) of the cleanly shaven Keisel!

Click here to view all the available items.

 

March 1, 2011

FAN PHOTOS AND EVENT NEWS

I received some great fan photos recently. Amanda Raffensperger sent several nice photos she had taken with Brett over several years. You can click here to see them.

Stephen Bowers attended the “Shear the Beard” event and sent some great photos which you can click here to see.

Thank you to both Amanda and Stephen for sharing their photos!

21st ANNUAL YMCA CELEBRITY GOLF TOURNAMENT:

Keisel will be hosting the celebrity golf tournament to be held on May 6, 2011. Team Entry Fee is $800, which includes: lunch, dinner, tournament gift, on course snacks, and drinks & golf with a celebrity.

All proceeds from the event benefit the YMCA of Laurel Highlands youth programs and facilities.

For more details or to enter the tournament, call Steve or Bea at 724.547.9662.

Event reminder:

Brett and Sarah Keisel will be honored with the Champions for Children Award on March 7, 2011 at the The Twelfth Annual Champions for Children Benefit.

News on the event is in the February 16 news and on the right side of this page, under Events and Appearances.

Thank you to all the fans who sent such lovely emails thanking Brett for all he did to raise money for Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, The Homeless Children’s Education Fund and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

 

February 24, 2011

THE DAY AFTER-UPDATED WITH VIDEOS

The big event is over…the beard is history…yet its legend will live on forever. Proceeds from the “shearing” will benefit Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.

Chris Gessner, president of Children’s Hospital, said some of the money raised can help right away, while some will fund research projects seeking future cures and treatment programs.

So, thanks to “Da Beard” and Steeler Nation, the beard will live on as it helps numerous children.

Fans can own a piece of the beard, in a framed “before” and “after” photo of Keisel (which can also be purchased without a piece of the beard). Click here for information.

Also:

Don’t forget about the Carol Maurin photo and memorabilia sale, which you can read about in the February 18 news. Proceeds from those sales benefit two great organizations.

More from “Shear the Beard”:

From Bill Brink, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel climbed the stairs to the stage, arms outstretched, as machine-generated smoke poured around him from the ceiling. Rock music serenaded his audience and vibrant lights flashed his silhouette against the backdrop, rapid-fire.

Then he got a haircut.

Sitting in a barber’s chair on the stage Thursday night at Diesel Club Lounge on East Carson Street, Keisel watched helplessly as celebrity barbers, including Steelers president Art Rooney II, defensive end Aaron Smith and wide receiver Hines Ward, snipped bits and pieces of his luscious beard away. The proceeds of the event went to the cancer programs at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.

Before the celebrity shavers disposed of the beard — bits and pieces of it will be sold with before and after photos of Keisel — the crowd watched a tribute to the beard, from the respectable-yet-tame look against the Miami Dolphins in Week 7 to full-fledged mayhem before the Super Bowl. Then Rooney dug in.

“I hope this is the only time he cuts me,” Keisel said while introducing Rooney.

With his beard in an angled, uneven state, Keisel left the stage for part two and finished the job himself. When he reappeared, in a suit and tie, he had retained a much shorter version of the beard.

“I’m always going to try to keep just a little piece of it with me,” he said. “It gets scared when it’s all alone.”

You can read the entire article here.

And:

From Karen Price, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Keisel emerged (after shaving) to the sounds of “Sharp Dressed Man” by ZZ Top, no longer looking like he could have been a member of that hairy band. The mass of facial hair he started growing in June to help change the Steelers’ luck was reduced to little more than a one-day growth.

Keisel made a promise: The beard will be back. “The beard will decide when the time is right to come back,” he said, “and it will all of a sudden appear.”

You can read Ms. Price’s entire article here.

Also:

Click here to read a great article from Steelers.com about the event.

Photos:

You can click here to see photos from the event.

Videos:

“Shear the Beard” Renegade tribute video.

Video highlighting the shaving of the beard on stage and backstage.

More information on the event is to the right-under the Keisel Kam photo.

Those still wishing to donate can so so through the link to the right, under the Keisel Kam photo. Thank you again to Steeler Nation for making the event such a big success! And, thank you to Mr. Keisel and all who made “Shear the Beard” possible.

 

February 24, 2011-post shearing update

THE BEARD IS OFFICIALLY HISTORY

“The beard that has been feared must now be sheared.”-WDVE Morning Show.

“Da Beard” is officially gone. Celebrity barbers who helped to shear it were, Hines Ward, Aaron Smith, Doug Legursky, Art Rooney II and Coach John Mitchell.

You can see a couple photos, one of the shearing and one of the finished product.

You may have to scroll through the timelines of the Twitter pages I linked to locate the photos. I will add photos to the gallery here when they are available.

From Bill Brink, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Steelers president Art Rooney, defensive end Aaron Smith and receiver Hines Ward took up the barbers’ scissors and helped defensive end Brett Keisel shave his long, thick beard Thursday at Diesel Club Lounge on the South Side. More than 400 fans paid $25 each to watch the event.

You can read the entire article here.

Photos and video:

You can click here to see photos from the event.

For more event photos, including pictures of the entertainers, event hosts, Brett’s teammates and much more, click here.

And…

For those who could not attend the event, click here to watch a video.

Thank you to all who attended the event, and to all who could not attend but donated to helpChildren’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC!

 

February 24, 2011

“SHEAR THE BEARD” TIME IS HERE

Although some in the Twitter world are trying for a last minute stay of execution, Keisel confirmed with the WDVE Morning Show that the beard will officially be history tonight.

“I woke up this morning and I have to admit, I was a little sad…it’s really been special.” He went on to say that it was time though for the historical beard to be shaved.

For those who are already in mourning over the “shearing of the beard”, Keisel did say: “The beard will be back eventually, when the time is right.”

He also told WDVE they would probably need beard buckets to clean up the shavings tonight.

Walker’s Fab 40:

James Walker, AFC North Blogger, ranked the top 40 players in the division.

Where did Keisel land on the list? He was ranked #24. Brett was not on the list last year, so it was great to see him acknowledged this year.

Read what Mr. Walker had to say about #99 here.

Keisel on 105.9 The X:

Brett also was on the 105.9 The X Morning Show with Tim and Bob today. He would not reveal the identity of the celebrity barbers scheduled for tonight, but he did say they would include Pro Bowlers and future Hall of Famers.

Brett said there would be great entertainment, food, drinks and a highlight video. Attendees will be entered into raffles and will have the opportunity to buy great memorabilia to mark the historical event.

Brett also spoke about this past season and playing for Dick LeBeau.

On the season:

“It was a great year. Looking back, having time to reflect on it now, it really was a great year. We really did overcome a lot and we did come up a little bit short there at the end, but you have to be proud of where we went. I don’t think too many people thought we could get back to the big dance and it was great to get back there…my daughter was born… and I scored my first touchdown. It was just a great year.”

On Coach LeBeau:

“It’s been one of the best things in my career..I definitely wouldn’t be the player I am without his input in my life, so to be able to play for him has been one of the ultimate things in my life and I’m proud of that.”

I will post the links to the interviews if they become available.

Visit the February 17 & 18 news for information on how you can attend his event tonight, donate towards it, and how you can order memorabilia to benefit great organizations.

Also, check back next week for another announcement regarding a golf event Keisel is hosting in a few months.

 

February 23, 2011

UPDATES AND REMINDERS

Brett is scheduled to appear on the 105.9 The X Morning Show with Tim and Bob. He should be on around 9:35 a.m. (EST).

You can click the link above to listen live.

Also, Steve O’Reilly, from Skinnypost.com wrote a really nice article on Keisel and the work he does off the field to help others.

Please click here to read it.

Reminders:

“Da Beard” will be history in less than 24 hours. “Shear the Beard” is tomorrow, and if you haven’t purchased your tickets, you need to do so quickly! Seating for the historical event is limited. Check out the February 17 news for information on the extravaganza and how to order tickets. There is also information on how to donate to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC! in honor of the beard, for those who cannot attend the event.

Also, please check out the February 18 news for information on how to own a photo of Keisel with “Da Beard”-all proceeds of this sale go to two great organizations! You can order photos, mousepads, mugs, photo buttons and more. They make great gifts for yourself or others, and you will feel great about helping out the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Homeless Children’s Education Fund!

 

February 18, 2011

OWN A PIECE OF HISTORY AND HELP TWO GREAT ORGANIZATIONS

The frenzy over “Da Beard” has been incredible. Steeler Nation watched in awe over the growth of the magnificent beard-from June when it was just a bit of stubble- all the way to February when it reached epic proportions. The national media attached to it during the Super Bowl XLV frenzy. Everyone wanted a piece of the famous beard that launched numerous Twitter accounts, Facebook pages and even a website where fans could make their own Keisel beards. The beard is historical, being ranked as the #1 beard of all time byNFL Network.

Thanks to the generosity of Brett and Sarah Keisel and photographer Carol Maurin, fans can own a piece of history. They are opening up the “Keisel Gallery” to fans who wish to purchase a photo of #99 featuring “Da Beard”. Photographer Carol Maurin took some fantastic photos of Brett, all capturing his great personality! This offer is great in itself, but there is more. ALL proceeds raised through this sale will benefit two organizations Brett and Sarah support. They are the Homeless Children’s Education Fundand the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Fans not only have the opportunity to purchase a keepsake photo of Keisel, but they can also help two worthy organizations.

The Keisel gallery:

Please click here to enter the gallery and view the amazing work by Carol Maurin of Mr. Keisel.

The prices are listed, and they are very reasonable. You can order prints of various sizes and you can also order mugs, mouse pads and photo buttons (which will be perfect to wear to games). Each item gives fans a chance to own a keepsake piece of Steelers history.

For those interested in learning more about Carol Maurin’s work, please click here.

Also, please remember the photographs are copyrighted and owned by Carol Maurin. Please do not copy and post them elsewhere without her permission. If you wish to post on your website or social media site regarding the sale of the photos, please refer people to Carol Maurin’s website (listed above) or to this website. I appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

Carol Maurin also generously donated two matted and framed 11×14 images (signed by Carol Maurin and Brett Keisel) to be auctioned at the “Shear the Beard” event next Thursday. So, if you attend the event, be sure to check them out.

“Shear the Beard”

Information on the event is posted below. It has been updated with donation information for those who cannot attend the event.

 

February 17, 2011

SHEAR THE BEARD

D-Day for the beard is almost here! Brett spoke with members of the WDVE Morning Show today and announced “it was time for The Diesel to transform back into Brett Keisel.”

In typical Keisel-style, he is making sure a worthy cause benefits from the beard shaving extravaganza. All proceeds benefit cancer programs at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC!

Brett and WDVE (along with many sponsors) also made sure fans could take part in the fun. “Shear the Beard” will take place on February 24, 2011 at the Diesel Club Lounge (1601 EAST CARSON STREET-Pittsburgh PA). The doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the “shearing” will commence around 7:00 p.m.

The celebrity barbers are top secret and there will be live entertainment provided by Donnie Iris and The Chris Higbee Project.

You won’t want to miss the “Ultimate Mountain Man Makeover” where you will have opportunites to purchase limited edition items, such as a before and after photo of Keisel-which may include a lock of his infamous beard!

The cost to attend this one-of-a-kind event is $25.00. You will be a part of history as you witness the “shearing” and you will be helping a great cause! It’s a win-win situation for everyone…well for everyone except “Da Beard”.

From the ticket website:

Join us for this Ultimate Mountain Man Make-over as the Steelers Brett Keisel shaves his infamous beard, by Surprise Celebrity Barbers! Join the Steelers and WDVE at Diesel to raise money for the Kids! All proceeds benefit cancer programs at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. Your first drink and appetizers are included in your $25 ticket price, and there will be Limited Edition items for purchase— you can own a priceless lock of Brett’s beard!! AND…Live performances with Donnie Iris and The Chris Higbee Project!! All for $25—and for a GREAT CAUSE! No outside items to be brought in for autographing please. Plus Door Prizes!! For more info- call Dana 412.431.8800

Ready to order your tickets?

Click here to sign up to help Keisel raise money to benefit cancer programs at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, and to witness the “Shearing of the Beard.”

Tickets sales are limited, so be sure to order soon!

If you have any questions, you can contact the phone number given above, or email me and I will try to assist you. My email address can be found under “Contact” at the top of this page.

From Mr. Keisel:

“This is something I thought would be a great way to give back to the City of Pittsburgh and show what Pittsburgh means to me. Children’s Hospital has not only helped a lot of people on our team, but it helps Pittsburghers and people from everywhere, every day. It’s a great place that can use some money and I am happy we can help.”-From Steelers.com

You can read the entire Steelers.com article, which talks about whether “Da Beard” will ever return, here.

Donation information:

For those fans who are unable to attend the event, but wish to support Brett and Children’s Hospital by making a donation (in honor of the beard), please click here.

The site allows you to also order the photo of the “before and after” beard look-with or without a piece of the actual beard. If you wish to donate less than what is listed under the selections, just look to the left of the page and you will find other options. Thanks to all who are able to attend the great event and also to those who donate in honor of it.

 

February 16, 2011

THE TWELFTH ANNUAL CHAMPIONS FOR CHILDREN BENEFIT

As many of you know, Brett and Sarah Keisel work closely with the Homeless Children’s Education Fund (HCEF). Because of their hard work to help children, Brett and Sarah will be honored with the Champions for Children Award on March 7, 2011 at the The Twelfth Annual Champions for Children Benefit.

Click here to read a message from the Mr. and Mrs. Keisel and to read about the work they have done with HCEF, along with other award recipients being honored at the event.

From the HCEF website:

Once again guests will be savoring the fine wines, spirits, and food pairings of the Rivers Club’s Chef Jim Gelzheiser and sampling the exquisite sweet treats provided by local chocolatiers.

And as always, we will be offering a silent and live auction, all proceeds of which, as well as a share of proceeds from the sale of Brett Keisel’s Respect the Beard T-Shirt – Fear the Diesel, will directly support the educational programming that provides “hope through learning” for the children who will be homeless in Allegheny County at some time during 2011.

The auction contains many great items, including some “Keisel specials” you can bid on. You can view the items to be auctioned here. You do have to be present at the event to bid on the items.

The event information, along with how to register to attend, will be on the right side of this page under, Events. I will also include information on how to donate to HCEF, even if you cannot attend the event.

Congratulations to Brett and Sarah on their award. Thanks to HCEF for all they do to help children!

Thank you also to Zachary Marsh for providing the information regarding the event!

To view a couple photos from a January social hour held in honor of Brett and Sarah, clickhere.

Once you click the link, then click on Celebration of Hope Through Learning, which is beneath the photo on the left side of the page, and you can see the two photos from the social hour.

Beard shaving update:

In answer to the numerous emails I am receiving asking regarding whether “Da Beard” still exists, the answer is…for now it does. There are plans to shave it, and I will keep you posted on any details when they are available.

 

February 14, 2011

EVEN BIG GUYS GET REPORT CARDS

Gerry Dulac, of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, played the role of “teacher” as he handed out his final grades for the 2010 Steelers season.

What grade did #99 and the D-Line earn?

Defensive line – A

They lost DE Aaron Smith for the final 13 games, including postseason, and DE Brett Keisel for six in the middle of the season and still were the unsung reason the Steelers set a franchise record for fewest yards rushing (1,004). It was also the third lowest total in a 16-game season in NFL history. Attention and acclaim isn’t easy to achieve in a three-man line, but Keisel finally earned an invitation to the Pro Bowl. Smith’s injury has a silver lining because it allowed for the rapid development of DE Ziggy Hood.

New photo:

Josh Krysak met up with Brett before SB XLV and was nice enough to share a photo. Many of you may remember Josh from the “Support the beard” contest on this site a few weeks ago, as he was one of the many who entered. He did not win the contest, but Brett did tell Josh his beard was “awesome”. Click here to see the photo.

 

February 9, 2011

LOOKING IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR

Coming into the 2010 season, many felt the Steelers had too much to overcome. They would be without their star quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger for the first four games of the season and their defense was aging. The team was left out of playoff and Super Bowl discussions by much of the media. What people tend to forget is this Steelers team thrives on being the underdog and they excel at proving their critics wrong. They do not care about what the critics say… what they care about is each other. They want to win for their teammates, coaches and owners..and for their fans. The players are not concerned with their individual statistics as much as they are concerned about doing what it takes to win.

It’s all about team – offense, defense and special teams. It’s about how close this locker room is. Maybe a better word, team is a sub-word, family is better. You start with the coaches, owners, and the Rooney family. We are family. That is the better word.” – Ben Roethlisberger, on the success of this year’s team.

Brett Keisel is just one of the players who exemplifies this each and every season. His play on the defensive line does not always attract attention from the media, but it sure does attract attention from opposing offenses and from Steelers linebackers. His play helps to either stop offenses before they even get started, or it allows his Steelers teammates to get in position to make big plays.

Keisel works hard each and every offseason and during training camp to prepare himself for the season. His hard work paid off this season as he harassed opposing offenses with sacks, pass deflections, tackles and even a pick-six.

Brett’s teammates and coaches have always been aware of what a great player he is, but this season it was clearly evident to everyone else, as #99 was selected to his first Pro Bowl. This had been a goal of his, and is a big accomplishment for a defensive end who never gets near the recognition he deserves (except from his teammates and coaches, of course).

Keisel and his fellow D-Line teammates are always content with their fellow defensive teammates getting credit for the big splashy plays, which are set up by the D-Line, but it is still awesome to see #99 get recognition for his work by earning a Pro Bowl selection.

A few Keisel highlights from the 2010 season:

Atlanta game-Steelers 15, Atlanta 9 (OT)

The team got Steeler Nation’s hearts racing in game one, but they calmed us down with a win in overtime.

“The chips were against us there at the end. Troy made a great play, and you think you just kick the field goal, and you win. Sometimes that doesn’t happen, and you have to go back out there and make a stop. That was big.” “I’m very happy with the way we finished the game, stopping them down there and having the big run at the end. It’s a great start for us. We like starting [the overtime] in those types of situations. We have a lot of veteran guys on defense that have been in situations like that before. We understand if we keep points off the board we’ll give our team a chance to win.”-From Brett’s postgame interview.

Tennessee game-Steelers Steelers 19, Titans 11

What a game for the birthday boy!

Steelers fan Anne Cooper sent this message to Brett’s fan page two days prior to his birthday:

“Happy early birthday Brett! Hope lots of sacks, tackles and maybe even an interception are on your gift list.” Two of her wishes were definitely on #99’s gift list yesterday: Keisel had two tackles, one sack and a forced fumble. He also was extremely close to having a fumble recovery!

“It was incredible, said Keisel. “The guys all sang happy birthday to me in the locker room after the game.

Keisel, of course, played a prominent role in the Steelers’ 19-11 manhandling of the Tennessee Titans. He helped hold 2,000-yard runner Chris Johnson to 34 yards rushing, and also sacked Kerry Collins in the fourth quarter and forced a fumble on the play.

The team plane returned to Pittsburgh from the one o’clock game in plenty of time for Keisel to get home and open presents with his wife Sarah and two-year-old son Jacob. “Having my son help me blow out the candles, there’s not much that can top that,” Keisel said. “The whole day was just perfect.”-From an interview with Jim Wexell-Steelcityinsider.net.

Tampa Bay game-Steelers 38, Buccaneers 13.

What BIG game for #99! His first interception for a touchdown!

From Scott Brown, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Defensive end Brett Keisel scored the Steelers’ first defensive touchdown of the season when he made his first career interception in the third quarter and rumbled 79 yards to the same end zone where James Harrison scored his unforgettable touchdown in Super Bowl XLIII.

“I had great blocking. It was a fun play. I haven’t scored since I was like 18 years old, so it felt great. Last time I scored was when I was back in high school, so it feels great. I had a great convoy with great blocking. They might need to use me as a tight end a little bit.”

“I thought, you got to score, you got to score, you got to score, because I knew if I didn’t score I would never hear the end of it. Everyone would say he is getting old, he can’t run like he used to, so it was a great feeling. Coach [Dick] LeBeau tells us all to run to the ball and I was just running to the ball and it popped up into the air and I took it to the house.”

Brett earned the honor of being named the AFC-North High Energy Player of the Week and was named to ESPN’s Top 10 best plays of week 3.”

Brett suffered a hamstring injury during the season and would miss a few games, but he came back as strong as ever in a big divisional game against the Ravens.

From Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Report card vs. Ravens-Defensive Line- A:

Another strong performance by a unit that plays unselfish and disciplined. The return of DE Brett Keisel solidified the league’s No. 1 rush defense, holding the Ravens to 43 yards rushing through three quarters, including just 11 yards on 11 carries in the first half. DE Ziggy Hood had one of the two sacks on QB Joe Flacco in the first half and did a good job at the point of attack in run defense.

The Steelers defeated the Ravens 13-10 and Brett had four tackles and a pass deflection during the game.

In another big division game against Cincinnati, Brett was considered for player of the week honors from Steelers Digest due to his six tackles and batted pass at the line of scrimmage.

The Steelers defeated the Bengals 23-7 and two of the touchdowns came from the mighty Steelers defense!

“I’m proud of the guys and the way we played today. We scored two touchdowns. Most of the time when that happens, you’re going to win the game.”– Brett, during his post game interview.

Carolina game:

Pittsburgh still has a wealth of stout stoppers in place even if the difference-making safety is again held out. The inside linebacker duo of Lawrence Timmons (121 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 INT) and James Farrior (100 tackles, 5 sacks) may be the best in football, while nose tackle Casey Hampton (18 tackles, 1 sack) and end Brett Keisel (26 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) are outstanding space eaters who enable the playmakers behind them to roam free.

The above information is from The Sacramento Bee.

This was a nationally televised Thursday night game and #99 shined: Brett had six tackles, a sack and another pass deflection. He also received many kudos from the announcers on his great play AND on his awesome beard-which was featured at the end of the game.

The Steelers faced the Browns for the last game of the season, and needed a win to become AFC-North Division champs.

The Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns 41-9 to seal the AFC North Division Championship title and a second round seed and first round bye in the playoffs.

The game started off with Troy Polamalu displaying why he is the teams MVP this season. He intercepted Browns QB Colt McCoy on the Browns first series. Ben Roethlisberger capitalized on the turnover with a 56-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace on the Steelers first play.

From Keisel’s post game interview

“The biggest turning point of the game was that pick. We never looked back after that.”

Brett had a great sack with a forced fumble, and a pass deflection during the game.

The playoffs:

The Steelers entered into postseason play, defeating first the Ravens and then the Jets. Brett had big games versus both teams.

From Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Defensive Line: A The Ravens had just 21 yards rushing on nine carries in the first half and finished with only 35 yards on 18 carries, but one play hurt the NFL’s No. 1 rush defense — a 14-yard touchdown run by Ray Rice that gave them a 7-7 lead. Big plays by DE Ziggy Hood and a fumble recovery by DE Brett Keisel were big factors in the second-half comeback. Hood had a sack on third down on the final series.

During the Jets game he had seven tackles and put pressure on Jets QB Mark Sanchez throughout the whole game.

More from Mr. Dulac:

A big goal-line stand on four plays from the Steelers’ 2 was the deciding moment in the second half, even though the Jets were starting to gouge them with the run. They held the Jets to just 1 yard rushing on five carries in the first half, but the Jets had 69 yards rushing after halftime. DE Brett Keisel and NT Casey Hampton batted passes at the line of scrimmage to further disrupt the Jets passing game.

Super Bowl XLV:

Yes, Keisel-the late round draft pick-was heading to his THIRD Super Bowl!

“It was a dogfight-we knew it would be. We jumped to a good lead early on…you know you gotta give the Jets credit-they didn’t lie down and we knew they wouldn’t. We didn’t come out and play well in the second half, but we did enough to win. WE’RE GOIN’ TO DALLAS!”-Brett during a post game interview with ESPN.

The Steelers lost to the Packers 31-25. The loss was tough, but #99 and his teammates have every reason to be proud of all they accomplished! I know Steeler Nation is proud.

 

February 9, 2011

OH…WHAT A SEASON!

What a season for #99 and the Steelers! It may not have ended the way the team and fans hoped it would, but we certainly had many reasons to cheer this season. The Steelers were written off by many analysts and so-called experts. Once again, we heard the defense was “too old” and since Ben Roethlisberger was out for the first four games, we heard the offense would get off to a slow start. The Steelers paid no attention to the critics as they went 3-1 with back up quarterbacks, and only got stronger when Ben Roethlisberger returned.

The “old” defense harassed offenses each week, finishing the regular season with the best rush defense in the National Football League and coming close to finishing with one of the best in league history.

From Gerry Dulac and Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post Gazette:

After allowing the Cleveland Browns to rush for 43 yards on 17 carries in a 41-9 victory, the Steelers set a franchise record for allowing the fewest yards rushing in a season (1,004) and fewest yards per game (62.8). That eclipsed the old record of 1,125 yards allowed in a 12-game season in 1953. The former yards per-game record was 74.7, set in 2001.

The Steelers came within 34 yards of tying the NFL’s record for rushing yards allowed in a 16-game season (970), set by the 2000 Baltimore Ravens.

Some other defensive highlights this season:

• The Steelers were the only NFL team to allow just one run longer than 20 yards in 2010.

• They allowed just two teams — the New York Jets (106) and New England Patriots (102) — to rush for more than 100 yards against them. No other team rushed for more than 75 yards.

• They did not allow a 100-yard rusher all season and just one in the past 50 games.

These stats were compiled from the regular season.

#99:

Keisel had a phenomenal season, filled with a couple exciting firsts. Brett scored his first pick-six versus Tampa Bay, and he capped off his season with his first selection to the Pro Bowl. Hard to top those amazing accomplishments, but he did with his third trip to the Super Bowl! All of this made for a great season for #99.

Check back for a longer recap of Keisel’s awesome season!

You can click here to watch the Steelers season in images-courtesy of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

I am receiving numerous emails about “the shaving of the beard” and at this time I do not have any information. Brett mentioned during interviews that he wants to do something involving raising money for two charities he works closely with, so I will keep you posted if I hear anything else.

I want to say thank you to #99 and the Steelers for a great season. The team thrilled us, while also causing a few heart palpitations, and they brought us another AFC Championship and Super Bowl appearance. This was done with the same class and resiliency the Steelers players and organization always display. I am proud of the team and all they accomplished this season!

Also, I’d like to thank fellow Keisel fans for visiting this site. Brett definitely has a great fan base! All your votes (along with Brett’s great play on the field) helped get #99 selected to the Pro Bowl. I appreciate all of you for the great responses to contests on the site, for purchasing the “Respect the Beard” shirts which benefit two great charities Brett supports, and for all your wonderfully positive support of Keisel and the Steelers. Steeler Nation truly has the best fans in the league!

 

February 6, 2011-post game update

TOUGH LOSS…

It was a tough loss to the Packers (31-25), but in typical Steeler style, the team never gave up. They fought ’til the end just as they have done all season. The team gave fans reasons to be proud from game one to the end of regular season play, through the postseason and all the way through Super Bowl XLV.

“We’re not into moral victories. We came here to win the football game, of course, and we didn’t do that, Green Bay did and we congratulate them.”Coach Tomlin.

“We’ll go into next year feeling like we’ll take another shot at it. It takes a few days to recover from this game, so we’ll lick our wounds for a couple of days and then get back to work for next year”Art Rooney.

From Keisel’s postgame press conference:

“It was real tough. It was a great game. We just came up short.”

“I have a lot of respect for him. He is the reason they won. He is a phenomenal guy.”–on Aaron Rodgers play during the game.

“We’re not dead, keep playing. We fought back but we came up short.”–on what was said at halftime.

“Yeah, we felt like, ‘here we go.’ We had been down before at halftime during the playoffs. It felt like things were working our way but you can’t have three turnovers to zero and expect to win, especially when their defense scores a touchdown. Usually when that happens they are going to win.”–on the momentum in the second half.

You can read game news

SB XLV photos:

You can view photos here.

 

February 6, 2011

GREYBULL PROUD OF HOMETOWN GUY

From Jack Nowlin, Star-Tribune staff writer:

There were no Pittsburgh Steelers banners welcoming us into town. No houses painted black and gold or, sadly, no outlandish beards in honor of this town’s favorite NFL player — Brett Keisel.

But make no mistake about it, the majority of this Greybull’s 1,800 residents will be cheering for the Steelers when they play the Green Bay Packers today in Super Bowl XLV.

Seth Hoblit, a senior at Greybull High School who admits to being a Denver Broncos fan, summed it up perfectly: “I’m more of a Keisel fan.”

In Greybull, it’s hard not to be.

Keisel, the 6-foot-5, 285-pound defensive end for the Steelers, graduated from Greybull in 1997, but the town located in the heart of the Big Horn Basin is never far from Keisel’s mind.

Oftentimes, during the televised player introductions, while most players say their name followed by the university they attended, Keisel will give a shout-out to Greybull followed by “Go Buffs.”

His parents have since moved to Utah, but Keisel and his wife, Sarah, also a GHS graduate, own property in Greybull and return to town every summer.

“It’s neat because when Brett comes home it’s never like he has the position that he has,” said Sherri Winkler, a lifelong resident of Greybull who owns The Sugar Shack downtown. “He’s a real down-to-earth kid.”

The odds of a player from a small town in Wyoming making it to the NFL are highly unlikely. After all, there are roughly 1,600 players in the League.

The fact that Keisel has developed into one of the NFL’s best defenders — he was named an alternate to the AFC Pro Bowl team last month — is even more unlikely.

Keisel, however, always knew he would play in the NFL. And he made sure to let those around him know of his intentions to do so.

“It’s been a dream he’s had since he was in eighth grade,” said Ed Johnson, who was Keisel’s defensive coordinator at Greybull.

“We started him out at defensive end,” Johnson said. “But the problem with that is that teams just ran away from him. Brett was just big, fast, strong and intimidating.”

In recent years, Keisel has sent football cleats to all the players on the middle school team and helped raise more than $20,000 toward the high school’s new swimming pool.

And, perhaps most importantly, he makes a point of not only coming back to Greybull when he can, but also takes the time to actually talk with and help the town’s youth when he’s here.

“Normally, you’d think we’d have to go up to him and start a conversation,” said GHS senior Shane Clucas, “but he came up and started talking to us. He never made it seem like he was better than us.”

So even though the signs might not be visible, make no mistake, today this is a Steelers town.

Click here to read the entire article.

SB XLV photos:

You can view photos here.

Thank you:

For all the “good luck” emails everyone sent the last couple weeks-and throughout the season for Brett and the Steelers. I’ve also received numerous emails from fans thanking Mr. Keisel for donating funds (through his t-shirt sales) to his two charities. The sales have been huge, so thank you to all the fans who purchased the shirts to help the great causes.

Congratulations to #99 and the Steelers as they prepare to finish their climb on the “Stairway to Seven.”

 

February 4, 2011

THE COUNTDOWN IS ON

The Steelers will have a final walk through at practice tomorrow. Their families will have the chance to attend the practice to watch and then the players will be whisked away for the last night before the big game.

Coach Tomlin announced that Maurkice Pouncey and Aaron Smith have been ruled out for the game.

Respect the Beard shirts:

It’s great seeing so many people wearing the shirts! Remember, part of the proceeds benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Homeless Children’s Education Fund, so be sure to order one…or two. They are one-of-a-kind collectors items. Ordering information can be located on the right side of this page, under the Keisel Kam photo. I received my shirts this week and love them!

Keisel’s Mane to Fame:

This is a “must see” video!

Interviews:

You can click here to read Keisel’s interview transcript.

SB XLV photos:

You can view photos here.

 

February 2, 2011

KEISEL’S FAVORITE ALL-TIME FAVORITE STEELER

Brett sat down with Michael Irvin to talk about his all-time favorite Steeler. You can listen to the interview here.

Fear the Beard tribute:

Brodee Scott created the music and lyrics in his video tribute to Keisel. You can watch it here.

Thanks to Brodee for sending the video!

Also,

I received a message from a Steelers fan who wanted to thank the team for getting us to another Super Bowl. He went on to talk about an encounter he had with Brett (or the Bearded King as Mr. Allen calls him).

“I would also like to extend a personal thank you to THE DIESEL. My family and I saw him in the parking garage at the Consol Saturday night and, in the midst of us hollering, he took the time to acknowledge us by pointing at me and my modest beard and stroking his infamous and(# 1 ranked) beard. I felt as though I’d been dubbed a bearded knight by the bearded king.That is a memory that neither my family or I will ever forget. My seven year old son said it was the best night of his life and I’d have to agree it was mine too. I’m glad to see Ben is growing his beard out. Now if he and Brett can only talk Heath into growing a beard, ’cause I think he has a great beard face. Born and raised to bleed black and gold.”Brian Allen, Wampum, Pa.

SB XLV photos:

You can view photos here.

 

February 1, 2011

FUN WITH MEDIA DAY

Today was Super Bowl XLV Media Day, and Brett and several of his teammates decided to have some fun with it by transforming their hair “Polamalu-style”.

Keisel had his own podium, and he fielded questions about the upcoming game, Ben Roethlisberger’s style of play, and of course about his beard, which is now nicknamed (with help from Deion Sanders)…”Da Beard”.

Click here to watch his press conference.

Jim Rome (ESPN) is thoroughly enamored with “Da Beard”, calling it “a monumental accomplishment.” He also said: “The most awesome thing in the entire state of Texas right now is the Steelers DE’s beard.”

SB XLV photos:

You can view photos here.

And, for more tidbits from Media Day, click here.

FYI:

As you all know, many states are experiencing adverse winter weather. If, at some point, in the next day or so the site is not updated as regularly, it will be due to power outages from the storms. Hopefully that won’t happen, but I wanted to give advance warning.

 

January 31, 2011-evening update

MEDIA GALORE

The Steelers arrived in Dallas to a sea of fans and, of course, reporters. Click here to read an interview Brett did with Sporting News.

Beard talk with Brett’s parents-

From Lee Benson, Deseret News:

The key to the Pittsburgh Steelers making it to the Super Bowl is sitting right here in Lane Keisel’s ranch house.

Well, half of the key.

Last June, eight long months ago, Lane and his son Brett, who plays defensive end for the Steelers, were hunting in Wyoming. They hadn’t shaved on the trip. Both of them had a pretty good start on a beard.

“Brett said, ‘I’m not going to cut mine until we make the playoffs,'” remembers Lane. “I said I’d grow mine too.

“It was a good luck kind of thing.”

One person who is not a bit surprised that no male in the family has shaved since last June — not Brett nor Lane nor Brett’s brother Chad nor his brother-in-law Paul nor any number of other relatives, or that it was Brett who got it started — is Connie Keisel.

“Brett’s always had this ability to have fun, to remember that it’s still a game,” says his mother.

To read the whole article, click here.

And…continuing with the beard theme:

From Michael David Smith, PFT:

Super Bowl week is when legends are made: Joe Namath’s guarantee. Lynn Swann’s catch. John Elway’s helicopter.

And now we can add one more: Brett Keisel’s beard.

“The beard — the beard is why we’re here,” Keisel said today. “It’s unleashed Super Bowl powers on our whole team and hopefully it can win us one more.”

Read more here.

Thank you to Erin, from BigBen7.com for sending the link to me!

Erin is also collecting good luck messages for Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers team which she will post to Ben’s website on Thursday of this week. If you want to send a message, email her: [email protected]. Please include your name and where you are from when sending your message.

SB XLV photos:

You can view photos here. 

January 31, 2011

THEY HAVE ARRIVED

The Steelers arrived safely at DFW airport today. Fans could see Terrible Towels waving in the cockpit window as the plane taxied on the runway.

You can watch their arrival here.

Keisel was fourth off the plane, preceeded by Mr. Rooney, Coach Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger. The analysts on NFL Network thought Brett was either a member of the Blues Brothers or Brad Pitt.

It’s impossible to over-hype the beard:

From Adam Rankin, NFL.com:

We all have those Christmas presents that we don’t use. A tie rack, an automated coin sorter and any CD bought at Wal-Mart that edits out all the profanity. For the Steelers’ Brett Keisel, it is a razor his wife gave to him. From a side view, it is obvious that razor won’t be used.

“I am thinning on top, so I had to do something,” Keisel quipped.

“I don’t even remember what my face looks like.”

Should have given him more conditioner (which he was adamant to point out he did use).

The beard did dominate the conversation when Keisel and a select group of Pittsburgh Steelers met the media Monday shortly after arriving in town, but Keisel did answer some football questions. When discussing the team of the decade, he said the Steelers aren’t there yet.

“We are just a good team trying to get better.”

As for beard of the decade, that competition is over.

SB XLV photos:

You can view photos here. 

January 30, 2011

KEISEL SINGS FOR THE MEDIA

From WPXI :

Brett Keisel tells reporters what song pumps the 6 time Super Bowl champs up before games and he sings it for Channel 11 News cameras!

Click here to listen.

Reminder:

Be sure to order your “Respect the Beard” shirts before they run out! A portion of the proceeds from this collector’s edition t-shirt will benefit The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and The Homeless Children’s Education Fund. Please support these great causes.

I received this message from Douglas Sarkis:

As a member of the Board of Directors of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Western PA and Chair of the 65 Roses Sport Auction, of which Brett is the Steeler’s Spokesman, we wish to thank him for choosing the CF Foundation as one of his causes to receive some of the proceeds from this great shirt!!!!!!

For more information on the 65 Roses Sports Auction, visit the Articles page on this site or the Photo Gallery.

You can also click here to watch a PSA Keisel did for the CF Foundation.

Information on ordering the shirt is on the right side of this page under the Keisel Kam photo.

SB XLV photos:

I started a new gallery for the upcoming game and the activities leading up to it. Click hereto see a few photos.

Click here to see the Steelers schedule for the upcoming week.

 

January 28, 2011-evening update

STEELERS CROWD GIVES PLAYERS A GREAT SEND OFF

“We’re gonna bring back #7, baby! Get ready!–Brett at the Super Bowl pep rally.

The Steelers held a pep rally for the team tonight which was aired live on Steelers.com. Fans were treated to a replay of the AFC Championship game and were entertained by bands, the Pittsburgh Poison Dance Team and House of Soul. Then the players took the stage and were quite entertaining themselves.

Brett was introduced to the excited crowd as a first time Pro Bowler-and the KDKA announcers all said it was “about time” he was selected.

Brett got the crowd screaming even more when he sang “Pittsburgh’s goin’ to the Super Bowl” for them. He had his “Respect the Beard” shirt on as did some of his teammates.

Steelers.com may have the video replay up later.

Blue Chip Players:

ESPN ranked all 106 Super Bowl players. Keisel was listed at #16.

To see the rankings, click here.

If you want to order a “Respect the Beard” shirt, the information is on the right side of this page under Keisel Kam.

 

January 28, 2011

SHIRT SALES TO BENEFIT GOOD CAUSES

Based on the number of positive emails I am receiving, fans are loving the new “Respect the Beard” shirts being sold. Fans love the photo and they also like that Brett took the picture himself.

What fans may like even more is that part of the proceeds raised from the shirt sales will benefit two charities Brett works closely with: The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Homeless Children’s Education Fund. Information on both charites can be found on the right side of this page under Keisel Causes.

From an interview with KDKA :

Steeler Nation has grown to “Respect the Beard.”

Steeler and Pro Bowl defensive end Brett Keisel is the latest player to get his own shirt from All Pro Embroidery. The motto? “Fear the Diesel.”

“It’s been fun and it’s taken off and I just wanted to share a little piece of me with everyone that wants it,” Keisel said.

Brett actually gave All Pro the picture. So the motivation behind that wild look in his eyes?

“I took the picture one morning just as I woke up,” he said. “And I wanted to do something that people would remember. I think I captured it.”

The “Fear the Deisel” shirt is not authorized by the Steelers or licensed by the NFL, but it is endorsed by Brett Keisel. Part of the proceeds from the shirt will benefit two of Brett Keisel’s charities – Cystic Fibrosis and The Homeless Children’s Education Fund.

Thank you to KDKA for listing this website in the article.

You can click the KDKA link above to watch Brett’s interview and to see him sporting the new t-shirt.

Information on ordering the shirt is in the January 27 news and also on the right side of this page, underneath the Keisel Kam picture.

Let’s all support Keisel in his effort to raise money for his charities by purchasing the awesome shirt! Who knows, it could be a collectors item someday.

Kudos for the beard keep coming:

NFL Total Access listed the “Top 10 Beards” of all time last night.

Who was the winner?

Click here to find out.

From t-shirt company website:

This was posted today, January 28:

SHIPPING: Orders placed today will be shipped via USPS Priority Mail (usually takes 2-3 days to deliver) on Monday, and should be received before next weekend. Here we go!

Also, as far as I know the shirts can only be ordered online, but I will update if I find information of them being sold in stores.

 

January 27, 2011

LATE ROUND DRAFT “GEM”

Keisel chatter:

From Devon Moore’s article, Steelers Steals: List Of Colbert’s Top 10 Mid To Late Round Draft Gems :

Brett Keisel is one of the best late round steals in recent memory. He cut his chops for four years as a backup before getting his opportunity to start in 2006, and has certainly made the most of it. As a prototypical 3-4 defensive end, Keisel is powerful enough to take up blockers, yet also nimble enough to drop back into coverage in some of Dick Lebeau’s zone blitz schemes. The Steelers showed their appreciation to him by signing him to a 5 year contract in 2009, a long term deal that the organization is not known to normally give to linemen on the other side of 30 years old. He rewarded them with a Pro Bowl caliber year in 2010, his first.

And, from Green Bay Packers interviews discussing the Steelers D Line:

“They have three big guys, three really big experienced guys up front. DE Brett Keisel. He’s got the best beard in the NFL. Hood might have been drafted to replace Keisel, but Keisel kept his starting job and he kept Hood on the bench (to start the 2010 season). Keisel has missed some time this season due to a hamstring injury, but he’s started their last seven games. He also has seven pass defenses over those past seven games, and he’s probably the defensive lineman most likely to deflect a pass.”

Respect the Beard t-shirt:

From WPXI :

Pittsburgh Steelers fans now have a chance to wear Brett Keisel’s famous beard… well, sort of. Keisel is the latest Steeler to have a t-shirt made in his honor.

“Fear the Diesel” T-shirts began printing Thursday morning. It features a photograph of Keisel with a full beard. The makers of the shirt said the picture used was not professionally taken, instead it was a photo taken by Keisel himself.

The managers at All Pro Embroidery said Keisel took the picture at arm’s length and sent a high resolution download to their store so the shirt could be designed as fast as possible.

James Harrison and Woodley also have shirts on the market. Keisel’s shirt sells for $18.99.

To order the shirt, click here.

 

January 25, 2011

NEWS AND NOTES

Hairy situation:

From Shalise Manza Young, The Boston Globe:

Playoff beards are nothing new. Players, coaches, and others grow them, vowing not to shave until the season is over. But Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel began growing his beard after Pittsburgh’s minicamp in late spring, and now, months later, it is a bushy sight to behold.

While Keisel talked with reporters about his beard, Ben Roethlisberger walked by and quipped, “The worst thing about winning is you have to keep that beard.’’

Keisel’s wife feels the same way — he joked that she was in the stands cheering that the Steelers were winning, but at the same time cursing since it meant she had to live with the beard for two more weeks.

The worst part of having a face covered in hair?

“I feel like a cat coughing up hairballs, but it’s all worth it,’’ Keisel said, smiling.

Speaking of beards:

I have received numerous emails asking about the “Beard Me” website. Initially I had no idea what people were talking about. Then I received an email from Nick Cobler, one of the three creators (or “Men behind the beards”) of KeiselBeardMe.com.

From their site:

Here we go Steelers, here we go! Get out yer terrible towel… and put on a terrible beard. A Brett Keisel beard, that is. Now is yinz chance to show yinz support for the Black and Gold on their quest for another Super Bowl Championship ‘n’at.

And what better way than with a fierce playoff beard like #99! Just upload your picture, put on your Keisel beard, and email, post, or tweet to your friends and family. Lets show ’em Steeler Nation!

Take time to visit their site, you will have fun “bearding” yourself, and looking through their galley of photos!

Fan photos:

I received a couple new fan photos, which you can see here.

One photo is actually a drawing of Brett, which is amazing!

 

January 24, 2011

KEISEL: “WE’RE GOIN’ TO DALLAS”

“It was a dogfight-we knew it would be. We jumped to a good lead early on…you know you gotta give the Jets credit-they didn’t lie down and we knew they wouldn’t. We didn’t come out and play well in the second half, but we did enough to win. WE’RE GOIN’ TO DALLAS!”-Brett during a post game interview with ESPN.

From Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

A big goal-line stand on four plays from the Steelers’ 2 was the deciding moment in the second half, even though the Jets were starting to gouge them with the run. They held the Jets to just 1 yard rushing on five carries in the first half, but the Jets had 69 yards rushing after halftime. DE Brett Keisel and NT Casey Hampton batted passes at the line of scrimmage to further disrupt the Jets passing game.

“Support the Beard” contest winner:

The winner was selected by myself, and BigBen7.comadministrators: Erin, Anne, Haydee, Misty, Heather, Jan and Billie Jo. The decision was not easy by any means, and I appreciate all who entered.

The winner is…Jeremy Abbott!

If you haven’t already, please take time to look through all the entries here.

There were so many awesome beards to choose from, and even a Keisel look-a-like (Josh Krysak). We had some creative fans who had some fun with the contest, even if they didn’t have a beard which made for a fun contest. For those of you with beards…NO SHAVING until after the Super Bowl!

From Jim Wexell, SteelCityInsider.net:

The Beard had a good game, didn’t it?

Keisel: “That’s right. It wasn’t me, it was the beard making those plays today.

Keep up with all of Mr. Wexell’s articles here.

Steelers Digest…

Selected Rashard Mendenhall as player of the game. Also considered were LaMarr Woodley, who had four tackles, two for loss, plus a sack, two pressures and a pass defensed; Lawrence Timmons, who led the team with 10 tackles and added a pass defensed; Brett Keisel, who had seven tackles, including one for loss, and a pass defensed; and Arnaz Battle, who had three tackles on special teams.

 

January 23, 2011

CLIMBING THE STAIRWAY TO SEVEN

Every time you go to the Super Bowl, it’s a wonderful thing. It’s just so terrific with what all we went through this year. I’m very happy for everyone in the organization.” -Dan Rooney — Steelers chairman emeritus, on the team’s third Super Bowl trip in the past six years.

Steelers players donned their AFC Championship hats and t-shirts as Steeler Nation went wild celebrating their teams AFC Championship win over the Jets 24-19.

From Scott Brown, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Dallas may fancy itself as America’s Team, but that city is where the Steelers will try to put more distance between themselves and the Cowboys. And every other NFL franchise, for that matter.

Rashard Mendenhall rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown, and the Steelers survived a furious second-half rally to beat the New York Jets, 24-19, Sunday night in the AFC Championship Game.

The Steelers (14-4) have a chance to win a seventh Super Bowl in Dallas, and a victory would give them two more Lombardi Trophies than the Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers – their closest pursuers in the NFL’s benchmark for excellence.

Read Mr. Brown’s entire article here.

Steelers.com also has game news.

#99:

Brett had seven tackles during the game.

To see photos from the game, click here.

I will add more news and photos as it becomes available. I will also announce the “Support the Beard” contest winner Monday.

 

January 20, 2011

“SUPPORT THE BEARD” CONTEST ENTRIES

I want to say thank you to all who entered the contest, and to those who emailed to say they did not have a playoff beard, but they have been following Brett’s all season.

I uploaded all the photos, and you can view them here.

You can click on any image to enlarge it.

I will announce the winner on Monday.

The photo used for today’s news is of Brett’s father, Lane (left) and his brother, Chad. As you can see, they also joined in on the playoff beard movement! Thank you to Connie Keisel for sending the photo.

Practice photos:

You can check out a few photos of #99 at practice this week here.

 

January 20, 2011

BRETT’S PRESS CONFERENCE

Keisel spoke with the media today. He talked about Ziggy Hood’s big contributions to the team, the importance of having Troy Polamalu on the field, and of course he fielded questions about his now famous beard.

You can listen to the interview here.

Keisel fun facts:

Individual postseason information…

DE Brett Keisel:

• Has 30 career tackles (17 solo), three sacks, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries in 13 postseason games.

• Finished with five tackles and recovered the fumble at the end of the game that sealed the Steelers’ victory in Super Bowl XLIII.

• Has three career postseason sacks, including two in the 2005 AFC Championship Game against Denver and one in the 2008 AFC Divisional Playoff Game versus San Diego.

• Team is 2-0 when he posts a sack in the postseason.

Steelers Speak:

Teresa Varley, of Steelers.com spoke with Brett for the latest edition of Steelers Speak. You can watch the entertaining interview here.

Support the beard contest:

The contest ends tomorrow so if you are planning on entering, be sure to email your entry to me soon. The contest info is the January 17 news. I appreciate all the people who have entered so far. Be sure to check back tomorrow evening to see photos of all the beards!

Also, thank you to all who have emailed or messaged me to congratulate Brett on his first Pro Bowl selection. He has a great fan base!

 

January 18, 2011

KEISEL THE DIESEL

The same company who brought us the Fear the Beardt-shirts, now has new “Keisel the Diesel” shirts!

You can check them out here.

The shirts also come in black, and they have other great Steeler themed shirts here.

The t-shirt and the manufacturer/designer are not affiliated in any way with Brett Keisel or his management team.

Also today,

USA Today’s Arin Karimian examines the key parts to the Steelers’ march to their AFC championship game matchup with the New York Jets on Sunday.

From the article…Defense — DE Brett Keisel

Background: A seventh-round draft pick (No. 242) in 2002, Keisel has spent his entire nine-season career with the Steelers. This season, he set a career high with two forced fumbles and tied a career best with seven pass deflections, despite missing five games with a hamstring injury. Keisel also made the first — and only — interception of his career during a Week 3 rout of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and returned it 79 yards for a touchdown.

Impact: Keisel and second-year pro Ziggy Hood were left to pick up the slack after defensive end Aaron Smith tore his left triceps in Week 7 and missed the rest of the regular season. Keisel responded and made his first Pro Bowl when he was named as an injury replacement last week. Against the Ravens, Keisel hurried quarterback Joe Flacco several times while registering four tackles and recovering a fumble.

What they’re saying: ”We’re very excited to be going back to the AFC championship game but it’s all for naught if we can’t take care of it. … Hopefully we learn from the mistakes we made that got us beat (in a Week 15 loss to Jets), to correct them and not make them again.” —Keisel to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Thank you to Erin, of BigBen7.com for sending me the article link. Visit Ben Roethlisberger’s official site to keep up with the latest news and photos of #7. Erin is also posting “good luck” wishes to Ben and the Steelers from fans, so if you have something to send, visit the site to see how to do so.

Contest reminder…

Be sure to check out the news from January 17 to read about the “Support the Beard” contest!

 

January 17, 2011

SUPPORT THE BEARD CONTEST

We have all watched Keisel grow his playoff beard since summer. It has taken him and the Steelers all the way to the AFC Championship game, and some teammates have joined Brett in growing playoff beards of their own.

Now, it is time for Steeler Nation to show off their own playoff beards to support #99 & the Steelers! Email a photo of your playoff beard to me, and the “Best Beard” will win an autographed photo of the man with the #1 playoff beard-Brett Keisel!

E-mail entries to: [email protected]

Please only send one photo to post on the website. And, for the ladies, I don’t want to leave you out so feel free to get creative. Design your own “pretend” playoff beard and snap a photo of yourself to send me. The same goes for guys too!

Entries will be accepted until Friday (January 21, 2011) at 2:00 p.m.(EST).

Be sure to include your name with the photo as each will be posted on the website.

More on the bearded one:

From Elizabeth Merrill’s article at ESPN.com, “Brett Keisel’s beard ‘lives on'”:

Brett Keisel emerged from the showers Saturday night, and there were hundreds of things to say. There was the Pro Bowl invitation he’d received earlier in the day, the first ever in a nine-year career. There was the fumble he pounced on that helped the Pittsburgh Steelers gut out a blood-and-mud 31-24 divisional playoff victory over the Baltimore Ravens.

“The beard lives on,” he said.

Keisel is known as “The Diesel.” He stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 285 pounds. He didn’t just grow a beard, he unleashed something so out of control that it looks as if two small animals were laid to rest on his face. Yet, it’s clear he’s part of the soul of this team. In a 10-minute span Saturday night, two players — one current, one former — walked up to Keisel to say they loved him.

Keisel has been growing the beard out since June, and he can’t get rid of it now. Not with the AFC Championship looming. Not when the defense is playing so well.

“I don’t mind the beard,” Keisel said. “But I’m sick of the mustache getting into my food. I can’t put my mouthpiece in without biting on it. “I’m sick of it, but I’m a team guy, and I’m going to ride this ’til the very end.”

To read the entire article, click here.

From Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Mike Tomlin commented about how so many Steelers deserved to get credit for that game and after watching it again last night on DVR, it was hard to find someone who did not contribute to that victory. Among those who played a key role but will not be found in many stories this morning pointing it out were Ike Taylor, Emmanuel Sanders, Brett Keisel, Heath Miller, Rashard Mendenhall, William Gay, James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons – you might just go down the list of players on defense.

Utah Jazz guard Deron Williams a Steelers fan:

STEELER PRIDE: Surely one of the happiest people in Utah about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 31-24 win over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC playoffs on Saturday was Jazz guard Deron Williams. Despite growing up in the Dallas area and being surrounded by Cowboys fans, Williams is a diehard Steelers fan.

Not too many Steeler fans in my household,” Williams said. “(They’re) all Cowboy fans. All my friends are Cowboy fans. Half of this team is Cowboy fans.”

That left Williams on the receiving end of some ribbing when the Steelers lost to the Cowboys in Super Bowl XXX when he was in middle school. That was the game where quarterback Neil O’Donnell infamously threw two costly interceptions in the second half, at times when Pittsburgh had the heavily favored Cowboys on the ropes.- From Andrew Aragon, Deseret News

 

January 16, 2011

THAT GLORIOUS BEARD

May Keisel NEVER trim that glorious beard. He is playing like a hero of ages tonight.– Fan quote from the Game Day thread at steelernation.com.

The Steelers will face the New York Jets next week at Heinz Field in the AFC Championship game. The game is at 6:30 p.m.

More news from the win over Baltimore:

From Fox Sports:

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he told his team at halftime that “we had kicked our own butts enough.” “Even in the midst of some adversity that we created for ourselves, and really Baltimore created, we didn’t blink,” Tomlin said. “We turned the ball over in the first half, and that’s why it was 21-7.”

Flacco was next seen on his back under a pile of black jerseys, and he spent much of the third quarter there. James Harrison sacked Flacco on the Ravens’ first play from scrimmage, the first of three sacks he had in the second half. In a game that was bully on bully from the start, the Steelers started gang-tackling and swarming the way the visitors had early, and the Heinz Field crowd responded.

From John Harris, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

The Baltimore Ravens are always a threat to go all the way to the Super Bowl. Now if they can only do something about having to go through the Steelers to get there.

No matter how dominant Baltimore has played before facing the Steelers, the Ravens’ rival brings out the worst in them.

How else to explain Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco fumbling the snap from center near the end of the third quarter and the ball tumbling directly to Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel at the Ravens’ 23? It was the last of three consecutive Baltimore turnovers the Steelers converted into 17 points and a 24-21 lead.

“That snap popped right into my lap,” the bearded Keisel said with a twinkle in his eye. “I just dove to the ground, and the ball was right there. It’s nice to get a good lucky bounce like that.

From Bob Cohn, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

“To be down 14 against a great defense like that, the odds are against you, really,” Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel said. “Fortunately, we didn’t quit.”

Mainly, the defense brought them back. The Steelers hounded the Ravens into three turnovers and five sacks — three by James Harrison — in the final 30 minutes to transform the game, and themselves, in their 31-24 win over Baltimore.

“I just know when we came out in the second half, we made enough plays to have an impact,” Keisel said. “And that’s what great teams do.”

From Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Defensive Line: A The Ravens had just 21 yards rushing on nine carries in the first half and finished with only 35 yards on 18 carries, but one play hurt the NFL’s No. 1 rush defense — a 14-yard touchdown run by Ray Rice that gave them a 7-7 lead. Big plays by DE Ziggy Hood and a fumble recovery by DE Brett Keisel were big factors in the second-half comeback. Hood had a sack on third down on the final series.

Keisel on the Pro Bowl:

From Scott Brown, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

One goal that Brett Keisel set for himself prior to the season was making his first Pro Bowl.

Now that Keisel has accomplished that — the Steelers defensive end was added to the AFC team Saturday as an injury replacement — he would love nothing better than to pass on an all-expenses paid trip to Honolulu later this month.

“I do not want to go,” Keisel said after the Steelers exhilarating 31-24 win against the Ravens Saturday in an AFC Divisional playoff game. “I want to go all the way. I want to get that ring.”

That does not mean Keisel takes his selection to the NFL’s all-star game, which will be played the week before the Super Bowl, lightly.

Keisel: “It is an honor and I’m proud of it.”

You can read Mr. Brown’s entire article here.

You can read any of the above articles by clicking on their respective links. I can only fit pieces of them in to my post, but the articles are well worth reading in their entirety.

 

January 15, 2011

STEELERS ADVANCE TO AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Steelers 31, Ravens 24

The Steelers advanced to the AFC Championship game after their defeat of the Baltimore Ravens today. They will face the winner of the Patriots-Jets game.

From ESPN:

The Steelers (13-4) were trailing 21-7 at halftime after turnovers created two Ravens touchdowns. But they came back with the help of three Baltimore turnovers in the third quarter. It was so bad, the Ravens’ minus-4 yards in offense wasn’t the worst of it. Baltimore was outgained 263-126 as Joe Flacco was 16 of 30 for 125 yards as the Ravens became the eighth team in NFL playoff history to fail to gain at least 100 yards in the first three quarters. All eight teams lost.

From Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

The Steelers overcame a bumbling, fumbling first half by scoring three times off three third-quarter turnovers to roar from behind to a pulsating 31-24 playoff victory at raucous Heinz Field tonight.

With the game tied and the Steelers facing a third-and-19 at their 38 with just over two minutes left, Ben Roethlisberger uncorked a deep pass that rookie Antonio Brown caught and then held control by holding it against his helmet before his momentum took him out of bounds at the Baltimore four with 1:58 to go.

It took four plays plus a Ravens penalty but on third down Rashard Mendenhall ran up the middle for a touchdown to put the Steelers on top by seven with 1:33 left.

The Steelers will play the winner of Sunday’s New York Jets-New England Patriots playoff game for the AFC championship Jan. 23. If the Jets win, the game will be in Heinz Field. If the Patriots win, it will be in New England.

Great weekend for #99:

Not only did #99 have a great game against the Ravens and advance to the AFC Championship game, but he was also selected to his first Pro Bowl! Read more here.

Congratulations to Keisel and the Steelers! I will add more news Sunday.

To see a couple of photos from the game, click here.

 

January 14, 2011

KEISEL ADDED TO PRO BOWL ROSTER

Brett has earned his first Pro Bowl invitation. As mentioned here a couple weeks ago, Keisel was selected as an alternate for the 2011 Pro Bowl. Well, he was notified Friday that he was officially added to the Pro Bowl roster! The Pro Bowl is on January 30, 2011, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii.

If the Steelers make it to the Super Bowl, then Brett will not be eligible for the Pro Bowl. So, #99 will either be heading to Texas Stadium in February for the Super Bowl, or to Aloha Stadium in January for the Pro Bowl. What a great way to start off 2011!

Congratulations to Brett and thank you to all who voted to send him to the Pro Bowl!

 

January 13, 2011

COWHER VISITS STEELERS PRACTICE

Bill Cowher, former Steelers coach, visited practice today in Pittsburgh. Cowher was doing some work to prepare for Saturday’s broadcast of the Steelers-Ravens game at Heinz Field.

From WTAE:

“He gave me a big hug and gave me a hard time about my beard,” Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel said. “He said he’s growing his out, so we’ll see if he sticks to it.”

It was great to see him,” Keisel said. “Have a lot of great memories with that guy. He gave me my first start in this business, so I love the guy. I really do.”

Also today:

Brett was interviewed by Tunch and Wolf for their radio show today. You can listen to the interview here.

You can also click here to listen to an interview with Brett, Heath Miller and Troy Polamalu.

To see a larger version of the photo with Cowher and another one of Keisel “relaxing”, clickhere.

 

January 12, 2011

FAN PHOTOS

Mark Bailey sent some photos of Keisel from the first Ravens match-up this season. He runs the website for the Indian Creek High School band. Their band went to Heinz Field to play for the crowd during pre-game festivities and at half time. What a great time for the band and a treat for the fans in attendance!

For those of us who weren’t at the game to watch #99 in person, Mark shared some photos with us. Click here to see them. Thank you to Mark for sharing!

From the numerous emails I have received, it sounds like Steeler Nation likes the “Fear the Beard” t-shirts! If you missed the posting about the shirts, check out the January 7 news below. The same maker of those shirts also sent a link for another t-shirt Steeler Nation may like. Click here to see it.

 

January 10, 2011

IT’S THE RAVENS…AGAIN

The Steelers will face off against the Baltimore Ravens Saturday at Heinz Field. This is the third match-up of the season for the two division rivals, with the record being 1-1. The game will be at 4:30 p.m. on CBS.

From Sports Xchange, SteelCityInsider.net:

Fittingly, Pittsburgh and Baltimore will meet for a third time this season Saturday at Heinz Field to determine who advances to the AFC Championship Game. The two teams have been trading bruises, insults and division championships for years as they dominated the AFC North (nee: Central) Division over the past decade. For the third time in the decade and second time in three seasons they will meet in the playoffs. One or the other has won the division crown eight of the past 10 seasons.

“We believe that’s the No. 1 rivalry in football,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. “It’s a humbling thing to be a part of … We have big-time respect for that football team, they’ve earned it. Hopefully, we’ve earned their respect.”

Pittsburgh has won both post-season games played against Baltimore, each at Heinz Field – a 2001 playoff and the 2008 AFC Championship Game. The Steelers won six of the past 10 division titles and made the playoffs seven of the past 10 years. Baltimore has made the playoffs six of the past 10 years, including two division championships.

From Jim Wexell, SteelCityInsider.Net:

The Steelers have won two rings in the last five years, so naturally they’re considered a savvy group of hardened veterans. But on Saturday, in their playoff opener against the winner of today’s game in Kansas City, the Steelers will start only eight starters from both Super Bowls, and 14 starters from the last Super Bowl. That’s out of 24 starters.

“There are definitely a bunch of guys in here that haven’t been to the top of the mountain,” said defensive end Brett Keisel. “I’m not sensing nervousness. I think everybody’s excited to be in this position. But we hope to put these guys under our wing and show them how to prepare and get ready for this run.”

They did that last week. Before what amounted to a first-round playoff game Before what amounted to a first-round playoff game in Cleveland, the Steelers enjoyed “the best week of practice we had all year,” said Keisel. “The sense of urgency was there.”

And:

Gene Collier, from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote a great article on the Steelers defense.

From Mr. Collier’s article:

Throughout the regal history of professional football in Pittsburgh, a wealth of gifted people have taken the mere opportunity to play defense as an invitation to turn themselves into monuments.

Mean Joe Greene is probably the greatest Steeler ever, but for all his exhaustively documented accomplishments, for all his fully deserved gigantism in the comparative literature of the region, Joe Greene never did what Ziggy Hood has done. Just as Jack Lambert never did what Nick Eason has done, just as Ernie Holmes nor Big Daddy Lipscomb nor Ernie Stautner ever did what Chris Hoke and Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel and Casey Hampton have done.

This is the new history, and it’s a little startling in its import.

The defenders who’ll go back to work in earnest this week at 3400 South Water Street are not just the best run stoppers in the NFL as we know it this morning, but the best run stoppers in the history of this franchise.

“I feel good about it as a coach, but this all goes to the players,” said assistant head coach John Mitchell, who’s coached defensive linemen around here for 17 years with both an entrenched excellence and an impenetrable humility. “What we’ve got here is continuity. I got Aaron Smith when he was a kid, Casey Hampton when he was a kid, Brett Keisel, Chris Hoke, we all grew up together and we’ve reached an understanding.”

“They understand the defense. They understand what I want. I understand what they can and can’t do.”

I think the neatest stat is that we only allowed one 20-yard run all year, because that’s a credit to all 11 guys,” Keisel said. “This hasn’t been just about the defensive front. The secondary has tackled really well when backs have tried to bounce it to the perimeter.”

To read the entire article, click here.

 

January 7, 2011

FEAR THE BEARD

Are you a fan of “THE BEARD”? If so, this t-shirt is for you! It can be ordered on EBay here.

FYI…

The t-shirt and the manufacturer/designer are not affiliated in any way with Brett Keisel or his management team.

Reminder…

The Steelers are off this weekend due to a bye. They will begin post season play on Saturday, January 15 at 4:30 p.m. The game will be at Heinz Field against either the Colts, Ravens or Chiefs. It will be televised on CBS.

Also…

Be sure to read the news under this weeks Keisel Kam photo. The Keisel’s will honored for their work with the Homeless Children’s Education Fund.

Check out…

This video the Chartiers Valley High School Class of 2011 made to show their support of the Steelers. You can click here to watch.

 

January 6, 2011

CONTEST WINNER ANNOUNCED

The lucky winner of the signed Brett Keisel photograph is Michael Furey, from West Peoria, IL. Congratulations to Michael who correctly listed BYU as one of the colleges Keisel attended. Snow College would have been a correct answer also.

I appreciate all the fans who entered the contest, which included well over 2,000 people.

 

January 5, 2011

TIME TO CELEBRATE-CONTEST WINNER UPDATE-SEE BELOW

The Steelers are preparing for the playoffs and #99 is a Pro Bowl alternate (see the December 29 news for more information). Seems like cause for celebration!

To celebrate the Steelers great season and to thank everyone who voted to send Keisel to the Pro Bowl, I am holding a contest to win an autographed photo of Brett! To enter, send me an email naming one of the colleges Brett attended. The answer is, of course, on this site if you need help.

E-mail: [email protected]

Please only 1 entry per email address.

The 99th person to email me wins. I will post the winner once I have one. Good luck!

Please only email the address of this site, which is listed above. You can also access the email by clicking on Contact at the top of this page. No entries will be accepted through the Twitter or Facebook pages.

Locker room interview:

Brett spoke with the media today about the return of teammate Aaron Smith and about the tremendous job the back up defensive ends did while both he and Smith were out this season. You can click here to watch it.

Contest update:

I have a winner for the contest. I will announce their name once I hear back from them. Thank you to all who took the time to enter the contest. I will do more in the future.

 

January 4, 2011

THE PLAYOFF BEARD

Keisel’s playoff beard has become a national phenomenon. It has been highlighted in Steelers Digest, during the last few nationally televised games and on many social media network sites.

Brett spoke with Teresa Varley of Steelers.com about it.

From the article:

Most of you have probably noticed that Brett Keisel is sporting a now “legendary” beard and mustache. He started to grow it before the start of the season and as things went well during the year, he vowed not to shave it until the season came to an end.

Just because the playoff beard is good luck, it doesn’t mean Keisel is enjoying it as he shared with me outside of the training room after practice.

“I was telling Troy (Polamalu) at the game my mustache was down and I kept biting hair in my mouth piece. It’s getting to the point where it’s a little aggravating. But I am a team guy and I have been doing this for the team so I will carry it on through.

“I am hoping to keep it all the way to the end, go back home to Wyoming and show my family there how beautiful this thing is.”

Keisel said that the beard isn’t a hit with his newborn daughter Grace.

“She already gets mad when I put her on my shoulder and the beard gets in her face and drives her crazy,” he said. “One of these days I will get to hold her and it won’t be up in her.”

His son Jacob has gotten used to the beard and he is wondering if he will even recognize him when he finally does shave. “I think he will wonder who I am but it will be fun,” Keisel joked.

To read more from the article, which is a playoff diary Ms. Varley is doing with the team, clickhere.

 

January 3, 2011

MORE NEWS AND NOTES

“This team has been to the postseason, this team understands what it takes when we get in situations like this,” defensive end Brett Keisel said of the need for a victory to make for a smoother playoff ride.

“We have a lot of good veteran leadership that I think has kept this team humbled and focused on the next game and the next task at hand. We’re happy to be where we’re at, this is where you strive to get to, to get a bye, to get some rest, sit back and watch what happens in the first round of the playoffs.”-From Ed Bouchette’s article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

From Mike Bires article, “Steelers in good position to make a playoff run”:

What a wild and euphoric scene it was in their locker room as the Steelers donned their newest apparel.

“Mission accomplished,” coach Mike Tomlin proclaimed as he wore an AFC North Division championship cap.

“This is great. This is what you strive for,” beamed defensive end Brett Keisel as he proudly displayed his AFC North Division championship t-shirt. “We’re excited to be in the situation we’re in.

The Steelers should feel optimistic about their situation. By no means are they perfect. They’re not invincible. But now that the regular season is over and the playoff picture is clear, they have as good a chance as any of the 12 teams that have qualified for the Super Bowl tournament.

You can read the entire article, here.

Run defense establishes two franchise records:

From Gerry Dulac and Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post Gazette:

The Steelers easily finished the regular season with the best rush defense in the National Football League and came close to finishing with one of the best in league history.

After allowing the Cleveland Browns to rush for 43 yards on 17 carries in Sunday’s 41-9 victory, the Steelers set a franchise record for allowing the fewest yards rushing in a season (1,004) and fewest yards per game (62.8). That eclipsed the old record of 1,125 yards allowed in a 12-game season in 1953. The former yards per-game record was 74.7, set in 2001.

The Steelers came within 34 yards of tying the NFL’s record for rushing yards allowed in a 16-game season (970), set by the 2000 Baltimore Ravens.

Some other defensive highlights this season:

• The Steelers were the only NFL team to allow just one run longer than 20 yards in 2010.

• They allowed just two teams — the New York Jets (106) and New England Patriots (102) — to rush for more than 100 yards against them. No other team rushed for more than 75 yards.

• They did not allow a 100-yard rusher all season and just one in the past 50 games.

Also, from the same article:

Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel credited his beard with the team’s 12-4 record and AFC North Division championship. He was kidding. Maybe …

Keisel started growing the beard before the season and promised not to shave it until the season ends. “The goal hasn’t changed. I’m hoping to have it until February,” he said.

Keisel said he has received a ton of positive feedback about his beard but acknowledged,“Man, this thing is dirty … My wife put a razor in my stocking for Christmas so I know what she thinks about it.”

Photos:

You can view a few game photos here.

 

January 2, 2011-evening update

AFC NORTH DIVISION CHAMPIONS

The Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns 41-9 to seal the AFC North Division Championship title and a second round seed and first round bye in the playoffs.

The game started off with Troy Polamalu displaying why he is the teams MVP this season. He intercepted Browns QB Colt McCoy on the Browns first series. Ben Roethlisberger capitalized on the turnover with a 56-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace on the Steelers first play.

From Keisel’s post game interview

“The biggest turning point of the game was that pick. We never looked back after that.”

The scoring continued as the Steelers scored on each of their first six offensive possessions – five touchdowns and a field goal – to build a 38-3 lead to the midway point of the third quarter.

Dominating defense:

The Steelers defense continues to dominate their opponents.

From AFC North blogger James Walker:

The NFL’s best defense resides in Pittsburgh, and any time a team can dominate that side of the football, it has a great chance to win in the playoffs. The Steelers finished No. 2 in total defense, which includes one of the top run defenses in NFL history.

Pittsburgh has the ability to quickly make opponents one-dimensional, which feeds into its stout pass rush. It’s a very tough combination, and Cleveland found out the hard way as it rushed for just 43 yards and rookie quarterback Colt McCoy was sacked four times.

“Physically, it was a tough game, they’re a tough defense,” McCoy said. “I got hit probably more than I’ve been hit all year.”

Mr. Walker also talked about how important today’s win was in terms of the Steelers getting a bye. They can now rest some players and injured players, such as Aaron Smith have a chance to return.

Keisel:

“I talk to Aaron all the time. I don’t know if he’ll be ready. But obviously having the bye helps him, and it helps a lot of guys who are nicked up. But he’s working hard. He’s working his tail off like Aaron does all the time, and we hope to get him back.”

Tomlin said he will know more about Smith’s status for the playoffs next week.

Keisel stats:

Brett had a great sack with a forced fumble, and a pass deflection during the game.

AFC North Division Champs:

From Steelers.com:

Brett Keisel already has two Super Bowl rings, but that didn’t stop the Steelers’ defensive end from modeling his just-earned “AFC North Division Champions” T-shirt and baseball cap late Sunday afternoon at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

“We want to get two more shirts and two more hats,” Keisel announced. “That would be the icing on the cake.”

To read the entire article, click here.

Playoff news:

The Steelers will begin post season play on Saturday, January 15 at 4:30 p.m. The game will be at Heinz Field against either the Colts, Ravens or Chiefs. It will be televised on CBS.

 

January 2, 2011

KEISEL PAYS HOMAGE TO SMITH FOR PRO BOWL HONOR

From Scott Brown, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Defensive end Brett Keisel is hoping he doesn’t play in his first Pro Bowl on Jan. 30, because that means the Steelers will be preparing for Super Bowl XLV back in Pittsburgh.

But if Keisel does play in the annual all-star game — he is the first alternate at defensive end — it wouldn’t just validate his importance to the Steelers’ defense.

It also would be a tribute to Aaron Smith, who has long been a mentor to Keisel.

“I’ve got to give him a lot of credit,” Keisel said. “From the time I’ve got here I’ve tried to be like Aaron Smith. I’ve tried to work like him — I’ve tried to approach the game like him — so he gets a lot of credit for my success.”

Followers of this site may remember a few years ago when Mr. Keisel requested that visitors to this site vote for Aaron Smith for the Pro Bowl instead of himself. If you missed it, click on the Archives link at the top of this page, and scroll down to the November 26, 2008 news.

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