Much remains familiar for the Steelers as they ease into their 52nd training camp at Saint Vincent College. The dorms, the practice fields Joe Greene first stepped on as a pro, the majestic willows framing the edge of those fields, the Laurel Mountains that heavy haze sometimes obscure, even the cafeteria in which they eat.
There is one noticeable difference. Dan Rooney is not here.
"It's not the same," said defensive captain Cam Heyward. "You noticed it the first day."
Art Rooney II, Dan's eldest son and his successor as Steelers president, addressed the team as he usually does and mentioned his father, who died April 13 at age 84.
"I thanked them for so many kind words and support, so many came to the funeral," Art said. "They were just great. I thanked them and let them know that a lot of us are going to be thinking about him and we're all in this together."
A commemorative mass for Dan Rooney will take place at the Saint Vincent Basilica on the college campus at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Father Paul Taylor presiding. Many of the players, coaches and others in the Steelers organization will attend. It is open to the public.
"We've been doing an opening of training camp mass for the last couple of years," Art Rooney II said. "This one will be dedicated to him and a nice way to remember him in our prayers."
Rooney attended many masses at the Basilica during the previous 51 summers the Steelers made their home here. He often flew his own plane from Pittsburgh, and buzzed the campus on his way in and out of Arnold Palmer Airport across Route 30 from Saint Vincent.
"Some of the younger guys didn't understand when he flew over top," said Ben Roethlisberger, in his 14th training camp. "I'd say that's Mr. Rooney, and they said 'no, it's not'. Yeah, it really is.
"We'll miss that, miss him on the golf cart, miss the handshakes. It won't be the same."
Roethlisberger suggested to coach Mike Tomlin that they park an empty golf cart somewhere along the practice fields sideline.
"I think about him quite a bit," Tomlin said. "Obviously, important events, such as ... reporting up here. You can't help but think about him and the level of excitement that he would have. And I am sure that he is watching us. And we are excited to be here."
"It's a different feel, but we're trying to honor him," said Heyward, who said he misses the daily talks and personal stories he would share with Dan.
"Every time we talked, we always had a different story we talked about. It's rough not seeing him."
That has been the sentiment in the early going of training camp because Dan Rooney always was around, always chatting up the players, even exchanging fist-bumps with them. He flew a Beachcraft Bonanza, and heads now turn on campus when a single-engine plane flies over the campus, almost forgetting it is not him.
"Mr. Rooney was just talking about when you saw the airplane and you knew he was coming," Heyward said. "You could tell it was on everybody's mind."
"Seeing him leave practice and fly away, that was something," offensive lineman Ramon Foster said. "It will be interesting to see how camp is with him not being here."
The Steelers will honor Rooney by wearing a patch on their uniforms with his initials, DMR, and a shamrock during the 2017 season. Tomlin said they have not discussed anything else such as dedicating the season to him.
"No. That's appropriate," Tomlin said. "And you know that our intentions are to honor him with how we proceed professionally and personally. But we hadn't talked as a team about performances relative to that and things of that nature. We play, and we play to win. Always."
