Assistant Head Coach/ Special Teams Coordinator Bubba Ventrone (10.9.25)
What can you say about the (Pittsburgh) Steelers’ special teams and what you guys are up against this weekend with them?
“Yeah, they have a really good group. Danny Smith has done a nice job there for the last, I want to say, 14 years, maybe he’s been there. I know he coached my brother in ’15, even before then, I think. Yeah, coached Ross (Ventrone) in ’13, ’14. But no, they got a really good group, get contributions from a lot of positions. They do a good job. They’re a physical group with good size. They play aggressive, the whole corps. A lot of those guys play in all four units. You have (Cameron) Heyward, you got the two rookies, (Carson) Bruener, you have (Jack) Sawyer. (Ben) Skowronek does a heck of a job. Obviously, (Miles) Killebrew is a monster. So, they have a lot of really good players.”
Bubba, on that play where Rex’s (Sunahara) foot accidentally touches the end line for the touchback. What’s the coaching point there? Because I know he’s hustling, but you find that necessary, right?
“Yeah, that was a tough one. We talk about that quite a bit, honestly, especially in our Friday meetings where we’re talking about more like situational type plays and just understanding, like the scenario there. It’s like you get a nice play from the gunner to bat the ball back. Just having an understanding and awareness that the ball’s coming back, and it’s not rolling toward the goal line to be under control on the recovery and just having that instinct and awareness to not dive on the ball and really just let the ball go and down it. I know he feels bad about it. He’s showing good effort, but we just need to better aware of the situation.”
How do you think (Gage) Larvadain did in punt returns?
“I thought he did a good job. I did. The one ball that we did not field, I thought that (Ryan) Wright made a nice play. He showed like he was going left, brought the ball back to our right. That was the one play that I know Gage would like to have back. He got a late jump on the ball. He was over playing the offset too much and was late to get over there and, you know, was unable to catch the ball.”
Bubba, in real time, that missed 51-yarder for them, was there any thought of possibly seeing it hit the camera wire, like in real time or anything?
“No, I don’t. I didn’t see it hit a camera wire. Even on the replay, even on the coach’s copy, even on that video that’s surfacing, it didn’t look like there was any type of hitting a wire.”
How did it go, so just like…
“It really didn’t, though. If you watch the ball, if you watch the video, it doesn’t do that, in my opinion. I think (Will) Reichard is one of the best in the league. He just hit it a little bit inside out on the ball and missed the kick. I mean here’s the thing, to me, if it would have hit like a wire or something, I feel like he would have reacted. He didn’t react at all. He just, he looked like he missed the kick, and that’s how his reaction was. And look, he’s super talented, that kid. He’s a really good kicker.”
Is there anything to the kicking ball controversy that’s out there this year?
“Is there a controversy? I mean, so it was voted on in the spring. All the teams approved it. And I know that this has been discussed, but, like, prior to this season, it’s hard on the equipment staffs to prep the balls. You only have an hour to get the balls ready. Whereas, like the quarterbacks, you just bring those balls to the game, and they’re already doctored up and they don’t have to prepare those balls before the game. So why is it any different for the kickers? So, I think that because we have more time to prepare them, you’re probably getting better results because the balls are better. But it puts a lot of strain on the equipment guys, honestly, to have to prepare those balls. You get three balls to scrub down in an hour, it’s hard. A lot of times, like the first two balls are good, and the third ball is junk. So now at least you’re bringing three quality balls to the game.”
With that being said, do you think the ability to kick longer field goals is because more of the balls or just the evolution of the position or…
“It’s probably a combination of both. There are a lot of talented kickers in the league right now, though I will say.”
Looks like Tre Avery’s been making some plays for you. What can you tell us about him?
“Yeah, I think he factors on the perimeter. The thing that he brings to our unit is speed. We needed to add that, and he’s given us that on the outside, so he’s definitely shown up the last couple weeks. He’s been a positive light for us for sure.”
You guys got 14 rookies on the roster and probably more playing for you than normal. Is there a point that too many rookies is too much or is it just how it goes?
“It’ll be nice in a couple years. It’ll be nice in a few years when all those rookies develop and you have a nice core unit. But no, those guys are improving each week. I think we’ve seen significant improvements in all those areas with the guys we’re using on teams and hopefully continue to do that.”
Is there anything you have to tell Andre (Szymt) about kicking in whatever they call Pittsburgh Stadium now? You know, it feels like, it’s time to time been a tough place to kick.
“I know, I know. I mean, it’s Heinz Field, right? Is it Acrisure Stadium? What is that? Look, I’m from Pittsburgh. I love Pittsburgh, obviously don’t like the Steelers. I love going back there to play. I’m not as from – like relative to like the kicking and all that stuff. I mean, we’ll get a feel for the wind and stuff when we get there. The stadium’s changed a good bit. I know that the stands on this, on the open side have kind of like closed in a little bit relative to what it used to look like. But we’ll figure it out once we get there.”
What does having a guy like (Chris) Boswell, how does that change strategy, you know, for the team, when you know the other team has a guy like that?
“Yeah, no, he’s had a great career. He really has. He had a 60-yarder against New York earlier in the season. He’s been extremely accurate, especially in the last three years. He’s like over 90%. So he’s been a weapon for them. He’s really been automatic. So being able to have confidence in your guy, to be able to hit from any distance is quite a thing to have. So he’s done a great job, Chris.”
When you go home, Bubba, who’s more famous, you or TJ McConnell?
“TJ for sure. You know we were at the same high school. Yeah, same high school. And their snapper, Christian Kuntz is also the same high school. TJ’s hands down the most popular. Christian’s probably more popular than me in Pittsburgh now too, which is fine. Both are really good guys that I know pretty good.”
Bubba, Corey (Bojorquez) announced his initiative of donating $1,000 to Cancer Institute for Research and Treatment for every punt he pins inside the 20. As his coach, what does it say about Corey that he’s dedicating some off-field stuff, but looking at his on-field performance to do it.
“I honestly did not know that. I’m glad you informed me about that. Hopefully there’s a lot of contributions made, coming up. But, no, he’s a great guy. Great guy. Great person. Doesn’t surprise me that he would do something like that.”
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