Latest / The Irish Steelers Podcast / From Latrobe, PA: Omar Khan on the 2025 Dublin Game and off-season activity

Transcript

From Latrobe, PA: Omar Khan on the 2025 Dublin Game and off-season activity · The Irish Steelers Podcast

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Irish airline aer Lingus will proudly serve as the presenting
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: partner of Steelers Ireland twenty twenty five. Airlingus's growth in
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: North America continues in twenty twenty five as the airline
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: prepares to fly to two new US destinations, Nashville and Indianapolis,
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: using its new Airbus eight three twenty one xl or aircraft.
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: This brings the number.
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: Of transatlantic routes operated by the airline from Dublin, Shannon
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: and Manchester to twenty four. Steelers fans traveling to Ireland
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: for the Big Game can enjoy a relaxing journey when
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: they fly with air Lingus.
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: Air Lingus, You're very welcome, everybody.
• 0:41
  Speaker 3: Welcome into the Irish Students podcast presented by air Lingus
• 0:44
  Speaker 3: a special one this week as we come to you
• 0:47
  Speaker 3: live from the Trope Saint Vincent College for Steelers' Training
• 0:51
  Speaker 3: Camp and Steelers Nation. It's time to take flight with Aerlingus,
• 0:55
  Speaker 3: an official airline partner of the Pittsburgh Steeters and a
• 0:57
  Speaker 3: founding partner of Steeters Ireland. There's never been a better
• 1:00
  Speaker 3: time to book your trip to Dublin. With nineteen North
• 1:03
  Speaker 3: American gateways, including flights from nearby Cleveland. You can get
• 1:06
  Speaker 3: ready for Warmeyers hospitality and plenty of room on board
• 1:09
  Speaker 3: for your terrible towel, whether it's a game day or
• 1:12
  Speaker 3: a getaway. Aer Lingus looks forward to saying you're very
• 1:15
  Speaker 3: welcome to the players and fans of the Pittsburgh Steters.
• 1:18
  Speaker 3: You can book now at erlingus dot com. That's right.
• 1:22
  Speaker 3: We are here at Saint Vincent College and really, honestly,
• 1:25
  Speaker 3: if you're a fan of the Staters in Ireland and Europe,
• 1:28
  Speaker 3: get over here some summer. It is absolutely fantastic, really
• 1:32
  Speaker 3: something that I've never seen before. Players staying in dorms.
• 1:36
  Speaker 3: The college itself is a private college where it's basically
• 1:39
  Speaker 3: opened up to the team. It's absolutely incredible. Thousands of
• 1:42
  Speaker 3: fans here today, delighted in this podcast to welcome in
• 1:45
  Speaker 3: a very very special guest, none over than Staters Gm Omar.
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: Can look.
• 1:49
  Speaker 3: It's been obviously a bold off season, some big moves,
• 1:52
  Speaker 3: so it's great the shot to Omar. You can listen
• 1:54
  Speaker 3: to him here now on the Irish Stedars podcast. Okay,
• 2:00
  Speaker 3: moving on on this week's edition of the Irish Theaters Podcast,
• 2:03
  Speaker 3: presented by Erlingus. In the depths of the NFL preseason.
• 2:07
  Speaker 3: And I'll tell you what. We've have some great guests
• 2:09
  Speaker 3: on this podcast over the last few years, no exception
• 2:12
  Speaker 3: today sitting here in the trope with Steeters, gm Omar,
• 2:15
  Speaker 3: con Omar, welcome one. How are you doing.
• 2:17
  Speaker 4: I'm doing great, Thanks for having me on. Really excited, Kate.
• 2:20
  Speaker 4: Can't wait to get Ireland September twenty eighth.
• 2:23
  Speaker 3: You're a mana for my own heart. We're sitting here.
• 2:25
  Speaker 3: I know it's not going to be the day because
• 2:26
  Speaker 3: seven weeks out from this game, and I think for
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: so many people, it's you know, been generations coming. It's
• 2:32
  Speaker 3: such a long time coming. What does it mean to
• 2:35
  Speaker 3: you to bring this organization over to playing the first
• 2:38
  Speaker 3: ever doubling game. That's pretty historic.
• 2:40
  Speaker 4: It's gonna be awesome. I didn't do anything.
• 2:42
  Speaker 5: I mean, all the credit goes to Art Rooney the
• 2:44
  Speaker 5: second and all the effort he put into making this work.
• 2:46
  Speaker 5: I mean, he this is really important for them. But
• 2:49
  Speaker 5: I've had the opportunity be in Ireland twice and when
• 2:54
  Speaker 5: mister the late Ambassador Dan Rooney was over there and
• 2:58
  Speaker 5: it was an absolutely I loved it. And I can't
• 3:00
  Speaker 5: wait for our players and our coaches and our staff
• 3:02
  Speaker 5: to experience the culture of the country.
• 3:06
  Speaker 4: It was amazing.
• 3:07
  Speaker 3: So I'm excited you mentioned that you were over a
• 3:09
  Speaker 3: couple of times. I'm led to believe. I know, I
• 3:11
  Speaker 3: know for people listening to mister Rooney done a flag
• 3:14
  Speaker 3: football competition on the fourth of July. Yeah, his changed
• 3:17
  Speaker 3: a little bit noise oddly since he's no longer with us.
• 3:19
  Speaker 3: I was down there a few weeks ago. What was
• 3:20
  Speaker 3: that like? I knew Don as Well was down there
• 3:23
  Speaker 3: at that game. What was that game like? And some
• 3:25
  Speaker 3: legends were over there as well, I believe at that time.
• 3:27
  Speaker 5: Well, I was there, you know, twice for that game,
• 3:31
  Speaker 5: and what an experience it is.
• 3:33
  Speaker 4: It's absolutely amazing.
• 3:34
  Speaker 5: And you know, one of the times he he put
• 3:37
  Speaker 5: me to work and I was one of the UH
• 3:40
  Speaker 5: the play by play UH broadcasters.
• 3:43
  Speaker 4: For the game. I think somewhere on YouTube you can
• 3:45
  Speaker 4: find it.
• 3:46
  Speaker 5: But I had a hard time sometimes my Irish counterpart
• 3:51
  Speaker 5: was the UH.
• 3:53
  Speaker 4: When he spoke.
• 3:53
  Speaker 5: If I wasn't looking them in the face because his accent,
• 3:55
  Speaker 5: I'd get confused and wouldn't catch the question.
• 3:58
  Speaker 4: Every now and then, but it was awesome. I can't
• 4:00
  Speaker 4: tell you how what an experience. It was, and it
• 4:02
  Speaker 4: was great for our military that was over there. It
• 4:04
  Speaker 4: was great for you.
• 4:05
  Speaker 5: Know, the family that was over there, the people involved,
• 4:08
  Speaker 5: just for the community. And I remember how much effort
• 4:10
  Speaker 5: he put into it, but it was absolutely tremendous. It
• 4:13
  Speaker 5: was so much fun, to be honest with it was
• 4:15
  Speaker 5: it was so much fun. Someone Now for me, it
• 4:17
  Speaker 5: was a once in a lifetime experience.
• 4:19
  Speaker 3: I think, look, well we'll go past talking about the
• 4:21
  Speaker 3: game here, but I do think one thing we can
• 4:23
  Speaker 3: say is, you know, I'm very lucky to go to
• 4:25
  Speaker 3: games in London, Germany every year. I really feel like
• 4:29
  Speaker 3: we know how specialist game is. I know he'll be
• 4:31
  Speaker 3: remembered in that game and some shape or really looking
• 4:34
  Speaker 3: forward to. I know he'll be looking done at all
• 4:35
  Speaker 3: of us and that Sunday in a few weeks times.
• 4:37
  Speaker 4: Oh absolutely he'll he'll be smiling.
• 4:39
  Speaker 5: This this this means so much to him and and
• 4:42
  Speaker 5: missus Rooney, And I'm sure he's very proud of of Art,
• 4:46
  Speaker 5: his son, and Dan, his grandson, for for all the
• 4:51
  Speaker 5: effort and and and for making this happen. Because it's
• 4:54
  Speaker 5: it's it's gonna be an experience. I'm exciting.
• 4:56
  Speaker 3: You've been with the team for over twenty years.
• 4:58
  Speaker 4: Yep.
• 4:59
  Speaker 3: How specialist is work here for this with the organization
• 5:02
  Speaker 3: just so it's it's it's great.
• 5:03
  Speaker 5: It all starts at the top, you know, with the
• 5:05
  Speaker 5: with our owner. Our our owners are second and none
• 5:08
  Speaker 5: and football, and you know, it's that's important to them.
• 5:12
  Speaker 5: The fans are so important. They treat people so well,
• 5:14
  Speaker 5: and you know we're we're working hard uh to try
• 5:18
  Speaker 5: to bring a Super Bowl championship to this UH to
• 5:21
  Speaker 5: this fan base. They deserve it their due. So, but
• 5:25
  Speaker 5: it all starts at the top there. They're amazing people.
• 5:28
  Speaker 3: The troube. You know, you've witnessed it a lot over
• 5:30
  Speaker 3: the years. This is my first time witnessing OMAR. It's
• 5:33
  Speaker 3: different to so many training comps across the US. As
• 5:36
  Speaker 3: a GM. How do you find the vibe around here?
• 5:38
  Speaker 3: And really I'm seeing first time the atmosphere for the players.
• 5:41
  Speaker 3: It's very different in a good way.
• 5:43
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 5:44
  Speaker 5: So I really don't have a point of comparison because
• 5:46
  Speaker 5: when I started at the Saints, UH, I was there
• 5:48
  Speaker 5: for four years.
• 5:49
  Speaker 4: We went away all four years.
• 5:50
  Speaker 5: We went to Wisconsin for the first three were in
• 5:52
  Speaker 5: lacrosse and then we went to Thibodeaux, Louisiana. Uh, my
• 5:56
  Speaker 5: fourth year there and then I came here. And other
• 5:58
  Speaker 5: than the two you know years that were affected by COVID,
• 6:01
  Speaker 5: I've always been away for training camp.
• 6:03
  Speaker 4: So for me, this is a Norman I love it,
• 6:06
  Speaker 4: you know.
• 6:06
  Speaker 5: I I watch how these how these teams have come
• 6:09
  Speaker 5: can come together from day one to the last day
• 6:12
  Speaker 5: we're at uh we're at camp, and even to the
• 6:14
  Speaker 5: whole preseason, and uh, it's it's it's tremendous, a great experience.
• 6:18
  Speaker 4: You know.
• 6:19
  Speaker 5: It gives our fans. We have the best fans in
• 6:21
  Speaker 5: the world, by the way, the absolute best. They gives
• 6:24
  Speaker 5: them an opportunity to come out here and and.
• 6:27
  Speaker 4: Watch as.
• 6:29
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 6:29
  Speaker 4: Yeah, and that's that's that's normal, you know.
• 6:31
  Speaker 5: I Uh sometimes I try to go for a walk
• 6:34
  Speaker 5: early and you know, it'd be six thirty in the
• 6:37
  Speaker 5: morning and there's a there's people lined up already, uh
• 6:41
  Speaker 5: to come in, and it's just it's just an honor
• 6:43
  Speaker 5: to represent them.
• 6:45
  Speaker 3: You as a GM have the ability to change somebody's
• 6:48
  Speaker 3: life with a phone call on draft night.
• 6:51
  Speaker 5: What it's not like, you know, that's that's a good question.
• 6:54
  Speaker 5: I never looked at it that I never see it
• 6:56
  Speaker 5: that way.
• 6:56
  Speaker 4: But you know, we're.
• 6:59
  Speaker 5: You know, we really when we we select someone, I mean,
• 7:02
  Speaker 5: the credit really goes to the players. You know, they've
• 7:04
  Speaker 5: they've they've worked hard and gotten to the point where
• 7:07
  Speaker 5: they're deserving our phone call. But you know, we we
• 7:11
  Speaker 5: we're chasing a championship and you know it's it's exciting
• 7:14
  Speaker 5: every time we can add new players that you know,
• 7:17
  Speaker 5: we hope will help us win it.
• 7:18
  Speaker 3: I'll put you on the spot, but do you have
• 7:20
  Speaker 3: a favorite moment at GMT all over over these last
• 7:22
  Speaker 3: few years.
• 7:23
  Speaker 5: Oh, that's an interesting question. You know, I'm waiting for
• 7:28
  Speaker 5: you to ask me that question at some point and
• 7:29
  Speaker 5: I can answer that we're we're you know, my favorite
• 7:31
  Speaker 5: moment was holy at Lombardi Trophy on stage, and we're
• 7:35
  Speaker 5: not there yet. So but I love every day. I'm
• 7:37
  Speaker 5: very blessed and I love coming to work every day.
• 7:39
  Speaker 5: I love, uh the people I work with. I have
• 7:41
  Speaker 5: a great staff, second to none. We have some great
• 7:45
  Speaker 5: people in an organization, and I I love coming to work.
• 7:49
  Speaker 5: I'm very blessed and I couldn't imagine myself doing anything, uh,
• 7:53
  Speaker 5: anything different, And you know, it's just life's good. And
• 7:57
  Speaker 5: I have great family, and my wife and and and
• 8:01
  Speaker 5: you know, they're they're they're very supportive and they understand
• 8:03
  Speaker 5: the hours that go into this and the dedication and
• 8:07
  Speaker 5: couldn't do it without them. And but yeah, it's uh,
• 8:11
  Speaker 5: I'll so to answer your question, I'm still seeking that
• 8:14
  Speaker 5: that very special moment, but you know what it is,
• 8:16
  Speaker 5: I'm just working hard to get there.
• 8:18
  Speaker 3: Awesome and going back to sort of the draft stuff.
• 8:21
  Speaker 3: Really unique year in twenty six with the Draft coming
• 8:24
  Speaker 3: to Pittsburgh and I know there's been such hard work
• 8:26
  Speaker 3: put in by so many people into that. That's pretty
• 8:28
  Speaker 3: cool for you as well. Like I mean, that's going
• 8:30
  Speaker 3: to be millions of people are going to take the
• 8:31
  Speaker 3: sweets there next year. That's pretty special.
• 8:33
  Speaker 5: So we've you know, this has sort of been discussed
• 8:36
  Speaker 5: for a long time and it's just so great that
• 8:38
  Speaker 5: it's coming to Fruition next year. Like there is no
• 8:41
  Speaker 5: better place than Western Pa to host the Draft. I Mean,
• 8:44
  Speaker 5: there's arguments about where football started and where I'm telling you,
• 8:48
  Speaker 5: it is a special when it comes to football and sports.
• 8:51
  Speaker 5: Western Pa is a really special place and I I
• 8:55
  Speaker 5: can't wait to show off my hometown to the rest
• 8:58
  Speaker 5: of the world because I don't think there's any or better,
• 9:00
  Speaker 5: uh than than than Pittsburgh and Western piet to host system.
• 9:05
  Speaker 3: Well, hell of an off season for this team, really
• 9:08
  Speaker 3: some big moves, and from an international perspective, there are
• 9:11
  Speaker 3: people talking about this team in ways they weren't a
• 9:14
  Speaker 3: few months a few months ago, which is really really
• 9:15
  Speaker 3: big for US overseas as well as GM of the Steelers.
• 9:19
  Speaker 3: How do you balance or how do you try to
• 9:21
  Speaker 3: balance short term success with long term sustainability? But that
• 9:25
  Speaker 3: comes to the roster in terms of management.
• 9:27
  Speaker 5: Yeah, so, I mean, hopefully what they're talking about us
• 9:29
  Speaker 5: is good and hopefully the conversations are good continuing. You know,
• 9:35
  Speaker 5: every decision we make, it's it's my job to understand
• 9:38
  Speaker 5: the effect that's going to have not only this year,
• 9:40
  Speaker 5: but any consequences that might carry over uh into next year,
• 9:44
  Speaker 5: the year after. I mean short term, uh, mid term
• 9:47
  Speaker 5: and long term consequences of everything we do are always
• 9:51
  Speaker 5: in place in my mind. I mean that's part of
• 9:53
  Speaker 5: my job. But you know, never lose a never lose
• 9:56
  Speaker 5: the focus on this year because we are trying to
• 9:59
  Speaker 5: win a championship year in and year out, uh. But
• 10:01
  Speaker 5: also I have to be smart and make sure the
• 10:04
  Speaker 5: decisions we make allow us to sustain success over time.
• 10:07
  Speaker 3: I have two quick ones, but a disaster's first high hopper.
• 10:10
  Speaker 3: Youre you to have TJ like such a massive move.
• 10:14
  Speaker 5: Well, we never lost him, so I'm just glad that
• 10:15
  Speaker 5: he's he's gonna be here for years to come. I mean,
• 10:17
  Speaker 5: I love TJ. I think the contract speaks for for
• 10:20
  Speaker 5: what we feel, how we feel about him, and uh,
• 10:22
  Speaker 5: you know, it's it's it's important for me to have a.
• 10:26
  Speaker 4: Guy like t J Watt be a one helmet Hall
• 10:28
  Speaker 4: of Famer.
• 10:28
  Speaker 5: I'm confident that he's going to be first ballot Hall
• 10:31
  Speaker 5: of Famer and you know, by no means and my
• 10:34
  Speaker 5: you know, I'm hoping there's more contracts to com. He's
• 10:36
  Speaker 5: got a lot of football left in him, and uh,
• 10:39
  Speaker 5: just excited to watch him play. And you know, he
• 10:41
  Speaker 5: he is represents so well, not only on the field
• 10:44
  Speaker 5: but off the field. And I can't say enough about
• 10:47
  Speaker 5: really TJ the person, and uh, the fact that he's
• 10:51
  Speaker 5: here and he's a Steeler for a few more years
• 10:53
  Speaker 5: and just just exciting for everyone. I get as excited
• 10:57
  Speaker 5: as the fans. You know, when when he I mean
• 10:59
  Speaker 5: is when we got the deals one I was. I
• 11:01
  Speaker 5: was excited, as you know any other fan that was
• 11:04
  Speaker 5: out there. You know it was important.
• 11:06
  Speaker 3: It's been a fantastic off season so far, and fantastic
• 11:09
  Speaker 3: season of fantastic years so far and two quick ones
• 11:11
  Speaker 3: to finish off. I was chopping the people last night
• 11:13
  Speaker 3: saying I'm going to shot to Omar Khan. Every response
• 11:16
  Speaker 3: was big pizza guy, Big pizza guy. Have you got
• 11:19
  Speaker 3: a favorite pizza at the top of the well.
• 11:21
  Speaker 5: I am a big pizza guys. You can see I
• 11:23
  Speaker 5: I eat a lot. But ah man, there's a lot
• 11:27
  Speaker 5: of pizzas I like. But when we're out here at
• 11:29
  Speaker 5: training camp, there's a place called Joeyo's and Latrobe. I
• 11:32
  Speaker 5: love that pizza and I frequented or have people kept
• 11:36
  Speaker 5: me the pizza very often, but it is.
• 11:38
  Speaker 4: It is delicious.
• 11:39
  Speaker 5: But one thing about Western Pa, just because I know
• 11:44
  Speaker 5: it will were the pizza in Western.
• 11:46
  Speaker 4: Pa is phenomenal. Like it is, it is phenomenal.
• 11:49
  Speaker 5: I mean, I know there's other areas of the country
• 11:52
  Speaker 5: that will say, hey, our pizzas. I'll put this pizza
• 11:54
  Speaker 5: up here up against anyone. The pizza in Western Pennsylvania
• 11:58
  Speaker 5: is absolutely off.
• 12:01
  Speaker 3: You heard them on folks, get out of here and
• 12:02
  Speaker 3: get to this rope next year. Talking about yourself. Finally,
• 12:05
  Speaker 3: big one to finish off. What do you want the
• 12:07
  Speaker 3: legacy of this Dubling game to be for the team?
• 12:10
  Speaker 2: Wow?
• 12:11
  Speaker 4: What a question.
• 12:13
  Speaker 5: You know, it's important for us to win the game,
• 12:15
  Speaker 5: So that's important for us, And you know, I'm hopeful
• 12:19
  Speaker 5: that the experience goes so well that this isn't just
• 12:23
  Speaker 5: a one time thing, you know, I think so in
• 12:25
  Speaker 5: terms of legacy, you know, And and when we're there,
• 12:27
  Speaker 5: you know, miss mister and the late Ambassador Dan Ruine
• 12:29
  Speaker 5: is going to be in our hearts and our minds
• 12:32
  Speaker 5: because that that he was such a big part of
• 12:33
  Speaker 5: our lives and we knew how much Ireland meant to
• 12:35
  Speaker 5: him and to his family. But really we just I
• 12:39
  Speaker 5: think it's important for us to uh make it so
• 12:43
  Speaker 5: unique and special and we're and we're trending that way
• 12:45
  Speaker 5: that that this will not be the last time that
• 12:48
  Speaker 5: uh NFL football is is happening in in in Ireland.
• 12:52
  Speaker 5: And I hope while we're there, because I I've been
• 12:55
  Speaker 5: there twice, like I mentioned to you, and I love
• 12:57
  Speaker 5: it like I just my wife and I we had
• 13:00
  Speaker 5: such an amazing time there and getting to know people
• 13:02
  Speaker 5: and experiencing some of the Irish culture and you know,
• 13:07
  Speaker 5: we just we just had I had such good memories
• 13:10
  Speaker 5: of you know, taking the train down to I think
• 13:12
  Speaker 5: it's Hoke and different different places there and oh yeah
• 13:16
  Speaker 5: yeah yeah, and we uh we uh, we've had a
• 13:19
  Speaker 5: great time.
• 13:20
  Speaker 3: Well look, there's plenty more island to sea and I
• 13:22
  Speaker 3: know what people listen to this will appreciate your time.
• 13:24
  Speaker 3: You're very very busy man. Best look for the season.
• 13:27
  Speaker 3: Enjoy Dublin. Was a business trip, but thank you for
• 13:30
  Speaker 3: what you've on the season for fans as.
• 13:31
  Speaker 5: Well, So thank you very much. Yeah, it is a
• 13:32
  Speaker 5: business trip. You know, we're going there to win the
• 13:34
  Speaker 5: game and I look forward to seeing yea and go.
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: Steelers Irish Airline aer LINGUS will proudly serve as the
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: presenting partner of Steelers Ireland twenty twenty five. Airlinus's growth
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: in North America continues in twenty five as the airline
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: prepares to fly to two new US destinations, Nashville and Indianapolis,
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: using its new Airbus eight three twenty one excel Or aircraft.
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: This brings the number.
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: Of Transatlantic routes operated by the airline from Dublin, Shannon
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: and Manchester to twenty four. Steelers fans traveling to Ireland
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: for the big game can enjoy a relaxing journey when
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: they fly with their Lingus Air Lingus, you're very welcome.