52 players are scheduled to take part in the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie minicamp that gets underway on Friday, but two more eligible players will not be able to participate.
Defensive end Nick Williams and guard Nik Embernate are both eligible to participate this weekend in the rookie mini camp, but both are still rehabbing knee injuries, according to Steelers PR man Burt Lauten.
In the case of Williams, the Steelers seventh-round selection last year, he is still rehabbing from knee surgery after dislocating his knee cap and spraining two ligaments last August. Williams’ surgery was not performed until October and said in a recent interview that he just started back running again in March.
Embernate, who was signed as an undrafted free agent last April, is also still recovering from knee surgery after tearing both his ACL and MCL during one-on-one drills last August. It is unknown as to when the San Diego State product actually had the surgery performed, however.
After the rookie mini camp wraps up on Sunday, the Steelers will begin their OTAs on Tuesday, May 27 – the day after Memorial Day. Being as that is only 11 days from today, it looks like there’s a good chance that both Williams and Embernate will be sidelined for those practices as well. Hopefully both will be able to participate in individual drills on the side, however.
