MENTOR, Ohio — Making the right turn off Center Street, the main entrance to Mentor High School is under construction. That's an apt metaphor for Mitch Trubisky's NFL career, as well as the Steelers offense, if you're into that sort of thing.
On Wednesday, Trubisky wrapped another week of the annual three-day youth football camp at his alma mater. The sweltering heat had some kids bowing out early during the three-hour session, but Trubisky arranged for an ice cream truck to set up shop so the campers had a cool reward for making it through the workout. Of course, the autographs and photos with Trubisky don't hurt morale, either.
As Trubisky sat in some shade at a picnic table with a popsicle in hand, he spoke to the Post-Gazette about giving back to his community, being a new father, football and Pittsburgh.
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P-G: What is it you like most about coming back home and doing this at your camp? It probably never gets old throwing to all these kids and signing all these autographs, does it?
MT: No, this is fun for me, honestly — just sharing the game that taught me so much and the game that I love with these young kids. I grew up coming to this camp, first grade through sixth grade. My mom will tell you I never missed a day. I always looked forward to it, and the high school guys were the guys I always looked up to growing up. When I wanted to play football, I wanted to be a Mentor Cardinal first. So, coming to the camp and learning from those guys and being around them really meant a lot to me. Five or six years ago, when I first got to the league, 'Coach Triv' [Steve Trivisonno] let me put my name on the camp, and it's just meant a lot to come back every year, be a part of the camp, let the kids see me and catch passes from me.
P-G: Does it hit a little different this year now that you've got a son of your own and he could be running around out here someday?
MT: It definitely does. I mean, just seeing my coaches with their young kids, guys who were coaching me, and now me having a son, you just see how much it means. Throwing a football, playing catch with them, telling them how great of a job they did, it just puts a smile on your face for the day. They're out here learning the game and getting good exercise, being outside. There's just so many pluses to being in the community, being out here with the kids. It's just an awesome time, and I love putting smiles on the kids' faces.
P-G: How is fatherhood going so far? Do you have your son, Hudson, throwing passes yet?
MT: It's awesome [laugh]. I put a ball in his hand. He's still too young [5 weeks], but I did put a football in his hand. It's been amazing. I've been wanting to be a father for the longest time, probably because I have the most amazing parents in the world. Everybody has told me how amazing it would be, and it's been even better than that. My wife [Hillary] has been so incredible with our son, watching her be an incredible mother, and there's nothing like waking up and holding your kid or coming back from a long day of work and holding him.
P-G: Was that hard going to OTAs and minicamp the last few weeks and leaving him at home?
MT: It was tough. It was tough. But it just helped me focus even more. I was like, 'If I'm gonna be away from my son, I'm gonna lock in and focus even that much more.' Then, when I come back, I'm able to come back and hold him and be a dad. So, it's definitely a good reset when you leave the office, but it's the most special thing.
P-G: What went into the name Hudson, anything special?
MT: We were gonna do an 'H' name for boys and 'M' name for girls, so we had an 'H' name and an 'M' picked out. My wife really liked Hudson. At first, I wasn't sure about it because Hudson is actually a neighboring city to Mentor. She just loved the name, and I was like, 'I don't know. It's a rival of Mentor. We played against them in baseball growing up' [laugh]. But it grew on me, and now, just looking at him, he is Hudson. It's a perfect name for him.
P-G: Aside from changing diapers and probably not getting as much sleep as you used to, how have these last few weeks been for you in Pittsburgh, getting to you know your teammates? And you even had Josh Allen come in to golf one day?
MT: Yeah, me and Josh, we were down at Nemacolin. I shot over there for a day so he could see the baby and golfed with him. Then just golfing with the guys on the team, I feel like we've built a lot of great relationships and chemistry throughout the OTAs this year. Just letting the guys get to know me, getting to know the offense together, and that's what OTAs are for, to build that chemistry and that foundation that's gonna take you into training camp and the rest of the season. I feel like we took the right first steps in this process, and I'm just really fortunate to be around this group. We have a great group in Pittsburgh. I've been a lot of places now, and you know when it's gonna be a good team and a good situation. We have a super talented roster, but it starts in the locker room with the culture, and obviously, 'Coach T' [Mike Tomlin] sets that with the guys he brings in. We have an amazing culture, and it's a special group to be a part of. I love the relationships we've built so far. When you have those good relationships, it's just been fun, and that's what you want out of your job. That's what you want out of football.
P-G: Do the guys have any nicknames for you yet? Ben Roethlisberger was always just '7,' but did I see Diontae Johnson is calling you 'Money-making Mitch'?
MT: Yeah, 'Money Mitch' or 'Money-making Mitch' or '10.' There's a few coming in, but 'Money Mitch' seems to be the favorite right now.
P-G: And Mason Cole, he's another new guy in town with a young kid. Are you guys already building that QB-center bond?
MT: Everywhere I've been, I've kind of gotten close to the center. In Chicago, the center [Cody Whitehair] was my best friend. Mason and I signed together the first day of free agency. I didn't even know if he was gonna be the center at the time because they were talking about guard or center, but he's working in at center and has done a great job. Me and him have gotten really close from day one. Our wives get along, and he also has a young son, as well. So, we're in very similar situations and we're very similar people, so we get along great, and it's been awesome getting to know him and his family and hanging out.
P-G: So from here you're going back down to Boca Raton for the rest of your offseason?
MT: Yeah, on Monday I'm headed back down to Boca to train down there with Mike Barwis, his facility, and I'll have a quarterbacks coach flying in and out to get some work throwing.
P-G: And maybe some teammates coming over?
MT: Maybe some teammates will be trickling in and out. We'll see. If they come to the house, gotta teach them to change some diapers, help out around the house, wake up early.
P-G: That would be an eye-opener for a younger guy like Kenny Pickett; how's it been building the relationship with him? It made a lot of headlines the first day of OTAs when you said the Steelers didn't tell you they were gonna draft a guy, but would you expect a team to tell a free agent that anyway?
MT: It's not really a big deal. I think a lot of teams wouldn't tell a quarterback that in any situation.
P-G: Were you watching the draft that night?
MT: I had it on, but I was doing other stuff. It was the last thing in the back of my mind, but at the same time, I expected it. Because any situation I was going into, I wanted to go into a room where I could compete for a starting job. I knew the teams I was looking to go to would probably add a quarterback in the draft, as well. I wasn't blind-sided at all or anything. It's something I expected and something you welcome. It's awesome having young guys in the room, young guys who ask questions and work hard, and we're looking to build a great quarterback room. It's exciting for Kenny that he was able to go from Pitt to Pittsburgh, and we've built a great quarterback room so far. It's been awesome working with him, Mason [Rudolph] and Chris [Oladokun]. I know people like to run with those headlines, but it really wasn't that big of a deal. It didn't matter who was in my quarterback room. I was gonna come in with the mindset that I'm here to compete and lead a team to go win games.
P-G: And Mason, too, has that been awkward at all as two vets in the room? Did it bother you at all that he didn't come to your offseason throwing session you organized in Boca?
MT: No, I kind of figured. It seemed like a business decision at the time, and we hadn't met in person, so I didn't know if he wanted to come down there and meet for the first time. But no, it's just a part of it. You're just trying to meet everybody on the team, but guys have offseason schedules that they're busy with, so it wasn't really that big of a deal. But he's been awesome. We have a pretty quiet quarterback room right now. I'm trying to get the guys to open up and be more vocal.
P-G: And Ben probably brought a different swagger to that room as an 18-year vet and a two-time Super Bowl winner ...
MT: You've got to. You've got to. I think the more experience you have, the more comfortable you are to just be yourself, ask those questions and have those conversations. [Quarterbacks coach Mike] Sullivan says it all the time, a noisy quarterback room is a good quarterback room. Because you're having those conversations and you're talking good football. You want those conversations because they stimulate growth. They stimulate learning opportunities within the room, so that's why you want a noisy room, you know?
P-G: Well, last thing, what are your overall impressions of Pittsburgh as a city so far? Are you learning some yinzer words? Are people recognizing you out in public? What's the experience been like for a Cleveland-area guy coming to Western Pennsylvania?
MT: A little bit. The people have been very nice, very welcoming to me and my wife. I do get noticed a good bit walking around, but it's just been very positive, welcoming people. They've been super nice wherever I've gone. They don't bother me, or it's not intrusive, just very down-to-earth people. They love football and I love football, so it's gonna be a great match. I've really enjoyed living in Pittsburgh so far, and I know my wife loves it, as well. I haven't learned too many yinzer words, besides 'yinzer.' But my son's a yinzer. He'll always be born in Pittsburgh, so it definitely means a lot to me already.
