MAYNOOTH, Ireland (AP) 鈥 Aaron Rodgers was dressed in black, appropriately, to field questions about Guinness.
The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback spoke to the international media Friday at a resort hotel where the team is staying ahead of against the Minnesota Vikings.
Can’t avoid the Guinness questions in Ireland, it seems.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 really drink beer, but if I do, I drink Guinness. I鈥檝e heard it tastes different off the tap in Ireland,” he said hours after the team’s flight landed.
The four-time NFL MVP said he’s tried Guinness across the border in Northern Ireland.
鈥淚t was great, but I鈥檓 excited to see what it tastes like here,鈥 he said.
It would certainly taste better with a victory at on Sunday, when Ireland joins the NFL’s growing list of host countries. The league is staging seven international games this season.
鈥淲hen I first got in the league, there was an occasional game in Canada. But now we see games in so many different countries,鈥 Rodgers said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fun to be able to be part of a game here on this island.鈥
Names on practice jerseys in Irish
In a nod to , the Steelers switched up the language for players’ names on their practice jerseys Friday.
The names were written in Irish. 鈥淢ac Ruairi” was the spelling for Rodgers’ shirt.
鈥淚 have a family history going back to Ireland and Scotland. I鈥檝e always wanted to get over here,鈥 added the quarterback, who wore a black T-shirt at the news conference before changing into his white No. 8 jersey for practice.
The in County Down and late Steelers chairman Daniel M. Rooney was U.S. ambassador to Ireland from 2009-12.
鈥淚 know how much this means to them and how much a win here would mean to the family,鈥 Rodgers said.
Strategies on kickoffs still evolving
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, a member of the league鈥檚 competition committee, said the new kickoff rule is doing 鈥渆xactly what we intended it to do.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 putting some excitement back in the game. It鈥檚 adding some quality plays to the game,鈥 he said.
There’s still plenty to learn, he added.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all learning and growing regarding best practices schematically, how to strategize, things to do, how to position players. Some of the size of the players in certain positions has changed,” Tomlin said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e all absorbing a lot of tape and we鈥檙e all learning and growing as we go.鈥
The team has been practicing receiving tricky bounces.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 certainty a component of it for us and has been,” he said.
There’s already been 鈥 two weeks ago kick returner Kaleb Johnson turned his back on a live football. Seattle’s George Holani recovered the ball at the back of the end zone for a touchdown in the Seahawks’ 31-17 victory over Pittsburgh.
Walkthrough at Croke Park? Nah
Tomlin said the team won’t be visiting Croke Park before the game.
鈥淎s long as the field is 100 yards and all that stuff and the conditions are the same for both teams, we care very little about that,” he said.
Fancy hotel
The Steelers are staying at the five-star Carton House Hotel in County Kildare. It鈥檚 a 1,100-acre walled estate that features two 18-hole golf courses. It was the site of the in July. It鈥檚 also where the meets for training ahead of their games.
Irish rugby star Bundee Aki was on hand Friday as Steelers players made their way to the practice field.
The hotel, located about 15 miles (25 kilometers) west of Croke Park, can arrange horse riding and private fly fishing if the players want.
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