Steelers Now
Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Larry Foote may call defensive signals against the Steelers in the preseason according to Todd Bowles.
Not only will the Pittsburgh Steelers have a joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but they might see a familiar face calling signals. Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles recently joined The Pewter Report. Among the topics discussed, he mentioned assistant coach Larry Foote may call signals against the Steelers in preseason.
“I’m pretty sure I call [defensive signals] all three [games],” Bowles said regarding the preseason. “We kind of figure those out in summertime.”
Bowles then specified who might get that opportunity. “Larry’s going back to Pittsburgh,” Bowles said when indicating a specific coach.
That “Larry” is none other than former Steelers linebacker Larry Foote. “I know that’s a soft spot for him, so he may get to do that one,” Bowles said. “We’ll see as it goes on.”
The former Michigan Wolverine is making a climb in the league as a coach. Foote started coaching in Arizona with the Cardinals before following Bruce Arians to Tampa. Since then, he has served multiple roles on the defensive staff.
Foote may be on his way to a coordinator position in the future with this step in his career. He has played under a number of defensive minds including Bowles and Steve Wilks as a coach.
“He’s a dawg,” Larry Foote says of rookie edge David Walker. Said he’s biased as a former fourth-round pick himself … pic.twitter.com/YqtEeGiNMC
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) May 13, 2025
As a player, he played under Mike Tomlin, Bill Cowher, Jim Schwartz, and Dick LeBeau. His playing career alone exposed him to some of the best in the business.
Foote also brings championship pedigree to his coaching position. During his tenure with the Steelers, he played on the 2005 and 2008 defenses. Both of those defenses brought Pittsburgh a Lombardi Trophy. He also won a third Super Bowl in 2020 with Tampa Bay as a coach.
Foote spent a total of 11 seasons with the Steelers as a fourth-round pick in 2002. His final season was cut short by a triceps injury in 2013. He is remembered by many fans as a key contributor to the LeBeau-led defenses from 2004-2013.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Ex-Steelers Linebacker Could Call Defensive Plays Against Them This Preseason
