Steelers K Shaun Suisham suffered a season-ending knee injury during Sunday's Pro Football HOF Game, and "many blame the 11-year-old FieldTurf at Benson Stadium," according to Ed Bouchette of the PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. Suisham tore the ACL and meniscus in his left knee, and the Steelers said that the turf "caused him to lose his footing while he ran down under his kickoff." They also wonder why the HOF "waited until after their preseason game" to tear up the old artificial turf and "install a new surface." Steelers S Robert Golden said, "Now they're redoing it? I don't agree with that, that's bad, putting us at risk like that on that turf." Steelers FB Will Johnson: "I had a couple of plays there, especially in the middle of the field, where I was sliding. I saw a lot of guys losing their footing." HOF Exec VP/Museums, Selection Process & Chief Communications Officer Joe Horrigan said that the FieldTurf playing surface "passed the Clegg impact test administered by the NFL before the game and was rendered acceptable." He added that the turf is "being removed as part of the stadium reconstruction that is scheduled to begin next month in which the field will be lowered by 12 feet" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 8/12).
