Interview: Carnell Lake, Steelers

DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

Debuting another weekly feature, here is our first full-length video interview: Carnell Lake.

Lake, 47, was a former All-Pro safety with the Steelers in 1989-98 and is now in his fourth year as their secondary coach. The first three years, the pass defense ranked among the NFL’s top 10. Now, it’s 16th in yardage allowed and perhaps a more telling 27th in opponent’s QB rating.

Knowing Lake as a relentlessly straight shooter, I raised with him the general state of the secondary, what’s wrong with Mike Mitchell and why anyone should have hope for this group going forward.