Where are all my fantasy football fans out there? Do you have your lineups set? I still have to get mine set up; I've been procrastinating. I hope you were fortunate enough to get the Steelers D.

So with the final preseason game under our belts, I can already feel that familiar change in the atmosphere. It happens every season when we've finished with camp. Our focus shifts from working out the rust in the gears and becoming a solid unit to bringing "it" every day and being a terror on the field – an unrelenting and unwavering powerhouse. Its game-time, baby.

We had a really physical camp and preseason. We've really grown a great deal over the past several weeks. I like the determination and drive I'm seeing from everyone. It's not just the younger guys who have made considerable improvements; it's the veterans, too.

One thing that really pumps me up and keeps me motivated is to be surrounded by players like the veterans on this team. To walk into the facility and see guys who have been in the league for 10 years working just as hard as their very first day of training camp their rookie year, it reminds me that I am surrounded by greatness.

I will say, as a veteran, I have come to realize the importance of taking care of my body: a healthy diet, making sure to stretch, getting massages and good rest. We work just as hard as we ever did out here, and our bodies need to be nurtured. While this concept seems so simple, as a rookie in the league I was accustomed to just showing up and playing and going home at the end of the day.

If I can impose any of my knowledge gained from experience on the younger guys, I would share this: You only get one body, so take good care of it. Don't wait until something is broken to fix it. Treat your body like a temple, and it will return the favor later in life.

A few last-minute thoughts before I wrap it up for the week.

I saw somebody call me out on Twitter last week about my column. Just because I'm the king of slang doesn't mean I can't write an eloquent column (and I hope you all enjoy it). I'm going to continue to put my writing SWAG on this column, and I'll SWERVE on that Twitter comment.

I want to send a special shoutout to my family. I love and miss you.

I'd also like to send my thoughts and prayers to the victims of Hurricane Isaac. Please remember to keep them in your thoughts and send some strength their way.

Thanks again to the fans and readers of my column. I love hearing from you, so keep reading.

Until next week,

Ike

Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor is a contributor for
Trib Total Media. His column appears Fridays.
He also hosts a talk show Tuesdays from 2-3 p.m. on TribLive Radio.