Mitch Berger didn't get any sleep when he arrived at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, and he didn't care.

He was glad to be back on a practice field, punting without discomfort and competing with Paul Ernster for a job with the Steelers.

"I'm just excited to be in training camp," said Berger, 36, who has punted for six NFL teams in his 13-year career. "I never ever thought I would say that."

The Steelers signed Berger to a one-year contract yesterday, even though Ernster had a solid performance in his debut in the preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, averaging 42 yards on seven punts and booming a kickoff 9 yards deep into the end zone.

Berger punted last season for the Arizona Cardinals, appearing in the final five games and averaging 40.7 yards after sitting out the 2006 season because of a groin injury that required surgery. Before that, he played three seasons with the New Orleans Saints, averaging 44.3 yards in 2003, 43.6 yards in 2004 and 43.2 yards in 2005.

They will compete for the job that became open when Daniel Sepulveda had season-ending surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, his plant leg.

"I think it's important we have two veteran guys who have kicked in the National Football League," Tomlin said. "They're going to battle it out, kick for kick, the next three weeks. Whoever our punter is will have earned the job."

Berger, who lives in Phoenix, said he received a call from the Steelers at 7 p.m. Saturday and caught an 11 p.m. red-eye flight through Atlanta to Pittsburgh. He landed, drove to Latrobe and signed a contract in time to be on the practice field in the afternoon.

Berger said he has been healthy since the end of last season after injuring his groin and having surgery to reattach his lower abdominal muscle and pelvic bone. That caused him to miss the 2006 season.

"It took a while to learn how to do everything again," Berger said. "When you've been doing it all that time and you take a break, your body has to get used to it again. I'm just working on my kicking, get my timing and get used to everything again."

Like Ernster, Berger is also known as a kickoff specialist. However, Tomlin said that is a "non-factor" in any decision he makes about his punter.

It took two weeks, but Tomlin said he is satisfied with the progress of overweight nose tackle Casey Hampton, who was taken off the physically unable to perform list and practiced with his teammates for the first time since reporting to training camp 40 pounds overweight.

"I evaluated the progress and felt it was up to snuff," Tomlin said. "He's down a significant amount of weight. By no means is he a finished product. He'll get extra work after practice. The whole emphasis is to make sure he's the most dominant nose tackle in football.

"He understands that. He's committed to that. I like where we are. We're on the same planet."

Tomlin would not disclose Hampton's weight or how many pounds he has shed since the start of camp.

After practice, Hampton was serenaded by fans chanting "Casey, Casey," as he started to walk off the practice field.

But, when he saw a large media contingent waiting to talk to him, Hampton smiled and waved and headed the other direction, jumping on a golf cart to take him from the field.

Justin Hartwig, signed in free agency from the Carolina Panthers, was supposed to finally get his turn with the first-team offense at center. But that will have to wait at least another day because Hartwig missed practice yesterday with what Tomlin said was "discomfort" in his knee.

He is scheduled to return today and is expected to start at center in Thursday night's preseason game against the Buffalo Bills in Toronto.

Sean Mahan, last year's starter, had been starting practice with the first team and alternating series with Hartwig -- a rotation designed to create a competition for the position.

Rookie safety Ryan Mundy of West Virginia has a high-ankle sprain and could miss the next two preseason games, Tomlin said. He has his left foot in a protective boot. ... Defensive tackle Kyle Clement (knee) and offensive tackle Jeremy Parquet (foot) did not practice. Rookie linebacker Mike Humpal, a sixth-round pick, did not finish practice because he got a stinger in his neck -- the second time in three days that has happened to him. ... The team will hold two practices today. The afternoon session (2:55 p.m.) is open to the public. The Steelers will have only four more public practice sessions before breaking camp.