An ample Casey Hampton, who has been known to push the scale in the mid-300s at times, pointed to his stomach after lunch yesterday and smiled broadly.

"I got abs now," the Steelers' big nose tackle said.

Hampton practiced yesterday with his teammates, something he did not do for the first two weeks of training camp last year. Last summer, he opened camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, put there by coach Mike Tomlin after he failed the run test on the first day.

Friday, Hampton passed that same run test, even though he said he is in the same kind of shape as he was at the start of camp last year. Why did he pass a test he did not one year ago?

"I just felt like doing it," Hampton said. "I just felt like making it."

Last year "I just didn't want to do it, so I didn't do it."

Hampton defended his training schedule, even if it does not coincide with the wishes of his coach. He said he does not like to beat himself up in the spring and prefers to ease into camp and get ready for the season gradually.

"I rest in the offseason, man. My thing is, I wait until like three, four weeks before training camp and then I work out. That's what I've always done. I rest my body, get my body half ready and then use training camp to get ready for the season.

"It's too much, all that banging on your body, especially the position I play. I'm not for the workout in March, April and May hard-hard-hard, for what? It doesn't make any sense. Coaches say that's when you win. I don't feel like you win games then. That's my opinion."

The 6-foot-1 Hampton, who is listed on the training-camp roster as weighing 325 pounds, never has been one to be pinned down on how much he weighs.

"It fluctuates," he said. "Nobody never knows my weight. I can make it look good or make it look bad."

The Steelers' run test Friday consisted of a series of 100-yard runs. But Hampton said, in a game, "If I have to run 100 yards, there's something wrong."

Hampton and safety Ryan Clark, each entering the final year of his contract, reacted in similar manner to Steelers President Art Rooney's statement to the Post-Gazette Friday that the team might not be able to sign any more players to contract extensions this year because they have little room left under the salary cap.

"I don't really worry about that kind of stuff, I just play," Hampton said. "If they ain't got none, they ain't got none, what do you want me to do? I can't do nothing about it. I got no control of it.

"You never know what's going to happen, but we'll see. I'm not worried about it. I want to be here, I'd love to be here, but, if not, it's a business, and whatever happens is going to happen."

Said Clark, "There's nothing I really can have any control over. I'm not used to being taken care of, I'm not used to being the guy they care enough about to get it done, so it's not painful to me.

"You look at it like, OK, this may be your last year with this team, these guys, so you cherish it and have a good time."

Darnell Stapleton, the starting right guard last season, was at center yesterday for Justin Hartwig, who has a sore toe. Trai Essex ran with the first team at right guard.

Many believe Stapleton, who played center at Rutgers, is more natural for that position, including Hampton, who plays over the center on defense.

"No question," Hampton said. "I think he can get it done.

Linebacker Lawrence Timmons quit the afternoon practice early because of cramps. ... Former Steelers linebacker Earl Holmes is working as a coaching intern with the linebackers and will be joined by former teammate Levon Kirkland today. ... Daniel Sepulveda's leg looks like it is healthy and more as he boomed punts high and deep. ... Despite hamstring injuries, safety Troy Polamalu and cornerback Deshea Townsend practiced, and tight end Heath Miller, who had hernia surgery in June, ran some routes in individual drills. ... Offensive tackle Jason Capizzi also is working at guard.