It's not every game that the loudest ovation is reserved for the punter.

But that was the case last week when Daniel Sepulveda, who missed the 2008 season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, made his return in the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals.

"How could I not hear it?" Sepulveda said. "It was a warm welcome, a welcome home."

The cheer got even louder when Sepulveda boomed a high 46-yard punt that was caught and downed at the Cardinals' 15. What did Sepulveda think the ovation signified?

"It's a reassurance of the fact, and more evidence of the fact, that we have the best fans in the world," he said. "They pay so much attention to even the most minute details of this team. Special teams sometimes get overlooked a little, especially by the fan base when there are bigger things to worry about. But they were paying attention."

While Sepulveda is right, the warm reception also served as something of a collective sigh of relief that the Steelers hopefully will not have to endure what they did last season after Sepulveda was injured.

Mitch Berger (41.3) and Paul Ernster (31.6) combined to average 39.8 yards per punt, which ranked 30th in the NFL.

Sepulveda averaged 49.5 yards on six punts against the Cardinals, though he continues to wear a protective brace on his right knee -- his plant leg.

"It's preventive," he said of the brace. "Do I need it? No. Am I going to wear it? Yeah. I'll wear it for a year and that will be it."

Rookie free-agent place-kicker Piotr Czech endeared himself to his training-camp teammates when he kicked a 52-yard field goal, ending afternoon practice a half-hour early.

"He saved the guys about 30 minutes of sweat," coach Mike Tomlin said. "Thankfully for him, he delivered. I hate to think what would have happened to him if he didn't."

Defensive end Aaron Smith was given the afternoon off and cornerback Anthony Madison was excused because of a death in his family. Wide receiver Shaun McDonald, who was kicked in the calf, and running back Frank Summers (groin) did not practice. Tomlin said both players should return today.

Running back Mewelde Moore (hamstring) continues to be out, though Tomlin said he is getting closer to returning.

Wide receiver Hines Ward could only shake his head and marvel at Usain Bolt's world-record time of 9.58 seconds in the 100-meter dash. That's because Ward's speed is probably closer to Tommy Bolt.

"Man, I wish I had that speed," Ward said.

Then he added: "Of course you would love it, but in this game you need to have great hips and footwork to get in and out of routes. You can take a fast guy, like Bolt, he can run only one way. I'll take a guy with quickness who has great route running ability over speed."

But 9.58?

"That's just crazy," Ward said. "That would be great to have that speed."

With their stay at Saint Vincent College ending this week, the players held their annual rookie skit night after practice Sunday, and the star was free-agent linebacker Andy Schantz.

With an area in the cafeteria set up like a bathroom, Schantz pretended to be kicker Jeff Reed and re-enacted the February night when Reed was charged with disorderly conduct and criminal mischief for abusing a paper-towel dispenser in a Sheetz convenience store.

"It was pretty hilarious," Reed said. "He should be an aspiring actor. He sang, he rapped for us, he did a lot of stuff. Without him [the show] would have been pretty weak. He got me pretty good.

"But, you know, if you're going to dish, you got to be able to take."

Cornerback Deshea Townsend, the longest tenured member of the defense, is the latest to campaign for defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau's induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

He said he couldn't agree more with Rod Woodson, who used his acceptance speech in Canton, Ohio, to implore voters to put LeBeau in the Hall of Fame as a player and coach.

"I'm totally with him," Townsend said. "We need coach LeBeau in there. You think of the Hall of Fame, you think of the things that have changed this game and he has really changed this game."