LATROBE, Pa. -- Right tackle Marvel Smith apologized Wednesday to the Pittsburgh Steelers for his marijuana arrest, then promised that it won't be a distraction during one of their most-watched training camps since the 1970s.

Smith appeared nervous and fidgety as he talked publicly for the first time since his July 12 arrest in a Tempe, Ariz., hotel room, saying he was embarrassed by what happened and, just as much, the reaction to it.

Steelers hire first full-time female trainer

LATROBE, Pa. -- Ariko Iso was hired Wednesday by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an assistant athletic trainer, making her the NFL's first full-time female trainer. Iso spent the last five seasons as the head football trainer at Portland State. She gained NFL experience by working as an intern at the Steelers' last two training camps. Before taking the job with the Portland State football team, Iso worked with the women's basketball team, wrestling team and track and field squad during six years at the school. She will be responsible for assisting Steelers trainer John Norwig and the team's medical staff in all training areas. -- The Associated Press

With nearly their entire team back -- a rarity in the salary-cap era -- after going 13-3 last season, the Steelers are widely considered the AFC preseason favorite. Having one of their key players arrested less than two weeks ago wasn't exactly the ideal way to start camp.

"Yeah, it's real embarrassing,'' Smith said. "It's an embarrassment to the entire Steelers organization and the city.''

Smith denied smoking marijuana when he was taken into custody, saying, "I had nothing to do with what was going on. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time for the most part.''

But he understands that the incident couldn't have come at a much worse time and that coach Bill Cowher was especially angered by it.

"I made a poor decision in regards to who I was with and where I was at the time, but I accept full responsibility and all the consequences that are going to come to me,'' Smith said. "I'm looking forward to putting it behind me and getting along with the season.''

It certainly was a contrast in emotions for the Steelers' two Smith starters on the first day of camp; as Marvel Smith was apologizing, defensive end Aaron Smith was celebrating his $24 million, five-year contract extension.

But after one of the busiest and, certainly, the most expensive offseason in team history, with Aaron Smith, Alan Faneca, Joey Porter, Jason Gildon, Tommy Maddox and Amos Zereoue among those locked into new contracts, the money may have run out.

Director of football operations Kevin Colbert said there are no ongoing contract negotiations with safety Lee Flowers and left tackle Wayne Gandy, whose contracts end after this season.

Colbert also said he doesn't expect any such talks now that camp has opened.

"We feel good that we signed some of the players going into the last year of their contracts and securing a good bit of this team for more than one season and more than one run (at a Super Bowl),'' Colbert said. "We have a good number of players back from last year's team and, hopefully, we can take the next step.

"But we've said all along that we can't sign everybody.''

The Steelers return all but one key starter from a year ago: linebacker Earl Holmes, who was replaced by Jets free agent James Farrior. Right guard Rich Tylski signed with New England, but the Steelers have Oliver Ross, who started the second half of the season, and first-round draft pick Kendall Simmons to replace him.

Now, Jerome Bettis said, the Steelers need only to get back the sense of urgency that transformed them from a team that missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons into one seemingly capable of winning a Super Bowl.

"We know we have the pieces, that's evident,'' he said. "The question going into this camp is whether we can create the same chemistry; can everybody play at the same level we played at last year.

"In this business, that's the hardest thing to do. That's why this camp is important.''

Bettis insisted that he is ready to go after a groin injury sidelined him from early December on, except for nine ineffective carries in the AFC title game loss to New England.

The injury took weeks to heal, and Bettis said that his offseason training program was difficult at times.

"It was up and down; there were a few dog days in training, but, in terms of my health, it wasn't a problem,'' he said.

The Steelers take the field for the first time Thursday afternoon for the series of 14 40-yard sprints that traditionally open camp, followed by two-a-day drills Friday -- the first day the camp is open to the public.

"A lot of people are going to be hurting tomorrow,'' linebacker Joey Porter said. "But we'll get to see where everybody's at and how hard they worked in the offseason.''