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Maybe he sounds like Ollie North, but Steelers new special teams coach Kevin Spencer prefers comparing himself to Bill Belichick, the coach of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.

Ask him about the Steelers' horrible special teams play of 2001, and Spencer pleads ignorance. After all, what do you want from him? He was in Indianapolis when the special teams units helped unravel the Steelers' season.

"I wasn't here, so I'm not going to comment on stuff that I wasn't involved in," Spencer said. "I learned that from coach Belichick, not really Ollie North. Talk to me about next year. Don't talk to me about last year."

Yes, but it's last year's special teams that need fixing. And it's Spencer's job to fix them.

The first serious makeovers will come in the draft next Saturday and Sunday when the Steelers will not be looking for starters — almost every job is nailed down on a team that lost only inside linebacker Earl Holmes from its top 22 players. Instead, the Steelers will draft with an eye toward the future and stockpiling depth at positions that, coincidentally, produce good special teams players: defensive back, linebacker and wide receiver.

Finding that player requires no special formula, Spencer said.

"I don't think there's any wild man Tasmanian devil you're looking for," he said. "Hey, is the guy a good player or is he not a good player? If he's a good player and he has heart and he's going to work and he's really going to ply his trade, he'll be a good special teams player."

The Steelers seemed to lack playmakers on special teams last season — offensively and defensively — and as a result were victims of incredibly bad luck and careless play. Opponents scored five touchdowns against special teams, including two blocked field goals (one in the AFC Championship game against the Patriots), two punt returns (with one also in the title game) and a kickoff return. Former special teams coach Jay Hayes was fired two days after the end of the season, and strong safety Lee Flowers, a former special teams ace, indicated that starters would be willing to help out this season.

Spencer, who was an assistant under Belichick in Cleveland, said such a drastic measure hasn't come up in his conversations with coach Bill Cowher, but he didn't rule it out.

"It's too early," Spencer said. "I don't feel the need at this point to go in and say, 'Look, (two-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker) Jason Gildon has to play on four of the six phases (of special teams).' I'm not going to do that.

"I know that you need help sometimes and what I mean by help is, it's not that the young guys can't get it done. It's just that everybody has to contribute and some greater than others."

Whether it's starters or backups who are covering and returning kicks, Spencer wants them to realize such often-overlooked contributions matter just as much as the rest of the game.

"You can only put 22 guys on the field (on regular downs)," he said. "Of the other men who make up the (53-man roster), you have to bring something to the table. Everybody has to contribute."

Spencer said that young players wanting to earn a job with the Steelers this season must willingly embrace special teams. Those who don't eventually will be asked to leave.

"Don't cry on my shoulder come final cut day and now all of a sudden you realize how important it was," he said. "It will be made perfectly clear to them. If you're a smart guy and you want to make a good living, you figure it out real quick."

Aside from stopping the other team from scoring, the Steelers will be looking for some impact in the return game. The team scored no touchdowns on punts or kickoff returns last season. Troy Edwards and Hank Poteat are back, but their jobs are far from secure.

"I evaluated both guys coming out of college, and coming out of college, I think, they displayed big-play potential," Spencer said. "I still think that exists in those guys. It's not like the cookie jar is empty, that's for sure."

But he added, "Whether or not, those are the guys who line up, I don't know."

The Steelers could find a good returner in the first round if they pick Florida cornerback Lito Sheppard, who led the Southeastern Conference in punt returns two years ago (with a 14-yard average and two touchdowns). Nebraska cornerback Keyuo Craver blocked four kicks in his career, and averaged 11.7 yards on punt returns last season. If Auburn wide receiver Tim Carter slips into the third round — and the Steelers already have addressed other needs — he could compete for a kickoff return job next summer in training camp.

All three players also could compete for playing time on the regular downs before the end of the season.

The Steelers seldom use draft picks on punters and returners, and don't expect that trend to change. Kicker Todd Peterson and punter Josh Miller are here to stay for a long, long time.

Peterson, who was given a four-year, $3.925 million contract to replace Kris Brown, is the experienced kicker that Spencer believes the Steelers need.

"The obvious thing that jumps out at you is (Peterson) is an (eight-year) veteran," Spencer said. "He's kicked in tough situations, game-ending deals. He's not going to be in awe of the environment and circumstances.

"When you have a team that's as good as this football team is, it's really hard to put all that pressure on a young guy who's never done it before."

Spencer calls Miller "one of the elite punters in the league. I don't know if he's one or he's two."

"Similar to Todd, he's been through the wars. He's kicked in Three Rivers, he's kicked here, he's kicked in Cleveland. He's kicked in some tough environments. I know (Cowher) was very demanding of him early in his career, and he's weathered that storm. Coach can get after you, I'm pretty sure, and probably make a lesser man wilt and Josh didn't. He excelled."