First, your dad said the team was showing clear interest in you early- what were they saying to you and your agent?
I didn’t have much of a connection with them before the draft really. I had a conversation with one of the scouts at the Hula Bowl but they mostly communicated with my agent. They told him they were high on me – that they liked what they saw.
What have you learned from your dad’s experience in the NFL and how surreal is it to go to the next team?
It is surreal – he was drafted around the same position I was but was traded to San Francisco. He taught me a lot about technique – and how to play violently with maximum effort.
Your parents were both great athletes – your father an NFL player of course, and mother was a volleyball player at Southeast Missouri State. How did they both influence you as an athlete?
It was always a big influence. We were an active family. My siblings all played sports and continue to do so. My older brother played soccer and my younger brother is playing football at a DII college. We were all always active in sports – it was a big part of our lives. It was something I always enjoyed – something I got to do outside of school.
What have they said about your expected role – where are they looking for you to focus on?
It doesn’t matter to me. I can do all of it. I can play inside – three-tech, four or five… I have the versatility to play anywhere on the line.
What are elements of your game you/they want to focus on most for improvement?
I want to continue to improve my run-stopping to be the best-of-the-best in that aspect of my game. I’ve been told time and time again as well that my pass rush isn’t the best – so I’m looking forward to working with some the best there is in Pittsburgh to improve in that area.
How do you work on those things?
Repetition is the big thing. Just getting the reps in and learning the tells of who I’m going up against so I know what to throw at certain players.
The technique is key – I just need to get enough reps in to be so consistent that I can’t get anything wrong.
Your injuries were the source of frustration in college – do you get the feeling of a clean slate in the NFL? How do you navigate injuries now?
It’s not on my mind now – it is a clean slate now, yeah. College was college – it doesn’t define who I am as a player. My actions on the field do. Injuries happen – they don’t define who you are. My mindset during my recovery was to get in the best shape I could be. That was always the mindset.
Your dad described you as a hard-working, violent player. You even sported that throwback facemask. How does that differentiate you do you think?
I do have a hardcore mindset – that does define me on and off the field. I’m in it – I like to play down and dirty – I like to represent that. That’s who I am as a person – it’s how I play. I’ll bring that to Pittsburgh. That’s what it means to play for that franchise. The Steelers are a violent, hard-nosed, blue-collar team. If they ask you to jump, you ask “How high?” That’s who I am and how I like to play.
With fewer reps in college than you wanted, how do you make up for that now? Do you think that gives you an edge as far as upside is concerned?
I never thought of it like that. We’re all in different parts of our careers – we’re all in different parts of our journey.
I think it can give me a hidden advantage. The trade-off is with more reps, you get more experience. But I’ve still played a lot and at a high level against some of the best college teams. Whether less reps gives me more upside…maybe. You can argue maybe it adds more wear and tear to the bodies of those other guys – maybe they wear down faster.
There’s some fun footage of you holding your own against the Ravens first-round pick, offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane. Excited to play against him again?
Absolutely. I love playing against those high draft picks. It’ll be fantastic to go against them. Iron sharpens iron as they say – it’ll only make me better.
Any vets reach out to you yet? Who are you looking forward to working with and on what specifically?
I haven’t heard from any yet – they have their own offseasons to work through. But I can’t wait to talk to Cam Heyward and see what he knows and how he got where he is. He’s a Pro Bowl player who’s been in the business a long time. I want to see how he trains and emulate what he does to get that good.
Yayha Black too. I want to see what he knows since he’s been there a minute. That gives me a fresh perspective of someone who just got there. That way I get both perspectives.
Lastly, what should we know about you that has nothing to do with football?
I’m a very simple guy. I love my family and the outdoors. I love fishing.
Trout fishing? Opening day in Pittsburgh is big…
Yeah – that’s mainly what I do! Football is still my biggest passion though. I can’t escape it- and don’t want to.