First off, what’s the off-season looking like for you?
I’m staying here in Pittsburgh. Being from Germany, I don’t have any family here so I’ll train here then visit home for 10 days. I’m just staying in shape and staying ready for next season, using the Steelers facilities to stay ready.
What have coaches told you to work on?
They told me to stay in shape. My goal is to have more of an impact on special teams. That’s how you get those last spots on the active roster. So I’m fine-tuning those skills. Danny Smith told me he has a plan for me at OTAs. I’m not sure what that will be though.
Who has helped mentor you so far – and how?
The level of ability is so different – so I needed to focus more on the little things more. In college we just had one coach – they can’t coach everyone up. In the NFL you have your position coach and the guys on the field with you. TJ and Alex pulled me aside a lot with advice.
TJ helped with my pass rush. During one game I was using speed to power a lot against a tackle, and he pulled me aside and told me since I was doing that a lot, it was a good time to let that set the tackle up for a finesse move. Those extra eyes and experience helped me with adjustments – those in-game adjustments that may a difference.
I now you were a skier in Germany and raced competitively – how did that help you as a football player/athlete?
Yeah in the offseason I do a lot of coordination and balance and quickness exercises and the skiing really helps get you ready for those movements. They really help when you have to do those quick bends and balance on the field.
How did playing for the Munich team differ from college/the NFL and how did that prepare you for college?
In Munich we didn’t have any meetings – we didn’t watch film and didn’t record those practices. Now we have more meetings than practices – that tells you how important those meetings are. I had to learn how to watch film.
So much of your start came from our athletic ability. How hard was it stop relying on athleticism and turn towards more of the technique-side the game?
It was yes. I felt like at some point I got stuck. Just the athleticism didn’t work anymore – the guy across from you was athletic too. I realized that it was the little things that help with the one-on-ones more. Realizing that made a big difference.
How did Pittsburgh discover you – were you surprised at their interest?
One of the Pittsburgh scouts ran the pro day at Charlotte – he ran the defensive line drills and gave me good feedback then. He told me he liked my effort and hustle and saw my drive to get on an NFL team.
Did other teams call you after the draft? Why choose the Steelers?
Other teams were interested yes – Pittsburgh was one of the first to reach out. My agent Marty Magid – he did a really good job advising me on where to go – where I’d fit best. It’s different than college when you go visit first and get to know the people and choose.
We chose Pittsburgh because of the defense they ran and the type of organization they are. They don’t switch coaches a lot and they give players a real chance. And having TJ and Alex there to learn from helped too.
What memories have stood out most to you of your time so far in Pittsburgh?
Getting my first sack and seeing how excited Coach Tomlin and the others players were for me was my best memory so far.
My most nerve-racking one was the rookie song. I don’t love being the center of attention – I’m glad I did it but I never want to do it again!
What did you sing?
I sang “Buy her a drink” by T-Pain. I didn’t know the lyrics. Being from Germany – I didn’t know any of it. I think I studied the lyrics more than the playbook those few days!
How did that cultural difference – being from Germany – effect you as a player?
It definitely did at first. As a foreigner going to an American college, learning a complex defense versus what we had in Germany was difficult. It took a year to really get adjusted – learning a new culture and new playbook at the same time. It’s like jumping on a moving train. I had to spend extra time studying to learn everything, Like – some of the terminology I didn’t understand at first. One of the blitz calls was “Favre”. I didn’t know that he was a quarterback -I didn’t understand that all the blitz calls were named after quarterbacks – I didn’t get that. So that made it harder at first to understand what certain words were being used for – for what types of calls. That made it harder for me to learn some things.
Any good practice squad experiences you can share?
Going up against Troy Fautanu was good – we came in together in the rookie class. We all had to look out for ourselves to make the team, but we all still helped each other too.
After I came back from my injury – that was around week eight – I went back to practice. But that was any first in-season practice – it wasn’t camp anymore. I had never done an in-season practice and that was different. You can’t really hit anyone so you have to go at full speed but still ride the brakes. That was tough – you never want to be “that guy”.
What are you hoping to accomplish this season?
I want to have an impact on special teams – to get an active roster spot. I need to improve my pass rush get-off. I just now I can’t act like I have a safe spot on the practice squad. I want to be on the active roster.
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