Iron sharpens iron
The upside of promised roster turnover and subsequent transition 鈥� 45 percent turnover from last season鈥檚 final game 鈥� is that Steelers training camp turned into a playground for overachievers.
They came to camp in shape, kept their mouths shut, and they put their good habits on display. Figuring out who was first-on, last-off was a futile exercise, because there were just so many of them.
But it is one of the great athletic habits, isn鈥檛 it? That鈥檚 the topic I hoped to bring up to one of the overachievers who made this Steelers team, so I figured I would ask Kion Wilson about it right after practice.
So I figured I would wait him out and catch him after all of the youngsters were done with their post-practice extra sessions, but 鈥� whoa 鈥� Wilson ran right past me, ahead of the rest of the players, and into the locker room first.
OK, first off the field today.
Did he have to go to the bathroom or something?
鈥淣o,鈥� Wilson said later with a shy smile. 鈥淚 always run off the field.鈥�
That seemed counter-intuitive to all I had watched from this hard-working, quiet and smart inside linebacker. But Wilson had a good explanation.
鈥淲henever I have an opportunity 鈥� if the coaches don鈥檛 have anything else for us 鈥� it鈥檚 something I always like to do,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 dedicate it to my brothers who passed. Ever since that day, I thank God for allowing me to have the strength to run off the field, and I dedicate that back to my brothers.鈥�
鈥淗ey, the work isn鈥檛 done,鈥� he added. 鈥淚 still come in and lift, and I still do my recovery work. I still get upstairs. But that鈥檚 just one thing that I dedicate to them.鈥�
Wilson grew up in a rough part of Miami. His father was murdered when he was three, and two of his brothers were murdered right before Kion started his senior season at South Florida.
鈥淢y older brother was the father figure,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淗e raised us. He helped pay the bills while my mom worked, as well. We were really a close-knit family. I used it as motivation that season.鈥�
And what a season it was. Wilson led South Florida in tackles, was named first-team Big East by the coaches, and was unanimously voted Defensive MVP by his teammates. And some of his defensive teammates were pretty deserving of the award themselves. In fact, Jason Pierre-Paul, Nate Allen, Jerome Murphy and George Selvie were all drafted, and all made NFL teams once again, some four years later.
Wilson wasn鈥檛 drafted, but he signed with San Diego in 2010, made the team and played in three games, and was cut the following camp. He then signed with Carolina and played in 5 games in 2011, but was cut the following camp.
With the help of a friend, Rich Martin, whom Wilson calls his 鈥淕odpop,鈥� Kion persevered through a football-less 2012 season.
鈥淚 got into insurance adjusting,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淚 had to pay bills, so I went up to New York. I worked Hurricane Sandy. I put out more money than I did bring in. My Godpop asked me to come work for him. Now, I know I had to pay bills, so I get certified, I get the license, and he helped me get everything. He kept me afloat while I was out of football. Just from the mental aspect, the physical aspect, he鈥檚 just one of the greatest leaders that I know.鈥�
Wilson got back into football when he signed with the Steelers this past January. And of course, his eight preseason tackles, a sack, two other QB pressures and most importantly his play on special teams gave him a home, the same home 鈥� Pittsburgh 鈥� that his uncle, former Pitt great Elliott Walker, had some 40 years ago.
鈥淚t is a small world,鈥� Wilson said with a chuckle. 鈥淗e鈥檚 down in Miami, working right now.鈥�
Wilson shared a story about his Uncle Elliott, who used to babysit Kion and his siblings: 鈥淗e was babysitting us, and I said, 鈥楿ncle Elliott, I want apple juice.鈥� He said, 鈥楧o you think I made it to the NFL from drinking apple juice? I used to drink hot water from the sink 鈥� scalding hot water from the sink.鈥�
鈥淪o I would go to the sink and turn the sink on until the water started coming out gray. I would get hot water and I would drink it out of the faucet, and I would say, 鈥楽ee Uncle Elliott, I鈥檓 going to make it to the NFL just like you.'鈥�
Uncle Elliott was obviously joking. But Kion wasn鈥檛.
Wilson would later move away to Jacksonville to attend high school. And while he missed his uncle, it may have been the smartest move his mother ever made. It got young Kion out of that neighborhood.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 the best area,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淚 feel like I鈥檝e been through so many things in my life to shape who I am now. I try to always remember where I am from, but I鈥檓 always striving to get better, striving to do better, striving to be better. That鈥檚 just how I look at life.鈥�
That work ethic has paid off in the past, but this time, with the Steelers, Wilson was able to add a little bit of guidance that was extremely helpful.
鈥淲hen I was out of the game last year, me and Rich would talk day in and day out about what coaches wanted,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淩ich would always keep me focused on what coaches wanted. And when coach Tomlin said 鈥榮pecial teams,鈥� that became my approach.
鈥淵ou know, that鈥檚 the funny part, because the other places I have been, it has never been said, 鈥極h we like that; we don鈥檛 like that. That鈥檚 a good job here; a bad job there.鈥� It has never been said, but here it was flat out: 鈥榃e want the guy who鈥檚 going to be the stud on special teams.鈥� And that鈥檚 it. So I took that as my approach. I took that as my fuel and knew that was the route I had to take.鈥�
Clearly, the fuel worked. And there鈥檚 just enough left to run off the field, because some fires should never be allowed to go out.