Cobi Hamilton makes most of opportunity with Steelers
PITTSBURGH 鈥� In a strange turn of events, Cobi Hamilton was actually rushing to catch a flight back to his hometown of Texarkana, Texas on Wednesday afternoon. A year ago at this time, Hamilton wanted to be anywhere but.
No offense to his mother, of course, but Hamilton says he always knew he should be an NFL wide receiver, not a 25-year-old living with his mother.
鈥淚 look back and feel like I should have been in this spot four years ago, but everyone has a different story, a different journey to get to where they want to go and this is continuing to be mine,鈥� Hamilton said before the Steelers went their separate ways for the bye week.
Just a dozen days ago, Hamilton had been one of the 10 nameless, faceless guys on the Steelers鈥� 10-man practice squad, a player you see in the locker room during the week but not on Sundays.
But with three of their five wide receivers either sidelined or limited by injury, a predicament as tough as any that receivers coach Richard Mann says he has seen in his 30-plus years in the NFL this early in a season, the Steelers turned to Hamilton just 24 hours before facing the Dolphins in Miami.
Since being promoted to the 53-man roster, Hamilton has five catches on eight targets for 72 yards (14.4 yards per catch) and a touchdown against the Dolphins. His 72 yards are the third-most on the Steelers the past two games. Not that he鈥檚 satisfied.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of stuff I can do better,鈥� Hamilton said. 鈥淲orking on my details, especially at the pro level and in a professional manner. Just details of my route running and the concepts. I鈥檓 a long way to where I want to be, but I鈥檓 right where I thought I would be, if that makes sense.鈥�
It does. For Hamilton, it鈥檚 been the culmination of four years of hard work after many doors have closed in his face.
Since being selected in the sixth round of the 2013 draft out of Arkansas by the Cincinnati Bengals, Hamilton bounced around four different organizations (Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Miami and Carolina), landing on the practice squads of the Bengals and Eagles. The closest he came to game action was being promoted to the 53-man roster for Cincinnati鈥檚 2014 wild-card game against Indianapolis when he was a game-day inactive. Last season he spent time at home in Texarakana, working out and plotting a return to the NFL. After being released by the Panthers out of training camp this summer, he was signed by the Steelers on Aug. 5.
Though he spent the first five weeks on the Steelers鈥� practice squad, he said he never was discouraged and practiced as if he was going to play.
鈥淚 still made plays, still going against the same DBs that go out there on Sundays,鈥� Hamilton said. 鈥淛ust go out there and compete. That鈥檚 all you can do.鈥�
Besides his length (6-feet-2 and 201 pounds), Hamilton had a few other things going for him: One is confidence. Hamilton doesn鈥檛 lack for it. Secondly, he鈥檚 learned from some of the best offensive minds in the game.
At Cincinnati, he was coached by Hue Jackson and, before that, Jay Gruden, the latter of whom worked with Mann in Tampa Bay. Many of the same concepts that Gruden preaches, Mann does too.
鈥淚 think from the time we got him in camp and to the present, he鈥檚 come a long ways,鈥� said Mann, an Aliquippa native. 鈥淭he kid, the young man I should say, has been around a little bit. He has some recall from other systems, has been a quick study and has had some success and has a little swagger about him. The confidence is there, we just have to keep it going. There鈥檚 nothing like competition.鈥�
With receiver Sammie Coates limited by a finger injury, Hamilton has worked the same part of the field that Coates normally would have.
鈥淗e鈥檚 been in the league four years, you always have to be ready in this league,鈥� Coates said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 an NFL player. He鈥檚 a great player. He鈥檚 capable of helping us.鈥�
When the Steelers get Coates and Markus Wheaton back to health and Eli Rogers out of Mike Tomlin鈥檚 doghouse, which could be as early as Week 9 at Baltimore, there likely won鈥檛 be room for Hamilton. Not that that small detail is going to change anything for Hamilton. He鈥檒l keep working as hard in practice as he had been. Anything to keep him in Pittsburgh.
鈥淛ust make plays,鈥� Hamilton said. 鈥淚 was home this time last year. Anytime I get to make a play and show people what I can do, that鈥檚 what I want to do.
鈥淚鈥檓 just taking full advantage of every opportunity I鈥檝e got.鈥�