Steelers’ sleepers are woke
LATROBE — Mike Hilton kind of appeared out of nowhere.
Not in a global — or big picture — sense, but on this play:
Rookie quarterback Joshua Dobbs didn’t see Hilton, or thought his throw cleared him. It did not. Hilton leaped, plucked and pulled the ball down for a spectacular interception in a clearing that did not include a receiver.
“He got up there,” said linebacker Tyler Matakevich, who shook his head in admiration. “He just got up there. He’s doing an excellent job.”
Has been since spring practices when Hilton was named the Steelers’ sleeper to watch at training camp by none other than Maurkice Pouncey.
There was another diminutive type who came out of the spring as a potential camp sleeper. Trey Williams brought a bundle of energy and a frenetic quickness that’s been evident through the early part of training camp.
Both players officially stand at under 5 feet 9. Hilton is a 5-8 3/4, 184-pounder who played opposite Senquez Golson at Ole Miss and also spent time at safety. Hilton intercepted six passes, broke up 24, made 226 tackles and forced four fumbles. He also received the immense distinction of wearing Chucky Mullins’ No. 38 jersey in 2015 after winning the school’s Chucky Mullins Courage Award.
Hilton was part of the Steelers’ practice squad late last year, so he’s known to the veterans, who respect his work ethic and playmaking ability. And now Hilton’s seeing time as the first-team slot cornerback when Will Gay needs a rest.
“H’s very physical for his size, good footwork and a smart football player,” said cornerback Ross Cockrell.
“Mike, he’s making plays,” said Matakevich. “You turn on the film, he’s all over the place. You’ve got to love guys like that.”
Matakevich is one of those guys. Last year’s seventh-rounder made the team and is now the top replacement at both inside linebacker positions. He’s also spent practice time chasing down “guy like that” in Williams, the 5-7 1/2, 200-pound running back.
“He’s very, very athletic and very shifty in open space,” Matakevich said. “You can’t give him too much space.”
Williams was often given too much space at Texas A&M, where he matriculated after being named the Texas High School 5A Offensive Player of the Year. He played in all 13 games at Johnny Manziel’s A&M as a true freshman in 2012, and that begat a three-year stat line that reads 6.6 yards per carry, 10.3 yards per reception and 24.1 yards per kickoff return.
Williams ran a 4.49 40 at the NFL Combine with a darting 6.84 3-cone time, and draft analyst Nolan Nawrocki wrote that Williams is a “Gadget back and dynamic return specialist who can carve a role as a creative make-you-miss specialty runner.”
Always looking for that type, the Steelers missed on Chris Rainey (5-9, 180) and Dri Archer (5-8, 173), but Williams packs a wallop at 200 pounds in a way 5-7, 190-pound Joe Morris did back in the 1980s for the New York Giants.
Not that Williams remembers the two-time Pro Bowler.
“No sir,” said Williams. “But I did grow up looking at Walter Payton’s and Barry Sanders’ highlights, just trying to simulate what they did and take some of the things and use it to my advantage.”
Does it work?
“He’s a physical runner,” said Cockrell.
And as a receiver, Williams made the veteran Steelers linebackers look foolish in Thursday’s coverage drill.
As a specialist, Williams was recently thrown into the punt-returners derby along with Eli Rogers and Demarcus Ayers.
As a person, Williams is polite off the field but loud on it. After a big gain in the open field Wednesday ended with a ferocious collision between two safeties, Williams popped up, got in his tacklers’ faces and roared, “Let’s GO!!”
“He’s definitely got a little intensity to him,” said Matakevich. “He’s got a pit bull mentality.”
While both Williams and Hilton epitomize the cliched sportswriting description of “football players,” both are — and they’ve heard it before — a tad small.
“Size doesn’t matter,” said Hilton. “If you’ve got the ability and the heart to play this game, you belong. Trey feels the same way. We’re both confident in what we can do and how we can contribute to the team.”
“I feel like being my size, you’ve got to be 10 times as aggressive,” said Williams. “People are going to underestimate you, and that’s the thing. We actually have an advantage because they understimate you because of your size. But you get out there and give 110 percent, like Mike said, and you give your all and there’s no difference.
“Hey, I come from contact. I come from tough football. I know what a hard hit is. But that’s just like picking up a block. It’s nothing.”
While Hilton is the humble profile of what the late Chucky Mullins meant to Ole Miss, Williams is the roaring little man with the big chip on his shoulder. At least on the field.
“For sure, man. I’m going to make sure you know who I am by the end of the day,” Williams said. “But this is my third camp, sixth team. I’m just hoping to stick here. I love this team. I love the spot. I love Coach Tomlin. Great guy. My running backs coach, Coach Sax, he’s doing his best to keep me up on pass pro and just doing the little things right, and I appreciate everything that these guys are doing for me with the opportunity.”
Hilton and Williams are different, but at the same time very similar. Similar to not only each other, but to so many of the under-the-radar football players the Steelers have taken a chance on.
“Oh, absolutely,” said Matakevich. “The undersized guys just making plays? How can you not like them? You love that.”