Steelers throwing Watt right into the spotlight
PITTSBURGH 鈥� There鈥檚 a row of five lockers that head into Ben Roethlisberger鈥檚 corner. Maurkice Pouncey begins the section, then an empty, and then Marcus Gilbert.
Markus Wheaton had been crammed between Gilbert and Roethlisberger, but he鈥檚 been replaced by first-round draft pick T.J. Watt.
The Steelers are throwing the kid right into the spotlight.
鈥淭.J., talking about that new contract!鈥� came the darts from the veterans.
Watt had just signed his four-year, $9.3 million contract with a $4.9 million bonus. The vets joked that Watt needed to share the wealth, regardless of the fact that he 鈥� at $2.3 million per year 鈥� was still the poor guy in that neighborhood.
How DID he end up on Hall of Famers Row?
鈥淗a, I don鈥檛 know,鈥� said the quiet and intense rookie. 鈥淚 came in and that鈥檚 where I was at.鈥�
Cameras circled him. Watt became the center of attention as the vets laughed and hooted. It was a mere taste of the media climate in this corner.
鈥淵eah, I think,鈥� he shouted over the din. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know. It鈥檚 a lot of fun in this locker room.鈥�
A quiet, serious guy, but not too serious. That seems to sum up the personality of the Steelers鈥� first-round pick.
While Watt provided little inclination to be interviewed, he thoughtfully interacts. And he remained patient through the 10,000th question about advice from his brother J.J.
鈥淛ust to stay in the playbook and learn everything you can,鈥� T.J. said, 鈥渟o when you get out there you just kind of let loose and let your natural ability 鈥� what you were born to do 鈥� let that all take over.鈥�
Watt鈥檚 also a hockey fan. Played the game while growing up in Wisconsin. Cheered for the Red Wings and Blackhawks before he began cheering for the Penguins.
鈥淚 was really happy to watch their games,鈥� he said. 鈥淭o see the Pens win the Cup was pretty impressive.鈥�
The rest of his answers 鈥� unlike his fumble return for a TD that day during the 鈥淪even Shots鈥� 2-point conversion competition 鈥� were routine:
n 鈥淚 know the playbook pretty well right now and now it鈥檚 time to take that next step and to start making plays.鈥�
n 鈥淚鈥檓 just trying to do my one-eleventh and make the defense as good as possible.鈥�
n 鈥淭here are a lot of (playbook) nuances that still are tough to understand, but I feel like I鈥檓 definitely getting the grasp and that鈥檚 allowing me to play more and more faster and to interact with those guys better.鈥�
n 鈥淚 like getting out of the city and coming back into the city and seeing it, especially coming in through the tunnel and just seeing how gorgeous this city is and seeing what it all has to offer.鈥�
His massive hands softly and routinely pull in interceptions, and his body control leaves little doubt as to why Wisconsin played Watt at tight end for two years.
Could he play that position again, in spots, one day?
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know. I don鈥檛 know,鈥� he said. 鈥淩ight now I鈥檓 just here playing linebacker and trying to do my best. When the ball鈥檚 in the air I鈥檓 just trying to go get it anyway possible.鈥�
Watt also has shown an innate quickness coming off the ball this spring. In fact, he鈥檚 been winning so many 鈥済et-off鈥� contests 鈥� as judged at the start of practices by Mike Tomlin 鈥� vets are grumbling that Watt鈥檚 replaced Lawrence Timmons as 鈥淢ike T鈥檚 favorite son.鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if it鈥檚 success or Mike T just likes him,鈥� Cameron Heyward said with a laugh.
James Harrison filled in for Tomlin on the final 鈥済et-off鈥� call of the spring. The vet tried his best not to say Watt鈥檚 name, but he had to.
鈥淗e didn鈥檛 even want to say it!鈥� Tomlin shouted. 鈥淪ee, that鈥檚 what鈥檚 been going down!鈥�
It was an admonition to all of the vets that Tomlin鈥檚 calls hadn鈥檛 been biased.
鈥淵es, he does have good get-off,鈥� Heyward admitted. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a good player. I know he鈥檚 not a finished product, but he鈥檚 got a good start. Level head on him and he鈥檚 eager to learn. That鈥檚 all you can really ask right now.鈥�
Alejandro Villanueva鈥檚 assessment of Watt 鈥� after a month of banging heads with him 鈥� was published a few days ago. But it鈥檚 too good not to run again.
鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 make mistakes,鈥� Villanueva said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 rare and very impressive. He knows how to disguise the plays. He knows his responsibilities. Then the second thing is he plays with a lot of confidence. And he plays very well with his hands. He understands protections and the offensive line, so he shows a lot of maturity that you don鈥檛 usually see. He鈥檚 also a guy who鈥檚 using moves. He鈥檚 not just relying on athleticism. He鈥檚 a very athletic kid, but he鈥檚 not relying on it. He鈥檚 really putting thought into the game, so I鈥檝e had a lot of fun going against him for the past month.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 not easy coming in and not knowing what to expect,鈥� Villanueva added. 鈥淏ut he鈥檚 just come in here and worked really hard. He doesn鈥檛 take a play off. It鈥檚 annoying to go against a guy like that, but he knows that it鈥檚 one of his strengths, like his brother, relentless. He鈥檚 got high expectations and works really hard. Because of that I predict that he鈥檚 going to be a very, very successful player in the NFL.鈥�
Underneath the hooting and hollering the veterans dish out, there鈥檚 respect for Watt. Even his salty position coach, Joey Porter, wouldn鈥檛 rule out Watt from starting ahead of Porter鈥檚 friend Harrison this season.
鈥淎s many practices as we had, I can count his mistakes on one hand. That鈥檚 rare, so I鈥檓 good with where he鈥檚 at,鈥� said Porter. 鈥淎nything going farther, we鈥檒l just see how it goes.鈥�
They have to see Watt hit. That, of course, is still a part of football.
Otherwise, this spring has been a good one for Watt, who used those first-team reps to maximize his time.
鈥淚t was good to get out there and get a lot of reps with the ones and get used to the speed of the game,鈥� Watt said. 鈥淥bviously, it鈥檚 going to change once the pads come on, but it鈥檚 good to get out there and learn the terminology. Getting thrown in there helped me weekly. Just to know the terminology and the pace of the game helps me fly around.鈥�
Flying around and making plays. Now that would make him everyone鈥檚 favorite son, even on Hall of Famer Row.