Golson expects to live up to promise
PITTSBURGH 鈥� Senquez Golson feels good.
During the rare times that he plays.
Not that he鈥檚 completely off the Steelers鈥� radar, but he is 鈥� at second-team nickel, or No. 6 if you鈥檙e counting individual cornerbacks 鈥� lower on the depth chart than perhaps at any point in his playing career since his first week at Ole Miss.
Even that year, Golson went on to play all 12 games with four starts.
Golson would take that in a minute this year, and then get on his knees and thank God in the next, because right now he鈥檚 buried and pretty much forgotten. Not that he didn鈥檛 see it coming.
GM Kevin Colbert said in February, after Golson concluded his second consecutive season on Injured Reserve, that the Steelers weren鈥檛 going to depend on their 2015 second-round draft pick this year. As Colbert put it, 鈥渁ny time a defensive back 鈥� gets a foot injury, you鈥檙e a little concerned. Does he go from a 4.4 to a 4.45, or a 4.5? We won鈥檛 know that until we see him out there, so I鈥檓 a little more apprehensive.鈥�
After three OTA practices, Golson said he鈥檚 feeling 鈥減retty much 100 percent ready to go鈥� following his recovery from a Lisfranc injury 鈥� suffered the first week of last year鈥檚 training camp 鈥� that wiped out his 2016 season. His 2015 season was wiped out by a shoulder injury suffered in the spring.
Does he still consider himself a rookie? Or a third-year veteran?
鈥淚 don鈥檛 even know,鈥� Golson said with a laugh. 鈥淚鈥檓 just blessed to be here and happy to be back out here.鈥�
Golson does feel blessed. That鈥檚 why he鈥檚 not worrying about the extraeneous details a group of reporters seemed most interested in the other day.
For the record, he鈥檚 up 12 pounds to 188, doesn鈥檛 feel he鈥檚 lost any quickness or agility, is No. 6 behind the starting three from last year, free agent Coty Sensabaugh and third-year newcomer and street free agent Greg Ducre, and is working second in the slot behind 32-year-old Will Gay.
But that only means Golson could skyrocket into the starting nickel lineup at any time, as long as he stays healthy.
To that end, fingers are crossed.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 really get into the whole 鈥業鈥檓 forgotten鈥� thing,鈥� Golson said. 鈥淚鈥檓 just all about producing, playing.鈥�
Does anyone on the staff talk to him about the future? Is he thick in their plans?
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we have too much conversation,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n my mind, if I produce, I play.鈥�
And there鈥檚 time.
Golson was an outside zone corner at Ole Miss, where he intercepted 10 passes as a senior and 16 over four years. Injuries derailed his career, even though there was hope he could return in the middle of last season.
The Steelers had kept a roster spot open for him, but the plan was scuttled Oct. 8 when the Steelers had a numbers crunch and couldn鈥檛 afford the roster luxury. They put him on IR. He said he couldn鈥檛 have played later anyway.
鈥淢e and the screws just disagreed,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚 got the (two) screws taken out. No metal in me now.鈥�
Late last season, Golson began running. It lasted for three weeks as the screws pinched every time he cut. They were taken out the day after the Super Bowl and Golson said he 鈥渇elt instant relief.鈥�
He did experience some discomfort a few weeks ago but said he鈥檚 full speed now.
鈥淭here was general soreness,鈥� he said of his early workouts. 鈥淏ut at this point I鈥檓 ready to go.鈥�
Does he understand his place deep down on the depth chart?
鈥淵eah. It鈥檚 the reality,鈥� he said. 鈥淛ust like if any other guy missed two years, that鈥檚 the reality of it. I just gotta do what I gotta do.鈥�
Can an outside zone corner become an inside slot with the increased man-to-man coverage duties that both Mike Tomlin and Carnell Lake are expecting this season?
鈥淭hat鈥檚 definitely the plan,鈥� Golson said. 鈥淏ut it won鈥檛 make a difference to me where I line up. I can play inside or out, zone or man.鈥�
And, finally, can he fulfill the high hopes the Steelers once had in him as their second-round pick?
鈥淵eah,鈥� Golson said. 鈥淗ealthy, I鈥檓 still the same guy they drafted. That鈥檚 just what I think.鈥�