Edmunds in line to make instant impact
LATROBE 鈥� Terrell Edmunds was talking to a reporter after yet another day of practicing with the Steelers鈥� first-team defense at strong safety, the position Troy Polamalu played, the position this year鈥檚 first-round draft pick appears to have no problem holding down.
That could make him different from Polamalu right away. Polamalu didn鈥檛 start a game as a rookie.
But here鈥檚 young Edmunds making it look easy with three interceptions, maybe a touchdown, and some brutish run forces on outside plays.
Edmunds is having a bit of a camp thus far.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a guy we鈥檙e really going to count on,鈥� said nickel cornerback Mike Hilton. 鈥淗e鈥檚 going to make a lot of plays for us.鈥�
Edmunds is also humbled, no, embarassed at the invocation of the guy鈥檚 name who wore No. 43.
鈥淭roy, he鈥檚 a great player,鈥� said Edmunds. 鈥淚鈥檓 just trying to step in and try to do my own thing, try to make my own legacy, try to play my game.鈥�
Does he hear that name, from coaches, teammates?
鈥淣o, and I don鈥檛 want to hear anything,鈥� Edmunds said. 鈥淓verybody鈥檚 just trying to get better out here.鈥�
Edmunds does wear 34, so that鈥檚 a bit different. But the hair does flow from the helmet and plays are being made.
Someone approached for 34鈥檚 helmet and gear. It was a rookie paying his respects to Edmunds and hauling it up the hill as Edmunds continued his interview. He was asked about the first few practices, when he didn鈥檛 make any plays.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 make a play?鈥� Edmunds asked, as another player, 10 yards away, overhead and hooted at the reporter.
Edmunds was again embarrassed.
鈥淣o, I made a play,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t just probably wasn鈥檛 no big-time, pop-out play. I was still making plays.鈥�
And then he cut in front of Vance McDonald the other day to intercept Ben Roethlisberger and run with it down the sideline, and everyone noticed. It was one of those big-time, pop-out plays that Pro Bowl Steelers strong safeties have made on the way to every Super Bowl appearance.
鈥淚 feel as if I鈥檓 learning everything,鈥� Edmunds said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 coming together. Playing team ball.鈥�
He would have to be. Veterans laughing at reporters on his behalf. Rookies carrying his gear. Edmunds is a rookie for crying out loud.
鈥淚 show respect to other guys, too,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚f they need me to take their stuff from them, I take it from them. It鈥檚 not like I鈥檓 trying to be that top-tier guy who thinks people should take their stuff. I show respect to other people, so they show respect to me. I鈥檓 just trying to be that guy in the locker room.鈥�
It鈥檚 being noticed.
鈥淢an, he鈥檚 a really good player,鈥� said cornerback Joe Haden. 鈥淚 think that real ballplayers get better when they put the pads on, and he鈥檚 one of those dudes. He鈥檚 physical. I love the way he does it. He doesn鈥檛 say too much. He just learns and tries to go hard and whatever coaches say, he doesn鈥檛 give feedback he鈥檚 just really trying to get it. He鈥檚 doing a really good job now with the ones. He鈥檚 usually back there with me. We have really good communication. He鈥檚 been making plays on the ball. He just has to keep his nose and keep grinding, and he鈥檚 going to be good.鈥�
They came right at Edmunds on Thursday. He鈥檚 replaced free-agent acquisition Morgan Burnett (hamstring) since early in camp, and it appeared Mike Tomlin wanted to find out whether to begin thinking seriously about Edmunds winning that job. Three of the first four plays of the Seven Shots series from the 2-yard line went at Edmunds. He held his own.
To wit:
1. Jesse James beat both starting safeties, more so Nat Berhe, for a touchdown from Roethlisberger.
2. Darrius Heyward-Bey was the bottom of a two-WR crossing pattern and he beat Edmunds for a score.
3. Edmunds batted away a quick slant to Jaylen Samuels.
Edmunds was frustrated by the second score because he鈥檚 been working on his inside coverage. 鈥淚f they beat me outside, I鈥檓 just going to have to use my speed and go get it,鈥� was his reasoning.
And he has that kind of speed. The 6-1, 217-pounder uses it to come up hard and stretch running plays wide before blowing up the back.
鈥淚 have my own little mentality from my brothers,鈥� he said of his practice philosophy. 鈥淲e call it two percent. Just get a little bit better at something each and every day, that the small percentage of work is eventually going to add up to the bigger picture.鈥�
Edmunds thought of it because it was half of his No. 22 in college, 鈥渂ecause you couldn鈥檛 do 22 percent, that鈥檚 just unrealistic,鈥� he said in all earnestness.
His older brother Trey plays fullback for the New Orleans Saints. His younger brother Tremaine plays linebacker for the Buffalo Bills. His father Percy was a Pro Bowl tight end for the Miami Dolphins.
Hilton, a physical presense in the secondary himself, pointed at them in praising Edmunds鈥� innate savvy.
鈥淚 think that just comes from him being a football family and being around it,鈥� Hilton said. 鈥淚t shows in the way he studies and the way he plays. He鈥檚 going to have a huge impact.鈥�
鈥淥h, definitely, said Haden. 鈥淭he ridiculous thing is, he鈥檚 a good football player, he understands ball. He鈥檚 a smart football player. He knows the checks, he knows the defenses. Now he鈥檚 just trying to get comfortable.
鈥淗e had OTAs and rookie minicamp, so he鈥檚 been out there just being able to get the calls, and now I can see he鈥檚 finally getting a little more comfortable. He鈥檚 not trying to figure out what to do, he鈥檚 figuring out his reads and his progressions. He鈥檚 moving on to the next step. The more he鈥檚 out there the more he鈥檚 able to make these mistakes, but he doesn鈥檛 make the same mistakes twice.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 getting everything down,鈥� said Edmunds. 鈥淓verything is coming well.鈥�
NOTES 鈥� Tomlin said WR Antonio Brown is being evaluated in Pittsburgh for what he called 鈥渁 day-to-day type (injury) deal,鈥� the same as LT Alejandro Villanueva (shoulder) 鈥� Burnett and FS Sean Davis are working off muscle pulls. 鈥� CB Artie Burns and WR James Washington returned. Both players had impressive Thursday practices 鈥� WR Marcus Tucker limped off the field after scoring and having his ankle rolled on. 鈥� LT replacement Chuks Okorafor struggled. 鈥� Hilton took several reps at safety with the third team to add to his versatility. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a good tackler,鈥� Tomlin said.