Welcome to Pittsburgh, and just take me through the process of how you now became a stealer?
Was able to you know, hit your agency have the opportunity, and you know what better organization to be a part of than to put that still on you your chest, so you know it w it was kind of a no braining if presented the opportunity. I always wanted to be a stealer. I to be honest, It's it's just a it's just a pleasus to guard cause he put me here at the right time. And you know, I'm I'm ecstatic about it, uh me and my family and I'm just ready to get to work.
Why did you say you always wanted to be a stealer?
Just because the foundation that's being laid way before me, Uh like all the uh still a long. I just knew what the pillars of being a stealer was all about, you know, and uh, you know the city of Pittsburgh already, UH always heard like how blue collar was, and that's that's how I always, you know, was raised and uh just hard working. And it was just like man like got the opportunity, it was like a dream come true. So I was ready to just come and be a part of the family.
What do you know specifically about this defense that they currently have.
Obviously they got a lot of new you know stuff with their defense, but at the same time, just they out there enjoying playing football, you know, they all playing with each other, enjoying doing what they doing. They led, well, I'm just trying to come here. First, get my teammates trust, get my coaches trust, do whatever I need to do to get their trust, and then from that standpoint, you know, just earn the right to you know, be a stealer.
Take me through what type of linebacker you are that Steelers fans can expect to see.
I think they're they can expect the type of linebacker that's gonna do his job. Do it well, do what my coaches aks me to do, through what my team expect me to do. I'm very aggressive. I love to hit, I love to run, I love to cover. I just love to play football. That's what being a Stiller is all about. You got guys out there that love playing for each other, love playing for the city of Pittsburgh, you know. So it's just like it's no better feelings.
So what you're getting out of me it's a guy that's ready to adapt to the foundation that was already laid.
In terms of when you were in New England. I had read that Dante high Tower used to call you guys the Boogeyman. What did it take to be in that group?
Yeah, So when the Boogeyman came about, it's just you know, every year, you know, something is different about your defense, something is different about the people that's on it, and sometimes the scheme is different. So for that particular year, like we was able to end the OTAs and training camp, we just start calling each other the Boogieyman, you know, because you never knew what you was gonna get out of who because we had so many different nuances of
that defense back then. So you know, we just created that, uh identity like you never know who's gonna sack you, You never know who's gonna run stuff, you never know who's gonna catch interception, and so for quarterbacks and running backs and even Olana like, yeah, you don't know who coming, so we just popping up on you like the Boogeyman, you know, And that's how it kind of came about.
I like that last for you, you have caught a touchdown pass from Tom Brady. Explain your stint on offense and is that something that you want to continue well with that.
I just think it was just being a good teammate. You know, we had I was a captain at that time. We had a lot of guys go down from a fullback standpoint, so it was kind of like, hey, you know, I was just trying to help out and I had a certain play that I went out for a route and it was just so happy that we came back to Toime was like, hey, he was wide open, So I'm gonna call the player again in the second half. If you open, I'm throwing you the ball.
I don't Does it make you nervous?
Nah, not really, you're excited. I kind of was like, yeah, I he gonna throw the ball, you know, but I was like, okay, like and he threw it cause I even it's funny cause I joked through it him about it. I was like, you threw it, i'm'a sco and he was like alright and kind of laughed. He said alright, and I I was actually joking and he threw it. I turned, I said, oh, yeah, I'm gonna scow like I I didn't care who was around. I was going score,
so nah, it w It was funny. But that was just me just being a great teammate and at that time, that's what the team needed and stuff like that. So you know, I was like, you know, I still had my defensive role and I was able to help my team and be on the offensive side.
That's very cool. Thank you very much for your time.
Oh most definitely