Whether at home in Wilmington, N.C., or at his college alma mater in Charlotte — a three-and-a-half hour commute — Alex Highsmith put in the work this summer as he prepares for his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
That carried over to his first week in his new city.
Given the chance to work out with some of his soon-to-be veteran teammates in an informal setting with a renowned defensive line coach, Highsmith leaped at the opportunity like he was vaulting an offensive lineman while in pursuit of a quarterback.
Highsmith trained alongside Cameron Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, Tyson Alualu and others under the tutelage of Brandon Jordan, one of the top defensive line coaches in the country. The group gathered over the weekend in Pittsburgh, the second time Jordan was asked to work with Steelers players.
Jordan had players work on technique, and he even had them change directions while running in a sand pit.
“It was awesome to be able to work with him,” said Highsmith, the Steelers’ third-round pick out of Charlotte. “Brandon Jordan is so good in what he teaches. He’s an exhausting guy to be around.”
Although he is transitioning from college defensive end to an outside linebacker with the Steelers, Highsmith saw value in working with the team’s other defensive linemen.
“Everything I train, I try to apply it to my game,” Highsmith said. “I don’t want to be out there just doing things that won’t help me be better at football. I want to be better at my craft and do things that will help me be better on the field.”
There weren’t many edge rushers better than Highsmith in 2019. As a redshirt senior, he ranked fourth in the country with 14 sacks and ranked fifth with 21 1/2 tackles for loss.
Highsmith, though, was drafted in the year when the coronavirus pandemic shut down all official offseason on-field work. First, rookie orientation and minicamp were canceled. Then, organized team activities were held on a virtual basis and consisted of meetings and film study.
Compounding matters, training camp was delayed, and all preseason games were canceled. Although rookies reported to Pittsburgh late last week and camp officially began Tuesday, players won’t be on the field in pads until the middle of August.
“I’m itching for it,” Highsmith said. “From the moment I got drafted, I’ve been wanting to get up here. I can’t wait to get out there. I’m excited to get back on the field. It’s been a long time coming.”
With Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt entrenched as the starting outside linebackers, Highsmith’s best shot of playing time is on special teams or whatever snaps he can earn as the top backup on defense. He will be competing with Ola Adeniyi and Tuzar Skipper for those snaps while never getting any game reps until the regular season.
Highsmith was asked on a video conference call Tuesday if he is confident he can contribute as a rookie.
“It’s still high,” he said. “It’s always been like that. My confidence hasn’t wavered because of this. I’m someone who I don’t feel gets rattled by adversity. Whatever I can do to be the best I can be. No matter the adversity, I’m going to do it.”
Highsmith plans to adhere to the NFL’s guidelines on social distancing even when he is not at Heinz Field for daily testing and workouts. Players who contract covid-19 because of “high-risk” activity can be disciplined and fined. That includes attending an indoor nightclubs, bars or house parties with more than 15 people.
“I’m not someone who really goes out,” Highsmith said. “I am a social guy, but I’m not going to put myself in a bad position to ruin the opportunity I have now. I never have been one to go to parties. Right now, football is the most important thing so I’m not going to jeopardize this opportunity by going and putting myself and others at risk.
“Not only am I putting myself at risk if I go out and do something around a lot of people, I’m putting all of the guys and everyone on staff here at risk as well.
“Putting others before myself is the mindset I’m having.”
Joe Rutter is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Joe by email at jrutter@triblive.com or via Twitter .
Categories: Sports | Steelers/NFL
"looking" - Google News
July 29, 2020 at 01:31AM
https://ift.tt/3g6MbvG
Alex Highsmith looking for all the work he can get as he preps for rookie year with Steelers - TribLIVE
"looking" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2tdCiJt
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Alex Highsmith looking for all the work he can get as he preps for rookie year with Steelers - TribLIVE"
Post a Comment