Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor missed the first week of OTA practices, but he was present on Tuesday for the start of the week number two. Taylor said that he was finishing up his training last week in Florida with trainer Tom Shaw and he talked about what he focused on this offseason during his workouts.
“Just switching out as far as lifting-wise,” said Taylor, who has trained with Shaw for several offseasons now. “Still going through the same routine as far as coach Shaw, but started lifting a little bit heavier. I’m feeling a little bit stronger. I felt the last couple years like I wasn’t lifting like I should have been, so just being strong and at the same time trying to maintain in that.”
With Tuesday being his first day back, Taylor was asked to give his thoughts on the defense that now includes several new faces.
“Super-duper fast,” he said. (Cornerback) William Gay texted me all last week saying, ‘Hey man, I’m telling you it’s like a track meet on defense, from the defensive line all the way back to the secondary. These boys are running.’ When you look at it on the field and you actually play with them, you can see that they are running.”
Taylor is coming off of a 2013 season that could easily be described as one of the worst of his career and he was asked to characterize it during his talk with the media.
“So-so year, but hell, if you play long enough you’re going to have a so-so year, too,” said Taylor. “But I didn’t like that. I understood that. I had to be honest with myself. Regardless of what it is in life, you have to get better.”
With Taylor now entering his 12th year in the league, he was asked if he thinks he has something to prove this year and his response wasn’t very surprising at all.
“I feel like that every year,” he said. “Regardless of what kind of year we had, I had, I feel I have to prove my love to football every year.”
