Benny Snell has already proven to be an interesting person during his short time with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Benny Snell is also a person who refers to himself as Benny Snell, in the third person, when talking about his playing style and what he brings to the table as a professional football player. I was going to refer to myself in the third person here, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. If it works for him, though, I’m not the one to judge.
And it’s not out of any kind of arrogance that Benny Snell refers to Benny Snell football. It’s pure passion. But he also has a humility about his new job and the role or roles that he might be asked to play within it.
While he certainly was a commanding runner who pretty much was the Kentucky Wildcats’ offense for three years while they turned into an actually acceptable team, winning a bowl game in 2018 in which he dominated, he just joined a team that already has a Pro Bowl running back, and a number two back who has success as a rookie a year ago—so much so that it influenced them to hire his college position coach to join their staff.
So what is Benny Snell expecting Benny Snell to do during Benny Snell’s rookie season? What is Benny Snell willing to do? Anything that is asked of him.
“I’m willing to fill any role, whether it’s on special teams, whether it’s on offense, defense”, he told reporters during rookie minicamp when he was asked about his expectations for his rookie season and whether he had a particular role in mind. “Whatever they need me for, Benny Snell is gonna do it at his best”.
The Steelers’ entire running backs room is now full of driven, passionate people who are both confident in their abilities and yet humble about where they are, yet each have their own personality and their way of showing these traits.
James Conner talked about needing to earn the starting job again in 2019 after going to the Pro Bowl last season. Jaylen Samuels has said that he would like the opportunity to start again, but also rattled off a list of all the areas in which he needs to improve. Benny Snell has, well, been Benny Snell.
It’s interesting that he has already established such a personality for himself well before anybody has actually seen him on the field in any capacity, but that’s simply Benny Snell. It’s the way he carries himself, the way he approaches life, and particularly football, about which he has such a great, and infectious, passion.
It probably won’t be long before he comes a fan favorite if he isn’t already. In fact, this entire running back group seems to be pretty well-liked from a personal standpoint. That’s not going to help pile up the yardage, but this group looks like it might be able to do that as well.
