Former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Robert Golden is returning to the team. Well, sort of. The special teams ace who spent six years with the Steelers after signing with the team as an undrafted free agent in 2012 is returning to the city to help mentor rookies. On Twitter, Golden said that the Steelers were flying him in “to tell the rookies how to make the team and how to be pros on and off the field.”
Golden is a former special teams captain for the Steelers, and during his career in Pittsburgh he racked up 126 total tackles. He also had two career interceptions, one coming in 2015 and the other during his final year with the team in 2017. After leaving Pittsburgh, he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, but asked for his release and never played for another NFL team.
An undrafted free agent who carved out a role in the NFL, Golden was a key piece for the Steelers as secondary depth and a core special teamer. He is a good player to talk to the team’s rookies, especially the undrafted ones and guys who signed with the team out of rookie minicamp. Off the field, Golden was a leader, which was shown by his captain status and he always seemed to do things the right way. He can give lessons on character and staying out of trouble to any guy in the league.
The Steelers have always done a good job bridging the gap between the team’s retired players and its current ones. They seem to care about and treat their retired players well, with former Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert serving in a role to help the team’s outreach to retired players. It speaks to the fact that the Steelers are one big family. Bringing in a player like Golden, who may not have been the most heralded players, truly shows that once you’re a Steeler, you’ll be one for life.
