One of the more fun plays in recent Steelers history was linebacker Robert Spillane blowing up Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry at the goal-line in an eventual 27-24 Pittsburgh victory during the 2020 season. In a clip from the Raw Room podcast, former Titans linebacker Daren Bates talked about the hit and how he wanted to cheer for Spillane laying the wood like he did.
“Third-and-goal, on the goal-line, they run that motherfucking dive with D-Hen to the goal line, they think they’re gonna get in that bitch from two yards out, all you see is No. 41 come down that bitch and hit his ass. I wanted to cheer,” Bates said.
Bates said the Titans gave Spillane props after the game for the hit.
“After the game, we were like, good shit boy, we were hype.”
Spillane got hurt on the hit, but it saved a surefire touchdown by Henry, and it might be the defining play of Spillane’s tenure with the Steelers. The next play was an incomplete pass from Tannehill but defensive holding was called and Henry scored anyway. But it was still an awesome hit against one of the biggest and strongest running backs in the league. Although I’m not so sure Henry was as excited about the play as some of his teammates might have been.
Given that Spillane got his start in the league as an undrafted free agent with Tennessee, it makes sense that his former teammates would be happy to see him make a play against one of the biggest and most dominant running backs in the league, even if it came at the expense of points on the board on the particular play.
It’s cool that the play is remembered by people outside of Pittsburgh now almost three years later. If you’re a diehard Steelers fan, you probably remember watching that hit and your jaw dropping when Spillane got downhill and laid the lumber on Henry. But it’s not a play that you’ll see on highlight reels, like if it was an impressive catch, but to lay your body on the line like that takes guts, and Spillane was a guy who was never afraid to make a hit like that, even though this one ended up getting him injured.
As for Bates, he was a solid special teamer who never really ascended to playing in the base defense. So to see someone like him in Spillane make that play probably was extra exciting, a guy he worked with during Spillane’s first season in the league on the special teams unit.
No matter who you are though, it’s hard not to appreciate that hit. It’s one of the plays that will always be remembered as part of Pittsburgh’s undefeated start to the 2020 season, and even though Spillane is now in Las Vegas, that play will always remain in the hearts and minds of Steelers fans.
