Ever had that one player you loved watching growing up who you gravitated toward on every single play?
For me, that player was OLB James Harrison, having played as an edge rusher in high school myself and getting to watch Harrison win with brute strength, power, and effort against offensive tackles nearly 100 pounds larger than him.
Pittsburgh Steelers WR George Pickens is a talented player in his own right, and likely watched many other wide receivers growing up, looking to model his game after them. However, when asked what it’s like to go against an established veteran like CB Patrick Peterson in practice and if he is taking anything away from their matchups, Pickens admitted that he has been a fan of Peterson growing up and now relishes the opportunity to face him on a daily basis.
“Patrick Peterson used to be my favorite player,” Pickens said to the media Friday via video from Steelers.com. “You probably don’t even know that, but he used to be my favorite player and I played offense the whole time. But, like just going against him is probably just going to enlighten me. A guy like me, like, ‘I used to watch you, I gotta make plays on you.’ Like, you see what I mean? So, for me it’s just gonna be an edge to make my plays.”
Peterson and Pickens have had several matchups against each other in the early stages of training camp, pitting Pickens’ athleticism and youth against Peterson’s experience and technique. Peterson compared Pickens to a former teammate of his earlier this offseason saying that Pickens and current Tennessee Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins both do a great job in contested catch situations as well as has the aggressive mentality of thinking that every ball up in the air is his to come down with.
Facing a seasoned veteran like Peterson will only make Pickens better, but going against the player you looked up to as a kid can add even more fuel to the fire. You want to put your best foot forward in front of the people you looked up to in your youth, and for Pickens, he now has that opportunity. Peterson may be getting long in the tooth, but he can still play at a high level. He should be a great competitor for Pickens to rep against throughout the summer, helping him refine his game in order to take that step forward in his second season.
