LB Kwon Alexander completed his first practice with the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday afternoon after being officially signed by the team earlier that day. Alexander had visited in the past but was brought back to bolster the ILB room and provide a fast and physical presence at off-ball linebacker.
Alexander spoke to the media following practice and was asked if he was eager to put the pads on after only one practice in Latrobe with his new team.
“Yeah, that’s me man,” Alexander said to the media via video from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s Twitter Page. “I ain’t worrying about no seven on seven or none of that. When I put the pads on, I hit, as you, as you can see. You can go watch film.”
Alexander isn’t lying when he says he’s a hitter. Having conducted a film room breakdown on Alexander shortly after he signed, you can see the aggressiveness and physicality he brings to the game. He runs around with great pursuit of the football and will impose his will on ball-carriers as you can see in the clip below. Running from sideline to sideline, he de-cleats the receiver on a big collision.
Alexander has dished out a fair number of big hits during his time in the league, one being against the Steelers last year on WR Gunner Olszewski as he ran a jet sweep, blowing him up with another impressive hit.
“I remember that big hit I had,” Alexander said jokingly. “Nah, I just playing. I remember they played hard-nosed football, man. I respect every guy on that team.”
Alexander doesn’t shy away from contact and throwing his body around. That’s something that Pittsburgh has sorely missed the last couple of seasons, lacking that level of physicality from Devin Bush and Myles Jack last season. Having signed several other physical linebackers including Elandon Roberts and Cole Holcomb, Alexander appears to be following that trend as Pittsburgh continues to revamp its inside linebacker room with tough, hard-hitting football players.
