On Monday morning, Pittsburgh Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith spoke to the media, highlighting the new four-year extension he signed last week to lock him in with the Steelers through the 2027 season.
Highsmith was asked about being a guy that was overlooked in high school and college and if he uses that as motivation even after securing a big pay raise from Pittsburgh.
“Ya, it’s something that I will always have,” Highsmith said during the press conference via the Steelers’ YouTube channel. “I always like to say, the walk-on mentality is something that is going to stick with me forever. Just being back in college and getting there in 2015 with no offers, zero stars, and no even going to camp freshman year. As soon as I got there to Charlotte, I just wanted to outwork everybody and be the best that I could, and I still carry that mindset with me today because I know that there is always going to be people that are going to work to be better than you, so just continuing to work as hard as I can to be the best for this team is just what I’m going to continue to do.
As our own Alex Kozora mentioned in a piece after the Highsmith extension was reported, Highsmith worked for everything he’s got in his football life. He came to Charlotte holding zero offers from FBS football teams and worked his way into the starting lineup. He played out of position as a 3-4 defensive end to start his college career before finally getting moved to the edge in his final season when he broke out to the tune of 15 sacks.
Highsmith would get drafted in the third round by Pittsburgh and sit behind T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree, rotating as a backup his rookie season before moving into the starting lineup when Dupree went down with a torn ACL.
Pittsburgh brought in OLB Melvin Ingram the next season to challenge Highsmith for snaps and the starting role. Highsmith wasn’t afraid to put in the work the clinch the starting job, thus resulting in Ingram asking for a trade.
Highsmith understands the value of putting in the work and that nothing is guaranteed, regardless of your status. He wasn’t a guarantee to make his college roster. He didn’t know he’d get an opportunity to start as a rookie. He was given stiff competition to start as a sophomore. However, he overcome all those obstacles to become the player he is today.
While Highsmith now has made a big pay raise, he knows the job isn’t done. He saw Dupree who was up for a lucrative contract extension walk out the door because Pittsburgh thought Highsmith could reach that level of play some day, allowing him to sign with the Titans as a free agent. While Highsmith has a good portion of his new deal guaranteed, he must deliver in order to see the full deal rather than resting on his laurels and having Pittsburgh feel the need to eventually find his replacement.
Highsmith may be coming off a 14.5-sack, five-forced fumbles season, but he’s still holding onto that walk-on mentality that made him the player he is today. Perhaps being snubbed for a Pro Bowl nod will be Highsmith’s latest motivation to take his game to yet another level in 2023, becoming an even better player after a breakout performance in 2022.
