Less than 24 hours after signing a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency, veteran linebacker Kwon Alexander hit the field Sunday afternoon at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe for his first practice with the Steelers.
Though he’s still in the process of trying to learn the defensive scheme overall under defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and inside linebackers coach Aaron Curry, being able to get out on the field in a helmet and go through reps from the linebacker position was huge for the veteran in an effort to jump onto a moving train.
Speaking with Steelers team reporter Missi Matthews and Steelers Radio Network color analyst Craig Wolfley Sunday following practice, Alexander was grateful for the chance to get reps with the Steelers Sunday afternoon, and added that getting those reps so quickly after diving into the playbook made his adjustment a lot easier overall.
“Oh man, it’s smooth. You just gotta get to work. When I stepped foot in, I got straight to work, try to learn to playbook as fast as I can,” Alexander said to Matthews and Wolfley, according to video via Steelers.com. “Getting in reps at practice made it a lot better and a lot easier, so I’m just ready to put the pads on there and get the hitting.”
Wearing his No. 26 jersey after signing a one-year deal with the Steelers Saturday night, Alexander hit Chuck Noll Field and got to work rather quickly Sunday.
Though relatively new to the scheme and coaching staff overall, Alexander has plenty of experience in the NFL, which allows him to just hit the field and play with his eyes and instincts. He’s still in a bit of an adjustment period overall with the Steelers in a new scheme and with new position coach Aaron Curry, but it’s good to see Alexander getting work right away, letting him hit the ground running.
With Monday’s off day, that will give the veteran linebacker a chance to catch his breath from all the travel and craziness of the last few days before signing with the Steelers. It will also offer him a chance to get into the playbook more, sit down with Curry and Austin, and get a better understanding of the Steelers’ scheme overall.
That understanding, along with more reps, should allow Alexander to catch up with the likes of Elandon Roberts and Mark Robinson at the BUCK linebacker spot, giving him an opportunity to really push them for a role defensively, especially once the pads come on and Alexander can play fast and free.
“I can’t take no minute off right now. I’m trying to catch up, catch up fast as I can,” Alexander said. “I’ll be in that playbook with the coach rying to learn as fast as I can.”
Alexander started 86 career games and made one Pro Bowl in his career prior to signing with the Steelers. He started 12 games for the New York Jets last season, registering 69 tackles. Still just 28 — he turns 29 on Aug. 3 — with athleticism and coverage ability, he has eight career interceptions. Pittsburgh has completely overhauled its inside linebacker room from a year ago. Exiting were Myles Jack, Devin Bush, Robert Spillane, and Marcus Allen with five new players brought into the position.
