The old saying in sports is “you practice how you play, and you play how you practice.”
The good news for the Pittsburgh Steelers is that the inside linebackers room takes that mantra to heart. A physical, experienced group, the inside linebacker room under first-year position coach Aaron Curry has been a rather bright spot throughout training camp and the first preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Friday.
Veterans Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, and Kwon Alexander have turned heads in training camp and in the preseason matchup and have media and fans feeling rather good about the inside linebacker room in the Steel City for the first time in a long time.
That good feeling starts with the preparation process in which the linebackers go through on a daily basis in practice and in the film room, which has caught the attention of Curry. Appearing on the 93.7 The Fan PM Show with hosts Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller, Curry praised the preparation and overall process of Alexander and even second-year linebacker Mark Robinson, believing that the Steelers are in great shape overall in the room.
“I think my favorite part about Kwon is his preparation. I love his process of how he gets ready for practice, how he gets ready for games,” Curry said, according to audio via 93.7 The Fan. “He’s a pro’s pro, so it’s been really cool to watch him prepare himself for battle.”
Alexander is a veteran, so that process and preparation to get ready for practices and games is finely tuned at this point. Still, it stands out to Curry, who is no stranger to that process as a former player and now a coach, entering his fifth season as a defensive coach in the NFL, having spent the previous four seasons in Seattle.
Since signing with the Steelers on July 30 and hitting the practice field immediately with the Steelers, Alexander has brought an intensity and an overall sharpness and urgency to practices in the linebacker room. Not that it wasn’t there overall before, because it was, but it’s increased tenfold with Alexander in the room.
That physical, intense presence has given Pittsburgh a major boost in an area of need.
Alexander’s presence has also seemingly taken some of the pressure off second-year linebacker Mark Robinson to develop at a faster pace than expected, allowing the former running back turned linebacker to slow down a bit and really hone in on the fundaments and the preparation.
The growth and development and commitment to that process has caught the attention of Curry.
The outside perspective on Robinson is that he’s rather raw and inexperienced at the position. Curry doesn’t see it that way.
“I’ve been really impressed with his process,” Curry said of Robinson, according to audio via 93.7 The Fan. “He’s been really intentional about his growth and development, and you can see it on the tape. He’s doing a really good job.”
Without that many reps to spare in training camp practices due to the veterans in front of him needing to get up to speed in a new scheme, Robinson has had to commit to the day-to-day process of getting better off the field, from preparing for practices and games, knowing his assignments in specific formations and situations, and taking care of his body.
That’s impressed Curry, who knows a thing or two about the process at the position.
After getting some brief run late last season as a rookie, Robinson has improved overall, and it showed on tape against the Buccaneers. Growth is a continual process though, and he’s continuing to grow and develop, catching the attention of defensive coaches.
