How you practice is how you play. That’s the old football saying. Linebacker Kwon Alexander practices each day like it’s the Super Bowl. And it’s no different when he steps into a stadium, even for a preseason game.
Making his Pittsburgh Steelers debut Friday night against the team that drafted him, Alexander made his presence felt. Literally. Aggressive and downhill, he flew to the football, finishing the game with two tackles, one going for a loss. But his run-stuffing went beyond the box score and speaking to reporters after the game, Mike Tomlin was well-aware of the impact Alexander had.
“He’s a veteran guy,” Tomlin told reporters following the Steelers’ 27-17 win via the team’s website. “He knows what he’s doing. He brings energy. He’s highly competitive. I’m sure it is easy to be competitive in these circumstances. You step into bowls and stuff. He’s highly competitive and the energy bringer in practice situations day-to-day. And I appreciate that.”
Alexander visited the team earlier in the offseason but left without a contract. He made his way back to Pittsburgh shortly after camp opened, signing a one-year deal with the Steelers on July 30. Since, he’s made an immediate impact as a veteran leader and as Tomlin mentioned, an energy-bringer. He and fellow ILB Elandon Roberts have produced some of the biggest blows in training camp.
While it’s unclear if Alexander will start the season, there’s no question he’s going to log significant defensive snaps. It’s likely he and Roberts will rotate throughout the year. Perhaps Roberts plays in base with Alexander, the better athlete, subbing into the team’s nickel packages. Both are intense, downhill players who stuff the run. They’ll work alongside LB Cole Holcomb, who is expected to serve as the team’s every-down linebacker. As noted by KDKA color commentator Charlie Batch, Holcomb wore the green dot and was the defensive signal caller tonight.
Pittsburgh entered the summer with a new-look inside linebacker room. It was clear the team needed to upgrade from the combination of Myles Jack, Devin Bush, and Robert Spillane a year ago. While this top three of Holcomb, Roberts, and Alexander, likely won’t be regarded as the best in football, their differing skill sets complement each other well. But what they all have in common are strong work ethics and professional, serious approaches to the game that the rest of the group will feed off of. Friday was the first example of that.
