When reports surfaced that the Pittsburgh Steelers were bringing in LB Kwon Alexander for a visit earlier this summer, the hope was that Alexander would put pen to paper during his time to Pittsburgh. He ended up leaving town without a deal but later made a second visit to the Steelers’ facility. He ultimately signed with the team at the end of July, adding more depth to the room with Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts signing this offseason as well.
Turns out, the Steelers managed to net themselves the next man up in the starting lineup after Holcomb went down with a season-ending knee injury last week against the Tennessee Titans, moving Alexander into that three-down role where he carries the responsibility of wearing the green dot for the defense. Heading into Pittsburgh’s upcoming game against the Green Bay Packers, OLB T.J. Watt was asked by the media what exactly Alexander brings to the table in terms of communication and chemistry for the defense.
“Kwon’s just high energy,” Watt said to the media Friday via video from Steelers.com. “He really is. He’s been since he’s been here. Always brings the juice and that’s something that you need for a defense to succeed is just to be able to have that contagious energy. Everything we do in this building is contagious one way or another, and that guy is positive, and it rubs off on everybody.”
If you take time to watch Alexander on the field, you realize that he is quite the energizer bunny when it comes to amping up his teammates. Alexander flies around the football field, dishing out big hits on ball carriers as well as aggressively chasing down runners in pursuit, bringing that juice that Watt mentioned. That excitement and energy can also be seen vocally as he will celebrate when making a play with his teammates as well as in the communication aspect of the game, showing a sense of urgency to get play calls out or echo any calls that are coming to him and the rest of the defense.
Head coach Mike Tomlin praised Alexander shortly after he signed and started practicing with the team in August, commending his energy and highly competitive nature. The Steelers’ defense needs guys like that who can breathe life into the rest of the unit, and Alexander does that naturally with who he is as a person and with his passion for the game. That energy and juice will need to be amplified now that he assumes the three-down linebacker role with Holcomb out the rest of the year, stepping into a larger role in Pittsburgh. Still, Alexander appears up for the task as the veteran linebacker has provided quality play for several teams during his career and is in the midst of doing the same this season in Pittsburgh.
