After spending time in the NFL with three different franchises in the Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins, new Pittsburgh Steelers safety DeShon Elliott made it clear why he decided to join the Steelers in free agency on a two-year, $6 million deal.
The Steelers are all about championship football and playing smash-mouth, gritty football, which fits exactly what Elliott is all about.
Speaking with reporters Friday during his introductory press conference at the UMPC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side, Elliott said he’s excited to be a Steeler and be part of “real football.”
“That logo, this is championship football. This is the culture,” Elliott said while pointing to the Steelers’ logo, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page. “This is real smash-mouth, real gritty, cold weather-game football. Why else would you not wanna play here?
“Growing up watching Troy Polamalu play, the Steel Curtain, this is real football. I’m excited to be here.”
Talk about winning a press conference very quickly.
Elliott, who brings a hard-nosed, physical style to the safety position, embraces that style overall. It’s why he believes he’s a perfect fit for the Steelers.
“It’s football. I feel like if you are scared of being physical, get off the field,” Elliott said. “They trying to turn football into basketball on grass. We’re not gonna have that around here. I don’t play those type of games. I really don’t.”
Those are quite pointed comments from Elliott considering that he played in a fast, physical defense with the Baltimore Ravens for a few years and now is on the other side of the rivalry with the Steelers.
Though the Steelers undoubtedly stand for championships and certainly resonate with people as a consistent, winning franchise, they have not won a playoff game in seven years and haven’t appeared in a Super Bowl since 2010.
Elliott hopes to change that to help the Steelers get back to the level that the franchise is known for. That Steelers logo, as he pointed to during his press conference, means something. So, too, does playing under head coach Mike Tomlin.
Those were the two biggest sways for him in free agency, leading him to Pittsburgh. Hopefully he can bring that smash-mouth, gritty, real style of football to the field — and soon — for the Black and Gold.
