It didn’t take long for Troy Fautanu to hear from his new Pittsburgh Steelers teammates. Before even touching down in his new city Friday morning, Fautanu says OG Isaac Seumalo, OT Dan Moore Jr., and QB Russell Wilson reached out and congratulated him on becoming the team’s newest pick.
In his introductory press conference, Fautanu ran through some the teammates he’s heard from.
“My 30 visit, I met Isaac Seumalo. Growing up watching a guy like that, he’s talking to me and he’s saying that he watched me play before. And I’m like, ‘What are you talking about? Like, that’s not normal,'” Fautanu said via the team’s YouTube channel, flattered to hear an NFL veteran checked out his tape. “Dan Moore hit me up. Russell Wilson called me on my flight here. A lot of the guys hit me up and that’s, it is crazy to me still.”
We had already noted Seumalo had contacted him, the two meeting during Fautanu’s pre-draft visit to the team facility earlier this month. Now, there’s a good chance Fautanu will align next to Seumalo should he open up the year as the team’s starting left tackle.
Despite now potentially losing his job to him, it’s classy and professional for Moore to reach out. Moore may lose out on his starting left tackle job, a spot he’s held since being drafted in 2021. But the same conversation took place last season when Pittsburgh drafted Broderick Jones and Moore held him off in camp, starting and finishing the season on the left side.
Russell Wilson has quickly woven himself into the fabric and culture of the team. He’s brought teammates to sporting events, worked out with the receivers, visited Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and made contact with the newest Steelers additions. He’ll have to prove his play on the field but he’s showing off leadership Pittsburgh has been searching for.
For Fautanu, he’s excited to learn from all of the new teammates he’ll meet over the next few weeks.
“I’m just really excited to kind of learn from those guys,” he said. “Because a lot of those guys have been around the league for a really long time, and I’m just trying to soak up as much knowledge as I can.”
Fautanu will have several more new teammates he can reach out to beginning tonight when the NFL draft resumes with Rounds 2 and 3.
