After the first day of Pittsburgh Steelers’ mandatory minicamp, wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni spoke about coaching rookie WR Roman Wilson hard. He said it was a necessity because of the “limited amount of time” they had to get Wilson ready for NFL games.
That can be a lot for a rookie just getting into the swing of things in the NFL. After all, a big part of Wilson’s time after the end of his college season was spent getting ready for the NFL Scouting Combine. It’s a totally different training regimen than getting ready for a football season. So what does Wilson think of Azzanni’s coaching style?
“Very detailed, very high energy,” Wilson said during minicamp per video from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “He’s just on me, bro. He’s just making sure I’m doing the right thing every time. Making sure I’m keyed in and locked in and I’m here for the right reasons and I’m practicing and I’m doing the right things for the right reasons. He is a great coach and I love playing for him… I would rather him be the most hardest person I’ve ever been around than him not care. So I love him for the type of coach he is and how he handles business.”
Azzanni spoke about his coaching style in a big-picture sense during minicamp, talking about the need to be up front with both the good and the bad when coaching. That can be an adjustment for a rookie.
However, Wilson seems to be quite happy with Azzanni’s no-nonsense coaching style. Azzanni wants to help each wide receiver become the best player he can be. Wilson has said all the right things about wanting to do everything a Steelers wide receiver needs to do as well as he possibly can. The coaching will only benefit him, and he realizes that.
Wilson also has quite the opportunity to carve out a significant role as a rookie. The Steelers created a void when they traded WR Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers for CB Donte Jackson. There is no proven No. 2 wide receiver on the roster behind George Pickens. While Wilson may not be the prototypical outside receiver, he has an opportunity to see quite a few targets as a rookie.
It’s Azzanni’s job to prepare Wilson to take advantage of that opportunity. It’s Wilson’s job to listen to Azzanni and actually take advantage. It sounds like they’re off to a good start with their relationship.
But we know that training camp will be a completely different beast compared to rookie minicamp, OTAs, and mandatory minicamp. So once the pads come on, that’s when Wilson truly has to prove himself.
And as for Azzanni’s comments about how Wilson probably looks forward to going home after practice to get away, Wilson addressed that, too.
“I feel like I can text him and call him and he’s always gonna answer,” Wilson said. “I feel like I can have a genuine conversation with him. So, it’s not like I’m not happy to see him. I love him. But sometimes, it’s too much, but it’s good. I love it.”
You can watch all of Wilson’s thoughts below.
