Entering his first training camp as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, rookie offensive lineman Troy Fautanu is looking to make an impression.
Vying for the right tackle starting job with (presumably) Dan Moore Jr., Fautanu has a plan for his first training camp. It sounds pretty simple yet can be trying for a young player: treat every day in training camp like a gameday.
Speaking with reporters after reporting to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Fautanu laid out his plan for giving himself the best chance at winning the job.
“Honestly, just treat every day like it’s a game day, really,” Fautanu said to reporters, according to video on Twitter via The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo. “Treating every rep the same way, too, and just making sure that I approach every day in a way to get better, and just focusing on that.
“And then whatever happens after that, I let the coaches deal with that.”
Asked what he can do to separate himself, Troy Fautanu said he’s treating every day like game day. pic.twitter.com/PPxB3cxuvL
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) July 24, 2024
That’s a very good, level-headed approach for a young player.
The first training camp as an NFL player can be overwhelming as the pads come on for the first time since joining the league. It’s also a new setting, a higher intensity than other offseason workouts, and more. Veterans know how to take care of their bodies to get through the camps, what to eat, when to sleep, etc. Rookie don’t just yet and will have to learn and adjust on the fly.
That’s expected. But on the field, Fautanu is aiming to bring the intensity daily, treating it like a gameday to put on his best performance daily and let the chips fall where they may.
Seems like a great idea for a young player, period.
While he’s still adjusting to the right side in the NFL, Fautanu aims to build off a strong offseason that saw him earn praise from offensive line coach Pat Meyer. Coming out of minicamp, Meyer stated that Fautanu improved tremendously from rookie minicamp to mandatory minicamp.
Making that move from the left side to the right side while trying to learn a new scheme, adjust to new coaches, familiarize with new teammates all while adjusting to a new city can be quite difficult. Early on, Fautanu had some struggles in Meyer’s eyes, with the speed of the game and the timing.
Now, the training wheels come off, football starts and things are underway.
Things are going to get intense, and Fautanu sounds prepared for it. We’ll see if his plan of attack of treating every day like a gameday pays off.
