Over the past few seasons the Pittsburgh Steelers have revamped their offensive line. In the 2024 NFL Draft, the Steelers drafted three offensive linemen, including their first-round pick,Troy Fautanu. Fautanu is hoping to win the starting right tackle job this summer, and if he does he will open the season starting for his boyhood team.
Fautanu is now on his third day of training camp at Saint Vincent College and was asked what his mindset is being in Latrobe with the team he grew up watching by Chris Adamski on Twitter.
“Just making sure that I’m being a professional and making sure I go about my business,” said Fautanu. “You know, make sure that I don’t bother anybody too much. But for sure in my head, I’m still the middle schooler, high schooler that grew up loving the Steelers.”
Training camp is an important milestone for rookies, but when you are a rookie who is playing for your favorite team it becomes an even bigger deal. For Fautanu, being able to attend training camp in such a historic place such as Saint Vincent College is a big achievement. As far as training camps go it may be the most famous training camp in the NFL, especially as many teams abandon going away and simply conduct their training camps at the team facility.
Fautanu gets to experience something that many of past Steeler greats, and some of his favorite players grew up doing. Who knows if Fautanu is in the same dorm room where his childhood favorite Troy Polamalu once stayed.
While it makes sense and is expected that Fautanu is somewhat starstruck being at training camp with his favorite team, he knows he needs to focus come practice time. Fautanu is trying to win the right tackle job and that won’t be easy. Broderick Jones is in front of him, but ideally the Steelers would like Fautanu to play well enough to win the right tackle spot so Jones can move to his more natural left tackle position.
However, Fautanu is also not naturally a right tackle so these next couple weeks will be crucial for the Washington product as he gets a baptism by fire at right tackle against the likes of EDGE T.J. Watt. Fautanu faced off against Watt yesterday so that will be a battle to watch as training camp progresses. Watt is arguably the best defensive player in football so there truly will be iron-sharpens-iron moments for Fautanu. Even if Fautanu takes bunch of lumps from Watt, that is to be expected.
Fautanu will hopefully have a long career in Pittsburgh, but he certainly will not forget his first training camp at Saint Vincent College. As awestruck as Fautanu is right now, he is still trying keeping a cool head and go about his business as he battles for a starting spot come Week 1.
