Last year, the Pittsburgh Steelers added a new punter in Cameron Johnston. A seventh-year veteran, Johnston had built a great resumé with the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans. Unfortunately, he suffered a brutal season-ending injury in Week 1 last season. Before that, the few punts that he did have with the Steelers looked great. Now, he’s healthy and ready to get back into the swing of things.
“Yeah, back in full a hundred percent stuff,” Johnston said Wednesday via Steelers Live on Twitter. “Got cleared for practice and all that, so back out here. It’s been fun.”
With Johnston’s injury being to his knee, there was some concern how he would recover from it. It’s a devastating injury for any player, but for a punter, whose legs are their money makers, it’s likely even scarier. Johnston isn’t a spring chicken, either, turning 33 years old this year.
Thankfully, it sounds like he’s recovered well. This offseason, he’s posted a few videos showing him working out and testing his knee. It seemed like he was healthy. He confirmed that Wednesday and also reflected on his injury.
“I think every injury’s frustrating. Especially, what’s that, a couple of punts into a season with a new team?” Johnston said. “But just put a whole lot of work in throughout the season. Got the knee right and ready to roll.”
Corliss Waitman replaced Johnston last year, and he performed well. However, there have been reports that Johnston is performing great in OTAs, giving him the inside track to reclaiming the job he held for less than four quarters last season. That’s no slight to Waitman, either, who looks like a capable NFL player.
Johnston’s upbeat attitude might be surprising, but he remained engaged with the team last season even after getting hurt. Teammates spoke about how he still helped the team prepare and improve. Considering it was his first year in Pittsburgh, that says a lot about Johnston and his character.
This year, Johnston should be able prove what an asset he is on the field as well. With so much uncertainty still surrounding the Steelers’ offense, they might need their punter to be extra reliable. He’s worked hard to get back on the field, and now his abilities can be put on display.
