Having spent the past few years with him at the University of Iowa, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie undrafted free agent safety Sebastian Castro is no stranger to fellow Steelers rookie running back Kaleb Johnson’s exploits, particularly in the open field.
So when Johnson is showing off his burst and kicking it into high gear in the open field, which Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora has noted early in training camp from Latrobe, Castro isn’t surprised — unlike fellow teammates, coaches and fans.
Speaking to reporters Friday, Castro said that’s something he’s seen for three years at Iowa. Now, it’s translating to the NFL, at least early in training camp.
“Yeah, I remember when freshman year, you could definitely tell once he got into the open field, he just like kicks it to a different gear,” Castro said of Johnson, according to video via Steelers Live on X. “Seeing him three years in college, just seeing how he can find the hole and his vision developed over time. So, that’s something he definitely got way better at throughout his years.
“And he’s still doing it, so yeah.”
Coming out of college, Johnson was viewed as a home-run threat in the backfield, even with some testing numbers that might have indicated otherwise. At Iowa, Johnson flourished in a zone rushing attack, allowing him to pick his way through defenses, find the open gap and then burst into the secondary.
Last season with the Hawkeyes, Johnson dominated, putting himself on the map for the NFL. Johnson rushed for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns on 240 carries, leading the Big Ten in the process. He also caught 22 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns, showing he is more than just a running back.
Now in Pittsburgh, he’s in a deep running back room featuring veterans Jaylen Warren, Kenneth Gainwell and Cordarrelle Patterson, but hope and expectations are high for Johnson.
He’s off to a fast start in training camp. It’s just two days in and pads aren’t on, but for Alex Kozora the burst is real with Johnson.
“Can feel it as Johnson explodes through the hole on zone runs,” Kozora wrote in his Steelers Training Camp Day One diary for Steelers Depot.
That has to be music to the ears of Steelers fans, who grew frustrated with Najee Harris’ plodding style. Despite his dependability, his running style left fans wanting more. Now, they might have more with Johnson.
It’s what Castro saw over three years in Iowa, and it’s what the Steelers are seeing now early in training camp. Hopefully it continues once the pads come on and the preseason starts.
