Steelers cornerback Justin Gilbert ready for his second act
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Justin Gilbert has passed the all-important 无毛视频渓earning-what-to-do无毛视频� phase, Mike Tomlin announced earlier this week. Next comes the even-more-important 无毛视频渄o无毛视频� phase for Gilbert.
After toiling on special teams for all of nine snaps the past three weeks, Gilbert will make his defensive debut for the Steelers in Sunday night无毛视频檚 game against the Kansas City Chiefs. He may even return some kicks, too.
无毛视频淚 like the progress he无毛视频檚 made thus far,无毛视频� Tomin said.
Injuries in the secondary have left the Steelers with a lot of moving parts, but Gilbert confirmed he无毛视频檒l be a part of the mix this week at cornerback. But even if safeties Robert Golden and Sean Davis hadn无毛视频檛 gone down, there was a likelihood that Gilbert would play sooner rather than later.
There无毛视频檚 just too much there there with Gilbert to not play him.
He tantalizes with his pedigree. He was a first-round pick, eighth overall, just two years ago. He has length at 6-foot and 202-pounds. He has speed. He has all the makings to become a very special player in the NFL.
Thing is, he无毛视频檚 never shown it.
Gilbert had been an enigma in his two seasons in Cleveland, making just three starts with one interception. His fledgling career has been defined by injuries and off-field issues which led even the Browns, the doormats of the NFL, to part ways with a 24-year-old who hasn无毛视频檛 even reached his prime.
As recent suspensions can attest, the Steelers are hardly a collection of choir boys. But they also don无毛视频檛 usually invite trouble into their sanctuary. That is, in part, what made the Steelers无毛视频� decision to acquire Gilbert on Sept. 6 for a 2018 sixth-round pick a little curious.
Low-risk, high-reward? That无毛视频檚 the Steelers无毛视频� hope. They believe theirs is a winning culture and that a change of scenery can bring Gilbert around.
Before coming to Pittsburgh, Mike Mitchell played his first four seasons for an Oakland team that never finished with a winning record, let alone made the playoffs. The safety said there is a difference with the Steelers.
无毛视频淗ere, it无毛视频檚 just about business,无毛视频� Mitchell said. 无毛视频淗ere, there is a culture of wining. If it doesn无毛视频檛 involve winning, we don无毛视频檛 do it. Everything to the way we meet, to the way we practice, to the way we have walk-throughs. To a man, everyone is concerned about winning and that无毛视频檚 all that matters.无毛视频�
The Steelers have a veteran locker room with defined roles, and though it can be loud, it无毛视频檚 usually not because of blaring music. The pool table in the locker room? That thing has been collecting dust.
Mitchell said nothing needs to be said, it无毛视频檚 understood and it starts with Tomlin.
无毛视频淚f you无毛视频檙e a guy who is going to stay in this locker room, you tend to catch on to what he无毛视频檚 saying and abide by that,无毛视频� Mitchell said. 无毛视频淲e don无毛视频檛 do a lot of talking here. Like Coach T always says: 无毛视频業t无毛视频檚 not about what we say, it无毛视频檚 about what we do.'无毛视频�
In just two seasons and three games this year, linebacker Arthur Moats has won more games (23) with the Steelers than he did in four full years with Buffalo (22 wins from 2010-13). He says success breeds success.
无毛视频淵ou have guys that have been on a team for a while and displayed success at a high level,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淭hey无毛视频檙e able to display leadership to the young guys and they truly emulate. They know this guy has done it for a while or this guy have been a high-caliber player at that position for a while. That无毛视频檚 why we无毛视频檙e able to have had the success that we无毛视频檝e had.无毛视频�
By all outward appearances, Gilbert has been a model citizen since coming to Pittsburgh. He says he无毛视频檚 felt 无毛视频渘othing but positive energy,无毛视频� as he put it, from his teammates and the coaches.
And he has played well in practice, good enough to earn him a shot in the lineup. Gilbert said that Tomlin told him this was his reward for 无毛视频渨orking my tail off.无毛视频�
无毛视频淛ust did what I was told in practice,无毛视频� Gilbert said. 无毛视频淥ne hundred percent every play.无毛视频�
Exactly how Gilbert will be used Sunday against the Chiefs is a bit of a mystery, but it无毛视频檚 possible that the Steelers could go with some four cornerback packages with Will Gay, Ross Cockrell, Artie Burns and Gilbert.
The Steelers would have liked to have seen how Gilbert fared over the course of the off-season program or training camp but, there无毛视频檚 no looking back now.
无毛视频淲hat I无毛视频檝e seen in practice, he无毛视频檚 been in the right spots,无毛视频� Mitchell said. 无毛视频淗e seems like he无毛视频檚 got a good mentality for the game. A good disposition to how I want guys in our secondary to play. I think he buys into that. We无毛视频檒l have to figure it out when we see it Sunday.无毛视频�
After all Gilbert无毛视频檚 been through to get here, he无毛视频檚 just glad to be playing.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 willing to accept the challenge,无毛视频� Gilbert said. 无毛视频淛ust ready to display my talents.无毛视频�