Steelers’ sleepers are woke
LATROBE 无毛视频� Mike Hilton kind of appeared out of nowhere.
Not in a global 无毛视频� or big picture 无毛视频� sense, but on this play:
Rookie quarterback Joshua Dobbs didn无毛视频檛 see Hilton, or thought his throw cleared him. It did not. Hilton leaped, plucked and pulled the ball down for a spectacular interception in a clearing that did not include a receiver.
无毛视频淗e got up there,无毛视频� said linebacker Tyler Matakevich, who shook his head in admiration. 无毛视频淗e just got up there. He无毛视频檚 doing an excellent job.无毛视频�
Has been since spring practices when Hilton was named the Steelers无毛视频� sleeper to watch at training camp by none other than Maurkice Pouncey.
There was another diminutive type who came out of the spring as a potential camp sleeper. Trey Williams brought a bundle of energy and a frenetic quickness that无毛视频檚 been evident through the early part of training camp.
Both players officially stand at under 5 feet 9. Hilton is a 5-8 3/4, 184-pounder who played opposite Senquez Golson at Ole Miss and also spent time at safety. Hilton intercepted six passes, broke up 24, made 226 tackles and forced four fumbles. He also received the immense distinction of wearing Chucky Mullins无毛视频� No. 38 jersey in 2015 after winning the school无毛视频檚 Chucky Mullins Courage Award.
Hilton was part of the Steelers无毛视频� practice squad late last year, so he无毛视频檚 known to the veterans, who respect his work ethic and playmaking ability. And now Hilton无毛视频檚 seeing time as the first-team slot cornerback when Will Gay needs a rest.
无毛视频淗无毛视频檚 very physical for his size, good footwork and a smart football player,无毛视频� said cornerback Ross Cockrell.
无毛视频淢ike, he无毛视频檚 making plays,无毛视频� said Matakevich. 无毛视频淵ou turn on the film, he无毛视频檚 all over the place. You无毛视频檝e got to love guys like that.无毛视频�
Matakevich is one of those guys. Last year无毛视频檚 seventh-rounder made the team and is now the top replacement at both inside linebacker positions. He无毛视频檚 also spent practice time chasing down 无毛视频済uy like that无毛视频� in Williams, the 5-7 1/2, 200-pound running back.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 very, very athletic and very shifty in open space,无毛视频� Matakevich said. 无毛视频淵ou can无毛视频檛 give him too much space.无毛视频�
Williams was often given too much space at Texas A&M, where he matriculated after being named the Texas High School 5A Offensive Player of the Year. He played in all 13 games at Johnny Manziel无毛视频檚 A&M as a true freshman in 2012, and that begat a three-year stat line that reads 6.6 yards per carry, 10.3 yards per reception and 24.1 yards per kickoff return.
Williams ran a 4.49 40 at the NFL Combine with a darting 6.84 3-cone time, and draft analyst Nolan Nawrocki wrote that Williams is a 无毛视频淕adget back and dynamic return specialist who can carve a role as a creative make-you-miss specialty runner.无毛视频�
Always looking for that type, the Steelers missed on Chris Rainey (5-9, 180) and Dri Archer (5-8, 173), but Williams packs a wallop at 200 pounds in a way 5-7, 190-pound Joe Morris did back in the 1980s for the New York Giants.
Not that Williams remembers the two-time Pro Bowler.
无毛视频淣o sir,无毛视频� said Williams. 无毛视频淏ut I did grow up looking at Walter Payton无毛视频檚 and Barry Sanders无毛视频� highlights, just trying to simulate what they did and take some of the things and use it to my advantage.无毛视频�
Does it work?
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 a physical runner,无毛视频� said Cockrell.
And as a receiver, Williams made the veteran Steelers linebackers look foolish in Thursday无毛视频檚 coverage drill.
As a specialist, Williams was recently thrown into the punt-returners derby along with Eli Rogers and Demarcus Ayers.
As a person, Williams is polite off the field but loud on it. After a big gain in the open field Wednesday ended with a ferocious collision between two safeties, Williams popped up, got in his tacklers无毛视频� faces and roared, 无毛视频淟et无毛视频檚 GO!!无毛视频�
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 definitely got a little intensity to him,无毛视频� said Matakevich. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 got a pit bull mentality.无毛视频�
While both Williams and Hilton epitomize the cliched sportswriting description of 无毛视频渇ootball players,无毛视频� both are 无毛视频� and they无毛视频檝e heard it before 无毛视频� a tad small.
无毛视频淪ize doesn无毛视频檛 matter,无毛视频� said Hilton. 无毛视频淚f you无毛视频檝e got the ability and the heart to play this game, you belong. Trey feels the same way. We无毛视频檙e both confident in what we can do and how we can contribute to the team.无毛视频�
无毛视频淚 feel like being my size, you无毛视频檝e got to be 10 times as aggressive,无毛视频� said Williams. 无毛视频淧eople are going to underestimate you, and that无毛视频檚 the thing. We actually have an advantage because they understimate you because of your size. But you get out there and give 110 percent, like Mike said, and you give your all and there无毛视频檚 no difference.
无毛视频淗ey, I come from contact. I come from tough football. I know what a hard hit is. But that无毛视频檚 just like picking up a block. It无毛视频檚 nothing.无毛视频�
While Hilton is the humble profile of what the late Chucky Mullins meant to Ole Miss, Williams is the roaring little man with the big chip on his shoulder. At least on the field.
无毛视频淔or sure, man. I无毛视频檓 going to make sure you know who I am by the end of the day,无毛视频� Williams said. 无毛视频淏ut this is my third camp, sixth team. I无毛视频檓 just hoping to stick here. I love this team. I love the spot. I love Coach Tomlin. Great guy. My running backs coach, Coach Sax, he无毛视频檚 doing his best to keep me up on pass pro and just doing the little things right, and I appreciate everything that these guys are doing for me with the opportunity.无毛视频�
Hilton and Williams are different, but at the same time very similar. Similar to not only each other, but to so many of the under-the-radar football players the Steelers have taken a chance on.
无毛视频淥h, absolutely,无毛视频� said Matakevich. 无毛视频淭he undersized guys just making plays? How can you not like them? You love that.无毛视频�