Golson expects to live up to promise
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Senquez Golson feels good.
During the rare times that he plays.
Not that he无毛视频檚 completely off the Steelers无毛视频� radar, but he is 无毛视频� at second-team nickel, or No. 6 if you无毛视频檙e counting individual cornerbacks 无毛视频� lower on the depth chart than perhaps at any point in his playing career since his first week at Ole Miss.
Even that year, Golson went on to play all 12 games with four starts.
Golson would take that in a minute this year, and then get on his knees and thank God in the next, because right now he无毛视频檚 buried and pretty much forgotten. Not that he didn无毛视频檛 see it coming.
GM Kevin Colbert said in February, after Golson concluded his second consecutive season on Injured Reserve, that the Steelers weren无毛视频檛 going to depend on their 2015 second-round draft pick this year. As Colbert put it, 无毛视频渁ny time a defensive back 无毛视频� gets a foot injury, you无毛视频檙e a little concerned. Does he go from a 4.4 to a 4.45, or a 4.5? We won无毛视频檛 know that until we see him out there, so I无毛视频檓 a little more apprehensive.无毛视频�
After three OTA practices, Golson said he无毛视频檚 feeling 无毛视频減retty much 100 percent ready to go无毛视频� following his recovery from a Lisfranc injury 无毛视频� suffered the first week of last year无毛视频檚 training camp 无毛视频� that wiped out his 2016 season. His 2015 season was wiped out by a shoulder injury suffered in the spring.
Does he still consider himself a rookie? Or a third-year veteran?
无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 even know,无毛视频� Golson said with a laugh. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 just blessed to be here and happy to be back out here.无毛视频�
Golson does feel blessed. That无毛视频檚 why he无毛视频檚 not worrying about the extraeneous details a group of reporters seemed most interested in the other day.
For the record, he无毛视频檚 up 12 pounds to 188, doesn无毛视频檛 feel he无毛视频檚 lost any quickness or agility, is No. 6 behind the starting three from last year, free agent Coty Sensabaugh and third-year newcomer and street free agent Greg Ducre, and is working second in the slot behind 32-year-old Will Gay.
But that only means Golson could skyrocket into the starting nickel lineup at any time, as long as he stays healthy.
To that end, fingers are crossed.
无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 really get into the whole 无毛视频業无毛视频檓 forgotten无毛视频� thing,无毛视频� Golson said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 just all about producing, playing.无毛视频�
Does anyone on the staff talk to him about the future? Is he thick in their plans?
无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 think we have too much conversation,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚n my mind, if I produce, I play.无毛视频�
And there无毛视频檚 time.
Golson was an outside zone corner at Ole Miss, where he intercepted 10 passes as a senior and 16 over four years. Injuries derailed his career, even though there was hope he could return in the middle of last season.
The Steelers had kept a roster spot open for him, but the plan was scuttled Oct. 8 when the Steelers had a numbers crunch and couldn无毛视频檛 afford the roster luxury. They put him on IR. He said he couldn无毛视频檛 have played later anyway.
无毛视频淢e and the screws just disagreed,无毛视频� he explained. 无毛视频淚 got the (two) screws taken out. No metal in me now.无毛视频�
Late last season, Golson began running. It lasted for three weeks as the screws pinched every time he cut. They were taken out the day after the Super Bowl and Golson said he 无毛视频渇elt instant relief.无毛视频�
He did experience some discomfort a few weeks ago but said he无毛视频檚 full speed now.
无毛视频淭here was general soreness,无毛视频� he said of his early workouts. 无毛视频淏ut at this point I无毛视频檓 ready to go.无毛视频�
Does he understand his place deep down on the depth chart?
无毛视频淵eah. It无毛视频檚 the reality,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淛ust like if any other guy missed two years, that无毛视频檚 the reality of it. I just gotta do what I gotta do.无毛视频�
Can an outside zone corner become an inside slot with the increased man-to-man coverage duties that both Mike Tomlin and Carnell Lake are expecting this season?
无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 definitely the plan,无毛视频� Golson said. 无毛视频淏ut it won无毛视频檛 make a difference to me where I line up. I can play inside or out, zone or man.无毛视频�
And, finally, can he fulfill the high hopes the Steelers once had in him as their second-round pick?
无毛视频淵eah,无毛视频� Golson said. 无毛视频淗ealthy, I无毛视频檓 still the same guy they drafted. That无毛视频檚 just what I think.无毛视频�