PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Steelers offensive lineman Zach Banner is active on social media. He is well aware of the comments about the offensive line and many have merit based on the last couple of seasons.
"A lot of people want to say a lot of bad things about us right now, that's ok," Banner said. "A couple of years ago we were known as the best offensive line in the league. How do you take those things that they passed on and how do you create it in your own way?"
One way you do it is by changing coaches. The team fired Hall of Famer Mike Munchak's replacement Shaun Sarrett. Only to replace Sarrett with his assistant, Adrian Klemm.
Many outside wondered if that would mean any change at all. To hear Banner tell it. It's a major shift in that room. The 27-year veteran says Klemm brings an attitude and toughness, and they respect Klemm-a three-time Super Bowl champion.
"We call it necessary violence," Banner said of talk of their play. "Offensive line is a very tough thing to love. We don't want to play offensive line when you are little. You watch to catch the ball. You want to throw the ball. You want to run around."
"There is that thug mentality that we have when we put our helmets on. It's still professional, still structured."
Banner realized when he said 'thug mentality' he would have to explain it further.
"The last thing I want people thinking is that we are walking around Pittsburgh beating people up or doing dumb stuff," Banner quipped. "At the same time, what else would you want from an offensive line unit? That's my question. You have to come off the ball and kill people. That's the type of mentality we need to have."
Without saying it directly, it's the type of attitude they didn't have the last couple of years.
"His mentality is not to only to get better every single day, but to work on the details and hold each other accountable," Banner said of Klemm. "When you put it into the type of respect level we have for him. We don't have those big heads in this room. We don't have those type of egos in this room."
"Everybody in this room wants to be coached. Everybody knows the chip we have on our shoulders that we want to play with. Klemm is stepping up to the plate and I love him for it. He's doing a great job."
Banner, who won the starting right tackle job over Chuks Okorafor in camp last year only to get injured in week one, believes it's just a whole different world this season.
"He's rewriting our Bible that we live by," Banner said. "The techniques, the fundamentals. The things we are coming out and doing."
Those new techniques and an adherence to fundamentals will be tested every day in practice. The depth and quality of the Steelers defense line will get them playing to the best of their abilities.
Banner can't wait to prove that out September 12 in Buffalo.
"When I look at my guys going out of the tunnel," Banner said. "I'm looking at them and saying 'let's f-ing go'. Now we have that as a coach."
