PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Rico Dowdle is someone who keeps a grudge, whether you think that’s good or not, the new Steelers running back is a motivated 27-year-old.
Dowdle said he’s already looking forward to playing against Carolina this season after they didn’t have interest in re-signing him. Last year he played against Dallas after they didn’t re-sign him the previous season and rushed for 183 yards and caught four passes for 56 yards in a Panthers’ upset win.
Staying healthy was an issue for Dowdle coming out of the University of South Carolina, so he went undrafted. Then Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy saw something and signed him after every team in the NFL passed on him at least seven times.
“I think it put that chip on my shoulder, just having to prove, me, myself, having to proof it every year, having to make the roster, like you said, that undrafted guy,” Dowdle told Pittsburgh reporters on Friday. “I definitely believe being undrafted makes your journey a lot different in the NFL for sure. That's definitely some truth to that.”
“I just put that chip on my shoulders, had to come in and prove it and just continue to keep working and it's all paid off.”
He’s not the only one in that Steelers running back room that has experienced being undrafted. You hear many of the same comments from Jaylen Warren. He hasn’t worked with Warren yet but believes they are similar in being north-south runners. They haven’t met, but have communicated.
“It’s funny you say that, he reached out to me during the season last year and he liked my style of play, my game and stuff, and let’s keep putting on for the undrafted guys,” Dowdle said. “Yeah, now we are together here, we get to do it together.”
Many may not have seen the 5’11”, 215-pound tailback play spending his whole career in the NFC. He’s likely going to remind you of Warren as he described his running style.
“I wouldn't necessarily say it's angry,” Dowdle said. “I just think I run physical and try and impose my will on the defense. I know it's hard for him to tackle all four quarters and just try and wear them down.”
“Since I was little, I always took pride in, you know, when you're a little kid, you see somebody get truck stick. I was just telling him, like you like, Oh, you run them over. I'm like, that's just one thing you want to do. So I've always just had that mindset to just run through a guy since I, was little.”
Dowdle said McCarthy is a players coach and knew from his time in Dallas how much he loves Pittsburgh. As for the offense, it’s run-first according to Dowdle. It’s an offense that wants to play physical, and that’s a big reason he is here.