LATROBE (93.7 The Fan) – After signing a record four-year, $72 million contract for a Steelers defensive lineman, Keeanu Benton said he believes it’s ‘just the stepping stones to something special’.
Benton was referring specifically to the defensive line, but he could include a couple of other players on rookie contract who got big extensions—tight end Darnell Washington and his buddy Nick Herbig.
“It's a dream come true,” Benton said of Herbig. “This is our seventh, eighth year playing together consecutively. I think it means the world.”
He celebrated when Herbig got a four-year, $100 million contract this spring but in the back of his mind he was wondering when his dream was going to come true.
“But now, we both we both got our contracts done, and we can take this thing to the next level,” Benton said.
The 25-year-old out of the University of Wisconsin believed this day was going to come, but not this weekend. He was in bed last night when his agent said to call him. He added Herbig to the call and then talked to his girlfriend and parents. Benton stayed up last night after talking to Herbig and reflecting on how far they’ve come.
Part of the reflection last night was also thinking about how he got to Pittsburgh. It was then-Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin who came over and told him at the Senior Bowl that he was going to be something special. Benton’s coach at the Senior Bowl is new Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
“This whole thing just goes full circle,” Benton said. “You never know who you'll be playing for, just respecting everybody and making the most of every situation you're in.”
He’s also impressed his new head coach.
“His smile reflects the energy that he plays with,” McCarthy said. “He's a big guy. His twitch, his athletic ability. I think there's definitely more there as far as the
ceiling, so that that's my personal opinion on him. I think there's a lot of football in front of him too, so I think that's exciting.”
“You look at the dynamics of our defensive line room. I mean, boy, we have a really good blend of veteran and young guys and obviously having a rookie in there too. So, that's something that bodes well for us today and moving forward.”
The expectation is Benton will move around a lot this year. He’s not currently listed as a starter, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t going to play a lot of snaps with this defense. He’s played up-and-down the defensive line during camp and will fill in wherever with the goal to put more pressure on the quarterback after a career-high 5.5 sacks last year.
The salary makes Benton the highest paid Steelers defensive lineman ever, so how will he use it.
“I got pretty much everything I want, for real,” Benton said. “Not ready to spend it all yet, but we're going to have some fun for sure.”
DL reacts to big money and sharing the experience with his buddy Nick Herbig
DL reacts to big money and sharing the experience with his buddy Nick Herbig
