‘It’s different playing for the Steelers’

LATROBE (93.7 The Fan) – Back at St. Vincent College on Saturday, linebacker Elandon Roberts said it hit him he was a Steeler again after sitting around in college accommodations.

“I was in the dorm room last night and I was looking at the walls,” Roberts said. “I was enjoying it. I was here for two years, we got to be in the dorms. When I got back, I was like ‘yeah’.”

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Roberts returns after one season in Las Vegas to do whatever the Steelers need from middle linebacker to special teams.

“I know of him, his reputation, but just to see him walk in locker room last night and the credibility that he has,” said Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy. “I've always viewed him as a physical, old school type linebacker. But, big smile and you could just see the way everybody reacted to him, coaches and players alike, last night. So, it's great to have him back in the mix.”

Roberts not only stayed close with Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen and is familiar with the landscape of the locker room and city, but he also got a big endorsement from Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. He coached Roberts last year with the Raiders.

“PG is very smart, always is going to be us in the right situation, very detailed,” Roberts said. “He’s just a football nerd. He knows the history of the game. He’s been around, not just the New England system, but a lot of great defensive systems that he is able to soak up so much knowledge to where he can make it come to life.”

One difference Roberts said he noticed immediately was the size upfront. Yahya Black and Keeanu Benton were just in their first two seasons and Derrick Harmon wasn’t with the team yet.

“Did you see those big old boys up front, they are huge,” Roberts said. “I said ‘you got bigger since I left’.”

Last year with the Raiders, the 32-year-old Roberts started 16 games for Graham with 90 tackles. He has 694 tackles over his 10-year NFL career with the Patriots, Dolphins, Steelers, Raiders and if all goes well, the Steelers again.

“I try not to change,” Roberts said. “I don’t think I change much. Probably the only thing that changed is I got a little smarter. From a physicality standpoint, I’m always going to be me.”

“Right now, I’m doing whatever they ask me to do, whatever role comes of that, comes of that. That’s all I can do, make the reps count that I’m in on and be a good teammate, good leader and come out here every day ready to play.”

The look in his eyes, you could see it really mattered to Roberts to be on the field at St. Vincent College again.

“It’s different playing for the Steelers, I wanted to be back with them.”