PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Who knew Steelers offensive lineman John Leglue before he appeared Sunday against the Ravens? The first question to him in his first interview setting was how to pronounce his name (pronounced Lah-glue). That happened 13 weeks into the season.
Leglue has been around, but not on the field. The 25-year-old first signed as an offensive tackle to the practice squad December 29. 2020. This January signed to a Reserve/Future contract to allow him to participate in off-season work. During Steelers Training Camp he started opening eyes, especially while others were injured.
“If you remember, we had some dog days in team development where we were running really, really low on offensive linemen in August,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. “That's what I mean when I routinely say, ‘One man's misfortune is another man's opportunity’, because there was a block of days where we were really low on offensive linemen and Leglue had an opportunity to learn and display position flexibility.”
“That was a calling card. That was a place for him to hang his hat. And he's been able to build from there and get better and take another opportunity due to somebody else's misfortune and prove that he belongs.”
“You guys were asking about him when we had all the linemen out (in Training Camp),” said Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada of Leglue. “It seemed like every day somebody was out. You asked how it was going and I told you it was great because we were getting experience.”
“That would be a great example of: it’s never great when a guy’s out, but you have to make the most of that opportunity. He was a guy that, one day, finished practice at center. He’s a tackle. He just played at guard. His versatility, his ability to understand what we’re doing was really impressive.”
One thing to do that in practice, another to come in against your biggest rival and step in as the third string guard recently activated from the practice squad.
“Great credit to him,” Canada said. “Jumped in there ready to go. You can’t warm up to those guys. He came in and gave us a little bit of energy. Really came in excited to play, which you should be.”
“It’s a lifelong dream,” Leglue said after thanking God for the opportunity. “As a kid you always dream of playing in the NFL and finally being able to get that experience has been an unbelievable feeling and it was an awesome team win.”
“It’s just one of those things you prepare every week like you’re going to be playing. Coach Klemm and all the O-line coaches emphasize that, Coach Tomlin always tells us make you take advantage of every opportunity and one of the biggest things is to every day in practice, we all practice with a purpose in order to be able to maximize our opportunity when we do get it. I would definitely say Coach Tomlin puts us in the right position to be successful on the field.”
By all accounts he did well Sunday, Pro Football Focus graded him as an 80. Canada said he had some good and some bad, but a huge credit to him for being ready. He was a part of a group that gained 177 yards and scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Probably not surprising he was able to step in an do so well. In college at Tulane, Leglue began as a long-snapper, progressed to play 16 games at tackle, 13 at guard and nine at center. At 6’7”, 310 pounds he has the size to handle any of those positions.
“I have played all across the board,” Leglue said. “Week 3 of my sophomore year I was playing right tackle and then our center broke his ankle and I moved to center the next play. It’s just one of those things I grew up playing center in high school and then I played guard my senior year. I am super thankful to be have been able to play all those positions and add them to versatility and whatever the team needs me to do I look forward to doing that.”
He’s not only done it, but had success. How does he prepare so he can be ready for any possible scenario?
“Coaches all along, especially in college, they have emphasized that in order to play in the NFL you need to be able to play all five positions and so any time I get the playbook I try to make sure I know it front and back,” Leglue said. “It’s one of those things Coach Klemm and C-Mo (Assistant OL Coach Chris Morgan), they emphasize the same thing.”
“They told me to just keep working, keep grinding and whenever you go out and play understand the playbook and how schematics works, you know what kind of defense they can throw at you, it’s super important and super nice knowing what defense is gonna give you before you go out there.”
From a small town in Louisiana, he was thrilled to show everyone back home what he could do. He wanted to prove hard work does indeed pay off. The first example was being signed to the 53-man roster two days after Thanksgiving. Leglue admitted to tearing up.
Now he’s trying to keep the same mindset that got him the opportunity in the game Thursday night, as he will start in the NFL for the first time ever.
“A lot of people got to know Robert Spillane a year ago in a different way than they thought maybe they knew him because he had an opportunity to step up and play a lot because of injury,” Tomlin said. “That's what these journeys are about. That's why we don't discount any man, particularly a professional man who's working and working hard while he waits for his opportunity.”
“It’s wherever the coaches need me,” Leglue said. “I try to do everything they ask me to do. It’s just one of those things if you continue to work hard I feel like good things will happen.”