LATROBE (93.7 The Fan) – As the Steelers put on pads for the first time, there was a standout. Not just because of his size, but how Steelers first-round pick Max Iheanachor has handled physical offensive line drills the first two days.
Whether it was TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig or Jack Sawyer—it seemed all comers during a period of offensive and defensive line drills, were turned aside by the Steelers first round pick. Not once in a rep was he obviously beaten.
“I think he’s doing a tremendous job,” said guard Mason McCormick. “I think he’s got a good base about him. He’s a big, strong kid and he’s eager to get better, which is a big, big thing.”
“He’s making strides every single day,” said tackle Troy Fautanu. “He works really hard. I’m excited for him and for the rest of the training camp and how it plays out. He’s doing good.”
Before you worry that he’s getting his tires pumped too much, praise coming from everywhere.
“I feel good, but I always got to go back and watch the film, can always find something to get better at,” Iheanachor said.
It’s not that the first-round pick out of Arizona State, where he only played 32 games of Division 1 football, is naïve to his improvement or performance. He just seems like one of those people that is never satisfied, and not keeping receipts on who he has success against.
“Nah, just next play mentality, just try to go out there win or lose and focus on the next play,” Iheanachor said. “Just be myself, go out there confident. Know your rushers, know their main moves and just go out there and play fast. Don’t overthink. Just go out there and play fast.”
He is willing to get feedback from those who rush against him. He often talks to Herbig and Sawyer about what they see. He also tries to be a sponge with last year’s starting right tackle and likely starting left tackle this season, Fautanu.
“Troy does a phenomenal job,” Iheanachor said. “I sit next to him at meetings, always picking his brain. Going on year three, he's seen a lot more than me, played more. Just always picking his brain on things, asking him questions, getting his feedback."
He said the key for him is knowing the playbook, now that he has a better understanding, he can just play fast. It allows him not to doubt himself, he comes out confident in his studies and prepared for the challenge. Even in practice, instead of getting upset if he loses a rep, which he really hasn’t yet, at least during one-on-one periods, he wants to learn from his mistakes.
Now that the team is no longer in pajamas (the phrase new offensive line coach James Campen uses about practices without pads), he can just keep it simple, do what the coaches tell him and play hard.
“It’s football at the end of the day, just come out confident, know your plays and just go execute them.”
A couple of days into pads, the tackle is excelling during 1-on-1 drills
A couple of days into pads, the tackle is excelling during 1-on-1 drills
