PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – You may have heard that defensive lineman Tyson Alualu was close to going back to Jacksonville before re-signing with the Steelers. You may not know how close it was.
"I was supposed to fly out to Jacksonville the next day, but went and got tested (for COVID-19)," Alualu said on Thursday about the regulations to board a plane. "Found out I was positive. So I wasn't able to fly out to sign a contract."
So the former Jaguars first round pick was heading back, only to be derailed by the coronavirus. That allowed for more time to think about it and for the Steelers to make some phone calls.
"Throughout the whole process, even before I agreed to terms," Alualu said. "My teammates and Coach Dunbar were checking on me, wanting me to stay. My wife had a lot of conversations about what choice we wanted to make. We felt like this was the best decision for our family. It's nothing against Jacksonville, but I'm glad we're still here in Pittsburgh."
The former University of California star said staying with his guys really was a huge factor.
"All my teammates here made me feel wanted," Alualu said. "They wanted me back. They needed me back. I wanted to stay in Pittsburgh. It's a lot of emotions that played into it. I had personal relationships with people still in Jacksonville. I kind of hurt them in the process."
The 34-year-old called it a stressful time saying at first he thought Jacksonville was the better option, especially when initially Alualu and the Steelers couldn't reach an agreement. He said it would have been more money to go back with the Jags, but the better choice was staying.
"It's nothing Jacksonville did to change my mind," Alualu said. "It's tough because I wanted to be here in Pittsburgh. Things kind of worked out."
"End of the day I'm just happy and grateful to be a Pittsburgh Steeler and still doing what I love in the place that I love too."
