PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – He caught the first receiving touchdown of the Steelers season, but wide receiver Ben Skowronek is going to the Pro Bowl because of his ability to tackle.
Skowronek is the third consecutive Steelers player to be named to the Pro Bowl for excelling on special teams.
“Pretty excited for a couple of minutes and then it was back to work,” Skowronek said Thursday of his reaction. “Got a big game this Sunday. Got a lot of big games left this season, so it’s a good accomplishment, but got to keep working.”
It’s part of what makes the Indiana native, whose father is from Connellsville, so important to the team. He’s about team. He went on to call the honor a team award. Skowronek gives credit to Steelers special teams coach Danny Smith and said it shows his leadership as much as it’s an individual honor.
“Feel like everyone is happy for me, kind of teasing me a little bit,” Skowronek said. “Yesterday, Arthur (Smith) teased me to the media saying I was telling everybody, which is not true.”
“I have great teammates in this locker room. They are all excited for me. It’s pretty cool.”
As we were interviewing Skowronek, Cam Heyward walked behind the reporters and shouted that he’s the new Big Ben (referring to Steelers Hall of Honor QB Ben Roethlisberger). He hit it off early with Aaron Rodgers.
“I love Ben,” Rodgers said. “Ben and I became fast friends from the start, and really, really happy for him. That's an interesting slot when you're at a nominated Pro Bowl teamer, because so much of it, when it comes down to that is name
recognition. Then it's the Pro Bowl in general, you know, guys get in a year after they probably should be in, and maybe stay a year after they probably shouldn't be voted in. But for a guy like Ben, it's huge for him moving forward, the recognition that he deserves.”
“It's great for him, he works his butt off. He cares about it.”
“Ben's been a big part of the offense,” said Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. “He's a good football player. Ben is a guy that's helped us on offense. He's made some big plays even without the football, he's helped us. It's cool to see. He's a guy that's worked hard in this League. He's a fun character to be around.”
Why does he excel at playing special teams?
“I never quit, play hard and I have fun,” Skowronek said. “It’s a part of the game I don’t think about much, just go out there, play and have fun.”
“I played both ways growing up, just happened to choose offense. I don’t know why looking back, I’m like ‘dang, maybe I should have played safety’. I enjoyed it.”
“I enjoy the contact aspect of football. It’s something that is fun to me. Playing special teams is fun. Sometimes people are like ‘don’t you want to play more offense’.”
“I honestly have fun playing this game, playing special teams being able to tackle people, hit, block, run, whatever it is.”
Every team needs a Ben Skowronek, Steelers are glad they got him.