PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – As much as those outside of the locker room were wondering what Stephon Tuitt was going to do, so were those inside. The players saying on Thursday they really weren’t sure what was going to happen, but they support him completely.
“When he told us the news, we were like ‘are you sure you want to do this’?” said veteran Tyson Alualu. “Throughout that conversation, that’s all I told him. If he’s good, we’re good. Just enjoy the time with his family and enjoy retirement.”
“He’s got to do what is best for him,” said defensive captain Cam Heyward. “You can’t be selfish and want Stephon Tuitt the player. I’m more concerned about Stephon Tuitt the person. He’s been called to do other things. We are going to miss him.”
“It’s not a eulogy. The dude is still going to be a part of my life.”
“As long as he is good, we are good,” Alualu repeated. “Selfishly we want him here on the team because he makes us that much better. He’s in a good place. When we talked to him he sounds at peace. We are happy for him.”
“I was just a little stunned just because I know the season he had two seasons ago-a lot of career highs, especially in terms of sacks,” said defensive lineman Chris Wormley. “I wish him well. I hope his next chapter in life is all he is hoping for.
“I’m happy he made a good choice for himself and his family,” said second-year defensive lineman Isaiahh Loudermilk. “I’m definitely going to miss him. I know the guys are going to miss having him around. As a player, being as dominant as he is, we are going to miss him on the field too. Everyone in here wishes nothing but the best for him.”
Heyward said they wanted to have him back. The last time he talked to him before he made the decision, he wanted him to know if he came back he would have universal support in the room. Heyward said head coach Mike Tomlin, then-GM Kevin Colbert, Defensive Line Coach Karl Dunbar and Alualu also talked to him to tell him they would have his back if he decided to return. They thought it was 50-50 and then this week found out Tuitt’s decision.
“He’s probably one of the most athletic D-lineman I’ve ever been around,” Alualu said. “His talents speak for itself. He’s one of those guys where people see him make plays and feed off that energy. That was part of his game-relentless and physical.”
“To see the type of man, the type of teammate he was,” Heyward said. “I was able to rely on him so much. We were able to do a lot of special things. Obviously, we weren’t able to win a Super Bowl together, but we created a lot of havoc and had fun doing it.”
Heyward said Tuitt has his smile back. He’s still happy-go-lucky, loves to have a good time and wears his heart on his sleeve. He said it was a really big deal for Tuitt to graduate, especially doing so attending classes in person at Notre Dame. He joked with him that he needs to make sure he doesn’t skip leg days, he doesn’t want to hang around with anyone with pigeon legs.
Not only a recent college graduate, Tuitt is also a father of two boys and a girl. Their lockers no longer feet from each other, that doesn’t reduce the bond between the two.
“We got to watch our kids become friends and our wives are pretty close,” Heyward said. “Those are things I appreciate. Those aren’t things that are going to stop now.”