PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It's a trait you often see in undrafted players and Robert Spillane has a lot of it. He's out to prove people wrong.
"When they say I'm too undersized to play linebacker, I want to show that I'm big enough," the 6'1", 224 pound Spillane said Friday. "When they say I'm not fast enough to cover somebody, I want to show that I can cover people. When they say I'm not aware enough, I want to show that I can be an aware player."
"It's just those things that motivate me inside and always have. When I hear people say that I can't do something, that's something that I strive to show them that I can do."
"He's a good kid," said Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler. "We love him and we think the world of him because he doesn't say a lot, he talks on the field like he should, he makes plays and he's in the right place at the right time. How many people you seen jack up the dude from Tennessee like he jacked him up last time we played Tennessee a couple of games ago? He's in the right place at the right time."
"He's a hard worker," said safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who added he's not surprised by his success. "He loves the game. He's always asking questions. As soon as I knew he was going to step into the starting linebacker role, I knew he was going to make plays. He's a fun guy to play with, he's a good dude off the field. He's going to continue to make plays."
Spillane said he has a belief in himself and never listened to what the critics said about him. He also cherishes the interaction with his teammates.
"Love talking football with those guys," Spillane said. "Pick their minds and see how they see the game, see how they see things situationally and structurally. It's really been eye-opening and a great experience to learn from them and share what I know about the game."
He's also willing to share the information he has with a guy who could potentially replace him in the starting lineup. Spillane said he knew they would bring in another linebacker due to injuries, and is glad they brought in a high-end veteran like Avery Williamson.
Spillane, who said it was Mike Tomlin who gave him the nickname, Mick, after the 20th century crime novelist, Mickey Spillane, believes there are things he can learn from Williamson to improve his game and willing to help Williamson in any way he can.
The 24 year-old undrafted linebacker from Central Michigan has done well enough that Butler isn't thinking of removing him as starter and points to a splash play from the Ravens game as an example why.
"First defensive play of the series that we are playing the dadgum Ravens, he picks it off and goes down for a touchdown," Butler said. "That doesn't surprise us.
It might surprise some other people, but it doesn't surprise us because that is what he has been doing in practice. He's where he's supposed to be when he's supposed to be there."
