Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback, Ahkello Witherspoon spent an hour Thursday afternoon on the Getcha Popcorn Ready with T.O. and Hatch podcast hosted by Terrell Owens and Matthew Hatchette. He covered several topics, and you can watch the entire podcast on YouTube here in case you missed it. They covered a variety of topics, but towards the end of the interview, the discussion came around to how Witherspoon and the Steelers defense were gelling together. Hatchette observed:
“I used to hang around up there with Deshea Townsend and Hines Ward and them guys and that locker room was so tight; how do you feel about that locker room right now?”
Hatchette spent six seasons in the NFL as a wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, and Jacksonville Jaguars. He never caught more than 16 passes in a season and only started 8 of a career 65 games. Rival players often strike up off-season friendships and most of the NFL knows just how much of a bond the black and gold brings out in players. Witherspoon shared the sentiment:
“Yeah, I think it’s the same, it all comes from our head coach and the way he facilitates that environment. He’s big on just family, and brotherhood and fellowship. Spending time with each other and it's not just about showing up to practice. It is about where can you get that extra time to really know your brother. That’s where you find that extra effort in the 4th quarter. Knowing that your brother has bled and cried the same tears as you and it’s just something we pride ourselves on.”
Photo via Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO
Mike Tomlin has been labeled a player’s coach. It is fair to observe that Tomlin’s strength is not game management or out scheming opposing coaches. He is an exceptional leader of men by all accounts aside from Antonio Brown. I do have criticisms of Tomlin’s gameday performance, but no coach is better at building bonds with and between his players than Tomlin. He gets the best effort from his players and to his credit or detriment depending on how you view it, he relies on his coordinators to oversee the schemes and gives them the freedom to shine or fail. Witherspoon continued:
“We go about it like a family would, and that is being honest with each other. Sometimes having those uncomfortable conversations, but that is the type of stuff that you grow from and that you build your security in your brother with.”
Witherspoon’s respect for the Steelers and Tomlin’s process are really on display in this part of the interview. He spent his first four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and was traded to the Steelers by the Seattle Seahawks prior to the 2021 season. He played under Kyle Shanahan and Robert Saleh and then spent time in training camp with Pete Carroll and his staff in the summer of 2021. He did not intimate any disrespect towards these teams who by most counts have player friendly environments that are desirable NFL destinations. He really communicates that the Pittsburgh Steelers culture is just another level of commitment that other organizations may emulate, but do not achieve.
Witherspoon seems poised to make a big leap in the 2022 season. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 13th best cornerback in football last season in limited duty. Witherspoon when targeted last year by opposing quarterbacks only allowed a 39.4 passer rating against opposing quarterbacks. He was not the Steelers' number one cornerback last season, so facing the number one wide receiver week in and week out may cause that number to rise a little but if he can establish himself as a viable option to slow Ja'Marr Chase and Amari Cooper when they match up four times a season. He will improve the overall Steelers defense against the pass.
If Alex Highsmith improves his performance opposite T.J. Watt, opposing quarterbacks will have even less time to find open targets which should help Witherspoon limit the opposing team’s number one option. It will not be Revis Island, but if it can be a speedboat circling the island, the Steelers defense could make the jump to elite status.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Are you excited to see Witherspoon and the new and improved Steelers defense? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
