Brandon Marshall, the former All-Pro wide receiver, visited the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp in Latrobe, PA this week. Marshall, who has been mentoring Chase Claypool, was at Saint Vincent College and he caught up with rookie sensation George Pickens and posted the brief interaction on his popular YouTube channel, I Am Athlete. Marshall and Chad Johnson are the hosts of the popular podcast that has over 850,000 subscribers. The former six-time Pro Bowler got to the bottom of a question Steelers fans have been asking since NFL Draft night.
NFL YOUNG BOY* 🥷
— I AM ATHLETE (@IAMATHLETEpod) August 12, 2022
S/O @steelers nation ‼️ pic.twitter.com/jvEyifuhHG
“Real quick, bro,” Marshall asked. “What was you thinking on draft day? Can you show us what you was doing? Walk us through your thought process.”
Marshall, the former favorite target of Jay Cutler, is referring to the infamous draft night pose that Pickens held for an extended period when he got the news that the Steelers had selected him with the 52nd overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Pickens, the former Georgia Bulldogs star, accommodated Marshall and recreated the pose for the legendary receiver.
YouTube.com / NFL
“To be honest, I was glad to be drafted to the team I got drafted to, but at the time, I was a little angry because I dropped to the second round. My mentality was like, 'It’s go time, it’s time to work.'”
After the draft, his reaction fueled speculation that he may have had an attitude issue during his collegiate career. Pickens has been nothing short of the star of the show in Latrobe, PA since training camp started. He is playing like a man possessed and has repeatedly impressed in his interactions with the press presenting himself as a rookie who just wants to get better. He has also showcased a fantastic presence and seems to be completely comfortable in his skin.
YouTube.com / Steelers
Unless you are the most casual of NFL fans, the secret is out on Pickens. He was the 11th receiver selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. Based on the highlights that are almost a daily occurrence at this point, the NFL may have made a significant mistake by picking 10 receivers in front of him. His talent is so undeniable at this point, it is hard to envision that he will not be the best wide receiver in the class.
Marshall, who was reportedly at camp to catch up with the Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin for an episode of the I Am Athlete podcast, asked Pickens about his adoption of the NFL YoungBoy moniker.
“NFL YoungBoy,” Pickens replied. “I got that all in captions, bio, everything. I feel great, I am ready to play.”
Pickens, who was dubbed the NFL YoungBoy after his draft night antics, has embraced the reference to the independent rapper NBA YoungBoy or simply, YoungBoy. The rapper has a cult following of loyal fans and Pickens, whose training camp exploits have been blowing up Steelers Twitter, is developing quite the loyal fan base himself. Pickens will soon take his talent nationwide when the Steelers rookie debuts on Saturday night against the Seattle Seahawks.
George Pickens with an unreal hurdle. 😳
— theScore (@theScore) August 12, 2022
The Steelers rookie WR is getting MAJOR training camp hype. 📈
(📸: @steelers) pic.twitter.com/vdp0gEGEYt
Based on what we have learned about Pickens so far as a Pittsburgh Steelers player, it is not surprising that he took a video meant to poke fun at him and turned it into motivation. Sports media is fond of raving about Tom Brady and Michael Jordan finding little slights and turning them into grist for their ego mills. Will Pickens be the next superstar they rave about for finding bags of chips for his shoulder? As a Steelers fan, I sincerely hope so.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Are you ready to embrace the NFL YoungBoy? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
