Mike Mitchell has noticed the infusion of youth into the Steelers\u2019 secondary, and he intends to lead as never before while trying to help to get the new guys up to speed as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cMe and \u2018Deuce-Deuce\u2019 (cornerback William Gay, No. 22) will definitely have to take a big-time leadership role, but I\u2019ve been asking for this for at least two years now,\u201d Mitchell said. \u201c\u2018Coach T\u2019 (head coach Mike Tomlin) is finally going to let me do that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m in my third year now in the system so it\u2019s really something I look forward to. We\u2019re talking about how (defensive end) Cam (Heyward) brought along (defensive end Stephon) Tuitt, that\u2019s how I plan to try to help bring around our young guys.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a new role and one Mitchell is ready, willing an able to embrace heading into his third season with the Steelers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s something that you earn,\u201d he said. \u201cYou definitely don\u2019t do it as the new guy. I was kind of more silent my first year and kinda tried to do it by example last year, I tried to speak up a little bit more.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut now, talking to the leadership, it\u2019s my time, it\u2019s my group. Me and Will Gay will be in control. We\u2019re the oldest guys in the room, that\u2019s expected. I\u2019m in my third year of this system, I pretty much have it down. And now I\u2019m ready to really mentor and try to pass on the knowledge that I have to our younger players, because that\u2019s what it\u2019s about being a Steeler.\u201d<\/p>\n
How quickly players such as cornerbacks Artie Burns (this year\u2019s No. 1 pick) and Senquez Golson (last year\u2019s No. 2) and safety Sean Davis (this year\u2019s No. 2) are able to assimilate will dictate how much they can contribute.
\nBut Mitchell has already noticed a competitive atmosphere in the secondary that ought to pay dividends no matter how it eventually plays out in terms of how the playing time is ultimately handed out.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way we do business here positions are always won and lost,\u201d Mitchell said. \u201cSome positions could be won and lost week to week, depending on how tight the competition is. We always have a lot of competition here because we have so many good players on this roster.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can honestly say I played for two other organizations; man, we\u2019re deep at every position. If you\u2019re not on it, there\u2019s a young, hungry guy right there ready to take it from you.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it creates a good, competitive nature within the group, within the team. Everyone\u2019s working every day to try to sharpen our sword because we always have the battle coming. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important for me and Will Gay to really try to help these guys along. I\u2019ve been spending a lot of time and I\u2019ve been in the building with Sean, just trying to bring him a long as fast as we can, something I wish I would have had when I was in Oakland.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s how we do it here in Pittsburgh, everyone mentors each other. When I first got here I had (safety) Troy (Polamalu) and (cornerback) Ike (Taylor), it doesn\u2019t get any better than that. And then last year I had Will Allen really helping bring me the rest of the way along. And that\u2019s what I want to do for these guys.\u201d<\/p>\n
So Mitchell will lead in 2016.<\/p>\n
It\u2019ll be up to the new guys to follow.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs far as their development and how fast they grow, I really think that\u2019s up to them,\u201d Mitchell said. \u201cHow much time are they really willing to put in to perfect their craft? Hopefully they\u2019re watching how we work and how we study and they\u2019ll gain those same attributes.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mike Mitchell has noticed the infusion of youth into the Steelers\u2019 secondary, and he intends to lead as never before while trying to help to get the new guys up to speed as quickly as possible. \u201cMe and \u2018Deuce-Deuce\u2019 (cornerback William Gay, No. 22) will definitely have to take a big-time leadership role, but I\u2019ve […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18277,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-professional"],"yoast_head":"\n