The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most storied and successful franchises in the history of organized sports, as they are tied for the most Super Bowls victories and have countless players and coaches that are members of the Hall Of Fame. Due to the team's storied history, playing for them brings a lot of pressure to perform at a high level. This pressure is what second-year quarterback, Kenny Pickett, is currently facing. Pickett recently did an interview with Peter King of NBC Sports and discussed what it's like being the starting quarterback for Pittsburgh and the legendary players who played the position before him.
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Steelers second year QB Kenny Pickett at his first training camp in 2022
Pickett Reminisces On Legendary Steelers' Quarterbacks
The Steelers are one of the few NFL teams who have had multiple starting quarterbacks win more than one Super Bowl. Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger are both sure fire Hall Of Famers, as Bradshaw was inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 1989 and Roethlisberger is expected to be inducted in 2027 which will be his first year of eligibility.
Both players had extremely successful careers, which is why being a quarterback in Pittsburgh might be seen as difficult because of the high expectations that Roethlisberger and Bradshaw helped create. Pickett was asked if he thinks about the history of the position in Pittsburgh and his predecessors.
"Yeah it can't help me right now. You know I hope I can look back a couple years down the line after I'm done playing and say it was Terry, Ben, and then myself and I had a good run but there's a lot to happen until then. That's something I think down the road you can look at, right now I'm just trying to win games."
Pickett clearly possesses the desire and motivation that hopefully will lead towards a successful career with the Steelers which could result in him being in the same conversation as Bradshaw and Roethlisberger. Pickett acknowledged that there is still work to do to eventually get to where he wants to be, and he's right, because Bradshaw and Roethlisberger have six Super Bowl rings between the two of them. He knows that another season of going 9-8 isn't going to cut it.
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Although Pickett is only going into his second year as the quarterback of the Steelers, playing the position in the city of Pittsburgh is nothing new to him. Pickett played his college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers, and was their starting quarterback from 2018 through the 2021 season. He had a successful career there, as he won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award in 2021 while also being a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
University of Pittsburgh Athletics/pittsburghpanthers.com
Steelers' Kenny Pickett (#8)
Pickett has experience with the loyal fans of Pittsburgh from his college days, however he has acknowledged that Steelers' fans are certainly a step up from what he saw in college. In his interview with King, Pickett addressed that he knows many fans are relying on him and he doesn't take his job lightly.
"It's something I don't take lightly. I've always watched the NFL. My best friend growing up was a Steelers' fan, so I'd always watch them. I don't take it lightly. I take a lot of pride in being the quarterback of this city. It's a franchise that has greatness going back a long ways. So I just want to continue that greatness and I feel like I'm the guy to do it. I work really hard at it, obsess over trying to be the best player I can be to put us in a situation to win a championship."
Pickett has Super Bowl aspirations, and he feels like he is the guy that could bring Pittsburgh back to the big game after thee organization hasn't had an appearance since 2011. He knows that he is going to have to work hard to get there, especially playing in a loaded AFC with teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Head Coach, Mike Tomlin and others in the organization have said that they have noticed Pickett growing and improving as a leader so far in the 2023 offseason. Pickett seems like a poised and comfortable leader in just his second year, and if he can improve on the gridiron, the sky is the limit for this team.
What do you think of Pickett's comments regarding the history of the Steelers Steeler Nation? Let us know in the comments below!
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