For the better part of a decade, Pittsburgh's proud football franchise has been able, most unfortunately, to pinpoint the defensive secondary as a singular weakness. Almost any sentence regarding the Steelers' outlook for a given season could be completed with some yeah-but-they-can't-cover-anyone.
And then, along came a simultaneous infusion of youth into the secondary unlike any seen since ... what, the 1970s? The late '80s?
I'm talking about Sean Davis.
I'm talking about Artie Burns.
And yeah, I'm talking about the newest and the least likely to be included in any such conversation -- just ask him -- Mike Hilton.
Sure, there have been superlative individuals at various stages, notably Rod Woodson, then Troy Polamalu. And I'm not about to lose perspective and place any of the current class of individuals within a solar system of those two. That's not the point.
Rather, it's that the collective, all coming within a calendar year, has been -- beyond a doubt -- most responsible for the Steelers' transformation from a team that leaned heavily on scoring to one that's now suddenly built on defense.
Know how football men always say it all starts up front?
That just might not be the case here.
"To tell the truth, I think they're even better [than] what people realize right now," another rookie, T.J. Watt, would say when I asked about the secondary. "That goes for us, too. We're up front on the defense, so we obviously can't see what's happening behind us until we're in the film room. But once we do, it's like ... dang ... these guys are really freaking good at what they do. Not for young guys. For anyone in this league. And they make our jobs so much easier. We can execute our rush, execute what we want because we know they're taking care of business back there."
Davis, 24, is the second-year safety, a second-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Maryland. He became entrenched almost immediately as a rookie, despite assuming maybe the most experience-demanding position on the defense. This season, he's ascended that much more, with 35 tackles, including 28 solos, plus three passes defensed and a forced fumble.
Burns, 22, is the second-year cornerback, a first-round pick in the same draft out of Miami. He took a little longer to find his stride than Davis, but he claimed a stranglehold on his starting job halfway into his rookie season. In this one, he's got 15 tackles, including 13 solos, a team-high five passes defensed, a fumble recovery and the most glamorous intangible of all for a corner -- he takes all the toughest assignments.
Hilton, 23, went undrafted last summer out of Mississippi, but he's now the starting slot corner, with 28 tackles, including 20 solos, plus an interception and a pass defensed in his first seven NFL games.
Together, combined with the veterans, they're the league's No. 1 pass defense:
"These guys ... it's hard to describe how hard it is to do what they're doing for a living, but they're out there doing it," one of those vets, Joe Haden, mused while looking across at Hilton's stall. "That kid, he's still got so much to learn, so many calls and schemes and tricks of the trade ... but he's out there right now just making plays. They all are. We're blessed to have this group, these three young guys. We really are."
For this Midweek Reader, I set up one-on-one interviews with each, and I can only hope that you enjoy these as much as I did:
Sean Davis. - MATT SUNDAY / DKPSSEAN DAVIS
DK: Sean, that play in Kansas City, the one where you batted down the ball in the end zone when all of us there were sure Demetrius Harris had a touchdown ... there's something special about that, isn't there? Not just because it was big for the team. But I watched you leaping off the field like a child. Take me through that sequence. The whole thing.
Sean: In the moment, that's a gotta-have-it play. It's coming down to crunch time. Fourth quarter. Only undefeated team in the NFL. Their house. Fourth-and-2 in the red zone. That's a crazy situation to be in, man.
DK: Well, it got crazier. Because Alex Smith rolls to the right, and that's by design. Cam Heyward's chasing him, which doesn't help. And then Ryan Shazier leaves Harris to go up once Smith's out of the pocket. You weren't even on Harris.
Sean: That's when you've gotta find work. You've got to find a body. Any body. But especially one that's in his sights because he's rolling and you know he can't throw it all the way back to the left side. And that was the guy I found.
DK: And your reaction?
Sean: For me, it lets me know that all my hard work is paying off. For my team, it tells me that we're all growing together. All of us. That's how it feels. All of that.
DK: You know, all three of you, if you look around here, could be playing together in the same secondary for a long time. Do you think about that? Does that affect the relationship or the bond you have?
Sean: Yeah, I think it does. We're all kind of in the same class. We know we could be here for a lot of years, and I think we all kind of like that thought. We push each other. We drive each other. We feed off each other. And that's a great thing to have in your environment. It's a little different when you're all kind of the same age.
DK: You and Artie both broke in as rookies, but it took you guys a little while to get comfortable, a few games. Mike ... it seems like he just walked onto the field at Saint Vincent and started making plays. What was that? How does that happen?
Sean: Ha! I'll tell you first that he pumped me up. You see that intensity he brings, he lifts you up. I can't have him out there going harder than me. He kept me sharp. You got guys who are playing hot, you've got to be hot. You don't want to be the weakest guy out there. The weakest hot guy.
DK: Wait, the weakest hot guy?
Sean: Yeah. We're all hot. But you don't want to be the weakest hot guy out there.
DK: Oh, man.
Sean: Hey, you asked! We're out there all playing well, all practicing well, and we're putting that work on film. That's got us competing against ourselves. And we're all hot. We're lights out. No one messes with us.
DK: Take me into that film room. There's no way, with Carnell Lake in there, that you guys are the ones joking around.
Sean: Oh, no, no, no. All we do in there is listen, ask questions and listen some more. I'm sitting right between Mike Mitchell and Will Gay most of the time. If they're spread out in the room, sometimes I sit by Mike, sometimes by Will. Always one of them. I want them near me. I'm always asking them questions. I'm always in Coach Lake's ear. Just because I'm out there on the field doesn't mean I stop learning. I don't know everything. I make mistakes. Mike and Will, they've made mistakes, too, and I'm trying to learn from those so I don't have to make them. I'd rather learn from their wisdom than my failure.
DK: Learning from wisdom vs. failure? Man, there are times I talk with you, I'd never know you were a football player.
Sean: I believe what I'm telling you. You have to stay humble in this game. In life.
DK: Tell me about Mitch. He obviously comes with the reputation. Plays on the edge. Speaks with an edge.
Sean: Just an all-around great guy. On Thursday nights, he invites us all over to his house to watch football. We just kick it, you know?
DK: The man's got a big couch, I'll presume?
Sean: Oh, it's a real big couch. I've even got my own designated little spot there! ... But yeah, he's one of those guys you just want to be around, whether it's in the locker room, outside on the field, in the stadium. He's got all that energy.
DK: Funny, but his reputation ...
Sean: I know, I know. It's crazy, right? He's such a cool dude! I mean, he's intense. But you know what? I'm intense. And I appreciate that. I feel like you've got to be that way when you're on the field. But when we're off ... Mike Mitch, man, that's my dawg.
DK: What about Will? Been through so much. Different kind of intensity, huh?
Sean: He still finds a way to smile. He still finds a way to see the good in everyone. He puts you before him. I mean, I'm a young guy, all new here last year, and I meet him and it's like, 'Ooooooooh, Big Play Will Gay,' and all that. I'm thinking he's going to be some arrogant guy, and he's the exact opposite. He's there for you. He's the spirit of what we do. I can't tell you what he's meant for me personally. And it's genuine. It's from the heart.
DK: When did football make its way into your heart? When did you decide that's what you wanted to do? And I mean decided the whole way.
Sean: For sure it was in high school. I had to decide whether to play football or baseball.
DK: What position did you play?
Sean: Center field.
DK: Of course you did. Stupid question.
Sean: Ha! Yeah, I just decided I liked football more. I found myself enjoying the training, the practices for football more. Baseball came more naturally, I think, but I liked that I had to work at football, you know? And I liked the physicality of football. Always. That's where my heart led me, for sure. And then that was it.
DK: Who'd you talk to when that happened? Whose ear mattered the most?
Sean: My pop. And he told me, 'Just do what you want to do. Follow your heart.'
DK: What's his name?
Sean: Sean.
DK: So you're a Junior? I didn't know that.
Sean: I'm a Junior. I ought to get that on my jersey, right?
DK: Hey, that's your call. Whole bunch of NFL guys are doing Jr., Sr., the whole deal. All I know is this: You enjoy yourself, everywhere you go, everything you do. That smile is real. So real.
Sean: You know, you can't fake it. I feel blessed every day I'm here. I'm starting at safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers. I live in a great city, play for a great team, and I've got beautiful teammates. I've always believed you can't fake happiness, man. It's all real here.
Artie Burns. - MATT SUNDAY / DKPSARTIE BURNS
DK: There has to be something you three have in common, to be able to take an NFL field, even in training camp, and perform and produce like you have? Never mind football skill. Take me beyond that. There's got to be something in common.
Artie: Yeah, there is. It's Coach T.
DK: Tomlin? How?
Artie: Definitely. It doesn't matter if you're a young guy or an old guy, he never minimizes your role. I think that's something all of us felt the first time we were in Latrobe. He'll treat the youngest guy like the oldest guy. The only thing he wants out of either one is that you're out there producing. So if you're a young guy and you see that right away, that gives you confidence. Now you're not just a college kid walking into an NFL camp. You're a football player, same as you've always been.
DK: Hm. I didn't think that'd be your answer. Good stuff. Same feeling around Coach Lake? He played in an era when defensive rookies wouldn't even look at the field.
Artie: Everybody. Every coach is the same. He expects the same. But you know what? You've got to want that for yourself, too, which is what I think your first question was about. This is a big-boy league. You've got to be ready -- or maybe just feel ready -- the first time you go out there.
DK: I asked Sean, and I'll ask you: What made you fall in love with football? Deep down, I mean.
Artie: Huh. I'd have to say I started when I was 4, but I really made the commitment in my sophomore year in high school. That's when I knew that I wanted to go and do all the things you've got to do to be great.
DK: Why? Who pushed you? Or what?
Artie: Ha! The offers, man! That's when they all start to come in, all those scholarships. And that's when you start thinking, man, I could probably take off with this. Started with FIU. I remember that. First one. Really kind of changes your life. You start thinking not just about football but about school.
DK: And that's when you fell in love with the game?
Artie: Then? Oh, wow, no! That started when I came out of the womb! That's inherited! That's father and son rolling around on the rug even before I could walk!
DK: What brings you the most satisfaction in the game? Doesn't have to be on the field.
Artie: My family. They've always been there for me, and they're there for me at the games. I know where they are. I look up. I find them. They're smiling or laughing or crying or whatever ... they're everything to me.
DK: So you young guys in the secondary, all three of you, have been so solid. But things will go wrong. That's the nature of your job. A big play happened against you and Mike in Kansas City and, even though it was in a big win and a good performance, I'm sure you take it hard. How do you react? Where do you go?
Artie: Here's how this goes, not just on that play but all the time: If there are certain spots where we feel like we're leaking here or there, or even if it's just one play out of 50 like that one ... we go to Mike Mitch and Will. We feel like talking to them, we can fill that leak, seal those holes. They stabilize us. They take care of us. We get mad at ourselves, but they keep us focused.
DK: I want you to take me through a pass defensed. You've got five of them now. You're manning up on guys. You're going one-on-one with some great players. So realistically, when that ball's in the air from the hand of an NFL quarterback, no one would say much if the receiver catches it and you just wrap and tackle. But that never looks like your goal in your body language. What's going through your head there?
Artie: The ball is mine. That ball is meant for me. That's it. At all costs, I've got to make sure that the targeted receiver does not catch that ball, so, since it's coming my way, it's meant for me. And if he does catch -- that's if -- I make sure I make a strong tackle and that he remembers my face. Because I'll be back next time, and I'll get that ball next time.
DK: Let's talk Mike Hilton.
Artie: Man, I love Mike Hilton.
DK: Wait, I didn't even ask a question!
Artie: I don't care. I love the man. I do. You know, he came in here with us late last year, practice squad, and we saw him around but didn't really know who he was. We just saw him around, grinding, in OTAs maybe we noticed him a little more, got his hand on a lot of balls and ...
DK: And then Latrobe.
Artie: And then Latrobe, all he did was make plays. And he did the same exact thing in the preseason. And then he did the same exact thing in the season. And then he just keeps doing it. I mean, how can you not root for a guy like Mike Hilton? Such an underrated guy.
DK: And you know who'll be the first person to tell you Mike Hilton's an underrated guy?
Artie: I know, right? Mike Hilton!
Mike Hilton. - MATT SUNDAY / DKPSMIKE HILTON
DK: A couple weeks before Christmas last year, you applied for a job at a Foot Locker in Atlanta, right before the Steelers put you on the practice squad. You were already cut by two NFL teams, everyone says you're undersized at 5-8 ...
Mike: Wait, wait ... I'm 5-9. But that's still too small. Go on.
DK: Ha! OK, so 5-9, and too small, you're right out of Ole Miss, terrific career there ... and then that? What had you coming here and believing you could even crack this roster, let alone start? I mean, you knew the young guys who were already here.
Mike: Well, I did. But I liked that. I liked having those two guys here. They gave me faith. Even before I got to know them.
DK: What do you mean?
Mike: You had these two rookies here, guys in my class even though I didn't make the NFL in my first year out of school, and I looked at all that confidence they had, Sean and Artie, and how they just walked in and made the team. And how Pittsburgh put their trust in those two. I liked that. I thought that could be me. I wanted that to be me.
DK: That thing on your shoulder that you showed out in Latrobe, when you're yelling at your head coach about being too small, when he's yelling the same thing back at you -- I couldn't even tell if you guys were joking sometimes -- that's never going to leave you, is it?
Mike: Naw, that's always going to be there. I mean, look at me. Do I look like I'm supposed to be in this position? I just play with that mentality, man. Physical. Fast. Having fun. Being confident. That's the No. 1 thing in my world. You've got to have confidence in yourself, in your ability.
DK: Coach Tomlin's talked about it. Keith Butler's talked about it. They've both said they don't really know what, specifically, you're doing right other than making plays. You've got to have a better grasp of this than they do, right?
Mike: I honestly don't know what to say. I see the play developing, and I go get it. Football's my life. It's always been my life. It's who I am. I ran track in middle school, but that's right when I started getting crazy about football. I'd tune in 24/7. I'd talk about it all the time. I just loved it.
DK: I'm guessing you were a lot faster than everyone else in your school, too.
Mike: Ha! Yeah, that played into it, too!
DK: Tell me about your leadership in the secondary.
Mike: I've got to start with Mike Mitch. He's our leader. He's the one who keeps us in line, keeps us on the task at hand.
DK: Give me an example. Something really specific.
Mike: Well, I'd say the game in Cleveland. The opener. We were lined up in some type of fire zone and ... man, I just went blank. And then I heard from 10 yards back, 'Mike! You got so-and-so!' It's Mike Mitch, and he's aware back there that something's wrong with me. He's not just reading what the Browns are doing. He's watching me, the rookie out there in his first NFL game, and taking care of me.
DK: And if he doesn't yell that, you're ... ?
Mike: Busted assignment. You might not be talking to me right now.
DK: That kind of makes you follow the leader, doesn't it?
Mike: You'd better believe that.
DK: I know you don't take anything for granted here, but have you thought about the chance you could play with these younger guys for a long time?
Mike: Well, the first thing I appreciate here is that we have this great mix of older and younger guys. Will Gay's helped me so much. Coach Tomlin introduced me to Will on my first day, and Will's never stopped being there for me. He's my guy. But yeah, when you see S.D. and Artie and what they've done here, I do think about that. I'd love that. We all enjoy being around each other.
DK: You know, you mentioned earlier, Mike, that you respected how Coach Tomlin and the staff welcomed you even though you didn't come with all the bells and whistles of the Draft and Combine ... tell me when you really believed. Not when you thought you believed. When you really believed you could get this chance.
Mike: Really believed, huh? Give me a second.
DK: Sure.
Mike: Really, really believe? I've got you: It was a couple weeks into camp. After the first preseason game against the Giants. I felt like they knew what I could do, but you know, you can't be sure. Coach Tomlin asked me to step into his office and sat me down. I didn't know what was going on. I didn't think I was in trouble or anything. And just looked me in the eye and said, 'Mike, just keep doing what you're doing. Don't try to do too much. Just go out there and be yourself.' I just took it and ran with it.
DK: What did that mean?
Mike: Everything. Man, you've got to understand, that's Mike Tomlin. That's a guy every football person in the world knows. He's bigger than life when you meet him. And he's pulling me aside to tell me to just be me? Solo-dolo? Are you kidding? I just ran with it.
DK: Still running.
Mike: Still running. Don't stop now.