Many in Pittsburgh are vaguely familiar with the name Ryan Switzer. Or they should be.
In Carolina Blue, Switzer once racked up 203 yards on 16 catches against Pitt in a Sept. 24, 2016, game. In four career games against the Panthers, the Tar Heels' diminutive wide receiver put up 423 yards and three TDs.
And that wasn't even the Charleston, W.Va., native's fondest memory of Pittsburgh or Heinz Field.
That came about a decade earlier when, as a grade-schooler, he participated in a Punt, Pass and Kick competition during halftime of a Steelers-Patriots game.
Well, after four years in Chapel Hill followed by short stints in Dallas and Oakland, Switzer is back home, or at least a little closer to it.
"East Coast, mountains ... it feels good being back," the bleary-eyed 23-year-old was saying a few hours after arriving at Pittsburgh International at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
Switzer is still a receiver, but his path to a spot on the Steelers' 53-man roster lies in his ability as a return specialist. That is why the Steelers acquired him on Monday from the Raiders, sending a fifth-round pick in 2019 to Oakland in exchange for Switzer and a sixth-round pick next year.
"Yeah, I really, really, really enjoy playing at Heinz Field," he was saying. "Grew up going to some games there as a kid. I think the good karma kind of followed me in college and hopefully it'll stick with me."
No, Switzer hasn't had much good luck in the NFL since being selected by Dallas in the fourth-round of last year's draft. As a rookie, he averaged 25.0 yards per kickoff return (24 for 600 yards) and 8.8 on punts (26 for 256 yards), including an 83-yard TD against the Redskins on Thanksgiving:
But take away that return against Washington and Switzer's punt return average drops to a very pedestrian 6.2.
The Cowboys thought so much of him they dealt him to Oakland this spring for third-year defensive end Jihad Ward. The Raiders thought so much of him, they dealt him to the Steelers before he played in a single regular-season game. He recorded one catch (a 7-yard TD) and had three punt returns for minus-5 yards (two fair catches) this preseason with the Raiders.
Even Switzer acknowledges that it's been an "unconventional path," going from a fourth-round pick to his third organization within a year. The second trade was a little easier to deal with, he says, but it's just part of being a professional.
Should it raise a few red flags?
"Man, I don't know," he said. "Everyone's past is different.
"But, ultimately, I'm here for a reason. I believe that. I'm one step closer to finding a place where I fit in and a place where they're going to value me and be myself. I'm looking forward to it."
It remains to be seen how much or in what capacity the Steelers will use Switzer as a receiver.
At Carolina he worked in the slot, in the mold of a Cole Beasley or Wes Welker. At least at the start of the season, the Steelers could be in need of a receiver to work the middle of the field with Eli Rogers and two of their three tight ends -- Vance McDonald and Xavier Grimble -- likely out with injuries.
Switzer said he plans to dive into his playbook and is eager to carve out his niche on offense, but it's as a return specialist where he''ll earn his paycheck. Regardless of what happened in Dallas or Oakland, Switzer is an improvement over what the Steelers have had.
Special teams coordinator Danny Smith was still getting familiarized with his new returner on Tuesday, but likes what he's seen on film.
"He's a real competitor, he's a tough kid, he's got great quickness," Smith said.
And, if nothing else, Switzer should lessen the already sizable workload on Antonio Brown, who split punt return duty with Rogers last season. The Steelers have been trying, with no luck, to keep the 30-year-old All-Pro receiver away from special teams for years.
The kickoff return game, which ranked 29th last season (19.1 yards per return) has essentially been a non-factor for years. JuJu Smith-Schuster's 96-yard return for a TD against Cleveland in last New Year's Eve regular-season finale was the first by a Steeler in seven years. But with Switzer in tow, the Steelers won't have to place their prized second-year receiver in harm's way.
Though kickoff returns have become an increasingly rare sight in the modern NFL, Pittsburgh had just 33 returns -- on 70 kickoffs -- last year, Switzer could be a little more aggressive in that area:
"Usually there's some boundaries and some rules that each special teams coordinator in general will have," Switzer was saying. "Once Coach Smith and me get on the same page about what he wants and how he wants me to play it, we'll go from there."
Mike Tomlin said the immediate plan is to get Switzer into Thursday night's preseason finale against Carolina, likely handling both kicks and punts. He suspects it won't take long.
"That guy's been a returner all his life," the coach said. "I would imagine it's like breathing or swimming or riding a bike. I don't imagine it being really significant."
If Switzer can find the form that made him a fourth-round pick just 16 months ago, he could be a valuable asset to a team that figures to contend for a Super Bowl.
Or he could be just another in a long line that has failed to, literally, take the ball and run with it.
"What's next? I don't know. Get ready for this game on Thursday and set myself up going into Cleveland and trying to have as big an impact on this team as I can," Switzer said. "Really fortunate to be in the situation I'm in with the talent that's on this team and the roster and the potential that these guys have. I''m excited and looking forward to being part of that."