LATROBE, Pa. -- Throughout the early parts of training camp, the Steelers coaching staff has been stressing knocking the ball out and creating turnovers.
Every meeting, every huddle, every drill, coaches can be audibly heard screaming "Get the ball out!"
On Sunday, Payton Wilson answered the call during 11 vs. 11 when he came up behind Pat Freiermuth, after the fourth-year tight end made a catch coming across the middle, and punched the ball out to force a fumble. The third-round draft pick didn't recover it -- Jaylen Warren jumped on it -- but the damage was done and Wilson received congratulations from his defensive teammates.
DeShon Elliott screamed out, "Yeah, Payton!" Others also sprinted toward him after the play. However, while Wilson was the one to make the play, he passed on the credit to the coaches who prepared him to do so.
"They are continuing to emphasize every day that we need to get the ball out. That's what we do here: try to get as many takeaways as possible."
The play came on a day when Wilson repped with the first team the most he has all training camp, though Elandon Roberts didn't garner as many snaps due to somewhat of a veteran "maintenance day" — he did participate in some drills and seven shots.
That doesn't mean that Wilson hasn't caught the eyes of his coaches and teammates.
Earlier this week, Elliott called Wilson the "most mature rookie," in the way he prepares and said: "He's a freak athlete, he's really smart, he learns from his mistakes and he doesn't repeat them. So, down the line, I think he can be a great player. I've heard people say Luke Kuechly or something like that, but I think Payton is going to be Payton and he's going to be a great player in the NFL."
Then, earlier Sunday, before the Steelers took to Chuck Noll Field for practice, Patrick Queen, who's been playing alongside Wilson, said he was just as impressed, adding "very cool, calm demeanor guy." But, when Wilson steps across the white lines, he's different.
"He turns into a whole other animal," Queen said. "But, he's been a sponge, soaking up everything he can and asking a whole bunch of questions. Sometimes, too many questions. He's overthinking some stuff. But that's how you are supposed to be as a rookie. You are supposed to try and get as much knowledge as you can."
Part of that learning process came Sunday when Wilson almost had an interception -- one that he admitted he should've had. Wilson said Queen came right over to him and started coaching him up on his footwork and telling him how he should've been positioned for the play.
Then, after a hot practice, Wilson was catching balls from the JUGS machine while a group of players sat off to the side soaking up the atmosphere. Minkah Fitzpatrick strolled over and gave Wilson pointers on how to better position his hands for the catch.
Throughout the entire exchange, Wilson was intently focused on what Fitzpatrick was saying. He then went back to catching balls, implementing what Fitzpatrick had just told him.
Wilson has also been doing whatever the coaches have asked of him. After practice, Mike Tomlin spoke about how they don't really ask much of the new guys. However, they do ask them to be ready to work.
Before catching balls from the JUGS machine, Wilson had been running sideline to sideline with a few other players, doing extra conditioning work after practicing in heat that reached north of 90 degrees. That type of work sticks out to a coach like Tomlin and players like Elliott and Queen.
"He’s highly conditioned and I think it starts there," Tomlin said of what has stuck out about Wilson so far. "It’s showing itself in the form of hustle and finish, and sometimes hustle and finish puts you in position to do some things."
That conditioning, that motor, Tomlin is so high on is one thing that has made Wilson special throughout his football career. It's one thing that allowed him to record over 400 tackles in 46 games at N.C. State and then move on to the NFL, despite the injury concerns that surrounded him. It's also something that he's taken pride in.
"I've said it all the time, if there are 75 plays, I want to have 75 tackles," Wilson said. "That's how I train, every single offseason, everything that I do is at 100 percent. So, that's who I am and that's how I'm going to be."
But he's also taking advantage of the opportunity he has and the players that are around him. Players like Queen, Fitzpatrick, Elliott, even T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.
The pads aren't even on yet, but Wilson is doing whatever it takes because that's how he's wired. That's who he is.
"I just come in every single day and do exactly what I'm told, give 110 percent, and at the end of the day the coaches are going to do what they want," Wilson said. "I'm here, so whatever role they want to hand me, I'm willing and able."
This is just the beginning. When the pads go on Tuesday, we'll see what Wilson is really about.
He's excited for that opportunity as well.
