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Steelers running back Isaac Redman is entering perhaps his first training camp as the hunted, not the hunter.
To accommodate an unfamiliar role, Redman is taking on an unfamiliar nickname.
In the second part of a two-part series posted by the Steelers' web site, Redman jokes with fans regarding his on-the-nose nickname, "Red Zone Redman."
When asked if if enjoyed running in the red zone, as his namesake would suggest, Redman responded, "I love it. Any running back would love carrying the ball near the goal line. I am trying to change my name to "All The Way" Redman and get some 30 or 40 yard touchdowns.
All The Way Redman hasn't exactly been cranking those runs out (As Kyle Curry of Steel Blitz points out, the Steelers haven't been a great red zone team in recent years). His career long is 28 yards, and that came last season against the Giants at the end of the game, when it appeared they had already accepted defeat and were just looking to get off the field.
Redman had 147 yards in that game on 26 carries along with a touchdown (he scored in the red zone from one yard out). He looked like a complete back in that game, particularly as the game progressed. He's likely being somewhat tongue-in-cheek regarding the nickname, but Redman has shown in his career he can be effective in doses.
With the selection of Le'Veon Bell in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft, and the fact Jonathan Dwyer beat him out for carries last year - in offensive coordinator Todd Haley's first year in charge - Redman has ample reason to be motivated. His job very well could be on the line.
It's a good problem for both Redman and the Steelers to have. As coach Tomlin has said, iron sharpens iron, and this could be a season in which the team experiences one of the best turnarounds in production for the position in the last several years.
Redman will likely be a part of that, but the battle between Bell, Dwyer and Redman will be fierce this training camp.