When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected CB Senquez Golson from Ole Miss in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft, he brought with him a tremendous pedigree from his college playing career. Multi-year starter at a big-time SEC school brings with it some great competition on a weekly basis. However, it still can't fully prepare an athlete for the next level.
Throughout the Steelers' Organized Team Activities (OTAs) Golson has experienced some teachable moments from more experienced players. One of which occurred Tuesday by the hand of QB Ben Roethlisberger. Per Mike Prisuta of Steelers.com, Roethlisberger completed a pass at Golson's expense and told him just what he needed to hear:
"Welcome to the NFL."
Golson didn't hear Roethlisberger at the time, but several teammates notified him of the comment after practice in the locker room. Golson is taking everything in stride and learning the game to the best of his ability, and as quickly as possible.
"This is a great experience," Golson said. "Quarterbacks have a lot more accuracy so I've really been focused on my technique, coming out of my breaks faster, things like that."
"I kinda didn't know what to expect," he said. "Rookie camp went well for me but I just wanted to get out here with the older guys and see how that was going to go. Little faster; everything's starting to slow down, that's a good thing. I'm catching it pretty fast."
Going up against one of the NFL's premiere offenses on a daily basis doesn't hurt the learning curve either, especially when Golson might be covering the often uncoverable Antonio Brown.
"What better work can you get?' Golson offered. "Best receiver in the league. Definitely a different experience."
For those wondering how the Steelers have used Golson to this point in OTAs, he shined some light on the topic, "Mainly a little second-team nickel, third-team corner and nickel, It just depends on the rotation they have out there."
Some fans have ridiculous expectations for rookies coming into the NFL. Golson is a very talented cornerback, and has the tools to become a great defensive back in the NFL for the Steelers. Nonetheless, it will take Golson time to get accustomed to the speed and talent of the players he will be going up against on a weekly basis. If Golson is somehow able to lock down a nickel or sub package role as a rookie, he should be well on his way to being a solid contributor for the Steelers for years to come.