Steelers WR Roman Wilson Finds Inspiration During Injury Rehab
Pittsburgh Steelers Roman Wilson talks to reporters about injury recovery, former coach, and home opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson has been battling back from an ankle sprain that has kept him out of game action since the first week of training camp. Even since the start of the regular season, he has been a limited participant in most practices to this point.
That means that the rookie has missed out on a month and a half of crucial development. On Thursday, Wilson was a full participant in practice. That certainly should be seen as a step forward. Wilson still isn’t sure if he’ll play this week, but a return to full health doesn’t seem far away.
The bigger question now will be how effective Wilson will be able to be when he gets on the field. How much will those missed weeks of practice hurt the Michigan product, and how much has he been able to do in the meantime?
“I watch a lot of film by myself,” Wilson said on Thursday after practice. “I watch film with Coach Z (Zach Azzanni). Trying to get better with my hand work, get a little more crafty, just watch receivers, try to emulate their game.”
His choice for receiver-watching is an interesting one. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Wilson hasn’t been studying a player with similar physical characteristics like Seattle’s Tyler Lockett. He hasn’t been locked into the game of fellow Hawaii native and Cincinnati Bengals receiver Andrei Iosivas. No, instead he’s been picking at the tape of 6-foot-5, 231-pound Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans.
“Right now, I’ve been watching a lot of Mike Evans,” Wilson said. “I just feel like his technique right now is very underrated. You know, he’s played in the league and done so good for such a long time. Why would I not want to be that guy?”
MICHIGAN MEN
A highlight for this week that hasn’t been discussed a whole lot is the return of Jim Harbaugh to the NFL. Harbaugh, of course, spent four seasons as the San Francisco head coach before leaving to coach Wilson’s collegiate team in Ann Arbor: the University of Michigan. When asked about facing his former head coach, Wilson smiled at the reality of his former head coach on the opposite sideline.
“Honestly, I didn’t really think about that,” he said. “That really hasn’t crossed my mind–looking over at the sideline and seeing my old coach. Maybe on game day it’s gonna hit me different … it’s such a crazy experience, you know, like my coach being on the other side. I just never thought that would be a thing.”
FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME
Despite his status being unknown, Wilson is excited to be in Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh for his first Steelers home game. He highlighted the strong fan base that is Steelers Nation and the excitement he has seen up until now.
“Even in the preseason, that was something crazy, something special. I can’t wait for game day and just see what that’s like. The fans are already crazy enough. They be showing up to the game at 9 a.m. or something crazy like that. It’s gonna be unbelievable. … I still don’t really know what (Renegade) is. I’m excited for it! I can tell you that.”
The Steelers remain hopeful Wilson can make his debut and, bring some juice, impact in the offense. From the sounds of it, Wilson is going to be excited and prepared for his potential first game both on the field and in front of the home crowd.
Alan Saunders provided reporting from Pittsburgh.
Read This Next
