UNITY TWP., Pa. — Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Troy Fautanu was the first player to arrive at Saint Vincent College for training camp. It’s been something that he’s been champing at the bit for.
“I’ve been counting down the days to get back. I felt like the month-long break was a lot longer for me because in college they only give us like a week,” Fautanu said. “I felt like I was just sitting around, if I wasn’t working out. I’m excited to be here. Ready to go.”
Troy Fautanu admitted that he was anxious for Day 1, however.
“I was at my apartment earlier today, and that hour-long drive here, I had butterflies in my stomach,” Fautanu said. “I was nervous. It felt like the first day of school for me. And pulling up and seeing (the media) kind of made me more nervous. I am just ready to go, man. I’ve been waiting for this moment and this opportunity. And I’m going to treat it like a game. Just getting better every day.”
#Steelers rookie Troy Fautanu said he got nervous on drive to training camp today.
“I had butterflies in my stomach. … It’s like the first day of school.” pic.twitter.com/Y0EqJXRrv4
— Alan Saunders (@ASaunders_PGH) July 24, 2024
The Steelers are among only five teams in the NFL that hold training camp on a college campus. It’s an atmosphere that Fautanu looks forward to.
“I’ve heard a lot of good things about training camp,” he said. “I’m not sure how similar it is to fall camp back in college, but I’ve heard a lot of good things about what we do here in Latrobe and how tough it’s going to be, and how ready it’s going to make us for the season.
Fautanu revealed that the Steelers gave him his own dorm room, which was a pleasant surprise.
“It was cool. It was a lot bigger than I thought,” Fautanu said. “I thought we were going to go bunk bed, someone was going to be sleeping on the top, someone was going to be sleeping on the bottom. But I got my own room, so that’s pretty cool. I thought they were going to give me that rookie treatment. But they kind of let me off easy.”
Fautanu has a simple approach to earning a starting spot on the offensive line.
“Honestly, just treating every day like it’s a game day,” he said. “Treating every rep the same way, too. Just making sure that I approach every day in a way to get better. And just focusing on that, and whatever happens after that I’ll let the coaches deal with that.”
Fautanu will be battle-tested against two of the best edge rushers in the league every day, as well.
“Getting reps against NFL caliber guys. … We have elite talent on the edge, especially on this team — T.J. (Watt), Alex (Highsmith) and Nick (Herbig) and a bunch of those guys. I’m just ready to treat every day like a game day, man. That’s the mindset that I’ve come into camp with.”
Alan Saunders contributed reporting from Unity Twp.