Young Steelers OLB Focused on Production, Not Attitude

UNITY TWP., Pa. — When you think about a Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker, you probably conjure up an image of a big, mean, somewhat scary individual with a short temper and an explosive personality.

Players like Jack Lambert, Greg Lloyd, Joey Porter and James Harrison have embodied that position in black and gold for years. But linebackers aren’t build just one way.

Steelers superstar outside linebacker T.J. Watt is certainly big and definitely scary, but does not have the same kind of unhinged persona of some of his predecessors. His counterpart on the right side of the defense, Alex Highsmith is downright churchly in his demeanor.

Are they ushering in a new era of more gentlemanly Steelers outside linebacker play? One incident from Wednesday’s practice suggests that perhaps they are.

During a one-on-one offensive line against defensive line drill on Wednesday, seventh-round offensive lineman Spencer Anderson was matchup against rookie free agent David Perales.

Perales pushed Anderson back into the quarterback with an inside move, and apparently, did not stop pushing fast enough for Anderson’s liking. The big tackle gave a one-handed swat that landed with an attention-grabbing thwack on Perales’ helmet.

The Fresno State alum showed a different kind of toughness than those manic linebackers of yore, who very well might have tried to remove said arm from Anderson’s body right then and there.

Instead, Perales just took the hit, lined up and beat him again.

“I’m a competitive person, no matter where I’m at,” Perales said, explaining that he was just as happy to win the rep as he would have been to start a fight.

He also understands that as an undrafted free agent, brawling is probably not his best path to making the team.

Perales is an interesting case study if you’re deeply invested in the scouting part of football. A look at his college stats suggest that the Steelers may have something in the babyfaced Merced, California native. He had 11.5 sacks as a senior and 18.5 in his final 25 games at Fresno State.


But those that rely on athletic testing might be wondering what the Steelers were thinking even bringing him on. He ran a 5.04-second 40-yard dash and finished with a 3.44 out of 10 in Relative Athletic Score for an edge rusher.

Replicating that production at the NFL level will go a lot farther for Perales than any display of toughness might. So he probably has the right idea. Win the drill, get the quarterback, and get to stay where he’s always dreamed of being.

“I’ve always been an underdog,” he said. “I’m used to it. Nothing’s changed.”