Next Star? Steelers New CB Already Impressing

The Pittsburgh Steelers were in desperate need of some help in the secondary, as teams around the league were dominating the Steelers downfield.

They were then able to win the Asante Samuel Jr. sweepstakes, where multiple teams were in on the veteran cornerback who began the season as a free agent due to serious concerns of his fitness to play. Samuel received surgery on his spine during the offseason, so questions of whether he would ever be able to play football again led to his mid-season availability.

So far with the Steelers, he has impressed teammates and coaches, with defensive coordinator and former defensive back Teryl Austin particularly impressed with his skills.

High Praises For the Veteran DB

“Well, you can tell he stayed in great shape,” Austin said. “You see him running around. Where that leads at the end of the week, I won’t know until we get to the end of the week... he has all the natural movements for a cornerback and fits what we do with so much single-high.”

Samuel was also quite forward with his injury history, addressing it and making clear he believes he is ready to fully contribute to the Steelers' success.

“I feel great,” Samuel said. “It’s the healthiest I’ve ever been, been dealing with it and I got it fixed, so now I feel good.”

The Steelers as a Destination

He also spoke about why he believes the Steelers are a good spot for him in particular, compared to the other NFL teams that were after his services recently.

“I’m glad I ended up here,” Samuel said “I’m glad everything worked out to be here, and I’m blessed to be here with great coaches and great teammates.”