Steelers Newest Linebacker, Elandon Roberts "It's No Secret, I Love To Hit"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been overhauling their linebacker room this offseason. They have let Devin Bush and Robert Spillane find new homes and have signed Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts. 

The Steelers Are Gaining A Tough, Physical LB In Elandon Roberts

Roberts met with the media via video chat and spoke about coming to Pittsburgh. He said is thrilled to be a member of the Steelers and he is looking forward to working with the team. He said that coming to Pittsburgh was something he had been hoping for. 

"I've always admired the organization. I've always admired how they operate. I've always said if I had the opportunity it would be hard to pull me from that. I'm just ready to embrace the opportunity. I feel like Pittsburgh is a perfect fit. I am excited to be a Pittsburgh Steeler. My big focus is gaining my coaches and teammates' trust."

When asked what he brings to the team and how he plans to make an impact, Roberts responded confidently.

"I am a physical linebacker, that's just me. I'm gonna be a great teammate. I am coachable. Going into my eighth year, it's no secret, I love to hit."

Roberts was asked about playing fullback in his past and which side of the line he prefers playing on. He is clearly a team player, it came through in all of his responses. 

"I'm the type of guy, I do anything for the team. I'm a team-first guy. That role (fullback) came about trying to help my team. I think we have fullbacks on the roster but like I said if my coaches need me, I'm always gonna do whatever to help the team win."

"I just like to learn the whole defense from a conception standpoint. Offenses these days are doing a lot of things, shift motion and whatnot. You can always end up on a certain side, I would like to learn it all, that's what I've done my whole career."

Roberts was drafted by the New England Patriots in 2016. He spent four seasons with the Patriots and helped them make it to three Super Bowls and win two. He was fortunate to play during that time with some of the best defenders in the league and was named a defensive captain in 2019. He was asked how playing in Super Bowls and with such high-caliber players helped shaped the way he approaches playing defense. 

"A lot of guys don't really compliment guys but the Dont'a Hightower's, David McCarty's, the Patrick Chung's really molded me into who I am today. I took certain things from each and every one of them from a leadership standpoint I seen how them guys went about business. I always wanted to show the utmost gratitude to them. I was texting Dont'a yesterday telling him how much I appreciate him in my early career, helping me out, getting me to this point and being a great mentor to me. That's why with the younger guys coming in I've always thrown them whatever they need because it was given to me." 

"Being able to play in Super Bowls early, you start to understand that it ain't easy. It's a big hunger, to get back (to a Super Bowl) and I think it is for anyone in the league. Every year we come in and we have one goal and that's to obviously make it to the Super Bowl but that goal takes one day at a time. It may sound cliche but you have to focus on the day in front of you because if you don't do that you'll look too far and you'll miss a lot of small details."  

Roberts was asked about looking into the Steelers' organization from the outside this last season when he played for the Miami Dolphins. 

"I've been playing against the Steelers since my days in New England. They're always going to be a well-coached organization. I've always admired the organization because you know when you play them, Mike T (Tomlin) is all on the field with them and even though you play for your brother next to you just to know, I'm playing for my coaches too. I feel like that's dope and I'm on the other side looking at it and I'm going, 'oh man that's dope, he's fired up in there.' I always admired that and we're not like that and you know they're going to be prepared and we're not."

Players are always going to express gratitude when signed to a new team but it is rare and refreshing to hear someone with Roberts' level of excitement and appreciation. This is going to go a long way to making him an overnight fan favorite. 

"I'm a little biased because I've always admired Coach Mike and how he goes about things. I told him my pro day, seven years ago, come get me. As soon as well talked the first time I said it took seven years but God got his timing for everything and I'm just ecstatic to be a part of the organization."

Welcome to Pittsburgh, Elandon Roberts!