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When new Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mitchell Trubisky was drafted with the 2nd overall pick in 2017 by the Chicago Bears, it raised a lot of eyebrows. Trubisky started only one season at North Carolina, a 3,700-yard, 30 TD campaign propelled him from an unknown, to a top-level prospect leading up to the NFL Draft.
The questions surrounding Trubisky were significant. His 13 starts were the fewest of any 1st round pick QB since 2002. He threw just 572 passes in his college career. He had a Sun Bowl loss to Stanford in which he both shined and struggled. Meanwhile, Deshaun Watson had just beaten Alabama in for the National Championship in spectacular fashion.
Scouts were divided on whether Trubisky should return for his senior season vs. entering the draft. Or if you were Mel Kiper, you just covered yourself by saying both:
Mel Kiper, per ESPN draft night coverage (upon the selection of Trubisky):
Mel Kiper, per ESPN (on projecting Trubisky as the #2 overall pick over Watson prior to the draft):
But the biggest question was how he was unable to beat out starter Marquise Williams for two years, a player most viewed as inferior in terms of talent.
UNC Head Coach Larry Fedora, per ESPN Senior Writer Tim Keown:
A frustrated Trubisky never complained about not starting, but he questioned it. Raised in a mentality instilled in him by his parents, he followed the advice of his mother: “Don’t complain about it. Do something about it. Change it.”
Instilled by this, Trubisky said he would knock on Fedora’s door each week with the same question: What can I do to get better this week? The answer was always back to the same thing: “Presence.”
Fedora believed that a quarterback cannot lead only by example, but need to be loud, forceful, and occasionally arrogant. Qualities that do not come naturally to Trubisky.
As a result, a consensus formed that Trubisky lacked the “it” factor.
At UNC, while his teammates liked him, they rallied around Williams. Trubisky had the talent, but seemed to lack the swagger, confidence, and energy that a great QB inherently exudes. It was not through a lack of effort, as Trubisky would get with teammates like former Steelers wide receiver Ryan Switzer and go into the team practice facility at night and perfect their craft. He kept busy in the weight room, arriving at UNC at a meagre 195 pounds and played the 2016 season at a lean and muscular 225 pounds.
There was a never a question that he wasn’t a great teammate. He grew up with a banner hung over the the fireplace that read “Do what is right, not easy.” He’s always been viewed as a guy willing to do the work.
The question is, can Trubisky become more and play with both the confidence and moxie that matches his talent as the Steelers QB?
What do yinz think? Click to comment below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
The questions surrounding Trubisky were significant. His 13 starts were the fewest of any 1st round pick QB since 2002. He threw just 572 passes in his college career. He had a Sun Bowl loss to Stanford in which he both shined and struggled. Meanwhile, Deshaun Watson had just beaten Alabama in for the National Championship in spectacular fashion.
Scouts were divided on whether Trubisky should return for his senior season vs. entering the draft. Or if you were Mel Kiper, you just covered yourself by saying both:
Mel Kiper, per ESPN draft night coverage (upon the selection of Trubisky):
Mel Kiper, per ESPN (on projecting Trubisky as the #2 overall pick over Watson prior to the draft):
But the biggest question was how he was unable to beat out starter Marquise Williams for two years, a player most viewed as inferior in terms of talent.
UNC Head Coach Larry Fedora, per ESPN Senior Writer Tim Keown:
A frustrated Trubisky never complained about not starting, but he questioned it. Raised in a mentality instilled in him by his parents, he followed the advice of his mother: “Don’t complain about it. Do something about it. Change it.”
Instilled by this, Trubisky said he would knock on Fedora’s door each week with the same question: What can I do to get better this week? The answer was always back to the same thing: “Presence.”
Fedora believed that a quarterback cannot lead only by example, but need to be loud, forceful, and occasionally arrogant. Qualities that do not come naturally to Trubisky.
As a result, a consensus formed that Trubisky lacked the “it” factor.
At UNC, while his teammates liked him, they rallied around Williams. Trubisky had the talent, but seemed to lack the swagger, confidence, and energy that a great QB inherently exudes. It was not through a lack of effort, as Trubisky would get with teammates like former Steelers wide receiver Ryan Switzer and go into the team practice facility at night and perfect their craft. He kept busy in the weight room, arriving at UNC at a meagre 195 pounds and played the 2016 season at a lean and muscular 225 pounds.
There was a never a question that he wasn’t a great teammate. He grew up with a banner hung over the the fireplace that read “Do what is right, not easy.” He’s always been viewed as a guy willing to do the work.
The question is, can Trubisky become more and play with both the confidence and moxie that matches his talent as the Steelers QB?
What do yinz think? Click to comment below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
