A day after Mike Tomlin recalled how he and former general manager Kevin Colbert were “enamored” with him after attending his 2016 pro day at the University of Houston, Elandon Roberts playfully admonished Tomlin for not acting more on it.
“I always mess with Mike T,” Roberts said Wednesday, “‘Man, you took seven years!’
“But he was able to make it happen.”
Roberts joined the Steelers for his eighth NFL season last year and is still with the Steelers for his ninth, a run-stopping force in their inside linebackers corps. Roberts’ tackle of Jerome Ford for a 5-yard loss on a fourth-and-1 near midfield helped the Steelers put away the Cleveland Browns this past Sunday.
It was just the latest play Roberts has made over his two seasons with the Steelers that have included 136 tackles (86 solo, 14 for loss), 3 ½ sacks. 10 QB hits, two passes defended and a forced fumble.
Tuesday, Tomlin talked about when he and Colbert traveled to Houston 8 ½ years ago and among other things chatted with Roberts’ parents.
“We were really enamored with (Roberts’) demeanor, his relationship with the game, the way he played the run,” Tomlin said. “We knew that guy was going to be an NFL run-stopping linebacker, and almost a decade later, man, he’s got a resume that illustrates that.”
Roberts is a two-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots, and he two times has been a defensive captain for an NFL team (also the Miami Dolphins).
With the Steelers veteran defense, he’s not needed as a captain but he has been part of a strong inside linebackers corps that includes Patrick Queen and rookie Payton Wilson.
In Pro Football Focus grading for run defense, Roberts is No. 2 among all NFL inside linebackers.
“When you’re good at something, you hone in on it but you don’t forget what makes a complete ‘backer: A guy who deals with communication, can communicate on the field, knows how to be a leader, also being effective (in the pass game) because every play is not a run,” Roberts said. “You’ve still got to be effective in other aspects of it. I appreciate (Tomlin’s plaudits on Roberts stopping the run) but, at the same time, me and every other guy in the locker room, we’re just here to do our job. I’m just trying to do my job well for my teammates and the City of Pittsburgh.”
Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.