JAQUAN BRISKER
Q: How does it feel to be back in Pittsburgh?
JB: It feels amazing, just going through the tunnels, seeing the city, seeing that beautiful water. It feels amazing to be back, for sure.
Q: Growing up, did you dream of becoming a Steeler?
JB: Yeah. Started football at four or five years old, and going around the house, throwing footballs around, mom taking it away from me, down using socks or water bottles acting like I'm playing football, things like that, but never really thought I would be a Steeler, which is crazy. But now that I'm here, I'm just so blessed and humbled to be here. I just get chills just knowing that I'm a Pittsburgh Steeler and I'm from Pittsburgh.
Q: You've been described as a Swiss Army knife. Lst year you played close to even in the box and as a free safety. What do you feel like you're most excited to play in this defense and the way you're going to be used?
JB: I just feel excited to just be used, like you said, like a Swiss Army knife, playing free, playing strong, playing that dime backer, or whatever, just being moved around to showcase what I can do and to help the team win and elevate my teammates and elevate the defense. So just whatever I can do to help the team win and showcase what I can do, I'm willing to do it.
Q: It looked like the Bears were on the ascent in making the playoffs last year. What are you seeing here?
JB: I feel like it's gonna be the same thing. They just won a divisional title last year. Got a lot of great pieces around us, around me. I feel like they had a lot of great players on defense already. You've got T.J. (Watt), you've got Jalen (Ramsey), you've got Joey (Porter Jr.), Patrick Queen, Cam Heyward, (Alex) Highsmith, and a lot of young guys too. And they're building on the offense. So I feel like it's a great opportunity to make a deep playoff run again.
Q: Any interesting stories about you and Joey back at Penn State?
JB: I had to get Joey, you know, together. I will say that. He had to mature, which he did. That's one of my favorite teammates, one of my guys, and to see him where he came from at Penn State to now, it's amazing. He's gonna be a great player in this league, for sure.
Q: What was he doing? Why did he need to mature?
JB: I think he was just -- his ego, his ego when he came in. I think he was like, what, a four or five-star (recruit)? I just had to, you know, just get him right, into the right path football-wise.
Q: How did you manage to do that?
JB: Well, I was a captain, I was a leader, and I wanted to win a championship so bad. And I felt like it was my job to get the DBs, the group, the defense together and that takes hard work. That takes work ethic. And that's an everyday thing. That's consistency. It's not just a one-day thing. It's not just an 'I'm going to show up and just give my talent.' For him, he wanted to be grea, and I wanted to push him and I saw what he had in him. But, really, in all my teamates that's what I see. I see greatness within them, and I'm their number one fan. He's from Pittsburgh, and he was the top recruit. Coach Terry (Smith) brought us in to win championships, so I didn't want him to slack. Obviously, knew his dad, things like that, and we came in together, so, just gotta push your teammates.
Q: What do you think it's going to be like when you walk through that tunnel to take the field in your hometown for the first time, wearing that jersey?
JB: When I was thinking about that, I'm just like, man, seeing a Terrible Towel waving around, hearing that Renegade song, I'm just like, man, it's gonna be so fun playing in front of the fans and turning them up. That's all I just want to do. That energy, that passion you notice the city has around the football team and things like that. It's like no other. You know, I was in Chicago. There were a lot of Pittsburgh fans in that stadium, too. They travel well and I can't wait to play in front of them. So it's gonna be be amazing.
Q: Have you been to Latrobe?
JB: No. I've been to Latrobe one time in high school. We played them and I had like two, three touchdowns. We beat them bad (laughs). But I was never there for training camp.
Q: Was Mike DeFabo playing for Latrobe then?
JB: (Laughs)
Q: You mentioned pushing Joey. Do you look forward, in turn, to having the opportunity to work with Jalen Ramsey and DeShon Elliott? And what do you want to learn from them?
JB: Yeah, I look forward to playing with those players. I've seen them from afar. I've seen Jalen play corner at a high level. Just trying to get to learn how he's been consistent for so many years playing at a high level, staying healthy. That's huge. And being able to move around. He plays corner, he plays nickel, he plays safety. So just getting any information I can get from him and Deshon too; any information I can get from him, also. I always want to learn from any player. There's always room to grow.
Q: When you talk about Joey coming to Penn State as a five star with a big ego, you kind of had the opposite experience going to Lackawanna. How did you keep your self-confidence and not let that setback define you? And come out the other side the way you did?
JB: I always just believed in myself. I just needed an opportunity to showcase my talents. And Coach (Mark) Duda helped me a lot become a better new person and better student and better player. And when I went to Penn State, I just focused on getting better every single day, try to know the playbook like the back of my hand, know what the D-line's is doing, the linebackers, the corners, the safeties, the nickels -- you know, just know the playbook and things like that. I just always focused on myself and only just focused on progressing.
Q: What have the last few days been like for you? Where were you when you found out about the deal?
JB: Yeah, last few days it's honestly been crazy. My phone's been blowing up. My phone was on like 90% and then died. I'm like, 'Oh my gosh.' That's how many calls and texts I was getting. The first person I called was my mom. 'I'm about to be a Steeler.' She was like, 'Baby, are you sure?' I'm like, 'Yes!' She's like, 'Oh my God! This is so exciting!' And then I texted the family group chat. I'm like, 'I'm a Steeler!' And everybody was going crazy and things like that. It was amazing.
Q: Where were you?
JB: I was in California. I was training at Westlake Village at Proactive. To be honest, Joey was kind of on a phone call, too. He was on FaceTime because he was blowing up my agent, things like that, and blowing me up, like, 'What are you gonna do?' I'm like, 'Bro, I'm probably gonna be a Steeler.' Once it was official, no, I was like, 'Ahhh, I'm a Steeler, baby!' So I was turned. It was amazing, for sure.
Q: Did you think the Steelers were an option when free agency first started?
JB: Yeah. To be honest, that's what I told my agent -- a couple teams, but that Pittsburgh was one of them. I wanted to come back and play here. Obviously the tradition they have here, I've seen it from afar. I had a lot of teammates come back here and play here, and they say it's amazing. I always knew that, so it was definitely a destination I wanted to be.
Q: Who were your favorite Steelers growing up?
JB: Favorite? (pause) Just period? Offense? Defense?
Q: Whatever you've got. You can name two.
JB: All right. I'll say Antonio Brown and I'll say Troy Polamalu.
Q: Does that make you a strong safety then?
JB: (Laughs) Uhhhh, no. I can't just diagnose myself as a strong safety.
Q: What position are you? Both?
JB: I just classify me as a defensive back. I could play anywhere on the field.
Q: In today's NFL, you have to be flexible. Free and strong is becoming like positionless basketball at this point.
JB: Yep.
Q: How do you see that developing? And what things have you done that you've trained to make yourself that diverse in skill sets?
JB: Just making sure that I can play in the post and play in the box, but also being able to play field boundary. If you really think about it, safeties are now playing will, star. You see that from Derwin James, Kyle Hamilton, the young safety in Seattle, and I can name plenty other players that you see it from. You just have to be versatile, but you have to be willing to know the playbook and know everything, and that's what comes with it. Really, just working on it, because everybody's gonna want to play man, if you think about it. When you blitz, when we run cover-zero, when we run cover-one or when you don't have no help in the middle, you're just gonna have to learn how to play man. So just upping my game in that category, and obviously in the middle of the field, in zone, and things like that. So just being able to do it all.
Q: You talked about at Penn State how you had to be a leader and help guys. Was that something that you were encouraged by Coach Terry that's sort of like an asset that's always been in your favor coming into the NFL?
JB: Yeah. I just wanted to win so bad. I feel like everybody has to be on the same page. When you win championships, it's really player-led if you think about it. You ask any player who won the championship, they say the players led it. And that's what I wanted to do at Penn State. I wanted to lead by example. Maybe I was a little cool, maybe I might get in your face, maybe I -- just depending on the player because I knew my teammates. So maybe I might have to get on his face, or maybe I had to pull him aside, or things like that. But it's always out of love, and it's always because I want to win bad. So that's all I wanted to do. I just wanted to win and upping my teammates. They're thankful to me for doing that. I still get texted to this day from Penn Staters, from the Bears, from whatever teammate I had, they always thank me. It comes a long way.
Q: Are you going to be able adapt that leadership and personality in that locker room?
JB: Yeah. I know I can. It's just the type of player I am. I always want to show my work ethic and always want to show it daily. I feel like I'm a great person to watch and a great person to listen to.
Q: How good did it feel last year to be that guy staying on the field, the trash-talking, hard-hitting guy, that you can stay healthy? And how scary was that a couple years ago?
JB: It was amazing to play a full season. Obviously, I wanted to do more for them, wanted to be moved around, wanted to make more plays and things like that. But I did everything I could within the defense, within the scheme. To be able to come back from that, because it was a tough injury. But I could have came back a lot earlier, but the season didn't go how we expected. To be honest, I just wanted to take care of my long-term health and make sure I was able to play this upcoming season. To get over that, it was amazing to get back to where I was and who I was. But I feel like this year is going to be a lot better, because I had no setbacks, and (it's) really my first year playing the whole year. So it's going to be fun.
Q: Is there a mindset that comes with a one-year deal?
JB: Yeah. I just bet on myself, like I always have -- when I was in junior college, when I was at high school and I had zero offers. They led me to come to Pittsburgh Steelers. It's my hometown. It's gonna be amazing playing here. Got a chip on my shoulder already. I'm already motivated. But I just told myself, whoever gets me is gonna get the best version of me. I just can't wait to showcase what I can do.
Q: Is there more comfortability in playing with a fellow yinzer as a coach?
JB: (Laughs) Yeah. I'll say so. I wanted to play for him when he coached at the Cowboys. He had a lot of some of the similar staff there that he brought over here with the Steelers. We had a good relationship. It was funny. When we talked on the phone, he had said something about my father. He's like, 'Yeah, and I still remember your dad from out at Penn State.' That was hilarious, because they had a great conversation. You could just tell how great a person my father is and how he had that effect, that a head coach still remembers him. You know what I mean? Because some fathers could get in the way of their son's journey. I feel like that was big.
Q: Ever have a coach remember your grandfather?
JB: I didn't get that one yet.
Q: Your grandfather is John Brisker, the ABA basketball star, right?
JB: Yeah, I didn't get that one yet. Not yet.
Q: Did you show your versatility last year?
JB: Yeah. I'll say that. But I could say I could do a lot more than what I did. I think that was just an opportunity that just came to me. Just me being around the ball, Coach calling great calls, and things like that. But I feel like I could do a lot more than what you guys seen, and I can't wait to showcase that. That's what I'm waiting on, for me to be used a lot more.
Q: You talked about Terry Smith. What was it like seeing him get his interim head coaching chance this past year?
JB: It was amazing. I was watching it from far, texting him, and honestly I didn't want to bother him, because I know everybody was texting him and saying a lot of things. But we're so close, and to see him have success. It's tough. You think about it, coach gets fired, interim head coach comes in, and guys still had to look at him as a leader. They still had to go out there and win and dial in. And at the same time, you're getting criticism from fans, negativity from everybody around. For him to keep those guys composed and focused and go on a four-game win streak and win a bowl game is huge. Yeah, Coach Terry, I knew he was going to be ready for that position, that spotlight. He was the head coach at Gateway, but the way he treats his players, the way he goes about his business and things like that, it's amazing. You could just tell. You can't cheat the game. It's always going to reward you. And he got rewarded.
Q: What was the biggest thing he did for you?
JB: Telling (me) just be where my feet is. When you come into the building, leave everything, any problem or anything. It's all about football when you come into the building. Just learning that from him, and learning really how to be a better person, a better man. It was not always about football with him. But football-wise, when you come into the building, just keep the main thing the main thing, be where your feet are, and just be dominant.
Q: Ever go to Steelers games growing up?
JB: I never went to an NFL game until the year I got drafted. It was San Fran versus the Rams. I couldn't afford to go any games, to be honest. Watch everything from the TV. The only thing I really did, Steeler-wise, was go to Ben Roethlisberger's camp -- won a couple championships there at quarterback (laughs); went to Mike Tomlin's camp. Mike Tomlin was a mentor for me, too. Yeah, that was the only thing. Couldn't afford to go to a Pittsburgh game, but always wanted somebody like that to come around, because I never really had a no role model like that. Obviously my brothers, but NFL player. One of the times I saw Antonio Brown training here. I was working with (trainer) Dewayne Brown, and saw maybe like two fans go up to his his car. I'm like, 'That's Antonio Brown!' I ran up there, got a video, and he took my phone. He was like cheesing and things like that. I'm like, man. That was a surreal moment. That was the only, closest thing I got.
Q: So will the first Steelers game you see in their stadium be one that you're playing in?
JB: Yes (laughs). That is crazy. I could have had an opportunity to play here, I think, my high school year, but I couldn't play. I had gotten suspended. But I had an opportunity to play a game, and I never got to play Heinz Field here. So, it's all good.
Q: Did you get a number yet?
JB: Yes. I have number three.
Q: How does your skill set benefit the Steelers defense?
JB: I feel like it's going to benefit a lot. We have a lot of DBs, a lot of great DBs that they brought in that were already here. Being under the DC, I feel like he's gonna utilize my skill set within the scheme, and it's gonna be amazing to see. I feel like I'm actually gonna be able to showcase what I can do, within the scheme and within this defense. I just can't wait to show what I can do.
New Steelers safety Jaquan Brisker prepared for last season's game between the teams while with the Bears (Photo: Mike Dinovo, USA TODAY Sports)