Speaker 1: With the eighty third pick in the twenty twenty five
Speaker 1: NFL Draft the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker 2: So what Caleb Johnson coming back?
Speaker 1: IRW Caleb, welcome to Pittsburgh. Can you take me through
Speaker 1: what the entire pre draft process was like to finally
Speaker 1: becoming a Steeler? Cause it did it feel short or
Speaker 1: did it feel really long to get here?
Speaker 2: I felt like it felt really long, you know, as
Speaker 2: far as like the business, and I'm scared of flying,
Speaker 2: so I'm traveling everywhere at different places. So I was
Speaker 2: just really trying to figure out where to go. And
Speaker 2: when I got that call, it was just a sign
Speaker 2: of a side of relief and you know, I'm just
Speaker 2: ready to get to work.
Speaker 1: The OC Arthur Smith was very profusely saying, how you
Speaker 1: fit into this offense? Describe the kind of running back
Speaker 1: you are and why you think you fit.
Speaker 2: I'm flying, I'm a versatile back. I could be a
Speaker 2: Derek Henry back. I could be a Davin cookback. And
Speaker 2: I felt that's what separates me from a lot of
Speaker 2: backs in the league and in this class that I
Speaker 2: came into, because you know, I just feel like, you know, overall,
Speaker 2: you know, I'm a I feel like, I'm a fast
Speaker 2: back and I could be a strong back aff so
Speaker 2: catch the ball in the back. Feeling reliable.
Speaker 1: So you mentioned Derrick Henry. I had read that. He
Speaker 1: kind of made you realize, Hey, I'm a bigger guy,
Speaker 1: I'm taller, but I can still be a running back.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he did. And I feel like, you know, I've
Speaker 2: been texting me've been texting me, and you know, he's
Speaker 2: been very motivative and really just telling me, you know,
Speaker 2: the ads and outs of you know, the league and
Speaker 2: stuff like that. So I was very exciting.
Speaker 1: He's okay that you went to the Steelers.
Speaker 2: I don't know I would talk to him since.
Speaker 1: So what is it like to finally get to play
Speaker 1: in the AFC North growing up and being able to
Speaker 1: watch it and just how physical it is?
Speaker 2: You know, it's really it's really grateful, you know, because
Speaker 2: I feel like, you know, it relates to the Big
Speaker 2: ten and what I played in. So I feel like
Speaker 2: I'm really used to the you know, the smash mouth,
Speaker 2: you know, running the ball football, and you know, I'm
Speaker 2: just really excited to get to work and really excited
Speaker 2: to be part of this organization.
Speaker 1: What do you like about Arthur Smith and what You've
Speaker 1: had a chance to get to know from him or
Speaker 1: learn from.
Speaker 2: Him ever since I came on thirty visiting me and
Speaker 2: him was talking about my fam. You know, he was
Speaker 2: just very positive and really just let me know how
Speaker 2: can fit into their schemes, and you know, just all
Speaker 2: just being his elf. And you know, that's what I
Speaker 2: can't expect more as a Parson of being myself. So
Speaker 2: I'm excited to work with him.
Speaker 1: He brought up the fourth quarter in what you do?
Speaker 1: Is it a mindset? Is it you're just consciously aware?
Speaker 1: All right, this is the last fifteen. I gotta go,
Speaker 1: what what is it that just brings out the best thing?
Speaker 2: I just feel like, you know, just anyway, first sec
Speaker 2: or third, fourth, I want to give my all to
Speaker 2: the team whoever I'm playing for, and it's to seal it.
Speaker 2: So you know, I just want to just give them,
Speaker 2: you know, my all, like I said, and just always,
Speaker 2: you know, just that's really it.
Speaker 1: During rookie mini camp, someone had asked, you know, what
Speaker 1: do you want to work on? You immediately said, past protection?
Speaker 1: How do you get better at that? And how do
Speaker 1: you learn from coach Faulkner and the other people.
Speaker 2: I just feel like, you know, just listening and really reputation,
Speaker 2: you know, just always just you know, just want to
Speaker 2: get a lot of reps and really just work on
Speaker 2: your technique and work on your work on your style,
Speaker 2: and you know, just work on the little things that
Speaker 2: you need to work on.
Speaker 1: So when you were growing up you were a multi
Speaker 1: sport athlete, how did that help you become the football
Speaker 1: player that you are.
Speaker 2: I just feel like, you know, with me just doing
Speaker 2: different things, like I said, like gymnastics, baseball, basketball, football,
Speaker 2: you know, wrestling, I feel like, you know, that really
Speaker 2: just helped me, you know, figure out what I wanted
Speaker 2: to do and what I liked more. And I feel like,
Speaker 2: you know, I had to make a decision between baseball
Speaker 2: and football, so I made football and then it was
Speaker 2: just you know on from there.
Speaker 1: So why'd you pick football?
Speaker 2: I felt because at first, you know, I had a
Speaker 2: lot of offers then and you know, I was just
Speaker 2: really just thinking about my future and really thinking about
Speaker 2: what I could be if I were to put myself
Speaker 2: and really put my my all into football. So I
Speaker 2: put my all to football, and I felt this is
Speaker 2: where I got me. So it was really a positive
Speaker 2: decision that I made.
Speaker 1: So can you just talk to me about your grandparents
Speaker 1: and how influential they were and not only helping you
Speaker 1: with sports, but also off the field.
Speaker 2: I just feel like, you know, overall, with my grandfather,
Speaker 2: you know, he just set hisself aside, sacrifice a lot
Speaker 2: for me, you know, just you know, always telling me
Speaker 2: to stay positive, and you know, just always you know,
Speaker 2: just telling me you know what it is to do
Speaker 2: and what it is not to do, and you know,
Speaker 2: just always you know, just being there for me. And
Speaker 2: I always been an aliable person that I can always
Speaker 2: count on to always tell me the honest and give
Speaker 2: me the honest answer.
Speaker 1: So other than gymnastics, which something we don't know about you.
Speaker 2: When I was little, I was homeschooled because my grandfather,
Speaker 2: it was a truck driver. So I've been like forty
Speaker 2: some states. So wow, yeah, very cool.
Speaker 1: All right, thank you very much,