[jwplayer dql6Ekdl-XNcErKyb]
Though some people on a national level (very, very, very few) didn’t think Devin Bush was going to amount to much at the pro-level, Michigan fans knew better.
And now Steelers fans are beginning to know it, too.
While his rookie season in Pittsburgh wasn’t quite as impressive as his final year in Ann Arbor, the former Michigan standout — well — still stood out as he started learning the ropes at the NFL level. Though he only had one sack in 16 games, he led the team in both solo and combined tackles, had two interceptions and had mostly good game-to-game grades by PFF with only a few exceptions.
Given that players tend to get better going from year one to year two, and our sister site SteelersWire is starting to get amped about Bush’s potential, as it penned a column on Friday entitled: ‘Opposition beware: Steelers ILB Devin Bush is just getting started.’
Some highlights:
Armed with his innate ability to read plays and react quickly, Bush became the first Steelers rookie to lead the team in tackles (109) since the stat began to be tracked in 1994. As a linebacker, Bush finished the season tied for the league lead in fumble recoveries (4) and sixth in interceptions (2).
In 2020, those expectations are elevated, and Bush aims to exceed them.
“Last year I came in, just went in and played and learned as things came to me,” Bush said in a Friday press conference. “But now I have a pretty good idea of what I wanna get done, where I can get better as a player to help this team win.”
Bush added that he would like to be more efficient with his movements. Based on last season, it’s clear he possesses sideline-to-sideline speed; it’s now just a matter of taking more decisive routes to the ball.
“I’m not saying my movements were bad, but just playing in the system I played in in college and switching to another system in the league, things have to change,” said Bush. “I had to get leaner. I had to train differently. I think I’ve done a good job of that.”
Bush’s work this spring laid the groundwork for what has been a strong training camp so far.
SteelersWire went on to highlight how much more comfortable Bush is getting in his role as a defensive play caller and how his competition with offensive rookie Anthony McFarland — the former Maryland standout — is helping make him better, using the familiar term, ‘iron sharpens iron.’
Especially without a Big Ten season this fall, I think many Michigan fans would be happy to, for now, embrace ‘Devin Bush SZN.’