A player who stepped in and stood out when linebacker Devin Bush went down last season was Robert Spillane. A former first-round talent, Bush simply cannot be replaced. But Spillane played well in Bush’s absence, and he’ll continue to be someone the Steelers rely on, even when Bush is back in the fold.
Missi Matthews from Steelers.com recently spoke with Spillane and asked what he learned most about himself playing for the injured Bush.
“I think more so; other people learned about what I could do,” said Spillane. “I’ve always trusted my abilities and instincts. I knew when I was given the opportunity; I would be able to produce.”
“I think that was more about proving the people that didn’t believe in me wrong. I hope to continue that next season.”
The Steelers tendered Spillane in March. It’s a one-year, $850,000 contract.
As an exclusive rights free agent (team extends an offer, player is unable to negotiate with another team), Spillane knew he’d be back in Pittsburgh, so he was able to stay focused on his goals.
Spillane gave his body some much-needed downtime to recover from the grind of the season, then went full speed ahead into preparing for 2021.
“I’ve had my foot on the gas pedal since (his break to recover),” Spillane said.
“My goal has just been to get myself fully prepared for offseason workouts, training camps, et cetera.”
Spillane added that he wants to be a better person, not only on the field but off the field, too.
“I want to become more of a complete person as a whole,” Spillane shared. “It’s football, but it’s also being a better person, a better teammate, a better brother, being a better son to my parents. I want to continue to work on myself, not only in football but outside of football.”
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