1-on-1: Alex Highsmith - September 4, 2024

Alex Highsmith sits down with Rob King to talk about the Steelers defense, his goals for the season, the Week 1 game against the Falcons and more

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Well, thirty four to go shotgun snap, Browning back steps
up in the pocket, wires are passed down the.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Middle, stept in Alex high Smith ranging facts.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
Okay, Alex, First of all, how did the team defense respond?
Do you think in camp and then leading up to
this first game against Faltons. Yeah, I'm just excited to
know for what we're gonna do in week one. I
think we had a really good, really good preseason, a
really good ota He's really good camp and so I
was just awesome to see these guys, see all of
us jelling together, and so I just decided to see
what we do week one. So we got a lot

(00:38):
of new guys, and a lot of guys are coming
in and gonna make a huge impact pack for us,
and a lot of guys back from last year.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
So I'm really excited.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
One of those new guys that it's hard not to
get excited about is Patrick Queen. What have you seen
from him?

Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yeah, you know, he's he's he's gonna be the leader,
the quarterback of our defense. And so he's a guy
who's you know, he's a better in this league, you know,
with the same class twenty twenty class, and so It's
awesome just having a guy as a stud. You know,
he's he's he's gonna come in and be awesome for us,
and he's he's gonna make a lot of plays for us.
And he's got he's got that dog in him. So
I'm excited to take the fell with him every single game.

Speaker 1 (01:09):
You and TJ Watt have been such a great pass
rushing duo and a disruptive force. TJ is closing in
on one hundred career sacks. You think that's a big milestone.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
Absolutely. I mean, you know, he's already a Legendly I
feel like, you know, to get to to a hundred,
that that puts you, that to put you in a
rare category. And so it just shows to who he
is as not only as a football player, but also
as a person as well. Is the way he works
and so he loves this game and he takes it
seriously and you see how hard he works and it
pays off for him on the field, and so that
moment is gonna be special when he gets to one

(01:38):
hundred sacks. So looking forward to that.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
Mike thomlins On no need to get certain guys out
there during the preseason yourself, t J Watt, Cam Hayward
even on special team. He said, I'm not gonna play
Miles skilled, but I know he can do. So this
provides opportunities for young guys. Nick Herbick, who makes him
splash last year, had a really really impressive preseason.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
Yeah, and we all knew who was going to these
guys coming into your too now. And so he's a brother, said,
you know, he's a stud, and you know when he
came in last year, he's making plays and making splash
plays for us, and he's gonna do the same this year.
And so I'm just excited to see what he does
for us this year. And I think the three of
us are gonna just gonna make a lot of noise
this year. So I'm really excited for it.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
Going into year five, yourself, what are you looking for?
What are your own personal expectations?

Speaker 2 (02:18):
Yeah, just to be better than everything that I was
last year and just continue to get better in all
years of my game. Ultimately, the main goal is to
win the Super Bowl. So whatever I can do to
help this team get to that, you know, that's my goal.
And just so I've got a faster and stronger this
offseason and so just working on my moves and find those.
So I'm looking forward to just going out there and
stepping on the field and showing what I've been working for.

Speaker 1 (02:38):
The quality of competition, the team's changed from year to year.
Atlanta made a lot of moves in the offseason. You're
going down on the road to face them to start
the twenty twenty four season. What are your thoughts about
the Falcons.

Speaker 2 (02:49):
Yeah, you know, they're a good team. You know, they
got a lot of new guys. You know, they got
they got Kirk Cousins and free agency and also drafted
some some guys as well, and so it's gonna be
a you know, tough but I'm looking forward to it.
Those two nations are gonna be, you know, showing out
and showing up for that game. And so it's definitely
gonna be a tough game. It's gonna be a fun one.
It's gonna be a hard fall one. And so they
tell every game is in the NFL, you know, everyone is,

(03:11):
you know, everyone's good in this league, and so you
just gotta bring your a game every time. And so
we gotta do that going into Atlanta, And so I
can't wait for that matchup,