April 27, 2024 • 7 mins
OT Troy Fautanu talks with Missi Matthews about being drafted by Steelers in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft and more
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Pittsburgh Steelers select Troy Bakanu tackle Washington.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
There you go now to themselves tackle.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
He's a competitor and he loves football. He loves the
things that come with football. His passion is real. It
is a calling card coupled with his tremendous athletic talent.
Just turn the table. He's a black and gold type
of a guy.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Troy officially Welcome to Pittsburgh as a member of the Steelers.
You said it was a dream come true for you.
Has it sunk in yet? Does it feel real?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
No, to be so honest, I haven't really had the
opportunity to really like soak it all in. But I
think once I hop on the plane and take off,
I think I'll start to think back and realize what
just happened, Because these twenty four hours have been a
blurred have been hectic.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
So, yeah, who.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
All was at your draft party?
Speaker 3 (00:51):
And why was it important to have all those people
with you for such an important moment?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah, basically I had pretty much close to my whole family.
It was started off supposed to be like around fifty
people and then you know how they usually go. It
is a term from multiplied by two It was like
a hundred people there, but I wouldn't have traded it
for the world.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Man, everyone there, everyone that was there was supposed to
be there, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
It is the one biggest thing that I wanted to
happen was that I shared that moment with my grandmother's
which is what happened. And those two, you know, they
have put so much time in, you know, trying to
take care of.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Me when I was younger. I lived with them when
I was younger.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
I'm very close to them, and they just don't travel,
so it was it was really important for me to
be there with them and then the rest of my family,
you know, just getting to share that moment with them
was something I never prayed for the world.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
So and you got to bring mom, dad, and sister
here right to Pittsburgh and dad is a Stealers fan.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
That's how this all started for you.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
No, So I started as the Yeah I was going
against the grand but yeah, it was actually me.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
I grew up.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
I'm like, who's this guy, Troy Polamal. You got the
same name as me, And I'm like, oh damn, this
guy's good. And then it went from me that to
being number forty three in little league football. And from
then on I just continued to watch the Steelers and
just loved everything about the team.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
And you know, here I am today. It's crazy to
say that.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
I know they try to use Troy to help you
go to USC, which didn't work out. But have you
touched base with Troy at all ors he reached out
to you.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Yeah, he did reach out to me yesterday.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
So I lost my phone yesterday after the draft after
they announced it, for like an hour and a half.
So the whole time, the whole entire time, I was
getting phone calls and text messages and I'm screwing through
just seeing it. And I see a car Idea said Troy
for mom. I'm like, oh shoot, I got to call
this guy back. So I called him back.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
He didn't answer. I'm sure he was busy.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
He left the voice smashes though, But yeah, that was
probably the last time that I talked to him. The
last time I did speak to him was when I
see him at USC. So he's just he's an idol,
you know, for me, I grew up idolizing the guy.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
And he does everything right. He lives off the field,
he does everything right. He does everything in the community
that I want to do someday, and he's truely in inspiration.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
So also your fandom for the Steelers. Of course, fans
dug up some old tweets, some good tweets supporting Ben
Roethlisberger the offense.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
Who else did you like besides.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Troy Ben Roethlisberger was a big I was a big
fan of his. I was a fan of James Harrison,
Ike Taylor. When I seen him today, I was like,
I was starstruk. But I tried not to be a
fan boy on the old line, David DeCastro, Marquees, Pouncy.
But yeah, just a lot of the guys when I
was in middle school, like high school, growing up, just
(03:27):
watching them play man. It always was a dream of
mine to play here in the NFL, honestly.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
So, okay, I want to talk about you.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
One of the scouting reports said this, and you can
tell me if it's tru or false.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
Always looking for someone to block and competes with a
touch of insanity.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Yeah, I agree. For me, it's just like it's a
way of life. It's it's a way of playing football.
And I really do feel like like the Steelers, how
they played football, their brand of football like fits like
I fit the culture around here.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Now.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
I'm truly grateful to be part of the organization because
I feel like I can, you know, provide that or
bring that, you know what I mean. I'm a product
of the people around me and the people around me
at Washington. We're some really really good coaches and some
really good players, so I kind of get that from
them as well.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
So is the mentality the physicality. Is that just on
the field or is that also just kind of.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Like the wave of life for me?
Speaker 1 (04:21):
No, I'm not like that at all. Off the field.
People are very.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Shocked when they talk to me and the like they see,
you know.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
The way I play football. It's I guess it's like
a switch.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
You know what I mean, like that you flip whenever
you whenever I work out anything that has to do
with football, which is pretty much everything other than just
living my personal life. And I try to live that way,
you know, like intentional, like trying to find any way
to help, you know what I mean, whether that's hitting
my guy as hard as I can or hitting another
guy as hard as I can.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
So yeah, but I.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Would say I'm a lot different off the field if
you get to know me, So.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
What position do you prefer to play for me?
Speaker 1 (04:59):
Honestly, anywhere that I can contribute to the team.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Man, I'm like I told these coaches when I came
in and that I'm I have the ability to play anywhere,
you know what I mean, And wherever Coach Tomlin, wherever
Coach Meyer feel fit.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
And that's why I'm going to play, you know what
I mean.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
I'm just here to contribute to the team and try
to win some games.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
You're the first player from Washington drafted by the Steelers
since Mark Brunner, who I think you know maybe a
little bit. Well, I've heard he picked you up for
the pre your pre draft visit and was a deaf
and uber driver for you.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
No, he was a great He He hyped up the
tunnel a lot, so I was expecting a lot and
he didn't disappoint.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
It was it was. It was awesome. And I'm like, dude.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
You didn't have to do that, but you know he
did it because he's been around the facility.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
I've talked to him many many times.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Me and his sons played football at job and those
guys are super awesome and man, It's just it's cool
to see another familiar face around here, you know what
I mean, Because coming into this world, it's an adjustment
for sure, coming from Washington, I've been there for so long.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
But it's awesome to have him around, for sure.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
And what's something you want fans to know about you
that maybe they haven't googled or figured out yet?
Speaker 1 (06:15):
I like to watch movies. I don't know if that
that's the track we're.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Going on, that's cool. But what's your favorite top Gun?
Top Gun two is probably my favorite movie of all time.
I probably watched it like six or seven times throughout
this process.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
I would say that's something that none really knows about me.
I like to do with my free time.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
I mean, people, a lot of people know I cut hair,
so maybe I could be the team barber here, but
I'm sure you.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Guys already have one. But yeah, that that's, you know,
just some random.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
Things that How did that start?
Speaker 2 (06:47):
I just decided that I didn't want my dad to
cut my hair anymore and just picked up a pair
of clippers and was like, if someone's gonna mess up
my hair, it's gonna be me.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
So okay, yeah, all.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
Right, Well thanks for your time and welcome again.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
Thank you so much,
The Pittsburgh Steelers select Troy Bakanu tackle Washington.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
There you go now to themselves tackle.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
He's a competitor and he loves football. He loves the
things that come with football. His passion is real. It
is a calling card coupled with his tremendous athletic talent.
Just turn the table. He's a black and gold type
of a guy.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Troy officially Welcome to Pittsburgh as a member of the Steelers.
You said it was a dream come true for you.
Has it sunk in yet? Does it feel real?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
No, to be so honest, I haven't really had the
opportunity to really like soak it all in. But I
think once I hop on the plane and take off,
I think I'll start to think back and realize what
just happened, Because these twenty four hours have been a
blurred have been hectic.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
So, yeah, who.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
All was at your draft party?
Speaker 3 (00:51):
And why was it important to have all those people
with you for such an important moment?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah, basically I had pretty much close to my whole family.
It was started off supposed to be like around fifty
people and then you know how they usually go. It
is a term from multiplied by two It was like
a hundred people there, but I wouldn't have traded it
for the world.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Man, everyone there, everyone that was there was supposed to
be there, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
It is the one biggest thing that I wanted to
happen was that I shared that moment with my grandmother's
which is what happened. And those two, you know, they
have put so much time in, you know, trying to
take care of.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Me when I was younger. I lived with them when
I was younger.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
I'm very close to them, and they just don't travel,
so it was it was really important for me to
be there with them and then the rest of my family,
you know, just getting to share that moment with them
was something I never prayed for the world.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
So and you got to bring mom, dad, and sister
here right to Pittsburgh and dad is a Stealers fan.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
That's how this all started for you.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
No, So I started as the Yeah I was going
against the grand but yeah, it was actually me.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
I grew up.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
I'm like, who's this guy, Troy Polamal. You got the
same name as me, And I'm like, oh damn, this
guy's good. And then it went from me that to
being number forty three in little league football. And from
then on I just continued to watch the Steelers and
just loved everything about the team.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
And you know, here I am today. It's crazy to
say that.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
I know they try to use Troy to help you
go to USC, which didn't work out. But have you
touched base with Troy at all ors he reached out
to you.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Yeah, he did reach out to me yesterday.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
So I lost my phone yesterday after the draft after
they announced it, for like an hour and a half.
So the whole time, the whole entire time, I was
getting phone calls and text messages and I'm screwing through
just seeing it. And I see a car Idea said Troy
for mom. I'm like, oh shoot, I got to call
this guy back. So I called him back.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
He didn't answer. I'm sure he was busy.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
He left the voice smashes though, But yeah, that was
probably the last time that I talked to him. The
last time I did speak to him was when I
see him at USC. So he's just he's an idol,
you know, for me, I grew up idolizing the guy.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
And he does everything right. He lives off the field,
he does everything right. He does everything in the community
that I want to do someday, and he's truely in inspiration.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
So also your fandom for the Steelers. Of course, fans
dug up some old tweets, some good tweets supporting Ben
Roethlisberger the offense.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
Who else did you like besides.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Troy Ben Roethlisberger was a big I was a big
fan of his. I was a fan of James Harrison,
Ike Taylor. When I seen him today, I was like,
I was starstruk. But I tried not to be a
fan boy on the old line, David DeCastro, Marquees, Pouncy.
But yeah, just a lot of the guys when I
was in middle school, like high school, growing up, just
(03:27):
watching them play man. It always was a dream of
mine to play here in the NFL, honestly.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
So, okay, I want to talk about you.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
One of the scouting reports said this, and you can
tell me if it's tru or false.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
Always looking for someone to block and competes with a
touch of insanity.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Yeah, I agree. For me, it's just like it's a
way of life. It's it's a way of playing football.
And I really do feel like like the Steelers, how
they played football, their brand of football like fits like
I fit the culture around here.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Now.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
I'm truly grateful to be part of the organization because
I feel like I can, you know, provide that or
bring that, you know what I mean. I'm a product
of the people around me and the people around me
at Washington. We're some really really good coaches and some
really good players, so I kind of get that from
them as well.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
So is the mentality the physicality. Is that just on
the field or is that also just kind of.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Like the wave of life for me?
Speaker 1 (04:21):
No, I'm not like that at all. Off the field.
People are very.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Shocked when they talk to me and the like they see,
you know.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
The way I play football. It's I guess it's like
a switch.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
You know what I mean, like that you flip whenever
you whenever I work out anything that has to do
with football, which is pretty much everything other than just
living my personal life. And I try to live that way,
you know, like intentional, like trying to find any way
to help, you know what I mean, whether that's hitting
my guy as hard as I can or hitting another
guy as hard as I can.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
So yeah, but I.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Would say I'm a lot different off the field if
you get to know me, So.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
What position do you prefer to play for me?
Speaker 1 (04:59):
Honestly, anywhere that I can contribute to the team.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Man, I'm like I told these coaches when I came
in and that I'm I have the ability to play anywhere,
you know what I mean, And wherever Coach Tomlin, wherever
Coach Meyer feel fit.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
And that's why I'm going to play, you know what
I mean.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
I'm just here to contribute to the team and try
to win some games.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
You're the first player from Washington drafted by the Steelers
since Mark Brunner, who I think you know maybe a
little bit. Well, I've heard he picked you up for
the pre your pre draft visit and was a deaf
and uber driver for you.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
No, he was a great He He hyped up the
tunnel a lot, so I was expecting a lot and
he didn't disappoint.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
It was it was. It was awesome. And I'm like, dude.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
You didn't have to do that, but you know he
did it because he's been around the facility.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
I've talked to him many many times.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Me and his sons played football at job and those
guys are super awesome and man, It's just it's cool
to see another familiar face around here, you know what
I mean, Because coming into this world, it's an adjustment
for sure, coming from Washington, I've been there for so long.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
But it's awesome to have him around, for sure.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
And what's something you want fans to know about you
that maybe they haven't googled or figured out yet?
Speaker 1 (06:15):
I like to watch movies. I don't know if that
that's the track we're.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Going on, that's cool. But what's your favorite top Gun?
Top Gun two is probably my favorite movie of all time.
I probably watched it like six or seven times throughout
this process.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
I would say that's something that none really knows about me.
I like to do with my free time.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
I mean, people, a lot of people know I cut hair,
so maybe I could be the team barber here, but
I'm sure you.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Guys already have one. But yeah, that that's, you know,
just some random.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
Things that How did that start?
Speaker 2 (06:47):
I just decided that I didn't want my dad to
cut my hair anymore and just picked up a pair
of clippers and was like, if someone's gonna mess up
my hair, it's gonna be me.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
So okay, yeah, all.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
Right, Well thanks for your time and welcome again.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
Thank you so much,
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