February 10, 2023 • 5 mins
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
So Mason, you made it three year, your first year
with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Um, what did you learn about
yourself about your teammates this year? Uh? Yeah, just really
proud of this group and how we responded. You know,
obviously didn't go well early in the year, but um,
just having the faith in in the culture and the
trust and coach Towmon to lead us in the right direction. Um.
(00:24):
I think that's what got us at this point. And
haven't winning record, obviously we were throwing the playoffs, but um,
to end the season on the right note. How we did, Um,
I think it's a testament to just the guys just
putting their heads down to working and just proud of
those guys. Um, proud of our room for doing that
and and not necessarily listening to all the noise all
the time. How much are you looking forward eight and
(00:45):
you're gonna get some time off here, but then bet
just to come rolling into next year based on what
you guys were able to do. Yeah, it's always it's
always funnier than the season. Like you're you're so looking
forward to a few weeks off, giving your body a break,
spending time with family. But um, after like three weeks
you're like you just you just you had that itch
to want to get back to it, and um, which
(01:05):
is good. I think it should be that way. I
think you should take some time off. But um, like
I said towards the end of those three or four weeks,
I think guys, at least me personally, just um, you
had started at the urge and had that want to do,
want to be, UM in the best shape going the
next year, and just carry this momentum we had at
the end of the year in the next year. You
feel like that not making the playoffs this year is
(01:26):
going to maybe build a little hunger from this group,
knowing how you finished. And I think so, I think
just how good we were at least offensively, um, late
in the year. Um, just that momentum, just knowing how
good we can be, just with the guys in our room.
We don't nothing that has to change. We were really
good in the second half of the year. Um, And
just that confidence, having the confidence going in the next year,
(01:48):
knowing that, uh, how efficient we can be as an offense. Now,
you said at the beginning of the year before anything started,
when when we first started the O T s and
those things you wanted to place enter you thought you
were a center. What gave you that confidence? Is the
place center as opposed to guard? What made you feel
that way? I just thought physically, I thought the center
(02:09):
was the best position for me. Um. I'd played guard
but only started um a handful of game to guard,
had plenty of starts at center. UM, And I just
like the leadership aspect, um, the vocal aspect of playing
center and just having control and understanding of what's going
on and helping the guys around me. So UM, it's
a unique position, but it's a fun position, and there's
(02:30):
certainly some challenges with it, but um, I'm not a
tackle on an island out there block and Miles Carrot,
so there's some benefits to you mentioned the vocal part.
How important was that this year with a rookie quarterback
in there? It's huge and and Kenny was great all year.
M His want and will to understand stuff like protections
and defensive fronts is is really special. You don't see
(02:52):
that in a lot of quarterbacks, especially young quarterbacks, So
um it was really cool. And for him to pick
my ear and me be able to teach him something, Um,
it's a cool relationship to have. You had again a
young offensive line. You guys are all around the same age. Um,
obviously come from different backgrounds and those kind of things,
but you jelled together pretty quickly. I mean, you know,
(03:15):
even said in the off seat during the preseason the
game in JACKSONVI, where you guys struggled like Rome wasn't
built in a day, but you guys figured it out
pretty quickly. Yeah, you know, I think sometimes good things
take with time, and obviously took a little more time
than we probably wanted to. But um man, we just
got a really good room and the guys showed together.
Like I said, Like you said, there's a lot of
different personalities in our room, and we come from all
(03:36):
over the place, but um we got a really special
group in there. And just really proud of those guys
and um how they stuck together through through the ups
and downs of the season, because it's not always like that.
But um, for these guys to stick through it and
and and putting their head down to keep working and
and seeing some success at the end of the years
is I'm really happy for those guys. In terms of growth,
(03:58):
where do you guys, where do you think you got
can grow the most from this year to next year.
It's offensive line or as an offense or both. I
think offensive line, I think we just, um, we just
at a more efficient um rate. We can be more consistent,
we could be we could always be better. You're always learning,
you're always um trying to do things to be better.
(04:19):
And I think we saw that as an offense too. UM.
I think we just have to be at a better operations.
I think I think our procedural stuff has to But
we can't have all sides. We can't have too many penalties. UM.
We saw that, especially earlier year. We're getting behind the
chains and then we're we're really bad on third down.
UM that's because you're on third and fifteen half the time,
not third and six. But um, as you operate officially
(04:43):
as an offense, usually good things come with it, and
I think that that should be our focus going in
the next year. I believe over your last nine games
on third downs led the league over that time period
is have an offensive line staff. Uh, certainly at least
Nagre Harris at. I mean, we take a lot of
credit for some of the run game, but man Naji
(05:03):
and Jalen and Benny and and man, all those backs
had had a really good year. Just um, we can
block for them, but they still got to run the
freaking ball, and that proble is still falls forward. When
Nadre is putting his head down there, it's just it's
excited to see. But yeah, when you're when you're third
and five versus third and fifteen, it's it's certainly a
good feeling and it lets you operate at a more
(05:23):
efficient level. Thanks Mason, appreciate it.
So Mason, you made it three year, your first year
with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Um, what did you learn about
yourself about your teammates this year? Uh? Yeah, just really
proud of this group and how we responded. You know,
obviously didn't go well early in the year, but um,
just having the faith in in the culture and the
trust and coach Towmon to lead us in the right direction. Um.
(00:24):
I think that's what got us at this point. And
haven't winning record, obviously we were throwing the playoffs, but um,
to end the season on the right note. How we did, Um,
I think it's a testament to just the guys just
putting their heads down to working and just proud of
those guys. Um, proud of our room for doing that
and and not necessarily listening to all the noise all
the time. How much are you looking forward eight and
(00:45):
you're gonna get some time off here, but then bet
just to come rolling into next year based on what
you guys were able to do. Yeah, it's always it's
always funnier than the season. Like you're you're so looking
forward to a few weeks off, giving your body a break,
spending time with family. But um, after like three weeks
you're like you just you just you had that itch
to want to get back to it, and um, which
(01:05):
is good. I think it should be that way. I
think you should take some time off. But um, like
I said towards the end of those three or four weeks,
I think guys, at least me personally, just um, you
had started at the urge and had that want to do,
want to be, UM in the best shape going the
next year, and just carry this momentum we had at
the end of the year in the next year. You
feel like that not making the playoffs this year is
(01:26):
going to maybe build a little hunger from this group,
knowing how you finished. And I think so, I think
just how good we were at least offensively, um, late
in the year. Um, just that momentum, just knowing how
good we can be, just with the guys in our room.
We don't nothing that has to change. We were really
good in the second half of the year. Um, And
just that confidence, having the confidence going in the next year,
(01:48):
knowing that, uh, how efficient we can be as an offense. Now,
you said at the beginning of the year before anything started,
when when we first started the O T s and
those things you wanted to place enter you thought you
were a center. What gave you that confidence? Is the
place center as opposed to guard? What made you feel
that way? I just thought physically, I thought the center
(02:09):
was the best position for me. Um. I'd played guard
but only started um a handful of game to guard,
had plenty of starts at center. UM, And I just
like the leadership aspect, um, the vocal aspect of playing
center and just having control and understanding of what's going
on and helping the guys around me. So UM, it's
a unique position, but it's a fun position, and there's
(02:30):
certainly some challenges with it, but um, I'm not a
tackle on an island out there block and Miles Carrot,
so there's some benefits to you mentioned the vocal part.
How important was that this year with a rookie quarterback
in there? It's huge and and Kenny was great all year.
M His want and will to understand stuff like protections
and defensive fronts is is really special. You don't see
(02:52):
that in a lot of quarterbacks, especially young quarterbacks, So
um it was really cool. And for him to pick
my ear and me be able to teach him something, Um,
it's a cool relationship to have. You had again a
young offensive line. You guys are all around the same age. Um,
obviously come from different backgrounds and those kind of things,
but you jelled together pretty quickly. I mean, you know,
(03:15):
even said in the off seat during the preseason the
game in JACKSONVI, where you guys struggled like Rome wasn't
built in a day, but you guys figured it out
pretty quickly. Yeah, you know, I think sometimes good things
take with time, and obviously took a little more time
than we probably wanted to. But um man, we just
got a really good room and the guys showed together.
Like I said, Like you said, there's a lot of
different personalities in our room, and we come from all
(03:36):
over the place, but um we got a really special
group in there. And just really proud of those guys
and um how they stuck together through through the ups
and downs of the season, because it's not always like that.
But um, for these guys to stick through it and
and and putting their head down to keep working and
and seeing some success at the end of the years
is I'm really happy for those guys. In terms of growth,
(03:58):
where do you guys, where do you think you got
can grow the most from this year to next year.
It's offensive line or as an offense or both. I
think offensive line, I think we just, um, we just
at a more efficient um rate. We can be more consistent,
we could be we could always be better. You're always learning,
you're always um trying to do things to be better.
(04:19):
And I think we saw that as an offense too. UM.
I think we just have to be at a better operations.
I think I think our procedural stuff has to But
we can't have all sides. We can't have too many penalties. UM.
We saw that, especially earlier year. We're getting behind the
chains and then we're we're really bad on third down.
UM that's because you're on third and fifteen half the time,
not third and six. But um, as you operate officially
(04:43):
as an offense, usually good things come with it, and
I think that that should be our focus going in
the next year. I believe over your last nine games
on third downs led the league over that time period
is have an offensive line staff. Uh, certainly at least
Nagre Harris at. I mean, we take a lot of
credit for some of the run game, but man Naji
(05:03):
and Jalen and Benny and and man, all those backs
had had a really good year. Just um, we can
block for them, but they still got to run the
freaking ball, and that proble is still falls forward. When
Nadre is putting his head down there, it's just it's
excited to see. But yeah, when you're when you're third
and five versus third and fifteen, it's it's certainly a
good feeling and it lets you operate at a more
(05:23):
efficient level. Thanks Mason, appreciate it.
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