Former Steelers Linebacker Recounts The Devastating Time He Let Joey Porter Sr. Down

Recently, Pittsburgh Steelers talk has centered around the "Steeler Way" and what that means. With the team standing at 7-6 heading into their game against the Indianapolis Colts, fans are panicking about the state of the team. They have been inconsistent at best, winning the majority of their games late in the fourth quarter. It has been rare this season where they give the feeling that they have control of the game. This has a lot of the former players talking about what the "Steelers Way" meant to them and debating whether the current team has it or not.

Former Steelers linebacker Terence Garvin recently appeared on his former teammate and fellow linebacker Arthur Moats' podcast, The Arthur Moats Experience. He said that one of the things he noticed during his time on the team was that the older players mentored the younger players and held them accountable. 

"Who's the guys that even showing you what the Steeler Way is? It meant something, not that it don't mean nothing to these guys, it just means something different when you've been through that mud. It was just my dream to just make a play and hand Coach T [Mike Tomlin] the ball," said Garvin.

Garvin joined the Steelers in 2013 when he was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent. He spent time on the practice squad and had to fight his way onto the 53-man roster. He spent three seasons with the Steelers and credits both Head Coach Mike Tomlin and fellow linebacker Joey Porter Sr. with helping him grow. He shared a story with Moats and the listeners about a time when he let his mentor down. 

"I remember missing a tackle against Cincinnati in the playoffs and JP [Joey Porter Sr.] gave me this look and I was just devastated. I just felt like I let everybody down off of one play and it just meant so much more. And not to say that it doesn't mean nothing, but it's just a little bit more of you can see not the pout, but it just feels like different, it just feels kind of like new generation. Adversity, they handle it a little bit differently."

He added that he doesn't think anyone should be too worried. While the team might not be performing smoothly, they are winning games. Garvin believes that the team is young and just still needs time to grow. That "Steeler Way" is still there, it will just take a bit to fully develop. 

As far as developing this season, the team has four more games to do it in. They control their destiny, but they must win against the Colts to even have a shot. But as of now, they are still in contention for a Wild Card spot out of the AFC North along with the Cleveland Browns. As it stands, the Baltimore Ravens are set to win the division, but the Steelers still have a chance to win that too. They have another game against Baltimore (they won the first meeting) and the Ravens have some tough final games. 

The players have repeatedly said this week they are viewing this as a playoff game on Saturday. They have to focus on one win at a time and not get ahead of themselves. 

Is The Steelers Offense Hurt By How Young They Are?

According to Garvin, the answer to this might be yes. He believes one of the reasons the defense is performing better is because some players have been around awhile and played with some of the "old timers." This includes T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward. 

The majority of the players on the offense are newer to the team. Kenny Pickett is only in his second season, his running backs are in their second or third seasons, as are George Pickens and Calvin Austin III. This even extends to the offensive line, who used to be some of the guys who held the other offensive players accountable. The ones that are not new to the league are at least new to the Steelers, like Isaac Seumalo. 

Moats added that the accountability piece is huge. While neither he nor Garvin are currently in player meetings, so they can't speak to what happens, they shared how it went when they were on the team. They said that they would watch film as a unit, on both sides of the ball. There was no shame, and everyone's mistakes got called out. Your teammates and the coaches held you accountable.