Teammates Have Kaleb Johnson’s Again After Large Mistake: ‘We All Obtained Him’

There’s no defending Pittsburgh Steelers rookie RB Kaleb Johnson. His error Sunday at a 31-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks was pricey, letting a kickoff hit off his palms and bounce into the top zone. As an alternative of racing again to get well it for a touchback, he let the soccer go and the Seahawks soar on it for a landing. However Johnson’s teammates are making clear they’ve his again to assist him by means of an unpleasant begin to his profession.

“Saying what we are saying loads right here: journey mild,” Warren mentioned through the crew’s YouTube channel. “Don’t let the final play have an effect on the following play. No matter occurs, your greatest performs is your subsequent play. So I do know he gonna be good. All of us bought him. Nothing to panic about.”

Warren’s assumed a mentor function with Johnson. The 2 walked out collectively for each coaching camp follow, incomes an Honorable Point out in our “Quick Buddies” class of Steelers coaching camp awards.

After the Steelers dropped their dwelling opener, Aaron Rodgers supplied comparable encouraging phrases.

“Kaleb’s an amazing child and it is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league,” Rodgers mentioned, additionally through the crew’s YouTube channel. “When you may have success early on, it’s important to learn to deal with success. And whenever you cope with adversity, it’s important to learn to cope with adversity the best approach. And you may’t let this get your confidence down, can’t grasp your head.

“It is a skilled league, and we count on greatness, however we additionally perceive there’s gonna be errors they usually occur. We’re human and also you gotta transfer on and get higher. However he’s an amazing child and I do know he’ll come to work on Monday and Tuesday and hold his thoughts sharp.”

4-time particular groups captain Miles Killebrew expressed the identical sentiment.

“He’s going to be onerous on himself, and we simply must make it possible for everybody is aware of as a unit, now we have different’s backs and we imagine in him,” he mentioned through the KDKA Further Level postgame present. “He’s an amazing participant, and I used to be simply sharing with him there’s a part of our recreation that every one of us want we might have again right now as a result of we didn’t get it executed collectively.”

Rookies making errors are a part of a participant’s journey. Warren himself advised reporters he made a number of them. However Johnson’s was particularly egregious not only for the outcome-changing nature of the play however its rarity, too. The FOX broadcast crew mentioned a play like that hadn’t occurred in 45 years. In Pittsburgh, then-rookie RB Barry Foster made the same error in a 1990 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

After the sport, Foster admitted to “blacking out” through the play and mistakenly pondering it was a punt. Like Johnson, the play resulted in a 49ers landing, San Francisco scoring performs later in a 27-7 win (kickoffs can’t be superior as soon as recovered within the area of play). Put up-game Sunday, Johnson took duty for his blunder.

Foster’s case is an instance that Johnson’s profession can face up to the second. Foster went on to grow to be a two-time Professional Bowler, one-time All-Professional, MVP runner-up, and he nonetheless holds the Steelers’ single-season document with 1,690 speeding yards. Johnson will purpose for extra longevity, however it’s a narrative he ought to lean on. Johnson can even lean on his teammates, who’re able to prop him up.