BY MARK KABOLY
Wednesday, June 15, 2016, 8:39 p.m.
Updated 2 hours ago
Nobody knows much about Senquez Golson. How can they?
Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler admitted as much last week. William Gay echoed the same thing Wednesday during the second day of a three-day mandatory minicamp at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
It has been 14 months since the Steelers used a second-round pick on the ball-hawking cornerback from Mississippi, and all they have to show for it is a couple of spring practices, a torn labrum and a mysterious lower-body injury that has kept Golson from participating fully the past three weeks.
In a season where they are counting on Golson to ease the issues of a rebuilding secondary, he is taking a route many Steelers before him have taken: a four-week grind session with renowned Orlando-based trainer Tom Shaw.
In hopes of getting his injury bug fixed, Golson accepted Gay's invitation to work out with Shaw at Disney Wide World of Sports Complex.
“He wanted to come down,” Gay said. “He is a guy who likes to work, so it gives him an opportunity to be around a lot of other guys other than Pittsburgh and been with a trainer who been there and done that.”
Shaw has worked with many Steelers, most notably James Farrior and Ike Taylor. Farrior played 15 years and Taylor 12, and both were durable.
Farrior missed six games in 10 years with the Steelers. Taylor once played in 135 consecutive games. Gay has played in 144 consecutive games, which is most by any current defensive player in the league.
“It got me to year 10,” Gay said. “I am just trying to pass on what was passed on to me with Ike. It works.”
For Golson, it is a chance for him to get his body more NFL-ready and be able to spend time with Gay and other pro athletes.
“It is even more important to get around a guy like Will Gay and just see how he does it in the offseason and learn from it,” Golson said. “I have a plan in place to come into Latrobe full speed and ready.”
The Steelers rid themselves of a good portion of their secondary from last season, leaving Gay as the only cornerback who has significant experience.
They used a first-round pick on Artie Burns, but the organization spent the majority of the offseason under the assumption Golson would be ready to take over the left cornerback spot.
That still could be the plan, but a lower-body injury early in organized team activities required an MRI and relegated Golson to spectator.
The injury created doubt even though Golson said sitting out was more precautionary. Golson returned to participating in practice on a limited basis.
“We need to see what Senquez can do,” Butler said. “I don't know what he can do. I saw what he did at Ole Miss, and he did some good things at Ole Miss. But, again, the NFL is a little bit different. We need to see what Senquez can do.”
“I am just as clueless as everybody else about him,” Gay said. “I don't know what he can do.”
Golson echoed the same thoughts: “Nobody has seen me and knows what I can do.”
The Steelers were using Golson in the slot in the nickel package when he was healthy, though he played only outside in college. At 5-foot-9, Golson might be better suited to play inside, especially after the Steelers drafted Burns, who is 6-1.
“He seems to pick it up well,” secondary coach Carnell Lake said about the slot for Golson. “For right now, I think it's a good start for him. That will get his feet wet. Just by the nature of him playing cornerback, he is going to get outside reps as well, so I am not quite as worried about that.”
The bigger worry is Golson's health and durability, the main reasons for his training with Shaw. Gay said he can tell Golson won't shy from putting in the work.
“I know he likes to work, and I am going to do my part to get him ready and he is going to do his part in showing that he can play football,” Gay said.
Mark Kaboly is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at mkaboly@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MarkKaboly_Trib.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016, 8:39 p.m.
Updated 2 hours ago
Nobody knows much about Senquez Golson. How can they?
Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler admitted as much last week. William Gay echoed the same thing Wednesday during the second day of a three-day mandatory minicamp at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
It has been 14 months since the Steelers used a second-round pick on the ball-hawking cornerback from Mississippi, and all they have to show for it is a couple of spring practices, a torn labrum and a mysterious lower-body injury that has kept Golson from participating fully the past three weeks.
In a season where they are counting on Golson to ease the issues of a rebuilding secondary, he is taking a route many Steelers before him have taken: a four-week grind session with renowned Orlando-based trainer Tom Shaw.
In hopes of getting his injury bug fixed, Golson accepted Gay's invitation to work out with Shaw at Disney Wide World of Sports Complex.
“He wanted to come down,” Gay said. “He is a guy who likes to work, so it gives him an opportunity to be around a lot of other guys other than Pittsburgh and been with a trainer who been there and done that.”
Shaw has worked with many Steelers, most notably James Farrior and Ike Taylor. Farrior played 15 years and Taylor 12, and both were durable.
Farrior missed six games in 10 years with the Steelers. Taylor once played in 135 consecutive games. Gay has played in 144 consecutive games, which is most by any current defensive player in the league.
“It got me to year 10,” Gay said. “I am just trying to pass on what was passed on to me with Ike. It works.”
For Golson, it is a chance for him to get his body more NFL-ready and be able to spend time with Gay and other pro athletes.
“It is even more important to get around a guy like Will Gay and just see how he does it in the offseason and learn from it,” Golson said. “I have a plan in place to come into Latrobe full speed and ready.”
The Steelers rid themselves of a good portion of their secondary from last season, leaving Gay as the only cornerback who has significant experience.
They used a first-round pick on Artie Burns, but the organization spent the majority of the offseason under the assumption Golson would be ready to take over the left cornerback spot.
That still could be the plan, but a lower-body injury early in organized team activities required an MRI and relegated Golson to spectator.
The injury created doubt even though Golson said sitting out was more precautionary. Golson returned to participating in practice on a limited basis.
“We need to see what Senquez can do,” Butler said. “I don't know what he can do. I saw what he did at Ole Miss, and he did some good things at Ole Miss. But, again, the NFL is a little bit different. We need to see what Senquez can do.”
“I am just as clueless as everybody else about him,” Gay said. “I don't know what he can do.”
Golson echoed the same thoughts: “Nobody has seen me and knows what I can do.”
The Steelers were using Golson in the slot in the nickel package when he was healthy, though he played only outside in college. At 5-foot-9, Golson might be better suited to play inside, especially after the Steelers drafted Burns, who is 6-1.
“He seems to pick it up well,” secondary coach Carnell Lake said about the slot for Golson. “For right now, I think it's a good start for him. That will get his feet wet. Just by the nature of him playing cornerback, he is going to get outside reps as well, so I am not quite as worried about that.”
The bigger worry is Golson's health and durability, the main reasons for his training with Shaw. Gay said he can tell Golson won't shy from putting in the work.
“I know he likes to work, and I am going to do my part to get him ready and he is going to do his part in showing that he can play football,” Gay said.
Mark Kaboly is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at mkaboly@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MarkKaboly_Trib.
