Robert Spillane sat down in the designated Zoom room at the Steelers practice facility Monday and had a couple questions about how it works. After all, he hadn't done one of these coronavirus-era interviews, unlike 40-some other Steelers since the start of training camp, plus a couple who aren't even on the team anymore.
Yes, that's how far off the radar Spillane had been all season _ until Sunday. He might have been a bit nervous for his postgame close-up, but he looked plenty comfortable on the Heinz Field grass against the Browns.
"Rob's my guy, a guy that comes in each and every day, doesn't say much, really grinds, really puts in the time, puts in the work, always asks questions," defensive back Cameron Sutton said Monday. "I'm really happy for him, really excited for him."
Coach Mike Tomlin always talks about players jumping on a moving train, and in Week 6, the 6-foot-1, 229-pound Spillane had to replace Devin Bush at inside linebacker mid-game. Bush was the 10th overall pick in 2019 out of Michigan; a year earlier, Spillane went undrafted and, initially, unsigned out of Western Michigan. Bush ran the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds at the NFL combine; Spillane didn't get invited. Entering Sunday, Bush was one of 10 NFL linebackers who had played every down for his team; Spillane hadn't played on defense since seeing eight snaps in the season opener, seven more than he played all last season.
"I just want to start this off with Devin, because Devin is a great teammate and a great person. He's been one of the best teammates I've ever had," Spillane said Monday. "If anyone knows Devin, you know that he'll come back stronger than he's ever been before."
In the meantime, is it Spillane or bust for the Steelers in the middle of their defense? The third-year backup almost certainly won't be a one-for-one, plug-and-play fill-in for Bush, who never left the field.
But Spillane was exactly that Sunday, and quarterback Baker Mayfield barely seemed to notice any drop-off in the second half, when his Browns were shut out and limited to just 70 yards of offense. "They did a good job with their other players stepping up and filling that role," Mayfield said.
Spillane finished with six tackles (one on special teams), third-most on the team, despite playing just 30 defensive snaps. He also had his first NFL tackle for loss, sniffing out a tight end screen in the backfield and bear-hugging Austin Hooper like a long lost friend 6 yards behind the line of scrimmage.
"The best way to support (Bush) is to go out there and (pick up) where he left off," said Spillane, 24, whose late grandfather Johnny Lattner won the 1953 Heisman Trophy as a halfback at Notre Dame. "So, I'll keep making plays, do what I can, and I'll leave the coaching up to the coaches."
So far, the coaches have trusted him to wear the green dot helmet, equipped with a headset that allows one player on defense to hear the play calls and relay them to his teammates. That responsibility is part of the reason Spillane didn't miss a snap, but he also has used another phase of the game to prove himself worthy of this opportunity.
All Spillane did last year after being promoted to the active roster in Week 10 was lead the NFL with 1.25 special teams tackles per game (he had 10 total over the final eight weeks). That's not surprising, given the production on his brief resume. Only five players had more tackles than Spillane's 24 in the 2018 preseason, when he also had a sack, interception and two passes defended. The numbers show he's a see-ball, get-ball kind of player, but now he has to be a communicator, too.
"For me, it's comfortable. I like speaking to my teammates during (play) and pre-snap," Spillane said. "I've gotten so comfortable with these guys over the past two years, and it really feels awesome because as soon as I stepped on the field, I felt like my teammates trusted me."
With Spillane now manning the middle next to veteran Vince Williams, plus converted safety Marcus Allen and second-year sixth-round pick Ulysees Gilbert behind them, depth at inside linebacker will be tested. It wouldn't be a shock to see Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert add to that group via trade or free agency, but this past offseason showed some level of faith in Spillane.
Not only did they cut Mark Barron (now on injured reserve with the Broncos), but they didn't draft a true off-ball linebacker. Sixth-round pick Antoine Brooks is a bit of a hybrid, but he's been focusing on safety since the spring and is on the practice squad after not making the team out of camp. If it's full speed ahead with Spillane, he'll get his first NFL start this weekend at Tennessee, against the team that signed him and gave him his first shot in 2018.
"In terms of the Titans, I'm very excited to go back to Nashville, play at Nissan Stadium, where my NFL journey started," said Spillane, who also was cut by the Steelers after the preseason last year.
Perhaps that's why the guys who lined up next to him Sunday respect how he got there.
"They told me, 'Rob, you belong out here. This is what you're meant to do, so go out here and show everybody what you can do.'"
