Steelers receiver George Pickens plays angry. And for good reason.
He is angry.
He’s angry when he doesn’t get the ball, and he wants the ball on every play.
“I’m big, I’m fast, low 4.4 [speed],” Pickens told Kevin Clark of TheRinger.com. “Catch radius is crazy. So every time I get out on the field, I do kind of play angry because I should get the ball on every play if you just look at the size and the frame. If I was a coach, I’d just throw to him every time.
“But that’s not how the NFL works. So every time I’m out there, that’s why I throw the blocks. I love getting the ball, and when I’m not getting the ball I play angry so the attention is back on me. I basically draw attention to myself.”
It’s a great mindset. If the play that’s called doesn’t naturally give the player a chance to be the center of attention, he can make himself the center of attention by putting someone else on his butt.
This year, Pickens will surely be the center of attention frequently for the Steelers, making catches and wiping out defenders who make the mistake of getting in his way when the ball isn’t coming his way.