Steelers linebacker Avery Williamson arrived in Pittsburgh after Devin Bush suffered a season-ending knee injury, and on Sunday he proved himself up to the task of replacing Bush, one of the Steelers’ best players.
Williamson contributed 14 tackles, tied for the most of any player in the league in Week 16, as Pittsburgh clinched the AFC North. Winning a division title fulfilled a long-term goal for Williamson, who had never previously done that in his six-year NFL career.
“It was something that I’d seen growing up and since I have been in the league, teams win the division, hats and T-shirts, but something that I never experienced before and it was definitely surreal feeling,” Williamson said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “That [final] fourth down when we finally got off the field, I was like, ‘What!? We actually won it!’”
Williamson didn’t get much playing time in his first few games in Pittsburgh but is now a starter and a major contributor.
“I’ve been a starter before, my whole career, but it’s different when you’re on a new team and you haven’t been able to work with guys for camp and OTAs,” Williamson said. “But I thought I handled it as well as I could. And I feel like the coaches they all have been helping me mentally the past few weeks.”
The loss of Bush was a big one, but the Steelers’ defense showed on Sunday that it can still play well against playoff opponents, and Williamson was a big part of it.