During one of the dog days of training camp last August, in the middle of an afternoon practice at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin ejected rookie linebacker Bud Dupree from practice for fighting with several of the Steelers offensive linemen. A short time later, Tomlin summoned another linebacker for a short conversation that went largely unnoticed by the masses watching practice that day.
Jordan Zumwalt walked over and did all the listening. And a short time after practice ended the Steelers sent out a short news release stating they had waived Zumwalt, their sixth-round pick out of UCLA in 2014.
“Coach T pulled me aside and said, ‘We’re going to get you fixed,’” Zumwalt said. “That was a very happy moment. Well, a happy/unhappy moment. It was bittersweet because I had to get surgery, but man, it wasn’t fun trying to play through it.”
Zumwalt spent his rookie season on injured reserve with a hip injury. He believed he was healthy for his second camp, but his hip acted up again. At that point it was decided surgery was the best option.
It was not a routine surgery. The procedure took 5 ½ hours to complete, and it was a brutal recovery.
A few days after the surgery, Zumwalt reported to the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex for a checkup with team doctors. He needed the aid of a walker to make his way through the hallways.
“I felt like I was 80,” he said.
Slowly but surely, Zumwalt started to come around. Eventually, he was able to begin rehabilitation, and he did it dutifully to the point where he was able to practice with the team this spring.
When the 2016 training camp gets underway a little more than a month from now Zumwalt will resume his quest to fulfill his dream of playing in the NFL, albeit under much different circumstances.
In the two years since Zumwalt was injured the Steelers drafted and signed several other linebackers. After he was waived last season the Steelers gave his No. 56 to rookie Anthony Chickillo.
Zumwalt now wears No. 49 and has a temporary piece of cardboard with his last name scribbled in marker across his locker. The established veterans have permanent ones with their names carved in wood.
It’s a constant reminder of how temporary life in the NFL is.
“It’s been a very humbling road,” Zumwalt said. “I see everybody running around healthy and they don’t really realize what they have. When you’re being a beast, running around being healthy, you take things for granted a little bit. It gave me more of an appreciation than I ever have had. It’s hard to explain.”
When Zumwalt has been healthy he’s lined up at inside and outside linebacker for the Steelers. He’s now working exclusively at inside linebacker, a position where the Steelers are looking to add depth after the free agent departures of Sean Spence and Terence Garvin.
“I have to get my quickness back, my speed back,” Zumwalt said. “I have my strength back. I have my size back. I have everything I need to push forward. Everything is going well.”
Still, the odds are stacked against Zumwalt. Steven Johnson was signed as a free agent to compete for one of those backup jobs behind starters Lawrence Timmons and Ryan Shazier. Vince Williams is entrenched as the top reserve. L.J. Fort proved to be a capable reserve when he was elevated to the active roster late last season and rookie seventh-round pick Tyler Matakevich opened some eyes this spring. There won’t be enough spots on the 53-man roster for all of them.
“My expectation is to compete, compete, compete,” Zumwalt said. “That’s the one thing I’ve always loved to do. I’ll always continue to do that. It doesn’t matter who they bring in or how many guys they bring in. I’m really happy for them. It’s an awesome experience to get drafted. It’s really cool for them. I’m competing with them, but I’m trying to help them out as much as possible. But I’m trying to earn my right to be here. That’s what I’ve been trying to do for the past few years, and I’ve just been held back a little bit.”
Ray Fittipaldo: rfittipaldo@post-gazette.com and Twitter @rayfitt1.
First Published: June 26, 2016, 4:00 a.m.