If Quadree Henderson ends up on the Steelers’ 53-man roster, it’ll be because of his kick-returning skills. It’ll be because he shows enough development as a wide receiver to break through to, at least, the middle of an 11-player logjam. A lot of things have to go right; such is life for an undrafted rookie.
One thing Henderson can tick off the list, though — the Antonio Brown endorsement. That came during the first week of organized team activities, and Henderson has a particular brand of ionized alkaline water to thank for it.
Henderson was on the sideline looking for a drink. In the back, he saw a few bottles of Essentia. It’s got a pH of 9.5! That makes it much better at hydrating than simple peasant water, or something! It soothes acid reflux and increases oxygen levels, or whatever! Try a six-pack, on sale at Target for the low price of $9.99!
In any case, Henderson scoped out the black-and-red bottle and realized that things worked a little differently on the other side of the South Side practice facility.
“I said, ‘Man, y’all pouring Essentia in the coolers?’ And the trainer said, ‘No, that’s A.B.’s.’ And [Brown] heard me. I said to him, ‘Man, we didn’t have this at Pitt.’ And then he just kinda laughed. He said ‘You went to Pitt?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘What number were you?’ I said, ‘No. 10.’
“He said, ‘Oh, you a dawg. Did you get drafted?’ I said, ‘Naw, I didn’t get drafted.’ ”
“He said, ‘Aw, that’s crazy. You shoulda got drafted. You a dawg. I seen you returning them kicks and making big plays.’ I let him know that whenever he gets some work in the indoor [facility], I’m coming with him.”
That’s a bit of an issue right now; Brown worked out twice last week, then took off Thursday. He hasn’t been back, and the second of three OTA weeks finishes up Thursday. Henderson’s and Brown’s indoor session might have to wait.
Still, one-on-one interaction counts for ... something, right? The light bulb went off. No. 10 for Pitt last season is No. 10 for the Steelers this season. Brown knows that now.
Our in-depth Steelers coverage is second to none.
Support quality journalism. Subscribe today.
If nothing else, some other young receivers in their first few weeks with the Steelers — Henderson’s ostensible competition — haven’t quite managed that level of interaction. They’ve had to settle for gleaning bits from group sessions with, by most measures, the best receiver in the NFL. Decent consolation prize.
“[Interactions with Brown have] been special because he’s a high-caliber guy. So we’re like, ‘This guy is really talking to me right now?’ ” second-round pick James Washington said. “Everything he tells me, every piece of advice he gives me, I’m all ears. I’m trying to take every moment. If he’s on the field and I’m not in, I’m watching him, trying to learn his releases and [absorb] everything.”
That’s something Henderson and Trey Griffey backed up, too; when Brown has been around, any technique questions get answered.
“Everything he does, the man’s a Pro Bowler. As far as a young receiver, you wanna just soak up everything he says, listen to everything he says. Why does he run that? I’ll ask him some questions, and he’ll tell me,” Griffey said. “Great guy to be around. Great team player. Helps out the receivers. He’s everything you want.”
Washington called Brown “a sixth-round pick who turned into a diamond.” For guys such as Griffey, who was undrafted out of Arizona in 2017 and spent bits of last season with the Colts and and Dolphins, and Henderson, he’s even more of a role model. Not everyone can be an All-American, hyper-productive second-round pick like Washington. Afterthoughts stick together.
“It’s a cool feeling,” Henderson said. “He’s the best receiver in the game, to me. Somebody that went in the sixth round, somebody that was slept on, you see all the hard work and dedication he put in over the past couple years to become one of the best receivers of all time. We’re similar height, similar speed. He just put in all the extra work after hours.”
Henderson saw that over his three years at Pitt. He’d take a post-practice shower, come out after the Steelers took the field and pull out his iPhone for a notes session.
“I was sitting on the benches right behind you, and I’d just watch practice. ‘OK, A.B. does this. He does this type of release. He recognizes this coverage that way,’ ” Henderson said.
“The stuff that you don’t see on the field. All the reporters are gone, he’s still out here catching balls off the Juggs.”
Not right now, actually. But soon enough — and odds are, whenever he gets around to it, Brown will have an audience. The Steelers’ young receivers are here to hang on his every word. Just leave his water alone.
Sean Gentille: sgentille@post-gazette.com, Twitter: @seangentille.
First Published: May 30, 2018, 6:25 p.m.