After months of evaluation, whether with film study, pro-day workouts or dinner meetings, there is little more the Steelers can discover about Devin Bush, their No. 1 draft choice.
But, on his first day of donning a yellow practice jersey with the No. 55, Bush had something he wanted to show the Steelers.
“Why I belong here, why I belong in NFL, that I’m going to play here for a long time,” Bush said.
Friday was the first day toward what the Steelers hope will be the development of the missing piece in their defense. It was the beginning of their three-day rookie minicamp on the South Side, and while a 90-minute session in shorts in hardly a predictor of what will happen, Bush certainly showed why he was considered a leader and the person entrusted with setting the defense at Michigan.
If all goes according to plan, Bush will soon assume a similar role with the Steelers, calling out the defensive signals and setting the front seven. That duty was already on display on the first day on the practice field.
“I just wanted to be vocal the best I could and trust what I see, whether I was right or wrong,” Bush said. “I know concepts already, I just got to learn the language – different things they call, different things they speak. I just got to get familiar with the playbook, get familiar with the language and get confident in my play-calling.”
Bush said there were a few “hiccups out there,” but added, “I didn’t feel out of whack.”
None of that surprised cornerback Justin Layne, the Steelers’ third-round pick who played against Bush at Michigan State.
“He’s a great leader, very vocal,” Layne said. “He’s going to be good. I can tell. You can tell. He was calling the right defenses and everything. He knows what’s going on.”
That was among the reasons the Steelers moved up 10 spots in the draft to select Bush with the 10th overall pick.
Now it’s his turn to show the Steelers they were justified in making that move. And Friday was the start of the process.
“Just being out there, getting back in football mode, it’s football again,” Bush said. “So I’m happy to be back.
“Now I’m a part of the Steelers organization. I’m a Steeler. I’m very grateful to be in this position right now.”
Bush will wear No. 55, which, he noted, was the number formerly worn by Joey Porter. But that wasn’t the reason he asked for that number.
“I always wanted to wear Number 10 again,” said Bush, referring to his uniform number at Michigan. “You add 5 and 5, you get 10.”
Gerry Dulac: gdulac@post-gazette.com and Twitter @gerrydulac
First Published: May 10, 2019, 5:31 p.m.