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Undrafted rookie tight end Trevor Wood goes through drills during Steelers OTAs Thursday at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
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Steelers tight end Trevor Wood always has a well-known Pirate in his corner

Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

Steelers tight end Trevor Wood always has a well-known Pirate in his corner

Trevor Wood remembers that his head was still spinning when he signed with the Steelers as an undrafted free-agent tight end in late April. He’s trying to process all that will come with a move across the country, and a chance to continue his football career in the NFL, and what pops up on his phone?

A text from Cole Tucker, with a photo of Wood’s old pal wearing his work clothes in the Pirates clubhouse and a short but sweet message: “Welcome to Pittsburgh.”

“I was kind of not really thinking about it,” Wood admits, “but then I put two and two together, and was like, ‘Wow.’ ”

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Wood, 23, is from Scottsdale, Ariz. Tucker, 22, is from Phoenix. They were in the same grade coming up through the Arizona prep scene as elite athletes, Wood as the state’s top-ranked tight end and Tucker as a stud baseball player. The two even would’ve been at the University of Arizona together, had Tucker not been, well, so talented.

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Tucker was a first-round pick of the Pirates in the 2014 draft, finally making his MLB debut April 20. That was exactly one week before Wood got the call from the Steelers. While Tucker went to Mountain Pointe High School and Wood attended Chaparral, they met through a mutual connection and became fast friends.

“Great guy,” Wood said of Tucker during his final week of OTAs with the Steelers. “You see all the videos, the interviews, all the stuff he does for the community, the kids around him. He really is a great guy. He’s never changed.”

It’s not hard to tell how the two hit it off. They’re both jokesters, and Wood has brought that personality with him to Pittsburgh. Anytime he sees Tucker’s photo somewhere, or catches him in a commercial on TV, he sends a Snapchat telling him, “I’m your biggest fan!”

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“Small world,” Tucker said Tuesday in the Pirates clubhouse. “Who would have ever thought two AZ kids would be here hanging, playing professional sports?

After four quiet years at Arizona that included just nine receptions and one season-ending injury, Wood graduated and transferred to Texas A&M for the 2018 campaign. He was used mostly as a blocker there, catching only two passes for 17 yards, but started six games.

The 6-foot-6, 265-pound Wood is a big body who also worked at defensive end in college and is listed as a long-snapper in addition to tight end with the Steelers. He’s just trying to add value wherever possible, learn the playbook and make the occasional catch — like the touchdown he had in the back of the end zone this week — if a ball is thrown his way.

Last weekend, Wood got to take up Tucker on his offer to come see a game at PNC Park. Afterward, they got together for a while on the South Side, catching up and chatting about their journeys in their respective sports. But first, Wood made sure to get a photo next to the field before first pitch, Tucker in his Pirates jersey and Wood in his Steelers gear.

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“Alexa play black and yellow by wiz khalifa,” Tucker commented on Instagram.

 
 
 
View this post on Instagram

AZ to PA! Let’s gooooooo bucs @cotuck

A post shared by Trevor Wood (@trevwood8) on May 31, 2019 at 4:23pm PDT

“It’s fun to see a friend from back home in the starlight,” Wood said. “He’s just been killing it.”

What Wood might not realize is how much Tucker admires him. Their status level in the Pittsburgh sports landscape is no comparison, but the respect is mutual.

“He’s faced a ton of adversity,” Tucker said. “He went to two colleges, his dad had a really crazy bout with cancer while he was in college.

“He’s a hard worker. He’s a good kid. I hope he latches on, obviously. He’s really excited. He seems like he’s having a blast.”

Wood figures that he and Tucker probably faced each other in youth baseball at some point, growing up barely a half hour apart, but if he’s being honest, he can’t recall a specific matchup of any kind.

“If I could remember it, it would probably be me going yard off of him,” Wood said with a grin. “I’m just kidding. But you can put that in there.”

Bill Brink contributed. Brian Batko: bbatko@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrianBatko.

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First Published: June 7, 2019, 3:52 p.m.

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Undrafted rookie tight end Trevor Wood goes through drills during Steelers OTAs Thursday at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.  (Peter Diana/Post-Gazette)
Trevor Wood, 23, and Cole Tucker, 22, both grew up in the Phoenix area.  (Courtesy Trevor Wood)
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