The Steelers have some excellent duos. Joe Haden and Steven Nelson at cornerback. Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt on the defensive line. T.J. Watt and Tyson Alualu? They might be the best pair of all. —
In Spikeball.
If you’ve haven’t been to a beach or a backyard party in the last few years, you might be unfamiliar with the intense game also known as Roundnet or Slammo. It’s basically two-on-two volleyball but with a round trampoline in place of a horizontal net. Captain Heyward brought it, and the Steelers defense loves it.
More spikeball from Ola on IG #Steelers pic.twitter.com/C67UJwwi6E
— Steelers Depot 🏆👑 (@Steelersdepot) August 14, 2020
“With anything as athletes, you kind of get real competitive,” Alualu said with a smile Sunday afternoon. “So, it was like you form teams and talk a lot of smack.”
Alualu was grinning because he and Watt seem to be the top-ranked team in the Steelers’ Spikeball league, which often runs before practice but could heat up at any time a large contingent of players are hanging around in the locker room. Those two make for an unlikely combo, perhaps, given that Alualu is a 33-year-old defensive lineman entering his 11th year while Watt, 25, has become one of the NFL’s top outside linebackers through three seasons. Alualu is a proud Hawaiian who played his college ball in the Pac-12, Watt a Wisconsin thoroughbred, but when they get around a Spikeball net they make sweet music together.
“It’s nice, because usually it’s D-line versus linebackers versus safety versus corners, but we were able to intermingle teams. I’m with Tyson and we are just point-blank unstoppable,” Watt said Tuesday. “We have a championship match either today or tomorrow with Cam [Heyward] and Tuitt, so it’ll be interesting to see who comes out on top.”
According to Alualu, there was no thoughtful method of setting the pairings — “whoever was there, we just kind of picked teams and started,” he said — but he’s happy to have Watt on his side (or across from him). Not only does the reigning team MVP have power, a devastating first step and a long wingspan — all good for bumping, setting and spiking — but he might just be the most competitive dude in the locker room.
Last year, the game of choice at the practice facility was Binho, a foosball-esque soccer game where you flick a ball from side to side. Watt brought it into the locker room, and Watt usually ran the table. You could probably put a game of Tiddlywinks in front of him and he’d figure out how to dominate.
“We’ve been playing pretty well. I think our record is, like, 11-1, so still the No. 1 seed,” Alualu laughed. “That’s been fun, being able to build that camaraderie with a lot of the younger guys.”
That one in the loss column, though? It came courtesy of outside linebacker tandem Tuzar Skipper and Alex Highsmith, a second-year undrafted free agent joining forces with the rookie third-rounder. Everyone in the locker room at the time seemed astounded by the upset, especially Skipper and Highsmith.
They love this slam spikeball game #Steelers pic.twitter.com/tCB5SttJ4o
— Steelers Depot 🏆👑 (@Steelersdepot) August 22, 2020
A few other teams that commonly play together: Haden and Minkah Fitzpatrick (naturally), Terrell Edmunds and Cam Sutton, and Adeniyi and Isaiah Buggs. From the sounds of it, the second-year Buggs had to find a new partner, and stray from a fellow defensive lineman who might not be the most, uh, nimble teammate.
“The worst team was Dan [McCullers] and Isaiah Buggs,” Alualu laughed, “but I think they got kicked out of the league, so I don’t know who’s the worst now.”
At 6 feet 7, 350 pounds (give or take) McCullers isn’t cut out for Spikeball. But if the Steelers defense decides to pick up tetherball next, you have to like his chances.
Brian Batko: bbatko@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrianBatko.
First Published: August 24, 2020, 12:00 p.m.
