Former camp phenom Tuzar Skipper back with Steelers

Chris Adamski
Wednesday, June 1, 2022 12:01 a.m. | Wednesday, June 1, 2022 12:01 a.m.

Tuzar Skipper goes through drills during a training camp practice for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019. An outside linebacker who had four sacks during that preseason, Skipper has re-joined the Steelers, according to him and his agent.

Three summers ago, Tuzar Skipper became a training camp darling among Pittsburgh Steelers fans after he’d joined the team via a rookie tryout and then had five sacks in four preseason games.

As Skipper put it via his verified Twitter account Wednesday, “412 I’M BACK!!!!!!!!!”

The club officially announced the move Thursday morning.

412 I’M BACK!!!!!!!!!⚫️???? https://t.co/5kcvvMErhO

— The Tuzar Skipper (@tuzarskipper) June 1, 2022

The Steelers had open spots on their 90-man roster following the release of rookie defensive lineman Travon Mason and retirement of Stephon Tuitt in recent days.

The 6-foot-3, 246-pound Skipper has appeared in 10 NFL regular-season games, all over the 2019-20 seasons for the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans. He has a half sack, eight tackles and a fumble recovery to his credit.

Undrafted out of Toledo, Skipper was a surprise in making the initial 53-man roster in 2019. But he was waived before appearing in a game for the Steelers. After a stint with the Giants, Skipper finished his rookie season on the 53-man roster with the Steelers and stuck on the offseason and camp rosters until being part of final cuts.

In addition to two stints with the Titans, Skipper also spent most of last year’s training camp with the Atlanta Falcons.

The Steelers are thin at outside linebacker after reigning defensive player of the year T.J. Watt. Alex Highsmith is a capable starter on the other side, but Genard Avery and Derek Tuszka are the only players with NFL experience behind them.

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Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.