Steelers’ Diontae Johnson relies on pre-practice routine to combat drops
When drops became an issue for Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson early last season, he turned to an unlikely member of the team for help.
Speaking to reporters after Monday’s training-camp practice at Heinz Field, Johnson detailed a new pre-practice routine he began last season that’s helped him keep a better grip on incoming passes.
“Coming out here early with Lou (Balde), (a Steelers equipment assistant), getting my catch routine in every day,” Johnson said. “Same thing I’ve been doing since last year, and it’s been helping me out. As you saw last year in the middle of the season, I was dropping, but the rest of the year, him coming out here doing that helping me, I feel like that’s been contributing to my game. So I give him props for being out here each and every day with me.”
Johnson said he has changed his approach to receptions. He used to be contemplating what move he was going make on the nearest defender while the ball was arriving into his hands. Now, he said ensures he thinks catch-first, then the move.
Working in the pre-practice setting reinforces that because there are no defenders.
In addition to Balde, Johnson also credited quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for continuing to target him through his issues with the dropsies. Johnson finished last season with the sixth-most targets (144) among all NFL wide receivers.
“It shows a lot,” Johnson said of Roethlisberger’s continued faith in him. “This is football. At the end of the day people going to drop the ball. The best of the best are going to drop the football. It shows that he has trust in me to continue to come my way no matter what.”
Despite Johnson’s drops becoming the major storyline among fans and media regarding his 2021 prospects, Johnson insists it’s not as front-and-center in his mind.
“It’s just motivation for me to get better, get me prepared for next season,” Johnson said. “So I just try not to think about it and keep working.”
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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.
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