Tyson Alualu next man up for Steelers in replacing Stephon Tuitt
Tyson Alualu has been around the NFL long enough to make 94 starts. No. 95 figures to come in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ next game.
A 10-year veteran and former first-round pick, Alualu is the next man up in taking the place of defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt.
Tuitt suffered a torn pectoral muscle during Sunday’s game and was placed on season-ending injured reserve list Tuesday.
“Being around the league, you learn a lot of things,” Alualu said Tuesday after practice at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, “and one of the things you learn is you’ve got to be ready and prepared when your opportunity comes. We just have to play better as a unit, just to pick the slack for losing Tuitt for the year. And just know we’ve got to play our best ball, for me, personally, week-in and week-out to give us a chance to win.”
Alualu was taken two spots behind Joe Haden and eight spots ahead of Maurkice Pouncey at No. 10 overall in the 2010 draft. He started all 64 games over his first four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars and 87 of the 112 Jaguars’ games over seven seasons with the team until he signed a two-year contract with the Steelers in 2017.
After giving the Steelers the kind of quality veteran depth they had been lacking along the defensive line for years behind Cameron Heyward and Tuitt, Alualu was brought back at two years, $5.75 million this past spring.
Steady veteran Tyson Alualu perfect fit for Steelers’ 4th defensive lineman https://t.co/f0Akh9GbMh via @TribLIVE
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) June 16, 2019
He started seven games his first two seasons with the Steelers, most often in place of an injured Tuitt, so his role is not new. Alualu has three tackles and a pass defended Sunday. He has a sack among his 12 tackles this season and 22 ½ sacks among his 331 tackles in his career.
Alualu has the versatility to play all three spots in the base defense and also can play on the line in the nickel.
“My role is being prepared to go out there and make plays,” Alualu said. “Just when the opportunity comes, you have to dominate for most of it, so I’m just ready for that opportunity and excited for this group to step up.”
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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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