No place like home for Steelers' Tuzar Skipper as he embraces return
Tuzar Skipper never wanted to leave the Pittsburgh Steelers, so you can imagine his elation when they brought him back to the organization this week.
For the first time in two-and-a-half months, Skipper had a locker at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, and he made his feelings evident as he talked to reporters after practice Wednesday.
“Happy, happy, happy,” Skipper said. “You don’t understand, my cheek muscles aren’t strong enough to keep the smile off my face.”
The rookie outside linebacker was signed off the New York Giants practice squad Tuesday when the Steelers placed reserve defensive lineman L.T. Walton on injured reserve. Skipper will provide depth at a position that has been thinned by Anthony Chickillo’s rib injury and Ola Adeniyi’s concussion.
A star of training camp, Skipper made the initial 53-man roster in September, but he was waived the day before the season opener at New England so the Steelers could add wide receiver Johnny Holton to the active roster. The Steelers hoped to re-sign Skipper to the practice squad, but the Giants claimed him off waivers.
“I was surprised getting released, but I was even happier coming back,” he said. “I liked it here.”
Skipper spent six games on the Giants active roster before he was waived in October.
“I was hoping the Steelers would claim me,” said Skipper, who agreed to return to the Giants practice squad.
Until he was reunited with the Steelers this week, Skipper followed the team from afar, reading up on the transactions while keeping in touch with his former teammates.
“I kept everyone’s number,” he said. “I wasn’t looking forward to deleting anyone’s number or deleting myself from anyone’s group chats. Whatever group text was going on, I was getting the messages, too. I try to stay connected.”
Skipper believes he is better suited for the Steelers’ 3-4 defense than the Giants’ 4-3 scheme, and he’s waiting for a chance to show his preseason success — five sacks, two forced fumbles — was no fluke.
“You just have to go out there and be confident and do your job,” he said. “No excuses. You have to do it, and you have to be granted the opportunity to do it.”
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Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.
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