Steelers DL Tyson Alualu Addresses Stephon Tuitt's Retirement

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt's retirement was sudden and, from a football perspective, it was a significant loss. On Thursday, less than 24 hours removed from Tuitt's official announcement, former teammate Tyson Alualu shared what made the veteran defender such an important member of the organization.

“He was one of the most athletic, most active defensive lineman I’ve ever been around," Alualu said. "His talent speaks for itself. He’s one of those guys who makes plays and others feed off of his energy. I think that’s what he always brought. That was part of his game. He was so relentless and physical. So that’s definitely what we miss but there are a lot of guys that got to step up and emulate — still play their game — but play how Tuitt played the game.”

Still, Alualu downplayed the impact of his departure. He said they wanted Tuitt to come spend time with the team and use them as a support system, but added that as long as Tuitt was comfortable with his decision, the team would be too. Over and over, Alualu used a common refrain — "If he's good, we're good".

“As an athlete, as a football player, this kind of becomes our safe haven from a lot of things outside this locker room and we just wanted to get him around the guys so that he could lean on them when he was going through some of those tough times," Alualu said. "He had a lot of things going on with himself and his family so we knew what he was taking care of. We were looking forward to getting him back, but like I said, if he’s good then we’re good.”

Alualu also thought that the Steelers have enough depth and versatility within the unit to cover for Tuitt's departure. While no singular player can replace all of those pressures, sacks and tackles for loss, a collective effort will keep things on track.

“When it’s a player of his talent and his caliber [that retires], it’s always a collective effort. ... Just through experience, we’ll be able to fill that void," Alualu said. "We’ll be good. ... The standard remains the standard regardless of who’s in here. Collectively, as a group, we got to rally around it and make it happen.”

But there is still so much about Tuitt that will be missed beyond just what he did to opposing offensive linemen. His preparation and drive made teammates gravitate toward him, according to Alualu.

"Tuitt was a straightforward person," Alualu said. "He helped out whenever he could, but would always lead by how he played, and people fed off that energy and he was like that on the field and off the field. I guess that’s why guys gravitated towards him and tried to emulate how he played but he was a good brother off the field and a good teammate. He’ll be missed.”

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