Last chance for McCullers?
defensive snaps and five more on special teams spread over five games. He was inactive for nine games. He had one tackle and acknowledges it was a disappointing season for him.
“Yeah, it was, but you live and you learn,” McCullers said. “You have to get better, improve each day and be the best you can be.”
It came as a surprise when the Steelers released James Harrison Dec. 23 and not McCullers after activating tackle Marcus Gilbert from the suspended list. Some players claimed Harrison was disruptive. That charge never was made of McCullers, off or on the field.
It also was a surprise they chose Harrison to go because McCullers’ contract was up after the 2017 season, he wasn’t playing and he wouldn’t be back anyway for 2018. But then came another surprise when the Steelers signed him to a one-year contract 10 days into free agency.
They apparently just cannot give up on the Man Mountain and all that potential, enough talent that NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock listed him among the top five defensive tackle prospects prior to the 2014 draft.
“I want to be part of this team,” McCullers said. “I feel I can contribute a lot. I like the system, I like the plays, I feel I can make a big impact.”
The Steelers would like to see him become more aggressive on a more consistent basis. He resembles the laid-back Michael Oher in the movie “The Blind Side” before Oher was moved from defense to offense. The Steelers would prefer he perform more like another of the nicknames he picked up along the way — Green Mile because a character in that classic movie, 6-foot-5 John Coffey, has supernatural powers.
“Yeah, I would say I need to be more aggressive on the field,” McCullers said. “They won’t play you if you’re not aggressive. I have to be aggressive every play and be dominant.”
McCullers says he can be that player.
“Yes, sir, I can. I have to do it. I feel I can help this team a lot, help them get all the way to the Super Bowl.”
The goal right now is a simpler one for McCullers — make it with the Steelers all the way through September again.