Williamson embracing change of scenery

The image of Avery Williamson trying to hitchhike in the rain is legitimate.

Yes, that really was the veteran linebacker in full New York Jets gear with an umbrella in his left hand and his right thumb up looking for a ride in a picture of Williamson that quickly went viral hours after he was traded from New York to Pittsburgh.

The timing, however, might have been a little off. Williamson initially snapped the pic last fall while recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee as a way to show how much he missed football.

When he decided to repurpose it after being sent from the NFL’s worst team to one of its best, he was caught off guard by the response. The post received more than 94,000 likes.

“I really didn’t expect it to go crazy like that,” Williamson said Thursday.

Welcome to Pittsburgh.

The culture shock didn’t stop there. While Williamson is quick to point out the winless Jets still have a good locker room despite their spot in the NFL’s basement, the vibe with the Steelers — who are 8-0 going into Sunday’s visit from Cincinnati (2-5-1) — couldn’t be more different.

“It’s a winning mentality, and we’re focused on winning and getting results,” Williamson said.

The joy of arriving in Pittsburgh was tempered with the knowledge he was switching teams in the middle of a pandemic. Williamson was forced to self-quarantine for five days upon his arrival.

He didn’t get a chance to visit the team’s practice facility until last Saturday. He made the trip to Dallas with the rest of his new teammates, but was inactive as the Steelers rallied to beat the Cowboys.

The fact he didn’t play a snap had little effect on the joy he felt later.

“I hadn’t won in a while,” Williamson said.