A love of the game: “He’s the goon.”
Those were the words receivers coach Zach Azzanni uttered about receiver Ben Skowronek on Tuesday, and they are words Skowronek didn’t mind at all.
“I just like playing football,” said Skowronek. “So, whatever it takes, that’s what I do.
“I’ve got a role. I just like football, whether it’s receiver, fullback, tight end, special teams. I just like playing ball.”
As a receiver, though, there is always a desire to put up big numbers, to be the guy who has the ball come his way.
So far this season Skowronek has one reception for 22 yards, that being quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ first touchdown pass in a Steelers uniform.
He truly doesn’t care about the numbers, though.
He just wants to play football.
“As long as we’re winning, I don’t really care,” said Skowronek. “I just like playing football. I could have five catches in a game. I could have one, I could have zero. As long as we’re winning, I really don’t care.
“I just like to win. Whatever I’m asked to do to win a game, if one week it’s catch five balls, whether it’s zero balls, block the mike (linebacker). Whatever I am asked to, I’m going to go out there and give 100% effort and try to execute it to the best of my ability.
“The only stats I truly care about are special teams tackles, if I’m being honest. I just like tackling guys. That’s it really.”
Tackling and blocking were something former Steelers receiver Hines Ward was known for, a player Skowronek is very familiar with as his father grew up in Western Pennsylvania and he watched Steelers football.
Ward also caught his fair share of passes.
Does Skowronek really not mind getting the ball in his hands a lot?
“As a competitor, you obviously want the ball in your hands,” said Skowronek. “But I don’t think I’m like any other receiver in the league. I truly don’t care how many catches I have. I’ll still be happy if we win.
“I want to be in the game on offense because I know what I can bring, but I feel there’s a lot more ways to affect the game than just catching balls. Obviously, we have a room with DK (Metcalf) and Calvin (Austin) as our top guys. If everyone had the same role, what type of team would we have?
“So, I want to be that enforcer. I want to be the guy who can get the run game going in that room. I play special teams, too. Those are kind of the stats I care about.
“I want to just be successful as a team. I don’t care who blocks a kick. I don’t care who makes a tackle. I just care about winning every single Sunday.”
It’s that attitude, that approach that has made Skowronek a favorite in the Steelers locker room among his teammates.
Skowronek was signed by the Steelers right before Week 1 in 2024, getting on a moving train and not having the luxury of getting to know his teammates in an offseason setting. This year, through the offseason and training camp, he was able to build a bond with them that continues to grow.
“I think Latrobe was awesome this year to spend time with the guys,” said Skowronek. “I didn’t have that luxury last year. I came in week one, I think I got here on Tuesday and played on Sunday and didn’t know the guys’ names. My number one priority was learning the playbook.
“But this year I was able to spend all offseason with the guys. Obviously, in Latrobe, there’s not much to do out there besides hang out with the guys. Football is a lot more than just X’s and O’s. It’s a relationship game. You’ve got to be able to trust the guy next to you. You’ve got to be able to trust the coaches. I think that comes with not only playing together, but hanging out outside practice, outside the facility. That’s what I felt like this offseason I accomplished the most. I’ve got a lot of close friends on the team now, just spending the nights together in Latrobe, hanging out, talking. Getting to know each other outside the game, and that just builds trust.”