Steelers Top Draft Pick Fautanu Arrives at PIT

Pittsburgh Steelers first-round draft pick Troy Fautanu arrived Friday morning at Pittsburgh International Airport approximately 11 hours after the team selected him with the 20th pick in the NFL Draft because, well, the airport is the region’s front door.

Fautanu got off the plane already wearing a Steelers cap, coming to Pittsburgh for just the second time. He stopped to pose for numerous pictures with fans as he made his way through the terminal with his parents to the iconic Franco Harris statue. Blue Sky News caught up with him there for his first interview in Pittsburgh.

Q: What was your reaction to getting drafted by the Steelers last night?

A: I was a crybaby, man. I got that phone call from (Steelers general manager) Omar (Khan), and we were sitting on the phone and it felt like it was forever — just waiting for him to finally put the pick in. It was a surreal moment just being able to share that with my family. It was something I’ll never forget.

Q: Did you grow up a Steelers fan? Tell me about that.

A: Yeah, I did. I grew up a fan of Troy Polamalu and from there the fandom grew of the Steelers. Just kind of falling in love with how gritty the football team was. You could see that just by how they played. I’ve always respected this organization and I’m just so excited to be here to be part of this team.

Q: Have you ever been to Pittsburgh before?

A: I came here a couple of weeks ago for a (pre-draft) visit. I got a little feel for it. I was only here 24 hours, so I didn’t get around too much.

Q: What do you know about the city?

A: I just know that the people here are very loyal to the team and to the city itself. From what people have told me, it’s like a big town but it’s also like a little town — a lot of mom-and-pop shops around here and people that have been here for generations. It’s something that I respect. Coming from the West Coast, you don’t really see that too much.

Q: What do you want Steeler Nation to know about you?

A: I’m just excited to get in and get ready to work. Really just coming in and learning from everybody there. There’s a lot of people that have been around the league for a really long time and I’m just super excited to soak up that knowledge and get this thing rolling.

Q: Do you like the song ‘Renegade’ from Styx?

A: I don’t think I’m familiar with that.

You will be soon enough, Troy! Welcome to Pittsburgh!