Six months
ago, Stefen WisniewskiSundays consisted of spending the afternoon watching the
NFL on TV wondering if his phone was ever going to ring. The veteran offensive
lineman tried not to fixate on the circumstances that led to him sitting on the
couch.You try not to drive yourself crazy with the why,Wisniewski said. Ive kind
of learned to not go crazy, trying to figure out why everything is happening.So
Wisniewski relied on his faith to get him through, optimistic an opportunity
would eventually come. It ended up working better than he ever imagined. And in
February, Wisniewski was on the field earning his second Super Bowl ring in
three years while starting for the Kansas City Chiefs. This week his nomadic and
recently charmed journey through the NFL finally led him home when the
Pittsburgh native signed a two-year deal to join the Steelers
Jeremy Maclin
Jersey.Though the Chiefs expressed interest in keeping the 31-year-old
Wisniewski, the opportunity to play for the team he grew up watching was too
good to pass up. Hell be vying for a chance to replace the recently retired
Ramon Foster at left guard.I knew itd be an open job and that was
exciting,Wisnewski said Friday. Iteven more exciting because it not just any
starting job, it a starting job for the Pittsburgh Steelers I did have a few
other options but it hard to turn down your hometown team.Wisniewski grew up in
the Pittsburgh suburbs and remembers scrambling home from church every Sunday
during the fall in time for kickoffs to catch his favorite team
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He played at Heinz Field in high school and daydreamed of one day joining his
father Leo and uncle Steve in the NFL. Dressing in black-and-gold seemed to be a
bridge too far. Both his dad and his uncle spent their entire careers with one
team, Leo with the Baltimore Colts, Steve with the Raiders.Stefen Wisniewskipath
has been considerably more winding. He bounced from Oakland to Jacksonville to
Philadelphia during his first six seasons
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toiling away on clubs that finished with a losing record every year. The streak
finally ended in 2017, when he helped anchor an offensive line as the Eagles
beat New England in the Super Bowl. Philadelphia, however, declined to pick up
his option last spring, making him a free agent.Weeks passed. Then months. And
Wisniewski wondered if hed ever play again. Then injuries forced the Chiefs to
reach out a month into the 2019 season. By December he was starting
Steven Nelson
Jersey, then came that remarkable playoff run when Kansas City rallied three
times to win the franchisefirst Super Bowl in a half-century.Now the player who
worried hed never reach the postseason has as many rings as new teammate Ben
Roethlisberger.Yeah, Ive been really blessed,said Wisniewski, who added the
early struggles made him appreciate how hard it is to get to one Super Bowl, let
alone two.Wisniewski joins one of the leaguemost experienced lines even with
Foster deciding to step away after more than a decade on the job. Center
Maurkice Pouncey is entering his 11th season, right guard David DeCastro his
ninth, left tackle Alejandro Villanueva his sixth as a starter.It easy to play
next to veterans because theyve seen it all,Wisniewski said. Theyre good at
communicating and that something I do well is communicate and anticipate and I
know the Steelers having a veteran line, I know that something theyre going to
do.Wisnewski is doing what he can to stick to a normal routine during this most
unusual offseason. The Penn State alum lives full-time in State College,
Pennsylvania and typically gets his work in at the schoolfootball facility.
Thatnot an option at the moment with the school shut down due to the COVID-19
pandemic. So helifting weights in his basement and lugging his 6-foot-3,
305-pound frame for runs at a nearby park. Ita small concession to make for what
potentially awaits in the fall.Ive been a starter most of my career,Wisniewski
said. It my goal and my plan to win that job.