Jun 4, 2016 5 min read

PITTSBURGH – The Steelers treated their secondary like a game of concentration in 2015.

They put all of their cards on the table and turned them over, constantly looking for the right match.

Two of those cards wound up being safety Robert Golden and cornerback Ross Cockrell, players few thought would make much of an impact heading into the regular season.

But injuries to other players opened opportuntiies for both players and they were major contributors in a secondary that got better as the season wore on.

Now, as the Steelers head to their third and final week of OTAs before mini-camp June 14-16, both Golden and Cockrell hold down a pair of important spots.

Despite Pittsburgh’s selection of cornerback Artie Burns and safety Sean Davis, respectively, in the first two rounds of this year’s draft, it is Cockrell who lines up opposite veteran William Gay at cornerback and Golden who is at strong safety for the Steelers.

Neither player wants to give up those spots, despite the presence of a couple of high-profile newcomers at their positions.

“I always knew what I could do,” said Golden, who has been the Steelers’ special-teams captain the past two seasons. “It’s obvious the coaches knew what I could do. They kept me around here. The opportunity to get out there just wasn’t there. I had been behind some great players, Troy and Ryan Clark and they went and got (Mike) Mitchell.

“I was finally able to get out there and show what I can do (last season). It helped me. It helped my confidence. I just want to build on that.”

Golden, who is entering his fifth season with the Steelers, stepped in at strong safety last season when Will Allen missed time with injuries. He played well enough that when Allen returned, the coaching staff devised some packages specifically to get Golden on the field.

Getting his first opportunity to play extensively, Golden responded with 40 tackles, an interception and four pass defenses.

Cockrell’s journey to increased playing time was even more unlikely.

A fourth-round draft pick of Buffalo in 2014, he was released by the Bills at the end of training camp last summer and picked up a few days later by the Steelers. A week later, he was in the lineup in Pittsburgh’s 43-18 win over San Francisco, making four tackles and recovering a fumble.

Now, after the departures of Antwon Blake and Brandon Boykin via free agency and the release of Cortez Allen, Cockrell finds himself the Steelers’ second-most experienced cornerback.

“It’s very odd. I was talking to my dad about it a couple of weeks ago,” Cockrell said. “He just kept on reiterating to me that I am a guy who, after Will Gay, has the most playing experience among the corners. So I’ve got to step up and embrace that role.

“I want to be a guy who disrupts timing, disrupts receivers and creates turnovers. On top of that, I’m going to try to lead the young guys as much as I can because I do have a year of experience playing that they don’t have.”

Neither expressed any concern over the Steelers adding high draft picks at their respective positions. In fact, they welcome the challenge.

Cockrell faces the added competition of 2015 second-round draft pick Senquez Golson, who missed all of last season with a shoulder injury.

“Obviously, they’re very good players,” Cockrell said. “They were productive in college. In this league, you’ve just got to work and worry about yourself, because as soon as you start thinking about the numbers and all that other stuff, that’s when your game starts to suffer. I learned that the hard way (in Buffalo last year). I’m very fortunate and blessed to be a part of this organization.”

Golden, who earned his spot on the Steelers’ roster in 2012, knows the competition is just the natural progression in the NFL.

“It never really bothers me. I just go out and work,” Golden said. “Since I’ve been here, they’ve drafted somebody or brought somebody in from free agency. I’m still here. Obviously, that says something about what the coaches feel I can do. I’m going to go out and play to the best of my ability and try to get better. They’re going to play the best players. If my number is called, I’m going to go out and play up to standard.”

The Steelers’ standard is something Cockrell, who didn’t have the opportunity to work with teammates at all last offseason, has quickly picked up. He’s embraced being part of a team that expects – not hopes – to compete for a Super Bowl.

“The best thing about being a part of this organization is that everybody knows there’s one goal, one standard,” Cockrell said. “We’re working toward that. That’s how it is. We just work for it. I’m very excited to be a part of it.”