Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back Benny Snell may have had a spectacular collegiate career, racking up 3,873 yards at Kentucky to become the school's all-time leading rusher, but he slipped to the fourth round in the NFL Draft in April.
Snell now says that he is using his somewhat low draft positioning as motivation heading into his professional career:
“Definitely,” said Snell, per Bryan Deardo of 247Sports. “I kinda find it funny how history repeats itself and people don’t see the true value of a player. Your rank and all these numbers, stars, whatever. It’s just amazing how it all work. I’m finally glad that I’m on a team with an organization that values me.”
While James Conner is the Steelers' No. 1 back, Snell will get some reps during his rookie campaign, and the 21-year-old says he is prepared for it:
“I definitely feel like I’m gonna be ready,” Snell said. “I felt like I was made to be a Steeler. It was just right. It feels right. It’s my type of football, and the fit was just perfect. I’ve been in a lot of situations at Kentucky — the NFL is completely different — where pressure on was on my shoulders, [but] I was still successful by the end of the day. “
Snell is coming off a junior campaign in which he rushed for 1,449 yards and 16 touchdowns while averaging five yards per carry. He arrived at Kentucky in 2016, and in his freshman year, he totaled 1,091 yards and 13 scores. He followed that up by finishing with 1,333 yards and 19 touchdowns during his sophomore season.
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