PITTSBURGH — Riley Nowakowski might not have been as willing to hand out a mulligan. After leaking out and gaining a step or two on Green Bay Packers linebacker Kristian Welch , the Pittsburgh Steelers ' rookie fullback couldn't squeeze Drew Allar's slightly-low-but-catchable ball on the goal-line in the third quarter.
A frame later, from the Packers' 4-yard line, Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy flipped the play and told Allar to run it again. This time, the Indiana product briefly bobbled it before hugging it to the No. 37 on his black jersey.
"If I'm playing Madden, I don't know if I'm calling it again," Nowakowski said, laughing. "I've gotta thank Coach for calling that one again and believing in me."
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie fullback Riley Nowakowski catches a four-yard touchdown pass from Drew Allar late in a 28-9 win over the Green Bay Packers. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Receivers Jakobie Keeney-James and Joaquin Davis and tight end Lake McRee mobbed him after he popped up with the four-yard touchdown catch, an indescribable feeling, Nowakowski said. Not only was it a thrill to do it in front of the Steelers' fans, but also in front of some family — "aunts, uncles, my parents" — that made a 10- or 11-hour drive to be at Acrisure Stadium for the 28-9 win.
Before getting the do-over, Nowakowski was in his head about having to face someone who's hardly missed his games, dating back to youth football.
"I was like, 'Oh, jeez, how am I gonna talk to my dad after that?'" Nowakowski said.
Nowakowski added that his parents were probably going to have to drive him home. His car is still in Latrobe, where the Steelers will finish their training camp on Monday, and if not for reeling in his next chance, it might have made for an awkward ride.
"I'm sure they'll poke a little fun at my first drop, but nah, they're very proud of me for getting here and just continuing to work hard," Nowakowski said.
Nowakowski was also the lead blocker in an "I" formation on Lew Nichols ' 1-yard touchdown surge late in the second quarter.
"I think we want to be a hard-nosed football team," Nowakowski said. "I think that's kind of our identity, kind of the identity of the city — blue collar, lunch pail, hard hat and go to work. I think that's a perfect system for a fullback, perfect identity for a fullback."
The post Steelers FB Riley Nowakowski Doesn't Let 2nd Chance Slip Through His Fingers appeared first on Steelers Now .
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