Baron Batch.

Great read on Batch making a name for himself in Pittsburgh.




LATROBE, Pa. - Baron Batch emerged from the crowd in his white No. 35 jersey, tightened his chin strap, and prepared for his introduction to the Pittsburgh Steelers' version of the Oklahoma drill.

Batch registered more than 3,500 all-purpose yards during his career with the Red Raiders.
Backs on 'backers is one of the highlights of training camp, and now the rookie seventh round pick was on center stage.

A young camp helper, clad in black shorts and a yellow shirt, served as the makeshift quarterback as the Steelers' vaunted corps of linebackers rushes the running backs in the pass protection drill.

Batch does well, turning away a couple of fellow rookies and second-year linebacker Stevenson Sylvester. He steps back to await his turn again, only for head coach Mike Tomlin to pipe up.

"Worilds! Get in there against 35!"

Murmurs ripple through the rest of the team. In the eyes of the Steelers coaches, Jason Worilds will be the next great Steelers linebacker. Worilds is considered one of the most violent passrushers on the team, second only to veteran star James Harrison. Now the 2010 second round draft pick has his sights set on Batch. He rushes at Batch, who pops Worilds in the chest and stands him straight up and locks his arms on his pads.

"Okay, 35 is doing it!" Tomlin crows.

Batch gets a respite before going against Worilds two more times, stopping him each time. Such a development simply doesn't happen on the first day of pads, not with a rookie. So Tomlin ups the ante.

"Do it again, 35! Let's go 35, Debo's coming!"

The murmurs from earlier turn into shouts of delight.

Debo is James Harrison's nickname, bestowed upon him by teammates who feel he resembles -- both in terms of physique and attitude -- the character of the same name in the movie Friday.

"Uh oh, 35! Debo's coming!" yells veteran linebacker James Farrior. "Better watch out, 35!"

Harrison straps up, staring down Batch. He lines up five yards off the ball, every muscle taut and poised to hammer into Batch with bad intentions. The pop from the collision reverberates throughout the fields at Saint Vincent's College. Batch locks onto Harrison's chest and stands him up. The linebacker is so strong that he still propels Batch backward, but he can't reach the quarterback.

Batch's fellow running backs explode, bouncing up and down. Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians runs out to greet Batch and wraps an arm around him. Even Tomlin -- who will later simply say, "He's a rookie" and end all discussion of Batch -- is impressed.

"Yessir! Yessir!"

Not bad for a seventh round draft pick joining a veteran team from a college program where he was part of what critics have deemed a "gimmick" offense. When Batch was drafted, many pegged him as a possible third-down back, but only if he could make the transition into an NFL-style player.

"I think the transition is kind of what you make it. I think some people think too much into it and get kind of caught up in thinking too much," Batch said Saturday afternoon. "Football is football. For me, I 100 percent believe that if you go out and play the game the right way - playing it hard, playing it tough - whatever offense or system you play in, you can be successful."

Batch is clearly prepared. His blocking skills were evident in the drill last week, and he's shown his pass catching ability in 7-on-7 drills.

"A lot of what we did at Texas Tech, as far as having to recognize fronts and understand pass protection, has helped a lot," Batch said. "Just being able to physically pick up a blitz, run routes, and catch the ball is stuff I did a lot at Tech and it's definitely helping me now."

His early performance has turned him into a fan favorite. Already a curiosity because of his social media presence and insightful blog, the fact that he could supplant Mewelde Moore as the team's heavily used third-down back has Steelers fans excited and Texas Tech fans combing the web for updates.

"It's definitely a good feeling to have support from back home and support from people up here. But I'll say this: What you see is what you get with me," Batch said. "A lot of people are like, 'Yeah, it seems like I know you.' Well, you do! I'm not flashy or anything, and people back in Texas know that. I love those people that are supporting me in Lubbock and back home."

He's also caught Moore's eye. While fans may want him to supplant the veteran back, it's far more likely that Batch will become the team's fourth running back behind Moore, Rashard Mendenhall, and Isaac Redman. Moore re-signed last Thursday and quickly brought himself up to speed on Batch.

"I like everything about him," Moore said. "He's a good kid, explosive, quick, and he has no fear. Those are three of the main attributes that you really want out of a young guy.

The coaches have recognized his surge in performance and have thrown him into additional tests.

"…Baron's a young guy who's trying to pick it up under a tremendous amount of pressure right now and I think he's handling it pretty well," running backs coach Kirby Wilson said.

During situational short-yardage drills on Saturday, Batch received multiple looks as both a runner and receiver. And during the team's highly anticipated goalline drills, Batch received the most reps. Fellow undrafted free agent John Clay was stuffed on his only carry despite having the physique most would consider in the situation, while Dwyer scored on one of his two carries. Batch went two-for-four, breaking an arm tackle on one score and using a nifty cutback that froze linebacker Motty Ivy on the other.

Ivy got his revenge on the last run, cracking Batch so hard that Ivy's helmet came flying off.

"I knew it was him. That's what the coaches like," Ivy said. "They want to see guys compete against each other. Right now, he's showing a lot and doing a lot of great things and the coaches are loving it."

The past week for Batch has been just that: One week in an NFL training camp. It feels like a lifetime but it means little in the grand scheme of things, especially with no OTAs or minicamps this summer. The first preseason game is Friday at Washington, and draft picks like Batch will always be given consideration until late in camp. But Batch is building a reputation around the Steelers. One good day turned into two good days which turned into a good week. If he continues to learn and apply that to his game, maybe it'll turn into a good month, and then a good year, and who knows, maybe even a good career.

"It's a blessing for me to come out and play a game for a living and have fun and be around great coaches and great teammates," Batch said. "I'd sum up the first week as a huge learning process, and that's going to be the theme for as long as I'm playing."