Ben Showronek never thought much about special teams during his four seasons playing collegiately at Northwestern. Then Skowronek’s attitude changed after transferring to Notre Dame for a graduate season in 2020.
Brian Kelly, then the Fighting Irish coach, placed a heavy emphasis on special teams. Skowronek bought in.
Five years later, Skowronek is playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers and is the leading vote getter among AFC special teams players in Pro Bowl Games balloting. Skowronek has embraced the role of a gunner during his two seasons with the Steelers.
"I think I always played hard, but my year at Notre Dame really molded me,” Showronek said. “That culture there really helped me become the player I am. Coach Kelly did a great job there with the culture, and Coach (Matt) Balis, the strength coach. It was the hardest strength program I've ever been through. So, I think that was a big year in my football development."
Skowronek has made 17 special teams tackles in 13 games this season for the AFC North-leading Steelers (7-6), who host the Miami Dolphins (6-7) on Monday night at Acrisure Stadium. Skowronek believes his aggressiveness helps while playing special teams.
"You're going to get your (behind) kicked sometimes, especially when you're getting doubled," Skowronek said. "It's a sign of respect. It's two grown men against one. You're going to lose some, but you've got to have grit, keep fighting back. It's not always going to be clean. If you're not getting doubled, you're probably not going to be in the league that long. It means that the other team doesn't really respect you much, so I kind of take offense to not getting double-teamed."
Skowronek’s toughness showed late last Sunday during the Steelers’ 27-22 victory over the Ravens, which gave them sole possession of first place in the division. Despite having a hand injury, Skowronek was on the field when the Steelers were forced to punt just before the two-minute warning while successfully preserving a five-point lead.
"I wanted to be on the field in that situation because I feel like I cover kicks for a living, and it was a big moment,” Skowronek said.