As Chris Boswell was headed into the Steelers locker room following his first practice, one of his teammates stopped and introduced themselves.
It's been a scene that has happened all too frequently this year, as Boswell is the fourth kicker the Steelers have had since the preseason began.
The Steelers signed kicker Chris Boswell, a Fort Worth, Texas native who attend Rice University. Boswell spent some time on the Texans practice squad in 2014 and with the New York Giants during the 2015 preseason.
After Shaun Suisham suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Hall of Fame game, the team signed Garrett Hartley. He too ended up on injured reserve, forcing them to trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars for Josh Scobee.
Scobee struggled, including two costly misses against Baltimore, and was released over the weekend and Boswell signed.
"I am very thankful for this organization giving me a chance," said Boswell. "I don't want to let anybody down. It means a lot to me. I am ready to do my best.
"I just have to come in here and do my best, help the team win, and try to put it through the pipes every time."
Boswell has yet to kick in an NFL regular season game after spending a short stint on the Houston Texans practice squad and time with the New York Giants in the offseason and preseason. But he got a feel for what it's like at Heinz Field over the weekend when he kicked there on a day that had all of the elements.
The Steelers prepare for the week 5 contest against the San Diego Chargers.
"It was an experience," said Boswell. "It was pouring rain, windy, all the elements you want. I hear it gets pretty bad up here, so it was a good test. There was good competition as well.
"No matter the elements, you just have to find a way to put it through the pipes. It's the same kick every time. You can't really worry about things, just clear your head and kick it."
Boswell will get his first taste of kicking in the NFL on one of the biggest stages, against the San Diego Chargers on Monday Night Football. He said he has to treat it the same as he would any other game he has ever played.
"Kicking is kicking," said Boswell, who originally signed with the Texans as a rookie free agent out of Rice. "It doesn't really matter who is watching. Whether it's on your own or it's on Monday Night Football, you want to take the same mental preparation going into every single kick. You don't want to take any kicks off. It's the same mental attitude every single kick."
