Bart Houston
Wisconsin
Quarterback
Rookie
**
Who is your football mentor or inspiration?**
My dad and grandpa, they're football people. My dad even named me after Bart Starr. He really wanted it to happen, I guess. He grew up in the 1960s and watched Bat Starr play as a kid so he named his first son after the Packers quarterback. My grandpa, he coached the San Ramon (Valley High School) Wolves (in California).
What motivates you?
Just trying to be the best there is and be a better me every day. I have a few guys awesome to look up to, Ben (Roethlisberger), Landry (Jones) and Josh (Dobbs). Josh has been here a week longer than I have. I'm trying to be as good or better than what they are, and that's hard to be, especially compared to Ben and Landry. So I'm just trying to be as good as I can be every day.
What is your approach to football?
I've always been a true participant of having fun in the game, smile and have a good time. I'm not playing as much right now because I'm behind those three guys. But when I'm in there I try to have as much fun as possible.
**
2017 minicamp is underway at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
Francis Kallon
Head Coach Mike Tomlin
Johnny Maxey
David DeCastro, Alejandro Villanueva, Marcus Gilbert, Maurkice Pouncey, Ramon Foster, and Head Coach Mike Tomlin
T.J. Watt
Sammie Coates
Christian Brown
Vince Williams
Vince Williams
Chris Boswell and Jordan Berry
Keion Adams
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Bud Dupree
Trey Williams
T.J. Watt and Farrington Huguenin
Greg Ducre
Eli Rogers
Trey Williams
Knile Davis
Fitzgerald Toussaint
Eli Rogers
T.J. Watt
Justin Hunter
Cobi Hamilton
Bud Dupree
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Johnny Maxey, Javon Hargrave, and L.T. Walton
Richard Mann and JuJu Smith-Schuster
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Ross Cockrell
Tyson Alualu
Demarcus Ayers
Justin Hunter
Cobi Hamilton
Bart Houston
When did you start dreaming about playing in the NFL?**
Maybe when I was between 5 and 8, and then it all went away. I thought I was going to be a basketball player. So it kind of really started happening around December this last year. I really didn't think about it until college was a month from being done.
Why do you play football?
I just play because it's fun. I love the competition and I want to be the best there is in anything I do. I'm doing football now and I'm having a lot of fun, learning a lot.
What is your proudest football moment or memory?
Winning the Cotton Bowl (24-16 over Western Michigan on Jan. 2) was pretty freakin' awesome. You can't top that, but if I had to say something else, in high school we won a couple state championships.
When you hear "Steelers," what do you think?
Being from California, I think of the 1970s Steelers and what type of players, what type of game they played. There were some bad people and good football players, thinking back to the Terry Bradshaw days. Heck, in the airport there's a statue of Franco Harris, that really (ticked) my grandpa off. He was family friends with (former Raiders head coach) John Madden. I remember my grandpa telling me, "After that ("Immaculate Reception") game, Mr. Madden was really ticked off."
