LATROBE, Pa. – Garrett Hartley emerged from the Steelers cafeteria at Saint Vincent College with a to-go container in hand, and was immediately surrounded by cameras and microphones.
He looked around, taken aback a bit by the attention, and then told it like it is.
"It's been kind of a whirlwind the past 24-48 hours," said Hartley, the kicker signed to replace the injured Shaun Suisham.
In just a short time Hartley went from filming the second season of the reality show "Southern Chaos," a show about hunting on the Sportsman Channel he is featured in, to kicking for the Steelers.
That would leave anyone's head spinning, but Hartley has handled it well so far, including the pressure of competing for the job with two other kickers during a workout at Heinz Field on Tuesday.
"I think we all are built off of pressure," said Hartley. "Not just kickers, but everyone in this league. We didn't get to where we are without competition. Having that mindset of knowing this could be my job, or a life changer.
"I know why this door opened up. I know what I am here for. And it's ultimately to help this team win."
Hartley, who said he didn't know about Suisham's injury until the next day, is accustomed to kicking in a dome after spending six seasons with the New Orleans Saints. But he wasn't bothered at all by kicking in Heinz Field this week.
"It was my first time kicking there the other day when we were working out," said Hartley. "It was a nice experience. They just added some seats that kept the wind from swirling. People call me a dome kicker, but I kicked in Oklahoma and the wind kind of blows there. This isn't my first rodeo."
