If you want to be the best, you have to go against the best, and rookie cornerback Shaquille Richardson is getting to do that during the Steelers' OTAs.
Richardson, a fifth-round draft pick, has had to cover Pro Bowl receiver Antonio Brown during OTAs, and it's a challenge he loves.
"I want to play against the best," said Richardson. "I am playing against Antonio out here. I am trying to work against him. He is a great receiver. I just try to go against the best players here and make plays.
"I talk to some of the other corners and some say they have been to other teams and Antonio is the most complete receiver that they have seen, speed, routes, intelligence, everything that you need. The first day that I tried to cover him I was like he is slick. He got away from me, but I am doing better."
Richardson also loves having to defend quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and even challenged himself to shine against him.
"I told him I was going to pick him off before the end of this is over," said Richardson. "He said you might get me once before I leave out of here. We'll see."
Richardson also weighed in on the following topics:
On how things are going so far in OTAs: "It's going great. I am having fun with the team, trying to make as many plays as we can."
On how he is picking up the defense: "We put in a lot of plays but you start grouping plays together, where this play is like this play, so I have been picking it up pretty well."
On what he thinks of the defense: "It's super fun. When we add plays I am like man that is tight and I can't wait to do that. When you see how it's supposed to work and it works like that on the field, it's so much fun as a defense to work together like that."
On his impression of the defense: "It's a fly around defense, make plays, be aggressive. Our fire zones are crazy. We get a lot of pressure on the quarterback and we just make plays."
On if he is leaning on the veterans for help: "A lot. When I come off the field I talk to them about plays I've done, plays that they do or why they did something. Will Gay has been helping me out a lot, Robert Golden, Will Allen. Everybody is. I talk to everybody."
