(Photo by Sun Sentinel/Getty Images)
Steelers sixth-round draft pick Quincy Roche is a Baltimore native, so he knows all about the Steelers, being that he grew up rooting for his hometown Ravens.
“I was on the opposite side of the rivalry,” Roche said. “I know a lot about the Steelers. I watch them every year. It’s a huge blessing to be in the same room with guys like T.J. Watt.”
Roche is already working on getting all the Ravens gear away from his family members and household and replacing it with black and gold.
“I told them today I don’t even want to see the color purple,” Roche said. "I got somebody dropping me off a Terrible Towel tonight. I don’t even want to see the color purple anymore.”
Roche, who will be an outside linebacker with the Steelers, played his first three years at Temple before transferring to Miami for the 2020 season. In his college career, Roche had 30.5 sacks, 54 tackles for a loss and eight forced fumbles.
He started 10 games in 2020, finishing the season with 45 tackles and 14.5 tackles for a loss, which ranked second on the Hurricanes and third in the ACC. He also recorded 4.5 sacks, along with leading the ACC with three forced fumbles and he had two fumble recoveries.
Growing up in Baltimore and then playing college football at Temple and Miami, Roche says he fits the blue-collar mold of the Steelers.
“I’m excited,” Roche said. “I’ve always watched this defense. This is right up my alley, hard-nosed, rugged football. Even though I went low in the draft, it worked out. There aren’t too many programs in the league that would have been a better fit than the Steelers. I can’t wait to start improving and get to work.”