Bud Dupree primed to emerge from long shadow of James Harrison
The Pittsburgh Steelers have enjoyed a long tradition of veteran mentors sharing their experience in camps with their younger counterparts and have a more well-known tradition of fielding talented linebackers. As Bud Dupree enters his third season with the Steelers, he has been able to enjoy the tutelage of James Harrison. With renewed perspective and overall health, Dupree appears primed to finally step out of Harrison’s long shadow in 2017.
In a post-session interview with Missi Matthews following Friday’s mini-camp practices, Dupree talked about Harrison being a mentor on the field, but it was how ‘Deebo’ was helping off the field that initially stood out. Beyond mere fitness conditioning, Dupree has been doing “body treatment” during the offseason – something Harrison has shared via demonstration in numerous social media posts with fans.
Bud Dupree talks about learning from James Harrison, his role on the defense and more. pic.twitter.com/epMcgFAOzq
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) June 16, 2017
‘Cupping’ is just one method Harrison and many professional athletes utilize but Dupree wasn’t specific, stating he wanted to play at a high level and felt his new regimen would assist him in doing so. He used Harrison, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell as examples of guys who have taken their overall body health to the next level and elevated their game.
Dupree was forced onto the injured-reserved list for most of the 2016 NFL season due to a groin injury that kept him out of commission until November. Slimmed down and in good shape heading into that season, many expected the young outside linebacker to be more physical and utilize better leverage than he showed his rookie season. 2016 was supposed to be Dupree’s year.
When Dupree returned from IR, he was disruptive, especially on a defensive front that was minus defensive captain Cameron Heyward. In the week 14 game against the Buffalo Bills, Dupree showed a quickness that carried an upfront explosiveness with a great burst when staying with the play. He recorded 2.5 sacks on the day.
Where Dupree continued to struggle a bit was in physically overpowering offensive linemen. Once he broke loose, however, the kid was a cannon to the ball. It was that level of play that helped push the Steelers into the AFC Championship game.
Early indications are that Dupree has improved his overall physicality during OTAs and mini-camp practices this offseason, which bodes well for a Steelers defense that is getting younger and quicker. That isn’t to say that Dupree has nothing left to learn from Harrison; just the opposite is true.
Harrison has been in the league long enough to have seen nearly anything an opponent can throw at him and Dupree is hitting his stride. He told Matthews that he felt the speed of the game comes naturally to him now. He also mentioned that he felt Pittsburgh’s defense was going to be a competitive group overall.
If Harrison can help him stay physically healthy, Dupree may be able to start adding the little nuances that elevated his mentor to become the all-time Steelers sack leader. That little extra mental toughness and improved awareness combined with high physicality should push Dupree out of the shadows and into the spotlight for a breakout 2017 season.
