Someone who’s shared the field with Patrick Mahomes

There's a football game that's going to be played in Las Vegas Sunday.

I'm told it's called the Super Bowl. Alex Highsmith with the Pittsburgh Steelers is a Wilmington native. He played at Charlotte.

He was a, what, all-conference player there and he is now a standout linebacker with the Pittsburgh Steelers and he joins us on the Adam Gold Show. My birdies tell me that you are out in Vegas, so thanks for getting up probably earlier than most people get up in Vegas. How you doing? I'm actually in Wilmington, back in my hometown.

Yeah, I'm on Eastern Time. Oh, good for you. All up and everything.

Oh, nice. Thank you so much for coming on. Let me just ask you a couple of things about the game and we're going to talk about the second annual golf tournament to support your foundation, which is coming up March 25th.

We want to get as many people out there as possible. When you're going through a week and you're preparing to play against either Mahomes or Purdy, obviously, I guess the preparation is different in some ways. Talk to me about how you prepare for Mahomes. Yeah, I mean, he's the best of the best. He's the best of what he does. And so, um, he's someone you got to take seriously when you when you prepare for him. He's someone that, uh, you just got to be on your piece.

You can't mess, you can't mess up. You can't miss assignments because if you do, he's going to split them. And as you leave somebody wide open, he's going to find them. And so, but he's someone who makes those crazy throwers and makes those crazy plays and all about keeping them in the pocket too. He sees someone who's, uh, he can extend plays when he, when he needs to, he can get out and run and he can make those throws on the run. And so I think whenever we've played him, I think our focus has been keeping them in the pocket and stuff because we know that uh, he tries to find those, those, those big app step up lanes. And so we just got to, um, you know, when, when, when we do prepare to play him, I think it's just about keeping him in the pocket and just really getting after him and creating pressure. How do you stay in touch with a receiver if you're in coverage and still keep an eye on where he is? It's so difficult. I know, you know, dopes like me sit at home and go, man, if the, uh, if the guy in coverage just turned around, he could have intercepted the ball. Uh, but it's hard to, it's hard to do both, isn't it?

There's no doubt. And I play some coverage sometimes too, you know, mainly a pass rusher. So you'd have to in that way, but there's also times where I'm in coverage and we know that in those plays where the quarterback is extending, where he's running out of the pocket and trying to make plays, it's important to plaster and really lock in on your man. Cause like a lot of times those receivers just kind of gonna, you know, not even run the route that they were supposed to, they see him start to scramble and they're going to run their own thing and try to get open. And so, um, it's really just about staying on and staying locked on your man for sure. And I know you guys dealt with Brock Purdy.

I believe it was in the opener. Um, and we don't have to talk about the, uh, the actual game, but when you watch film on him, um, I mean, I know he's different, but I, isn't he a little bit more or a lot more athletic than people want to give him credit. Yeah, absolutely. He's very dynamic and he can do both. Uh, just like I was saying with, with, with my home, he can also extend and make plays as well.

And he did that against us week one, I think he ran for a couple of first downs and making throws in the run. And so he's a dangerous guy and he deserves, um, a lot of respect and everything that, you know, he's done, you know, he's, he's, uh, he's worked for it. And so, uh, I know he's gonna, you know, go out there and, you know, have, have a great game, uh, come Sunday. And so, but he's someone that's just like, as well, you just got to keep them in the pocket and just really create pressure and get after him. And he's got a lot of weapons to, to, to throw too. And so I'm just excited to, to watch the game and watch, uh, Pat and Brock, uh, compete against each other.

Alex Highsmith Steelers linebacker is joining us here on the Adam gold show. Uh, did, did you hear Cam Newton's comments about game changer versus game manager? Um, because he was basically saying there's like three or four game changers, uh, Lamar or Josh Allen, or maybe Joe burrow.

Um, what, what do you make of conversations like that? I mean, in the day, I know that, uh, the guys who are out there and the guys who are winning are out there making plays and anybody can be a game changer. Um, if you're out on the field and you, you have a helmet and you have the opportunity to make a play, you have opportunity to be a game changer. Um, and I think both of the, both Pat and Brock are both game changers and they make spectacular plays. And so, um, I think it's just gonna be exciting to see those guys, uh, battle it out come Sunday. All right.

Who do you got, who do you have in the game? Uh, and are you ha are you having a super bowl party? Uh, just, just some, just, uh, just keeping it low key, uh, really low key with some fans and friends.

And so we're just keeping it low key. Um, I think, I think that's all wrong with the 49ers. Uh, no, it's, uh, no, no hard to, you know, go get some homes cause he's been there, but this 49ers team is just, you know, all over the board.

They're, um, they're loaded. And so, uh, that's who I'm wrong with. I'm wrong with the 49ers.

First of all, Alex Highsmith is joining us. We were just commenting that I don't know how many people we have spoken to this week, last week, who you got, why, and you are the very first person who has chosen San Francisco. Every, and it's all this, it's all the same reason. Now it's, it, I mean, I don't know how much you pay attention to things like point spreads, but the, you know, even the people who make point spreads think this is going to be a close game. And literally everybody has said, Oh, I, I, James, I'm not going against Patrick Mahomes.

Uh, you know, every, every single human being has said that. So right now it's Alex Highsmith versus the world. Uh, and if, if, if we talked about the, if we ranked the players on the offensive side of the ball and maybe we don't leave the offensive line out of it, cause Trent Williams is a next level, uh, left tackle. Uh, but if you just looked at the skill, right.

And I'll get your opinion on that too. Well, actually, since you said you jumped in there, um, what makes him so good? Yeah, I think it's just his technique and just for how big he is and how strong the physical years and how athletic he is for, for how big he is. I remember playing in week one, um, that's the first time I played against him. And I know he's one of the best to ever play his best in league right now, but he's a guy who's, who's very technical with what he does with his sets and with his, with his hands.

And so, um, he's definitely one of the best, probably the best that I've played. I mean, he's just an incredible player that I think they've lost one game with him in the lineup. Just, it was just the home game against Baltimore, uh, this year. That's the only game they lost when he played, uh, there, they had a three game losing streak in the middle of the year.

He wasn't there for, for any of those three games. Uh, but if you looked at the players, you know, my homes is the best. And then the 49ers in terms of skill position players, they might have for the next five, uh, with McCaffrey and I can kiddel and, um, Deebo Samuel.

I mean, they have so many and Brock pretty, they have so many good players. Yeah, absolutely. Uh, like I remember we were preparing for them, uh, week one. And the crazy thing is, is they had that every skill position, they had the number one guy for run after. So McCaffrey was the number one run after running back the year prior, uh, you shut was the number one full back run after kiddo was the number one tight end run after. And everyone knows Deebo was the number one by receiver run after. And so, uh, we got, we got guys like that who were able to make plays after, after, uh, you know, making catches and, you know, getting hit and being able to break tackles and stuff like that. It, it sets your offense up for a lot of success.

And so having, having, you know, guys at every position like that definitely, um, that helps them to be the team they are for sure. Alex Highsmith is joining us here on the Adam Gold show, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, when you got drafted by Pittsburgh, uh, back, what was it in 2019 or 2020, uh, when you got to Pittsburgh and met Mike Tomlin, what was that like? It was awesome. It was, uh, I messed up.

Remember the, the, the first interview I had with him. It was during COVID. So it was over a zoom. I was supposed to go there.

I think I was pretty sure I was supposed to go there for like one of my visits and, uh, and the COVID canceled everything. And so I remember having a zoom call with him and Kevin Colbert. And that was just a crazy moment because, you know, I grew up a Panthers fan, but I've always expected coach Tomlin and, um, always, um, like I said, he's always been one of my favorite coaches. And so just to be able to talk to him in that moment was pretty cool. And then hearing him on the phone, uh, when I got drafted was just so awesome. And it was really surreal if I'm being honest, um, just hearing his voice and saying, you know, you want to be a Steeler. That was just, um, I'll always remember that moment and then meeting him for the first time as well. Of course, you know, it was awesome.

Um, and so, but COVID, I didn't get to meet him till like July when camp started because of COVID and stuff like that. So, um, but I'm just, I'm just blessed and grateful, um, for the Steelers drafted me in the, in the third round, taking a chance on me and Sabrina to be, be here the past few years. And these next few years is just going to be amazing. And I just, there's no other organization I want to play for is the reality as good as the, as the dream of, uh, of playing for Mike Tomlin.

Absolutely. He's the guy that you want to run through a brick wall for, uh, every, every single, it's like every single speech he has every single morning meeting, he's got something different to say, and, uh, it's gonna, it'll fire you up. And like I said, I feel like if, if we were on that episode of hard knocks and people were hearing his daily, his daily speeches, his daily talks, people wouldn't, uh, respect him in such, such more way. Um, he's already highly respected and one of the most respected coaches to ever do it. Um, but you know, he, he, he just really, uh, invest all he has into us and that's why he's such a player's coach and never met a player who's played for him that has not enjoyed playing for him. And so it just shows, um, just cross to him of what type of coach that he is, that every single guy that I've known that has played for him and said nothing but hot things about him.

And so, um, just bust to play for him for sure. Are you, uh, are you a Taylor Swift fan? I mean, I do listen to some of her music. I mean, I did go to, I did go to the concert, one of her concerts in Pittsburgh. So I would say that, uh, I, I wouldn't call myself the Swiftie, but I do like, I like some of her music. All right. Well, all we're doing this week to, to annoy the, uh, the people who are mad that, uh, she's getting all this screen time, all we're doing is bumping with Taylor Swift songs, uh, all week long. Like I'm not a Swiftie either, but I mean, there's a lot of good songs. Yeah.

She got some hits. So no, no, you can't. All right. Tell me about, uh, the, you know, what your foundation is, by the way, the second annual fundraiser golf tournament, uh, is March 25th. It's an Irish Creek golf club in Kannapolis. And this is kind of, I mean, it's obviously closer to where you went to school. Um, tell me about what the foundation is trying to do.

Yeah. So the outside of the family foundation, uh, we created a couple of couple of years ago, back in 21. And so basically, uh, involved in getting the, giving back to the youth, uh, invest in the next generation and up in the Pittsburgh Wilmington and Charlotte areas. And those are the really the main three areas we try to get back to and giving back to the youth and get back in the community. Cause one Pittsburgh, uh, that's, that's where I play right now. Wilmington is my hometown as far as born and raised.

And so I always want to make an impact here. And then Charlotte is where I went to school and, um, where, uh, the plan on living in the future. And so that's just the area that we want to kind of, that's where we're doing the golf tournament there. So we're trying to build a foundation and build a presence in Charlotte right now as well. So kind of having all those three areas. And so, um, but it's, it's been a good first two years, the foundation doing different, um, done different youth camps, uh, back in Wilmington, doing different backpack giveaways and drives in Pittsburgh area.

Um, different partnering with, uh, different, uh, different organizations and in Pittsburgh to do Thanksgiving events and getting Christmas, uh, Christmas giveaways. And so we're just blessed. And I know that the main reason I have this platform is that I'm blessed to be a blessing. And so I'm just so grateful, um, just to be able to have this platform to do what I do.

And so I know that we have a lot of things planned on me, my wife, and my dad, we just, uh, you know, kind of spearheading this thing and, uh, doing what we can to make an impact, uh, in, in, in, in the communities that we're in and, uh, just, you know, super grateful to be able to do that. By the way, by the way, your, uh, your dad and I are becoming besties. So, um, for, for listening right now, I know, I believe, I know, I know, I know he is, uh, is he, is he a decent golfer? Is he? Uh, I mean, I know, he's right now. He's I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm all right. Um, I'm liking that. No, I'm not his range.

That's fine. But the thing is like, I'm, I'm pretty solid when it comes to off the tee and, you know, getting, getting landed up on the green, but my worst, if I can't put this in my life and my chip-ins hit or miss. And so if I was able to put, I could probably be close to the low nineties range and actually my decent golfers. So that's one thing I'm working on this off season, uh, in my game is really just to sure up my putting in my short game, because once I get that down, I know I can be a much better golfer. You're grinding in the off season to become a better golfer.

Uh, who's the best golf playing teammate of yours. Hmm. I'd probably say, uh, Patrick Peterson. Really? Yeah. Patrick Peterson or Mitch, Mitch, Mitch is really good. And Mr. Biscay Chris Boswell is another really good one as well.

They're all good. Yeah. He's been doing it for a while. So he's really good. You just called Patrick Peterson old. I just, uh, I just fans related that, but that's cool. I mean, he's, he's been around, uh, he's been around a while and it's still good.

Uh, so that's how you stay around for a long time. Uh, you can go to Alex high Smith, family foundation.org, uh, click on events and register for the second annual fundraising golf tournament. Um, it's Monday, March 25th at Irish Creek in Kannapolis. Uh, enjoy your off season. Uh, hopefully, uh, hopefully this goes well, we can talk again and I want an update on your putting and chipping progress. Hey, well, I'll have to give it to you.

No doubt. Hey, thank you very much, Alex. I appreciate your time. Uh, enjoy the game and thank you for picking the 49ers.

You are the outlier. Yes, sir. Thanks for having me on. You got it. Alex Highsmith here on the Adam gold show.