With Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kenny Pickett set to miss time following a tight rope procedure to his ankle, Pittsburgh is now set to turn the keys of their offense over to backup Mitch Trubisky. The now 7-5 Steelers will look to Trubisky to keep their season on track, as they lock in on a playoff push.
With only five games left in the season, every game matters. While many may not have factored Trubisky too much into the many deciding factors for this Steelers team, this is where the team now finds itself. Let’s take a closer look at Trubiksy’s collegiate career and how he got to this point for one of the more historic franchises in the NFL.
Mitch Trubisky’s Early Life
Trubisky was born in Mentor, Ohio, where he attended Mentor High School and began his football career. During his time in high school, the QB passed for a total of 9,126 yards and 92 touchdowns while also rushing for 1,559 career yards and 33 touchdowns.
He was an excellent high school player, and his talents earned him the “Mr. Football” award for the state of Ohio in 2012. Trubisky was a heavily recruited four-star quarterback in high school and held many offers from Power Five schools, including Alabama, Tennessee, Ohio State, and North Carolina.
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Ultimately, the star QB opted to leave his home state, despite holding an offer from the powerhouse in his backyard, and took his talents to North Carolina to play for Larry Fedora and the Tar Heels.
Trubisky’s College Career
Following his decision to enroll at UNC, Trubisky redshirted his first season in Chapel Hill. In his second season on the team, he finally saw action, but as QB Marquise Williams’ backup. He appeared in 10 games, starting none of them.
Much was the same in his third season with the Tar Heels, where Trubisky remained Williams’ backup. This year, Trubisky saw action in nine games, while again, starting zero.
It wouldn’t be until his fourth and final season at UNC that Trubisky made his first collegiate start against the Georgia Bulldogs in the Georgia Dome. He started in all 13 games in the 2016 season and finished the year with 3,748 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Trubisky added five rushing touchdowns to his tally, as well.
The season was a success, and despite having another year of eligibility left, Trubisky forwent his final year in favor of entering the 2017 NFL Draft.
It was a move that paid off for Trubisky, as he was drafted second overall to the Chicago Bears in that year’s draft and was looked at as the quarterback of the future in the Windy City.
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