Pittsburgh Steelers left guard Isaac Seumalo wants to treat his first trip back to Philadelphia like business as usual, even going so far as to repeat Mike Tomlin’s mantra about “nameless, faceless” opponents.
After spending seven seasons with the Eagles, Seumalo knows that’s not true. He’s still close with his former teammates, especially All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson, and holds Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland in high regard.
This marks Seumalo’s first time returning to the city and playing against the team that drafted him in the third round out of Oregon State in 2016, so he doesn’t know what to expect while wearing enemy colors. Seumalo is steadfast in saying the mission is the mission when the Steelers (10-3) visit the Eagles (11-2) on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
His mission: to leave victorious.
“I expect them to … to be honest, I don’t know what it’s like. I’ll tell you after this Sunday,” Seumalo told TribLive, with a laugh. “Philly is just a very passionate city. They bleed Kelly green. That’s just how it is. Anybody can respect that. Just like when people come to Pittsburgh. It’s a passionate city that lives and dies with the Steelers. I really wouldn’t want it any other way.”
After learning from the likes of Jason Peters, Jason Kelce and Johnson while starting 60 games on the Eagles’ offensive line over seven seasons, the 31-year-old Seumalo signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the Steelers in March 2023.
Now, Seumalo is paying it forward in helping the Steelers forge a physical identity up front by protecting quarterback Russell Wilson and paving running lanes for backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.
“The thing we always talk about with these is that execution fuels emotion,” Seumalo said. “You can have all the energy in the world, but (it means little) if you’re not executing and doing proper technique and focusing on your job. Once you start doing that, then you’ll start having fun. When you’re playing good, you’ll have fun.”
Seumalo takes a serious approach to playing football, believing the fun comes with finding a place of permanence. That’s what drives him, and why he spends as much time taping his fingers and feet before every practice as his teammates do putting on all of their equipment.
Steelers right tackle Broderick Jones believes the “execution fuels emotion” line perfectly encapsulates Seumalo’s personality.
“I feel like he hit it right on the head with that,” Jones said. “He’s always about football. It’s different. You just get the vibe from him that he’s about his business, and he comes to work like that every day. I rarely see him excited, even if it’s a big play or whatever. He’s always trying to get us in the end zone, trying to finish that drive off first.”
If it sounds like Seumalo is taking a low-key approach to playing against his former team, that shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Steelers joke about how little Seumalo says, though the leadership he has shown toward young linemates in center Zach Frazier, right guard Mason McCormick and Jones speaks volumes.
“I honestly don’t feel he’s looking at (the Eagles game) that way. Every week is big for him. That’s what he always tell us, to just look at it one week at a time, always one play,” Jones said. “He’s just always trying to slow the game down for us younger guys like me and Zach and Mason. He doesn’t try and overdo it. If he communicates, it’s short, sweet. If he tries to tell you something and it’s something you really need to know, he’ll make sure you know it.
“He’s always asking us questions, like he’s the coach or something. It’s just little things like that that make him stand out. I just try to stay up under his wing, sit back and watch the little things he does and try to implement them into my game. Hopefully, it does the same for me.”
Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith described Seumalo as a consistent player who is “pretty stoic” and has a “good football mind.”
“Nothing really gets Isaac’s heart rate up, one way or the other, (or his) emotions,” Smith said. “As I’ve gotten to know him, he’s a quiet kind of pro. But his experience certainly helps, especially playing next to a rookie center.”
So Seumalo is emphatic about his desire to allow his play to speak for him against the Eagles, just like every other game.
“I have a lot of love for guys and still want to go out there and get the ‘dub’ and play really well,” Seumalo said. “I don’t see it as a mentally challenging task. I’m sure they’ll say the same thing.”