Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Levon Kirkland recently described the moment he began to trust his instincts on the field during his NFL career.
Kirkland, drafted by the Steelers in the second round in 1992, said he had limited experience at inside linebacker before joining the team.
He explained that it took nearly a year to earn a starting role and about four years to fully develop his skills at the position.
During an appearance on Coach Gibbs Defense Lab’s YouTube channel, Kirkland credited advice from former NFL linebacker Matt Millen. Millen told him to trust what he saw, a comment that Kirkland called an aha moment while preparing for Super Bowl XXX against the Dallas Cowboys.
Kirkland recorded a sack in that game and went on to earn second-team All-Pro honors. He was selected to the Pro Bowl the following season and earned first-team All-Pro recognition in 1997.