Godwin Igwebuike makes impact on Steelers via savvy ‘heads-up’ play on a kickoff

When Godwin Igwebuike intentionally ran out of bounds before making himself fall back into the field of play onto the ball after a kickoff during Saturday’s game, he knew what some were saying.

“I stepped out of bounds, and I hear ‘Oh my god!’ ” Igwebuike said, his voice shrieking.

“Listen, I know what I’m doing. I stayed composed and was able to make a heads-up play.”

It was a simple play, one that ultimately had little tangible impact for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their 17-10 victory at the Baltimore Ravens. But it was one that appeared awkward to the untrained eye and took a fearless savvy that earned Igwebuike plenty of plaudits within the Steelers locker room and across the sport.

“Heads-up play,” Steelers special-teams captain Miles Killebrew said Monday back in Pittsburgh. “I can’t speak highly enough about him. He’s such a professional, and he’s quick on his feet. And that was just the heads-up play that we needed.”

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Godwin Igwebuike fields the kickoff while laying out of bounds to force the penalty on Baltimore.

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A running back by trade, Igwebuike was signed off the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad Sept. 20. He has served as the Steelers’ kickoff returner since. Among 11 returns this season, Igwebuike averaged 25.7 yards with a long of 36. But it was his “return” (or lack thereof) in Baltimore for which he was most conspicuous.

Kickoffs that go out of bounds, by rule, are illegal and afford the receiving team an opportunity to elect to take the ball at the 40 yard-line. Just before the first-half two-minute warning during Saturday’s regular-season finale, Jordan Stout’s kickoff in the rain and wind landed at Steelers’ 5 yard-line and died about 5 feet from the sideline.

Rather than pick up the ball and face a likely tackle inside the 10 or 15, Igwebuike took advantage of the out-of-bounds rule and positioned himself on the white paint before touching the ball — deeming the kickoff officially out of bounds and leading to an automatic instant gain of 35 yards of field position.

“Since I started returning (kicks) a couple years ago, it’s one of the things I remember watching on film: ‘If this never happens in a game…’ ” Igwebuike said. “It’s just one of those things that you’re kind of putting in the back of your mind.

“But I don’t know, I saw (the ball) dribbling over there, and I said, ‘Is this my time? Is this the moment I have been waiting for?’

“And it just got far enough, so I said, ‘OK, here it is.’ ”

Said Killebrew: “It’s one of those things that it can happen — and it happened to to happen to him, and he was ready. It’s hard to do, but he was ready.”

Teammates ran to congratulate Igwebuike. Once he got to the sideline, he encountered a “very happy” special teams coordinator, Danny Smith.

What about the head coach?

“Just a nice, firm handshake,” Igwebuike said of Mike Tomlin. “That’s his go-to.”

Ultimately, the Steelers fumbled to end the ensuing possession. But that didn’t take away from the respect that Igwebuike earned from his teammates as the Steelers prep for their playoff opener Sunday.

“That means everything,” he said. “At the end of the day this locker room is built on trust. Guys are gonna trust each other and coaches are gonna trust us as players, and so even a small moment like that builds trust and lets guys know I am locked in and ready for any opportunity that might come.”

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