PITTSBURGH -- As rookie quarterback Drew Allar took a few final warmup throws on the sideline at Acrisure Stadium just after 9 p.m. local time, a low rumble that sounded something like "boooo" started building from the crowd of Steelers fans.
And when Allar and the offense trotted out on the turf, the murmurs grew to a decipherable cheer: "Drewwwwww."
Allar, though, didn't hear the crowd welcoming him to his first NFL action in the third quarter of the Steelers' 28-9 preseason win against the Green Bay Packers.
"Honestly, I was more focused on enunciating the playcall more than anything," the third-round pick said with a laugh. "I didn't really hear it at all."
Three plays later, Allar couldn't help but hear the crowd as it roared to life when the Penn State product connected with fellow rookie Kaden Wetjen for a 74-yard catch-and-run on third down that put the Steelers on the doorstep of the end zone. Allar finished the job two plays later on a read-option keeper for a 3-yard score, the first of his three-touchdown preseason debut.
"The first rushing touchdown I had was like the first hit I've had in I don't know how long, but since mid-October," said Allar, who sat out more than half of his final season at Penn State because of a broken ankle. "I feel like that kind of got the physical part out in the way. But I feel like going against our defense every day in practice really helped me mentally prepare for the game."