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Diontae Johnson, Chris Oladokun Building on Hometown Relationship

The Pittsburgh Steelers Florida natives are growing an already strong personal relationship.

Stephen Thompson

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PITTSBURGH -- Three-quarters of the Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterbacks room has never thrown to the team's top receiver, Diontae Johnson. Free agent signing Mitch Trubisky and 2022 draft picks Kenny Pickett and Chris Oladokun are still in just their first weeks with the team and, because Johnson opted not to attend most of last month's voluntary OTAs, he has only worked sparingly with the new signal-callers, except for Oladokun, whom Johnson's known for years.

"Chris Oladokun — we played seven-on-seven, we workout at home together," Johnson said. "I’ve known him for a while. So just to be able to throw with him — having him on the team is a plus because he’s from the same area I am."

Johnson and Oladokun have a relationship that goes back years to when Oladokun was a freshman at Sickles High School in Tampa, Florida. The two eventual Steelers teammates both grew up in Tampa and still call the city home. 

As Oladokun's college recruitment started to pick up steam, he said the relationship with Johnson grew as well. Johnson even tried to recruit Oladokun to Toledo, where he played in college. 

"I got to know him my freshman year of high school by going to camps and stuff like that," Oladokun said. "And then after that, he was one of my hosts at the University of Toledo when I was in high school."

Oladokun added that he and Johnson have a familiarity that manifests itself on the field and in preparation.

"It’s really good to have someone on the same team as you that lives where you live so you guys can speak the same language and go through those same routes. It’s definitely beneficial, especially since he’s the number one receiver on the team.”

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper. He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press. During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general. 

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