Nov 23, 2016 By Chris Bradford for The 4 min read

PITTSBURGH — The Steelers understood from the start that there were going to be mistakes. There always are when rookies are involved. The key is limiting the errors and, more importantly, learning from them and not letting them define a young player.

Resiliency was one of the key attributes GM Kevin Colbert cited in drafting the pair of defensive backs that the Steelers did with their first two picks in this year’s draft.

Want to talk resiliency? How about safety Sean Davis?

The second-round pick’s costly 15-yard facemask penalty late in the Dallas game helped set up Ezekiel Elliott’s game-winning touchdown. Afterward, Davis was nearly in tears. But Davis wasn’t about to let an aggressive, but ill-timed foul define him. And neither was the coaching staff.

When the Steelers opened in their base defense last week in Cleveland, there was Davis making his first career start at strong safety.

“I’m always a level-headed guy,” Davis said. “Getting a promotion and increased playing time is good. I don’t want to say it’s what expected of me, but I hold myself to a high standard and I’m a competitor. I want to be on the field. I’m happy with what’s going on. I just have to continue to produce and do my job.”

Davis has produced nine tackles, one for a loss and one pass defensed the past two weeks since overtaking Robert Golden. In his first start at safety last week, Davis delivered a couple of bone-crunching hits but also whiffed on a pair of would-be sacks. He even had what appeared to be a 37-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter but the play was nullified by a questionable roughing the passer call on Dan McCullers.

Again, there were some mistakes but, to borrow a Tomlinism, the arrow is pointing up.

“He’s just growing,” said coach Mike Tomlin. “He’s a tough guy who’s getting better every week and every day. More specifically, he’s gaining experience through repetition. The more experience he gains, the less mistakes he makes the more opportunity we give him. It’s really as simple as that.”

But Davis says if you really want to see resiliency and overcoming obstacles, look at where he’s come from. His father worked two jobs while battling cancer and his mother drove him an hour each way from the Davis family’s home in Prince George’s County, Md., to Maret, an elite private school in Washington.

“We never had it easy coming up,” Davis said. “Being undersized and coming from a small high school, even coming from, I don’t want to say Maryland’s a bad program, but not the best program. I’m always working.

“Being thrown into adversity or a tough situation, you can’t run away from it. You’ve got to find a way to come out on top.”

After a brief but failed stint as a slot cornerback to start the season when Senquez Golson went down with a foot injury in training camp, Davis is back to his natural safety spot where he can better utilize his time and assets.

“I like the versatility part playing anywhere in the backfield, but I’d say that safety is my natural spot,” said the 58th overall pick of 2016. “I like hitting.”

Davis played extensively at nickel in four of the first five games but the Steelers pulled back from him in Weeks 6-7 against Miami and New England. He didn’t even see the field on defense against the Dolphins and played just three snaps against the Patriots. Since then, Davis’ snap counts have risen dramatically from 27 to 43 to 66 last week.

Davis is well aware that the stakes will only get higher from here out. At 5-5 heading into Thursday night’s game at Indianapolis, the Steelers have little margin for error and are counting heavily on a trio of rookies on defense including Artie Burns, Javon Hargrave and himself. If that means he plays every snap of every series as he did last week in Cleveland, Davis says he’s ready.

“I’m built for that, man,” Davis said. “I’m built for that.”