PITTSBURGH — A few times per month, sometimes without warning, Nate Mahon will look down at his phone and see Kaleb Johnson on the other end, the new Steelers running back eager to FaceTime with Mahon's three kids.

Mahon coached Johnson at Hamilton High School, located outside of Cincinnati. He visited the University of Iowa about a half-dozen times to cheer on his former player. But this side of Johnson is always different.

In Mahon's mind, such simple acts show the intent with which Johnson operates, not to mention his loyal and caring heart.

"He's still the guy with the great smile that you can count on," Mahon said this week. "It's never been too big for him. ... He's always been completely accessible for us, which is really cool."

Steelers fans will begin learning more about Johnson this week as rookie minicamp kicks off at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. And while Derrick Harmon has been a focus for understandable reasons — his first-round draft position, as well as the heartbreaking story of the defensive lineman losing his mom shortly after the Steelers selected him — let's not overlook Johnson.

There's a lot to this kid that Steelers fans are really going to love, starting with his work ethic, humility, running style and a fierce sense of loyalty.

"His path has been really neat," Mahon said. "A lot of good things coming to fruition. I think he has a long, great career ahead of him with the Steelers."

When I caught up with Johnson earlier this week, he had just returned home from buying some clothes. He was set to drive to Pittsburgh at 5 o'clock the next morning and was buzzing with excitement for his first steps with the Steelers.

"I can't wait to get there," Johnson said. "I can see myself fitting in really well.

"We did similar stuff at Iowa, so I feel like I already have a bit of a head start. It's gonna work out really well."

'Enjoyed it so much'

Jeffery Strader remembers driving his truck and hearing the young boy in the backseat point to a sign advertising youth football. Kaleb wasn't old enough at the time, but Jeffery — who raised him — cut his grandson a deal.

Strader told Johnson that if his behavior in school improved, he could play. The first sign of coachability? Maybe. But his start was more humorous than anything.

"The coach had him playing defensive line," Strader recalled. "He got pancaked the entire time, but afterward, he came up to me and said, 'Pop-pop, look how muddy I am!' He enjoyed it so much."

Another key moment followed a short while later, when Strader had Kaleb in the backyard with a pillow functioning as a blocking pad. Strader emphasized the need to "play mean." It taught Johnson from an early age how to summon aggressiveness when necessary.

That comfortability with contact helped Johnson develop his bruising running style, which is one of the reasons the Steelers selected the 6-foot-1, 224-pounder.

During his time at Iowa, Johnson amassed 2,779 rushing yards on 508 carries, which ranks sixth in program history. This past year, he earned first- or second-team All-American honors from five outlets, finishing with 1,537 yards and 23 TDs.

"We're obviously excited," Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said. "No matter if you are running the football or the pass game, we need to get more explosive, and [Johnson] is an explosive runner."

Johnson's also tough.

And that's not exclusive to having the football in his hands.

In addition to his mom, Johnson had a close relationship as a kid with his grandma, Jeffery's first wife, Charlene. But in June 2017, Charlene died, the result of declining health and a car accident. Johnson was rocked. Strader pulled Kaleb out of sports for a bit, not wanting anything to snowball.

Throughout Johnson's childhood, Strader described losing his house, changing jobs and a move to Hamilton around the time Kaleb was in seventh grade. All of it could've had a negative impact on Kaleb, but he has obviously preserved.

"If it wasn't for the Lord Jesus Christ, we wouldn't be having this conversation," Strader said. "Who knows which way everything would've went?"

Strader and Johnson are deeply religious. Jeffery attends church multiple times per week. Johnson went at Iowa and found a church recently while he was training in California. They recently worshipped together for the first time in years, and earlier this week Kaleb posted to Instagram a video of him getting baptized for the first time.

"Today I experienced one of the most powerful and meaningful moments of my life: my baptism," Johnson wrote. "As an athlete, I've spent hours, months and years training, competing and pushing my limits, always striving for greatness and growth. But today wasn't about physical strength or winning a game, it was about surrendering my heart and declaring my faith in Jesus Christ."

Strader couldn't help but beam with pride.

"I'm just glad he chose to do it as a man because sometimes as a kid, you don't understand what baptism is," Strader said. "When you get older, you understand what it is and why you want to do it. It's a different meaning."

For Johnson, in many ways, it was the start of a new chapter in his life, which could look a little like the old one.

'A regular dude'

Mahon knows Johnson could've left Hamilton. St. Xavier — one of the big private schools in the area — was always sniffing around. Archbishop Moeller, too. Johnson has joked that he was bigger than some of his linemen, and Mahon didn't dispute the idea that occasionally his team was a little undermanned.

"At times we didn't have enough people blocking for him," Mahon said. "But that's OK. He was typically able to make a couple people miss and run through a lot of tackles. It made our lives easier."

It was a similar situation at Iowa. Johnson didn't exactly play for an offensive juggernaut and could've left for a better opportunity and NIL money. But he remained loyal to the Hawkeyes, following a character trait that he said was drilled into him by his grandfather.

"Over time, it's having character and me being around my grandfather, him always being loyal to me and sacrificing things for me," Johnson said. "That made me want to do the same thing. He always told me to be loyal. I took that and kept that.

"You can't leave when times get hard. With me having that mindset and thinking like that, trusting in God and believing things would get better over time, that's what kept me standing. It's all worked out so far."

That is one of the many character traits that stood out to former NFL running back Ladell Betts, who coached Johnson at Iowa. A former Hawkeye himself, Betts said he knew about one or two runs into Johnson's college career that "he wasn't going to see his fourth year."

As other schools courted Johnson, Betts said the two maintained an open line of communication. Johnson would often end those conversations with a promise.

"He would always say to me, 'You're my coach. If you want me here, if you still believe in me, I wanna stay here,'" Betts said. "If he feels like he can trust you — trust is a big thing for him — he's loyal. He's not looking to jump ship just because."

Every team needs that, players who actively view themselves as part of the solution. As much as Johnson might excite people for what he can do on the field, it's off the field where he might be armed with the loudest tools.

One of those, of course, is humility. Johnson actually had his draft party at Rhinegeist Brewery. And that's only after Strader realized that it might be a little cramped in his house.

"He's a regular dude," Mahon said. "He's gotten to where he is because of hard work and some great family around him. He wasn't that sexy, five-star guy coming out of high school. He's been self-made. You can see that."

'Be patient'

Comparing college players to established and successful veterans is one of the time-honored traditions of the NFL draft, and Johnson is no different. He wants to be like Derrick Henry, that big body and physical style mixed with a surprising amount of speed and athleticism. Shoot, even the nose piercings match.

Mahon joked that "he always looks like he's running at 89 percent" while linking his former back to Adrian Peterson or Le'Veon Bell, who might be my preferred comp here.

Strader went with Marshall Faulk, believing Johnson hasn't been given enough of an opportunity to showcase his hands and the type of impact he can have in the passing game.

Betts, who was an NFL running back himself, doesn't disagree with any of those comparisons. But with friends on the Steelers coaching staff, Betts also has a pretty good sense for fit and scheme. He believes the Steelers got an ideal one in Johnson.

"It's funny, Iowa has kind of patterned itself after Pittsburgh, even down to the uniforms," he said. "It's only fitting that he wound up there.

"He's a big, smooth operator. I'm telling you, Pittsburgh got a steal."

A big reason why Betts feels that way is because of the zone-running scheme Johnson ran at Iowa.

"That's what he majored in," Betts said. "It was our specialty."

The Hawkeyes over time expanded to incorporate more powers and counters, but the Steelers should be getting someone infinitely more comfortable running the style of offense Smith wants, one that could lead Johnson more toward that Bell comp, where he waits and waits for a hole to open before exploding through with plenty of power and speed.

"I feel like I can make a very big impact," Johnson said. "I'm not just one type of back. I'm a versatile back. I can catch the ball out of the backfield very well. I can be a Derrick Henry running back. Or I can be a Dalvin Cook running back. I can fit into any down. I have the speed and technique. I have the ability to do it."

Oddly, Johnson also already has a relationship with Bell, the two meeting during an online livestream and Bell offering to help train Johnson or offer pointers.

For now, though, Johnson has plenty of work ahead by getting to know his new teammates and making a good first impression on the organization. Strader also has some things to accomplish. A Cleveland Browns fan since he was 10, Strader is getting pushed by his second wife, Deretha, to start buying some Steelers gear.

"We're so blessed," Strader said. "I'm doing my best to wear more black and gold. Be patient with me."

I'd advise doing so. Johnson and Strader mean business when it comes to keeping their promises.

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