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Vance McDonald details his transformation from Vance to the ‘Vanimal’

When the Pittsburgh Steelers traded with the San Francisco 49ers to acquire Vance McDonald, the black-and-gold fan base was very uncertain about their latest move. 2017 saw McDonald injured more than he played, playing in just 7 games and racking up only 188 yards receiving.

Then 2018 came, and it was a different player who suited up on Sundays. McDonald didn’t just play in 15 games, but racked up 610 yards and 4 touchdowns throughout the campaign. Not earth-shattering statistics, but a huge step forward from the 2017 version fans saw.

While Steelers fans have definitely warmed up to McDonald as a quality player, the process of going from injury prone player to fan favorite happened with one play.