PITTSBURGH -- Justin Gilbert pulls out his iPhone for emphasis.

"And I'm not even exaggerating," the Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback said. "I can show you."

Gilbert's "clock" app shows 10 wake-up calls, the first at 5:45 a.m. Gilbert allows himself a snooze -- don't we all? -- but the next alarm hits at 6 a.m., followed by 6:07. The other seven are solely to satisfy his paranoia about sleeping too long. He never hears them, he says. "Once 6 hits, bam-bam-bam -- I've got to get up," said Gilbert, who readies for 8:20 special teams meetings Wednesday through Friday.

Essentially a first-round bust with Cleveland, Justin Gilbert is happy to have a fresh start with the Steelers. Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire

For most players, these details are mundane. But for Gilbert, they help him manage an issue that held him back as a first-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2014.

Gilbert struggled with missing meetings while with the Browns, and when he disclosed to Cleveland reporters in January that his troubles stemmed from being a "hard sleeper," the comment basically marked the end of a clumsy chapter of his career. He never played another down for the Browns, who last month traded him to Pittsburgh for a conditional sixth-round pick.

Expectations are lower for Gilbert, a former top-10 pick who's now the fourth cornerback on a top-10 scoring defense.

At least for now, that's fine with Gilbert, whose safe landing strip is a welcome one.

"It could have gone the other way after Cleveland," Gilbert said. "Everybody's happy for me back home."

Gilbert, who is from Huntsville, Texas, admits he didn't have to get up early at Oklahoma State and the NFL schedule "was something I had to get used to."

But the Steelers haven't assigned a staffer to check on Gilbert every morning. He's tasked with blending in and showing up on time.

"They treat me like a grown man. I’m a grown man now," Gilbert said. "So I have to take responsibility. It feels normal."

Gilbert isn't keen on revisiting the Cleveland episode, but he admits that two-year period feels like a blur. Browns coach Hue Jackson told Gilbert before trading him that a fresh start would do him good. He agreed.

Safety Mike Mitchell said Gilbert hasn't been a problem in Pittsburgh. He's been prompt and engaged. And the cheers from players after Gilbert smoothly handled footwork drills in his first practice reminded all that the talent remains intact.

Gilbert had an odd moment last week that captured the Steelers' loose locker room atmosphere. Gilbert fell to the ground during a practice play with what he thought was a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Gilbert pounded the turf and was taken off the field by a cart.

"I thought it was over with," Gilbert said. After the injury turned out to be a hyperextension that kept him sidelined for a week, teammates clowned him for the overreaction.

Gilbert said he took it in stride.

"This reminds me a little bit like Oklahoma State, the relationship I had with the guys," Gilbert said. "I didn’t really joke around with nobody in Cleveland. I didn’t really hang out with none of them."

In Pittsburgh, Gilbert is playing behind another first-round pick, Artie Burns. Gilbert doesn't have any advice for Burns on how to handle first-round stardom.

But he has been smiling an awful lot, as he's well rested and ready to contribute.