Pittsburgh Steelers seventh-round pick Eli Heidenreich discussed his path to the team and interactions with veterans in recent podcast appearances. He revealed a pre-draft agreement with another club and a new nickname from wide receiver DK Metcalf.
Heidenreich, a Navy product and United States Marine Corps reservist, said he had agreed to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent before the Steelers selected him at No. 230 overall.
“My agent was talking to Tampa Bay, and I agreed that I would sign with them in preferred free agency,” Heidenreich said on The Christian Kuntz Podcast. “So I was kind of set there and now I was sitting and all of a sudden, I got that phone call, and it was Omar [Khan] and he was like, ‘Ready to be a Pittsburgh Steeler?’”
Metcalf gave Heidenreich the nickname Captain America during offseason practices, a reference to his Naval Academy background. Heidenreich also praised teammate Max Hurleman as an “awesome teammate” who has helped him prepare for training camp.
The versatile back, who rushed for over 1,000 yards and caught 941 passes in his college career, faces a crowded depth chart at running back and receiver as he competes for a roster spot.
