Pittsburgh Steelers undrafted rookie Max Hurleman has officially gone from a camp tryout nobody to a preseason star. Well, movie star, that is.
The 5-foot-11 UDFA out of Notre Dame and Colgate, Hurleman, has been steadily on the rise over the past few weeks, and he’s not only caught the attention of head coach Mike Tomlin and the fans. He’s getting noticed by teammates, too.
“Maybe it’s because of his chiseled jaw, or possibly because he can do his own stunts like a backflip in full pads after scoring a touchdown,” veteran Steelers beat reporter Mark Kaboly began a feature post on August 12. Revealing: “Whatever the reason is, Steelers rookie Max Hurleman has been saddled with quite a unique and interesting nickname. His teammates call him … Tom Cruise.”
It’s not just Hurleman’s uncanny resemblance to Cruise that’s turning heads around Pittsburgh. The undrafted rookie has really been grinding to earn a spot on the 53-man roster or the practice squad. According to Kaboly, the latter is now a real possibility.
“It will be an uphill battle for Hurleman to make the 53-man roster, even though his versatility is an asset that Tomlin values,” Kaboly admitted toward the end of his piece. “A practice squad spot, however, is quite attainable for Hurleman.”
The rookie’s most likely path to usage is special teams, and that was an area in which he excelled in college. At Notre Dame, Kaboly noted that Hurleman “led the Irish in special teams snaps with 252.” And before that, he was named the “top special-teams player in the Patriot League.”
The standout rookie also plays running back, wide receiver and cornerback, along with taking punt return reps and being “one of the better coverage special teams guys,” per Kaboly.
Max Hurleman Impresses in Steelers’ Preseason Debut
GettyPittsburgh Steelers rookie Max Hurleman (right) has turned into a dark horse candidate to make the Week 1 roster.
Sure, it was only preseason Week 1, but Hurleman proved that he’s a true NFL talent when he took the field against the Jacksonville Jaguars on August 9.
“Hurleman’s rise continued in the first preseason game last week against the Jaguars,” Kaboly wrote on August 12. “Hurleman played 51% of the snaps on offense – the only skilled player who had more was tight end JJ Galbreath – and added five special teams’ snaps that resulted in an athletic tackle on a punt.”
The UDFA also caught 2-of-4 targets for 29 yards, including a 3-yard touchdown and a backflip reminiscent of an action-hero stunt a Cruise film might attempt.
Although Hurleman was not given the opportunity to return a kickoff or punt, nor was he handed the football for a rushing attempt or utilized at cornerback, he still had a notable night.
Hurleman may not make the Week 1 roster at the end of the day, but he’ll certainly have the full attention of Yinzers everywhere over the final two weeks of the Steelers’ preseason.
‘Nobody Is Going to Work Harder Than Hurleman’ at Steelers Camp
Kaboly’s entire feature on Max Hurleman is very well done, including quotes from Hurleman himself and those who know him. Having said that, there was one more nugget that stood out.
“Nobody is going to work harder than Hurleman,” Kaboly relayed. “He is one of the first on the field every day, and on this particular hot, late afternoon after a 2-plus hour practice [on August 11], the field was void of players for some time before Hurleman ultimately called it a day.”
“Hurleman spent an extra 20 minutes after practice working with the quarterbacks, working on his route running and catching countless balls from the Jugs machine,” the beat reporter explained. Adding: “This has been routine for Hurleman.”
That hard work paid off once again at Steelers camp on August 12, as ESPN Steelers beat reporter Brooke Pryor awarded the “biggest hustle [play]” to Hurleman for a “rip [of] a would-be INT away from Daryl Porter for a TD.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Steelers Camp Darling Nicknamed ‘Tom Cruise’ Continues Meteoric Rise appeared first on Heavy Sports.