From Joey Porter Jr. to Connor Heyward and Derek Watt, the Pittsburgh Steelers are no strangers to bringing in players over recent years who have familial connections to the team.
They pulled that same trick on Day 3 of the NFL Draft by selecting Washington linebacker Carson Bruener with the No. 226 pick in the seventh round, who is the son of former Steelers tight end and current team scout Mark Bruener, a first-round pick in 1995 who spent nine years with them.
Mark posted 1,197 yards and 16 touchdowns on 137 receptions in Pittsburgh, and the hope is that Carson can now carve out his own legacy within the organization after posting 305 tackles and five interceptions in 52 collegiate contests.
The 23-year-old revealed that neither he nor his father knew the Steelers were planning on picking him, but that the pair discussed the possibility of him landing with the team beforehand.
"We had no idea," Bruener said. "He's here with me right now, so I was able to see where they had me kind of on their draft boards, but the biggest thing is just patience is key. Kind of just seeing where this draft leads, obviously we were literally just talking about it, and he's like, 'I mean I could see the Steelers picking you with the next pick, but we'll see,' and then about two seconds later I get a phone call from Pittsburgh, so it was a crazy moment."
Furthermore, Bruener stated that his prior experience and exposure to the NFL helped prepare him for everything that's transpired throughout his career thus far.
"I mean I feel like I'm just prepared for anything at this point," Bruener said. "As somebody who grew up watching my dad play and having him as my mentor and him as a coach, going through this whole process it's like that whole pressure feeling is something I don't really feel because it's just second-nature to me."
A reigning third-team All-Big 10 honoree, Bruener will head to rookie minicamp in the near future and look to leave his own mark on a franchise that he and his family have become well-accustomed to over the years.
