PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – There was no call, no surprise announcement, Eli Heidenreich found out he made the Steelers roster Sunday on social media. Well, there was one treat.
“My girlfriend, she bought me a little Door Dash piece of cake. That was the only celebratory thing that went down, after that proceeded on to get ready for the week.”
Heidenreich admitted he was quite anxious waiting around until 6p to find out he made the team and did get ‘pretty excited’. He said the family was really excited.
It’s difficult for every seventh-round pick to make a roster, add in he’s switching from a mostly receiver to running back and missed some time in training camp due to an undisclosed injury. How did he end up on the 53-man roster?
“I think the biggest thing is just the versatility,” Heidenreich said after practice Tuesday. “Honestly, I think special teams played a huge role in that, especially in the Bills game going out and showing I’m able to contribute on the field. I think special teams is absolutely the key there.”
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Part of his potential duties is being the personal protector for the punter, the player that stands where a running back would stand in a shotgun formation and calls out the signals on punt team. The US Naval Academy graduate says his coach jokes that ‘I can run the ship’.
What was it for the Steelers head coach?
“I just think like everything, you go back to the beginning,” Mike McCarthy said. “Eli, I mean, everybody that earned the roster spot, really. It's a big deal to be part of the 75 players that are here.”
“Eli did enough to make the team.”
That’s about how unemotional Heidenreich was about it, at least to reporters. In his way, he knows he’s still got to put his head down and work.
How he found out and how he celebrated
How he found out and how he celebrated
