PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – When Nate Herbig signed as a free agent offensive lineman with the Steelers he said he was going to get in Steelers assistant GM Andy Weidl’s ear that his brother was ‘an absolute stud’ and the Steelers needed to draft him. They did on Saturday.
“I can’t really explain to you, I’m at a loss for words,” said Wisconsin outside linebacker Nick Herbig upon going to the Steelers in the fourth round as you could still hear shouting and cheering in the background at his house. “This is all I ever dreamed about. Now I get a chance to play for the Steelers, a legendary organization and I get to play with my brother. That’s all I could ask for.”
Nick Herbig said they talked about doing this since they were little kids, they’ve dedicated their lives to it. Nick says he and Nate workout together, do everything together and he called his brother his best friend. They played together on the same team once, the Kauai Bulldogs, when Nick was in second grade and Nate was in sixth grade, but that was it.
Waiting on Day 3 of the NFL Draft, Herbig said he saw the phone ringing Saturday afternoon and picked it up. It was Steelers GM Omar Khan. He just started crying. Linebackers coach Denzel Martin confirmed that, saying he was crying enough and there was so much noise in the background they really couldn’t understand anything he said on their congratulatory phone call.
As for the player, Nick Herbig was a three-year starter at outside linebacker in the Badgers 3-4 scheme (similar to the Steelers). He really blossomed this past season, named a Third-Team AP All-American and First-Team All-Big 10 with 47 tackles, 15.5 for loss and 11 sacks (6th best in FBS) in 11 games.
“I grew in my leadership, connecting with guys off the field,” Nick Herbig said. “Gaining that trust with one another so when we get on that field it’s crisp and smooth and we all trust each other.”
Martin said they are obviously familiar with the Wisconsin defense. While he has the athletic ability to move around, Herbig will start on the outside and they will limit him to learning that position with the opportunity to be a third or fourth outside linebacker in games this year.
“Really like his pass rush ability,” Martin said. “Really like his competitiveness, his toughness on tape and I think that’s always attractive in this building. Really excited to be working with him.”
Martin didn’t personally work him out, but Steelers coaches did put him through drills at the Wisconsin Pro Day. Obviously selected in the fourth round means there are some things to correct. Among them is adding some strength, even though they want to start him around his current 240 pounds.
“Just trying to figure out their weaknesses and hammering it home,” Martin said. “Staying on our standard as coaches, making sure they deliver to our standard and making sure we earn our paychecks as coaches. Coach T is really on player development. That’s what he’s about. You have to be able to take these draft picks in the middle rounds and really make them players.”
The intangibles are there. The inspiration is there. The opportunity is also there. Can Nate Herbig develop enough that in 2024 (with Alex Highsmith’s return in question) they could have starting outside linebackers from Wisconsin?