Prior to the 2014 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers brought Oregon State defensive end Scott Crichton in for a visit. Thursday, Crichton, who is now a member of the Minnesota Vikings, told the local media that he was told by the Steelers he would be their pick in the second round.
“The Steelers told me they were going to draft me in the second round,” Crichton said, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. “But there was a lot of stuff medically that kind of happened. It is what it is. I’m glad where I ended up. I’m happy to be a Viking.”
Crichton wouldn’t go into detail about the medical situation other than to say “it was some stuff in the past.’’
During an April interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, Crichton revealed that he’s been a fan of the black and gold ever since he was a kid.
“I was one of those kids that wanted to play for the Steelers,” said Crichton prior to the draft. “I’m a big Pittsburgh Steelers fan. That was my team growing up.
“When I went over there it was like a dream come true. I just fell in love with the place, especially with the coaches. I had one-on-one talk with (Mike) Tomlin and he’s just a great guy. Great coach, great guy. And the whole faculty, I met a couple of players, too, and it was just unbelievable when I was over there.”
The Steelers, of course, passed on Crichton in the second round and drafted Notre Dame defensive end Stephon Tuitt instead. Perhaps they didnt think he would fall that far down the board to them. The Vikings wound up selecting Crichton in the third round with the 72nd overall selection.
