Recently signed OL Nate Herbig spoke with Missi Matthews of Steelers.com and talked about his background coming from Philadelphia as well as his initial thoughts on the offensive line room in a 1-on-1 interview on the team’s website.
Matthews asked Herbig about how his experience as a former undrafted free agent has shaped him into the player that he is today. Herbig responded that going undrafted made him realize not to take anything for granted and to play with that edge on every single snap that he gets.
“I had to get out of the gutter,” Herbig said to Missi Matthews on video from Steelers.com. “I try to play like that. Chip on my shoulder. I feel like whether I got drafted or not, I always have a chip on my shoulder.”
Being nicknamed “Nasty Nate”, Nate Herbig certainly fits the bill as a big-bodied human being, standing 6’4, 335lb which great size and strength to move opposing defenders against their will as a run blocker. He seeks to finish his competition, making blocks in space and in the second level of the defense and overwhelms smaller linebackers and defensive backs, covering them up to spring big runs.
Herbig appeared to be set to become a quality draft pick back in 2019, having started 26 games in three seasons at Stanford, earning freshman All-American honors as well as being named first team All-Pac-12 in 2018 and made the second team in 2019. However, he missed six games due to injury in his final season and decided to declare early. The injury likely affected his draft stock with teams concerned with his medical, causing him to go undrafted.
While Herbig was one of the more decorated IOL during his time in college and was projected by several draft evaluators to become a starting-caliber guard in the pros, Herbig managed to sneak through the cracks. However, he has lobbied that misfortune into quite that career thus far for himself, seeing action in 33 games and starting 17 over three seasons with the Eagles and logged another 11 starts last season for the Jets.
Nate Herbig is an easy-going, “go with the flow” kind of guy. However, don’t let that frame him as a guy who is laid back when it comes to his play on the field. Starting 28 games in four seasons as a former UDFA is quite the feat, While he may appear to be just depth for Pittsburgh at the moment given the signing of OG Isaac Seumalo, Nate Herbig will be ready to go when his number is called, making the most of every opportunity given to him.
