Pittsburgh Steelers DL Keeanu Benton spoke to the media prior to Sunday’s practice and talked about his adjustment to the NFL coming out of Wisconsin as well as the opportunity to learn from an All-Pro player like DL Cameron Heyward.
Benton was also asked if there was any offensive lineman that has been the toughest to go against during training camp. Benton wouldn’t disclose which offensive lineman has been his toughest battle thus far, but he did mention the relationship with one that started even before the two were Pittsburgh Steelers.
“Me and Nick [Herbig] trained together for The Combine and then Nate [Herbig] was there as well,” Benton told the media via video from Steelers.com “So, we all talked about what if we end up on the same team. He knew he wasn’t gonna be with the Jets anymore, so he’s like, ‘What if we end up on the same team?’ We just always talked about it and then draft day came around and I get drafted there after he gets traded and then Nick gets drafted the next day and it was just kind of surreal at the moment. But he’s been a guy who I kind of asked to watch my film in college to see what I can do better and stuff like that. So he knows most of my moves, but it’s still good to go against somebody who knows what you do and he can’t stop it at times.”
Nate Herbig wasn’t traded, but rather signed with the Steelers as an unrestricted free agent this spring. That set the stage for the dream to become a reality as Benton would get drafted by Pittsburgh in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft and Nick Herbig would follow suit the next day as Pittsburgh’s fourth-round pick.
Nick Herbig and Benton were great friends in college, and Nate Herbig was able to get to know Benton well after coming to watch his brother play on a few occasions. This allowed Benton to form his own relationship with the older Herbig brother, reaching out to him as an NFL offensive lineman to give him tips on how to improve his game. Nate Herbig has plenty of experience facing NFL defensive linemen and knows what moves work and how Benton should use them as Herbig is the one that has to be ready for these moves.
According to Benton, even though Nate Herbig may already know what he’s going to do, Herbig still can’t stop it at times. That speaks to Benton’s execution, but also Herbig’s willingness to help out the guy on the opposite side of the line of scrimmage to become the best player he can be. Perhaps Benton can take Nate Herbig out to Primanti Bros. as a thank you after Benton gets his first career sack in the NFL. Now that would be a sight to see.
