With OTA’s on going and training camp coming up, now is a good time to remember some Pittsburgh Steelers who turned heads during this time and unexpectedly made the team.
One of the most famous Steelers to do this was RB Isaac Redman, who donned the Black and Gold from 2009-2013. While Redman is now a somewhat well-known Steeler due to his unexpected rise in the summer of 2009 to make the team and the big plays he made n his time as a Steeler, he was almost never even signed to begin with.
Last year, Redman was on the Let’s Go Show with Doug Reed, and told the story of how he actually ended up being signed after the draft by the Steelers.
“I was actually the last person picked, I didn’t get drafted, I was the last free agent,” said Redman. “Mike Tomlin told me the story that they were tired of being in the room and they needed one more free agent and Mike Tomlin said, ‘You know what, let’s give the kid from Bowie State a chance and let’s go home.’ They didn’t think I would stick around long and that was the chip on my shoulder when I got there to know that basically I was real close to not being here. So, I had nothing to lose, I went out there, I performed and the rest was history. I wound up staying there for five years.”
Redman certainly performed turning heads and making a roster spot the summer after the Steelers lifted their sixth Lombardi Trophy. While Redman did not see much playing time his first year, spending most of it on the practice squad, his second year in 2010 Redman saw the active roster and even made a huge play against the Baltimore Ravens to win Pittsburgh the game.
Let’s remember Steelers RB Isaac Redman, who showed power and as the joke went, suddenness and glide. Here’s his biggest play, the game-winning TD to beat Baltimore in 2010. #Steelers https://t.co/yarDiMhUDf pic.twitter.com/dSskROU4DA
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) July 2, 2019
As Redman said, no one expected him to make the team, not even Tomlin. From the sounds of it, Redman was expected just to be a warm body, but instead he ended ups making the team and was a valuable Steeler for a few years. In fact, Redman saw seven career starts, something that almost no one expected when he was signed in 2009.
Redman finished his career suiting up for 50 games, starting seven, scoring seven total touchdowns and rushing for 1,148 yards on 282 carries for an average of 4.1 yards per carry. Given the average NFL career is 3.3 years and the average for running backs is 2.57, Redman’s career was very successful when considering he only got a chance because the Steelers staff was wanted to end their day.
Almost every year, someone turns heads during OTA’s and training camp; just recently RB Jaylen Warren took Steelers Nation by storm due to his blocking and play in the summer of 2022 despite him being a undrafted free agent. This year, there will likely be another player who captures the fanbase’s heart like Redman and Warren did. Hopefully that player can have a a career just as successful as Redman’s.
