Just like with any job in the “real” world, it’s not always about what you know. Sometimes, it’s who you know. Make no mistake, Jeff Hartings was a worthy player for the Pittsburgh Steelers to sign ahead of the 2001 season. But the reason why he ended up with the team was largely due to Kevin Colbert, who was part of the Detroit Lions’ front office when the Lions took Hartings in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. When Colbert was hired as the Steelers’ general manager, Hartings followed him to Pittsburgh.
Sitting down with Steelers.com’s Rob King, Hartings explained why the fit made so much sense.
“It’s probably close to say it’s a hundred percent of the reason why,” Hartings said when asked how much of a role did Colbert play in signing with Pittsburgh. “Because I think Kevin, when he was in Detroit, he saw the capability that I had of moving to center. They were looking for a center because Dermontti Dawson was retiring. While a lot of other teams were just kind of probably looking at me as a guard, he had that first-hand experience to be able to see me [as a center].”
Hartings explained that the Lions considered moving him to center after starter Kevin Glover left for Seattle following the 1997 season. Hartings received reps and consideration to kick inside, though the team ultimately went with free agent Jim Pyne, himself making a switch from guard to the pivot. But that inside look gave Colbert confidence in having Hartings make the full-time switch there, his time at guard often forgotten throughout the landscape of his career.
Hartings wouldn’t quite reach the caliber of Dawson or the next Hall of Fame Steelers’ center. But he was excellent in the middle to lead Pittsburgh’s resurgence and fifth Lombardi. Over the next six years, he would start 89 games for the Steelers, making two Pro Bowls and one first-team All-Pro squad. Even after his playing days, he briefly interned with Pittsburgh as a coach.
Despite initial trepidation over the switch from guard to center, Hartings obviously has no regrets for how things played out.
“I was very thankful for the contract that I was able to get,” he said of his free agent decision. “Everything fit really good, super excited about playing for this franchise. I already recognized the fact that, man, they just always win. They find a way to win. I love the way they played. I loved Coach Cowher.”
Though Detroit didn’t do much winning during that time, Pittsburgh acquired two key pieces, Colbert and Hartings, from that franchise to turn the Steelers back into Super Bowl champs.
