The Pittsburgh Steelers of the 2000s managed to win two Super Bowls not just because of their talent level, but also because of the players’ tight-knit bonds. Many of those players are still friends to this day, and it seems that camaraderie extends even beyond position groups. Former NFL receiver Nate Washington revealed that his greatest friend from his time on the Steelers isn’t a receiver, but rather defensive tackle Casey Hampton.
Hampton was many things, but being a mentor to a receiver might be his most surprising accomplishment. On paper, it doesn’t look like Washington and Hampton have much in common, but in a recent appearance on The Mr. Titan Show, Washington stated that Hampton was the greatest friend and mentor he while playing for the Steelers.
“To this day, Casey Hampton is my big brother,” Washington said. “At the beginning of it, my rookie year, it was crazy because he’s originally from the same area that my grandmother lived. At first, I was going up to him like, ‘Hey man, you from Galveston [Texas]? My grandmother lives in La Marque, I’m down there all the time.’ He basically was like, ‘Get the fuck out my face.'”
Washington was an undrafted rookie in 2005, and Hampton had already made a Pro Bowl at that point. It makes sense that Hampton had zero interest in getting to know some rookie who didn’t even play on the same side of the ball as him. They were two extremely different players, but Washington was just looking to make a connection any way he could.
As Washington goes on to explain though, Hampton eventually opened up to him, and the two formed a lifelong bond.
“When I made the roster, everybody who all made the roster, we all went and hung out that night. He came up to me, he was like, ‘I’m gonna be honest with you, I was keeping my distance because I can get attached to people, and I see so many people come in and out. I feel like you a real, genuine dude. From now on, now that I know you’re here, you got me for life.'”
That’s such a sweet turn of events that goes to show that you can’t always judge a book by its cover. Of course Hampton wasn’t going to form a connection with a rookie who had a low chance of actually making the team. He had been in the league for four seasons at that point. He knew all about the harsh realities of the NFL.
However, once Washington made the team, it sounds like his persistence to become friends with Hampton wore down the big man’s defenses. On that same podcast, Washington explained just how close he and Hampton are to this day.
“When I go to Houston, I don’t get no hotel, I don’t get no car, I stay with him. He’s shown me a lot. He’s helped me grow as a man,” Washington said. “He holds me accountable when nobody else can hold me accountable.”
It’s a heartwarming story that really shows how football can bring people together. Washington was an undrafted receiver from a D-II school in Ohio. Hampton, nicknamed “Big Snack,” was a massive defensive tackle from the University of Texas. You probably couldn’t find two more different people on a football team, and yet they became brothers.
Washington went on to have more individual success with the Tennessee Titans, but he always has his two championship rings to remind him of his Steelers roots. Hampton recently got inducted into the Steelers Hall of Honor, forever immortalizing him as one of the best players in franchise history. Hopefully Washington can be there to see Hampton honored during a game this year.
Next year will mark the 20-year anniversary of the 2005 Super Bowl champion Steelers. That means it will also mark 20 years of friendship for Washington and Hampton. With any luck, that team can have some sort of celebration to look back on its accomplishments. Maybe it will even spark the current Steelers team to work even harder to win a Super Bowl, helping to create even more lasting bonds and memories.
