Every single moment in the NFL is special for young players, especially rookies.
They are living out lifelong dreams daily.
For Pittsburgh Steelers second-year outside linebacker Nick Herbig, one moment stands out above the rest from his rookie season, and it’s not even one he was truly involved in.
During an interview with Prospect Media on YouTube, Herbig recalled his most memorable moment from his rookie season, and it occurred in Week 3 on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday Night Football.
It was fellow Wisconsin Badgers product Keeanu Benton’s first career sack, taking down Las Vegas QB Jimmy Garoppolo, which just so happened to occur with Herbig on the field.
“Probably when Keeanu got his first sack in the Raiders game, because I was in with him,” Herbig said recalling his most memorable moment of his rookie season, according to video via Prospect Media on YouTube. “I’m looking like, ‘Come on, bro. Come one.’ And I dropped into coverage, and I looked back and he got [a sack]. Oh, man…that’s my dog. Like, that’s my best friend.
“So when I see him get a sack and just being able to see my brothers like that and having my brother on the team, like just seeing my best friends be able to live out their dreams is awesome.”
What an answer from Herbig. That is very cool, him not making it about himself but about others around him, especially one he has a close relationship with in Benton as they were college teammates and were drafted in the same year to the same team.
Though Benton wasn’t much of a sack artist in college at Wisconsin, recording just 9.5 in his career, he got a front-row seat to watch Herbig terrorize opposing quarterbacks, putting himself on the NFL map.
So, for Herbig to be on the field on the same play in which Benton got his first career sack, and did so in impressive fashion? That certainly is memorable and special for the friends.
On the play, Benton showed what was to come in his rookie season as a pass rusher, flashing impressive quickness, explosive hips and a dynamic club/swim move on the interior that would leave plenty of NFL interior offensive linemen flailing at air in pass protection.
Bringing down Garoppolo for his first career sack is one to put on the resume, considering the success Garoppolo has had in the NFL before falling off late in his career.
Hopefully Benton and Herbig can continue to create memorable moments together for years to come in the Black and Gold, getting after quarterbacks in a big way in the process.
