Thirty years after drafting TE Mark Bruener out of Washington, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected his son, LB Carson Bruener, also from the University of Washington. Fittingly, Carson Bruener sat in the same chair in the same cabin when the Steelers called him as his father did.
But Carson Bruener is more than just his father’s son. Who is he?
University Of Washington Is More Than Just a Father-Son Affair
Everyone knows that current Steelers scout (and Carson’s father) Mark Bruener went to Washington. And Carson followed in his footsteps. But they aren’t the only family members who attended Washington. Carson’s mom, Traci, attended Washington and was a cheerleader. And both of Carson’s sisters attended the school as well.
But don’t think that Carson Bruener was only offered a spot with the Huskies because of his dad. No, he was an exceptional athlete in high school, too.
Multi-Position and Multi-Sport Athlete
While Bruener became a standout linebacker at Washington, it wasn’t the only position he played for at Redmond High School. He dabbled at running back and was even a good enough tight end to be named Second-Team All-KingCo Crown Division. But playing multiple offensive positions didn’t stop Bruener from being a dominant linebacker. He had 122 tackles and 13 tackles for a loss in his senior season.
Bruener also found time to play basketball at Redmond High, in addition to playing three positions on the football field.
Wanted To Have Dinner And Talk With Ryan Shazier
When Carson Bruener was preparing to follow in his father’s footsteps to Washington, he sat down for an interview with his hometown newspaper, the Redmond Reporter. Local papers love telling the stories of local athletes attending a big-time college. While talking with Bruener about his father and going to Washington, the interviewer asked some questions to help the readers get to know Bruener better. When the interviewer asked Bruener who one person he’d want to go to dinner with, Bruener referenced a Steelers player, not his father.
“Ryan Shazier, linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers,” said Bruener. “He’s the one that had a hit and then got paralyzed from the waist down. Many said that he would never walk again, and now he’s defying odds and he’s now starting to jog and run… I’ve met him before, and he’s an awesome dude. To get life lessons from him and be able to see what he was going through.”
Never Wavered In His Commitment To The Huskies
The Huskies went all the way to the National Championship game in 2023. Unfortunately, they came up short in their attempt to win the title for the first time since 1991 (with Mark Bruener). But the Huskies’ championship run was enough for head coach Kalen DeBoer to become a hot target on the head coaching trail. And sure enough, Alabama signed him away from Washington. Unsurprisingly, several Huskies put their name in the transfer portal. Between the head coach’s exit and NIL money, it made a lot of sense.
Not to Bruener, though.
“Everyone’s like, oh what if I did this, what if I went and got more money,” Bruener said in an interview after spring practice, per video from the Realdawg Huskies YouTube channel. “I don’t give a shit about the money, to be honest. This is my home, this is my team, and this is my program. I’m a local kid. It’s a family school for me. So I personally didn’t even consider entering the portal. I didn’t consider even talking to any other school. None of that.”
Instead, Bruener remained committed to the school that was part of his family’s DNA. He had an incredible senior year for the Huskies, with 104 total tackles, two tackles for a loss, three interceptions, eight passes knocked down, and one forced fumble.
No Dad During Shrine Bowl Interview With The Steelers
It’s no surprise that Mark Bruener was heavily involved with scouting his son, Carson. However, when meeting with the Steelers at the Shrine Bowl, the father did not stay long to interview his son. Why? Well, it depends on when you ask Carson. When Carson Bruener talked with Steelers Depot’s Josh Carney at the Shrine Bowl, he gave one answer.
“It was something where my dad, he gave me his space,” Bruener said. “At the same time, he was like, ‘I would love to hear this interview,’ but at the same time he’s like, ‘This is your moment, I don’t wanna take away from you. I don’t wanna be that hovering father.'”
But when Bruener talked with HuskiesWire at the Shrine Bowl, he phrased things a little differently.
“Oh, I did not allow him to be there,” Bruener said with a laugh. “I met with another scout, and my dad was kind sitting there, and I was like, “No, no. You can leave.’ You don’t even need to eavesdrop. You know everything about me, so what are you doing here? Go do your job. He’s like, ‘alright, alright. I’ll leave you be.’ I’m like, you know everything about me. You don’t need to write anything down.”
Either way, it’s apparent that father and son have a good relationship and aren’t afraid to joke around a little bit, even in important situations like a sit-down interview at the Shrine Bowl.
