5 Steelers players that fans should be rooting for during training camp
By Andrew Falce
The Steelers enter camp with a slew of players new and old, but these five options are the easiest to root for based on their incredible journeys.
To make it to the NFL in any sort of capacity is a true feat. Even if a player is only around for a training camp or two, the fact that they made it that far shows that they have overcome the odds. That said, there are players on every team that take a unique path to a roster that naturally makes them easier to root for. The Steelers are no exception, as they have quite a few players set to participate in training camp that have incredible stories.
What makes a Steelers player easy to root for?
To be clear, camp is a time to root for every player improving and making a case to be on the final roster. Long-standing veterans and undrafted rookies alike should all have fans cheering for them once camp rolls around. What separates the names below are their more unusual circumstances to make it this far. Every player has to overcome the odds, but these five Steelers have such incredible stories that make them easy to root for as camp gets closer.
Isaiahh Loudermilk
The Steelers made a surprising move in the 2021 draft when they traded a future fourth-round pick in order to acquire Isaiahh Loudermilk. There wasn’t a huge need at defensive end this offseason, especially after Chris Wormley was retained, but the team felt the need to land Loudermilk anyway, His playing time will likely be limited in year one assuming everyone stays healthy, but his path to the team is a unique one that should keep fans rooting for him.
As written by Tommy Jaggi, Loudermilk comes from the small town of Howard, Kansas which has a population of just over 600 people. His high school was so small that they only played in an eight-man league as opposed to the traditional 11-man league the NFL has. There was a real chance Loudermilk would have to switch to basketball given his size, but he stuck with football at Wisconsin and was rewarded with being a Steelers draft pick this year. Time will tell how his NFL career goes, but going from such a small town and requiring to learn a different style of football in college to an NFL draft pick is certainly a unique path.