Popping out of faculty after time at each Colgate and Notre Dame, Max Hurleman introduced fairly a little bit of expertise and flexibility to Pittsburgh Steelers rookie minicamp a couple of weeks in the past.
He performed working again at Colgate after which returned punts and performed cornerback at Notre Dame in his one season with the Combating Irish. So, he had the expertise sporting a number of totally different hats on a soccer discipline.
Finally, that helped him land a job with the Steelers, who signed the Pennsylvania native after rookie minicamp, making him one of many few gamers who parlayed the tryout right into a job.
Showing on The Ross Tucker Soccer Podcast Thursday morning, Hurleman said that he performed a number of positions in the course of the tryout with the Steelers, showcasing that versatility that impressed GM Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin sufficient to land him a job.
Speaking to Tucker, Hurleman revealed how he ended up working at a number of positions.
“I confirmed up on the primary day and Coach Tomlin comes as much as me and he says, ‘We’re gonna begin you out at working again. Is that each one proper with you?’ And clearly I say sure, however I hinted at the truth that, ‘Hey, I can do different issues as properly,’” Hurleman mentioned, based on video by way of the present’s YouTube web page. “In order the weekend progresses with this minicamp stuff, it’s the summer time’s coming round, it’s getting sizzling, so guys sort of go down right here and there. I ended up enjoying principally working again on the rookie minicamp, however I took snaps at receiver as properly. And I even ended up doing slightly defensive again indie [drill], performing some backpedal stuff.”
Hurleman began his collegiate profession at Colgate as a working again and rushed for 814 yards and a landing on 194 carries throughout 4 seasons. He made the swap to broad receiver for the 2023 season and hauled in 28 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns, all whereas dealing with punt- and kick-return duties.
After the 2023 season, Hurleman transferred to Notre Dame, the place he then switched to defensive again whereas nonetheless holding down a task as a punt returner and enjoying on particular groups. With Notre Dame he recorded 13 tackles and had one fumble restoration.
Alongside together with his work defensively and on particular groups in protection, Hurleman had 23 punt returns for 138 yards.
His work at Notre Dame put him on the map for leagues on the subsequent degree, together with the NFL. Throughout Notre Dame’s Professional Day, Hurleman checked in at 5107, 200 kilos and ran a 4.68 40-yard sprint with a 36-inch vertical, 9’11” broad and 6.96 three-cone, whereas additionally recording 13 reps on the bench press.
That was sufficient to garner consideration from the Steelers, who had a big contingent on the Notre Dame Professional Day like regular. Although the Steelers didn’t signal Hurleman as an undrafted free agent, they invited him for a tryout throughout rookie minicamp, and to Hurleman’s credit score, he took benefit of the chance.
“I clearly crushed a number of the particular crew stuff, which is an enormous cause why I’m there,” he mentioned. “Particular groups is essential. However even as soon as I signed, I mentioned, ‘Hey, what place are you foreseeing me as?’ And the response is, ‘We don’t know, however we such as you.’ So unsure if that’s an excellent or unhealthy factor, however I suppose I can put on a ton of various hats.”
How the tryout at three positions took place was simply on account of attrition. Guys had been happening within the warmth all through practices, and Hurleman was there to step up and seize the chance.
He defined that receiver took place naturally as he labored in people at receiver early, after which when the groups went into 7-on-7 drills, guys bought damage, and broad receivers coach Zach Azzanni wished to see him at receiver.
“I didn’t know the performs thoughts you, however the receiver coach mainly stood by my hip, broke out of the huddle with me. He’s like, ‘Come on, line up right here. You bought this route, this route.’ And all the day that’s what we did,” Hurleman mentioned. “And it was chaotic, but it surely was sort of superior.”
After that have getting work at receiver, Hurleman then taught himself receiver that evening. However the subsequent day when he got here again in, he mentioned that Tomlin informed him he’d have two jerseys in his locker and that he wanted to carry each to the sphere, as a result of Tomlin wished to see him backpedal at cornerback.
“And so, the third day I did DB particular person drills, just a few field drills and response, backpedaling, break coming outta your breaks, and I feel I did properly with that. After which all the weekend I used to be catching punts and doing particular crew stuff. But it surely was actually cool to do a number of various things,” Hurleman mentioned. “And on that final day doing protection defensive again drills, I might really feel a number of eyes on me, and I felt like that was the make-or-break second.
“I suppose I did an excellent job. So, all of it labored out, but it surely was sort of a chaotic weekend. I did slightly little bit of every thing.”
The Steelers introduced Hurleman as a working again, very like he was at Colgate, however based mostly on him getting work at receiver, some particular person drills at defensive again and loads of alternatives on particular groups, there’s a path for Hurleman to try to carve out.
Pittsburgh favored him sufficient to offer him a shot this offseason. Now he has to proceed to take the chance in entrance of him and run with it, all whereas leaning into his versatility. The extra you are able to do, the higher, particularly with rosters capped at 53 coming into the season and apply squads at 16.
That sort of versatility might assist Hurleman stick round longer than simply getting an offseason contract with the Steelers.
Try the complete interview with Hurleman on the Ross Tucker Soccer Podcast under.
