Former central Pa. high school star impresses as Pittsburgh Steelers’ do-it-all sleeper
PITTSBURGH (TNS) — The Pittsburgh Steelers signed three players out of their rookie minicamp, but one player is already making the most of his opportunities after that rookie minicamp tryout.
Ever heard of Max Hurleman? If you haven’t, it’s not your fault. Hurleman signed on as an undrafted free agent after his rookie minicamp tryout.
In college, Hurleman played a little bit of everywhere. Hurleman spent his first four seasons at Colgate before transferring up to Notre Dame, where he became a cornerback and return man for the Fighting Irish. With Colgate, he was a running back.
Now? The Steelers have him flipping between slot wide receiver and running back. This week, he has worked exclusively at slot wide receiver.
“I just like to play wherever they tell me to go. I like to say my position’s just football player. So, I have a lot of fun doing it all,” Hurleman said.
A former central Pennsylvania star at Wyomissing, Hurleman is a great athlete who walked on at Notre Dame for his final season. By the end of it, he was running with the second string.
At his pro day, Hurleman received a variety of feedback from scouts about his position. Some wanted him to play offense, while others liked him at cornerback. The Steelers liked him on offense, and that is where Hurleman thinks he turned some heads.
“Since high school, I’ve been training to run routes as a receiver,” Hurleman said. “I just happen to be listed as a running back during my time at Colgate. But even at Colgate, I did play a ton of snaps in the slot, ran the entire route tree. So I’m pretty comfortable with it and I’ve done it for a while. So there’s definitely a learning curve and every coach and every organization likes things a certain way, but I think the fundamentals are there because I’ve done it before.”
Hurleman is working as a return man for the Steelers in addition to his do-it-all gimmick on offense. Unsurprisingly, he looks up to Julian Edelman, who transitioned from quarterback to wide receiver. Some other star running backs who are elite receivers also fit the bill for players he models himself after.
“I can’t help but think of Julian Edelman initially. Just really loved the way that he played the game and obviously the positionless kind of way that he entered the league,” Hurleman said. “That’s very inspiring to me. And just, you know, he did whatever it took to make the team and to help the team win games. So that’s what I’m hoping to do. And I’m hoping to fill those shoes. Aside from that, more current players. I really like Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, their running back styles.”
Hurleman has his head down and is working to earn a roster spot. So far, he has made a few tough catches. That has earned him some praise within the organization as he starts his career in the right way.