2021 Steelers Draft Recap

Welcome to my annual-ish Steelers draft recap. If you're new to my draft recaps, I want to share up front that I'm not going to pretend that I'm a draft expert. This is for entertainment purposes only and hopefully you enjoy it and possibly even smile or chuckle. An occasional guffaw is welcome! So with that, here is everything you need to know about the 2021 Pittsburgh Steelers draft class:

Round 1: Najee Harris - RB, University of Alabama

Fun fact! The Steelers had a running back with the last name of Harris who won 4 Super Bowls and went to the Hall of Fame. The Steelers also had a running back in the 2000s with the first name Najeh who had 725 rushing yards (a 4.3 yards per carry average!) and 9 total touchdowns in 32 career games. I think the Steelers and the fans expect production for Najee Harris closer to the first Harris rather than Najeh.

Round 2: Pat Freiermuth - TE, Penn State University

On Saturday morning, my 10 year old woke up and asked me who the Steelers drafted the previous evening.

Me - They picked a tight end from Penn State.

The Moose (excitedly and interrupting me) - They got Pat Freiermuth!

Clearly, he needs to do these draft recaps!  

I hope that Pat is ready to hear HEEEEEEEEEEEATH cheers whenever he catches a pass.

Round 3: Kendrick Green - OL, University of Illinois

Green joins an impressive list of University of Illinois players drafted by the Steelers.

DB Terry Hawthorne - 2013, 5th round

RB Rashard Mendenhall - 2008, 1st round

DB Bobby Dawson - 1988, 11th round

TE Cap Boso - 1986, 8th round

LB Octavus Morgan - 1974, 16th round

E (what position is E?) Gary Francis - 1957, 24th round

E Walt Kerulis - 1950, 23rd round

Not quite an all-pro line-up here. In my opinion, Mendenhall wasn't bad, but he is not remembered fondly by Steeler Nation thanks to his fumble in Super Bowl XLV. To my knowledge, none of these other guys ever played on the Steelers in a regular season game.  

We all agree that Cap Boso is an amazing name, right?

Round 4: Dan Moore, Jr. - DT, Texas A&M University

One of my favorite lines from the short-lived sitcom Happy Endings is this:

If Mary Tyler Moore married and divorced Steven Tyler and married and divorced Michael Moore, then got into a 3-way lesbian marriage with Demi Moore and Mandy Moore, would she go by the name Mary Tyler Moore Tyler Moore Moore Moore?

Let's just replace Michael Moore with Dan Moore.

Round 4: Buddy Johnson - LB, Texas A&M University

Hey Buddy!

Hi Buddy!

Round 5: Isaiahh Loudermilk - DE, University of Wisconsin

Pittsburghers (including me) get really upset when people omit the "h" in the city name. Isaiahh probably feels the same way, especially since his first name ends with two Hs. Isaiahh seems like a perfect fit for Pittsburgh!

Round 6: Quincy Roche, LB, University of Miami

Quincy Roche is trying to become the second player in Steelers history to have the first name starting with the letter Q after WR Quincy Morgan. In case you're wondering, the Pittsburgh Pirates have never had someone with the first name beginning with Q in the team's over 125 year history. Although he was a multi-sport star with excellent jumping abilities, Q*bert never got invited a Steelers training camp or a Pirates spring training in the 1980s.

Round 7: Tre Norwood - S, University of Oklahoma

I got nothing. Sorry Tre. I mean, I didn't forget about Tre.

Round 7: Pressley Harvin III - P, Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)

Besides it taking me a few minutes to realize that this is not former NFL wide receiver Percy Harvin, Pressley Harvin seems awesome. I love this pick.

The biggest revelation of the NFL draft wasn't any of these players. It's that Darryl McDaniels (DMC) is a Steelers fan! 

Go Steelers!

Please click here for other Pittsburgh draft recaps over the years.

Photo of Najee Harris by Caitlyn Epes/Pittsburgh Steelers

Franco Harris In Vegas?

You may have heard that Disney Plus released the musical Hamilton on its streaming service over the holiday weekend. I clearly don't understand the hype. Why a full musical about Richard "Rip" Hamilton and not mention anything about his time with the Detroit Pistons? I guess the focus was on his time in Washington.

Anyway, all of the Hamilton talk got me thinking about the last time I saw live theater. It was the incredible musical Come From Away in December at The Kennedy Center. This musical is based on 9/11 and the days immediately after, but from Gander, Newfoundland in Canada, a town of less than 10,000 who hosted approximately 7,000 people from international flights after the American airspace was closed. Once theater is back, I highly recommend seeing it.

Instead of turning off my phone during the performance, I switched it to vibrate. Near the end of the show, my phone started buzzing like crazy. I knew there wasn't much time left, so I avoided looking at my phone. In a completely dark theater, the light from my phone would have definitely distracted the people sitting near me. 

When the show ended, I exited as quickly as possible worrying that there was some type of emergency. Fortunately, everything was okay. My nephew tried to FaceTime me twice, and there was quite a text exchange from some friends. I won't use their real names here but here are the highlights.

M: This is *not* Franco Harris sitting right next to me, right? I've been trying to figure out for a full 5 minutes.

D: Yeah, the only immaculate thing that guy has done is somebody's taxes.

M: He's wearing a Wisconsin hat, which would militate against. But an "SI" jacket trends toward maybe? The Penn State game is on and he's not paying attention, so that probably seals the deal?

B:  The fries look good. Where are you?

M: At a place called Crack Shack in Las Vegas on the Strip. Quite good.In my defense, my wife was sitting right next to "Franco" and had to look at pics of real Franco for several minutes before declaring they were not a match.

D: You're at a place in Vegas called the Crack Shack? Those jokes can just write themselves. 

There were a lot more texts in this discussion, but nothing really relevant to "Franco Harris"

Go Steelers!

Mick Foley Meets Franco Harris & George Washington

I was a big wrestling fan in the 80s. I attended a few live matches at Pittsburgh's Civic Arena and watched several Wrestlemanias at my friend Brian's house. This was during the heyday of Hulk Hogan, The Junkyard Dog, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat and Andre The Giant.

Mick Foley arrived on the scene after I stopped following wrestling. However, I'm aware of Foley, not only from being a wrestler but also from being an author and appearing on television shows such as The Daily Show and Celebrity Wife Swap.

Foley was at the Pittsburgh Airport yesterday and posed with Pittsburgh legends Franco Harris and George Washington. Enjoy!

Spending day #156 of @IamSantaMovie #ShowMeTheSanta with #Pittsburgh's 2 greatest icons - Washington & Franco Harris. pic.twitter.com/fK4uuRh6zT

— Mick Foley (@realmickfoley) May 29, 2014

Foley tweeted that he appeared with Pittsburgh's two greatest icons. While Franco may be near the top of the Pittsburgh icon list, I don't think he trumps Andy Warhol, Mister Rogers or Roberto Clemente.

Catching Up

Congratulations to Mr. Brame for winning four tickets to the Heinz History Center for submitting this #Francoing picture:

Mr. Brame earned bonus points for submitting a #Francoing picture next to Franco #Francoing.

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I realize that I haven't shared my NFL picks lately. I went a terrible 5-11 in week 13, but rebounded by going 8-7-1 in week 14. Therefore, not including this week (where I'm 9-6 going into the Monday night game), I'm now 99-102-6 on the season.

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After calling out Bud Recktenwald for being called the Ultimate Steelers Fan and Harvey Aronson for going by "Mr. Steeler," I heard from Mr. Steeler himself thanking me for the press. Anyway, I said that I'd help promote his book so here is the book from Barnes & Noble and Amazon

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The Steelers also played yesterday. That didn't go well.

Win Heinz History Center Tickets (New Ramblings Giveaway) - Update!

Just in time for the holiday season, I am proud to announce a giveaway where you can win a four-pack of tickets to the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh. Heinz History Center is currently running a Francoing photo contest where you can win two tickets to the Steelers-Bengals game on December 23rd among other prizes. You should go the the Heinz History Center's Facebook page for more information and to enter the contest by Thursday December 13th. (The History Center extended their contest deadline, so I did too.)

In addition, you can also send your photos to me at seanramblings at yahoo[dot]com or on Twitter to @seansramblings with the hashtag #Francoing for your chance to win tickets to the Heinz History Center where you can see the Gridiron Glory: The Best of the Pro Football Hall of Fame exhibit.

Here's the fine print for my contest:

- The winner will either be chosen by me and a panel of Francoing experts or I'll post entries online next week for a vote.
- One entry per person.
- Please submit your pictures by Thursday, December 13th.
- I may post your pictures on this blog.

Good luck!

Friday Links

Before I share some great links below, I wanted to share this e-mail I received from Caralyn of Pittsburgh's Heinz History Center.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, the History Center has begun a "Francoing" photo contest. Y'know, like, Tebowing, but more secular and easier on the knees.

Fans can submit photos of themselves Francoing via Facebook, Twitter or Instragram. One winner will receive a prize package that includes 2 tickets to the Steelers vs. Bengals game; a behind-the-scenes tour of the Gridiron Glory: The Best of the Pro Football Hall of Fame exhibition; a VIP experience at the History Center's “Immaculate Reception Memories” event; and VIP privileges at the Immaculate Reception monument unveiling at Heinz Field. So far we've already received photos from Machu Picchu, Aruba, Prague, and Seattle – but we'd love to see more of Steelers Nation have a shot at this great prize — and participate in honoring the greatest play in NFL history.

Go to the History Center's Facebook page for more information.

On to the links:

An oral history of Cheers. [GQ]

With college majors in theater and dance, why not a major in sports for athletes? [Chronicle of Higher Education]

Neal Coolong, the terrific writer at Behind the Steel Curtain, compares the naming of Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace as a co-starter to his first assignment as a journalist with co-coaches. [Behind the Steel Curtain]

An incredible gallery of vintage pictures of Joe Namath, the pride of Beaver Falls, PA. [Kissing Suzy Kolber]

A day in the life of a Pittsburgh columnist. [Dejan Kovacevic's Blog]

Tim Grierson & Will Leitch list the top 28 Steven Spielberg films. He's made a ton of good movies. [Vulture]

This will happen to you if you don't recycle in Canada: [h/t Puck Daddy]



Enjoy your Friday and weekend!

Best Names in Steelers History

For no apparent reason, I am proud to introduce the all-time greatest names in Pittsburgh Steelers history. Please note that this is not in any particular order with the exception of #1.

Tunch Ilkin

There’s no better way to start this list than by including probably the only player in Steelers history born in Istanbul (not Constantinople). This two-time Pro Bowler would have made this list even if his last name was Smith or Black. Actually, Tunch Black is a pretty awesome name.



Hines Ward

Anytime a player shares his name with an international company based in Pittsburgh and plays in a stadium with the same name (even if spelled differently), he makes the list. If I ever create the all Pittsburgh Pirates name team, PNC Jones would definitely be on it.

Troy Polamalu

Polamalu. It just rolls off the tongue. In case you were wondering, including Troy is an excuse to share this song again.



Orpheus Roye

This list would not be complete without a player named for (according to pantheon.org) “the greatest musician and poet of Greek myth whose songs could charm wild beasts and coax even rocks and trees into movement.” If Roye ran straight at a rock or tree, I think they would move for him too.



If I created an all-nickname team, Jerome “The Bus” Bettis, Beltin’ Delton Hall and Mean Joe Greene all would have easily made the cut. However, I’m sure if any of these former players introduced themselves to you, they would say, Hi. I’m Jerome, Delton or Joe respectively. They wouldn’t say I’m The Bus, Beltin’ Delton or Mean Joe at a dinner party or church. This brings us to a special group of individuals on my all-name team who would go by their nickname in almost all occasions.

Willis Hope Thompson
Evander Hood
Walter Andrew Brister III
Byron Morris
John Fuqua

You just can’t have an all-name team without Weegie, Ziggy, Bubby, Bam & Frenchy!

Deon Figures

I love names that can also be a phrase or sentence.

Kimo von Oelhoffen

Sorry Bengals fans.

Antwaan Randle El

El yeah!



Dwayne Woodruff

The only reason Woodruff makes this list is because my brother and I used to refer to him as Woodel Woodel growing up. I have no idea why. Maybe I had trouble pronouncing “ruff” which might explain why I called that crime dog McWoodel.

Plaxico Burress
Crezdon Butler
Chidi Iwuoma

These three players would likely compete with Tunch and Orpheus for the greatest first name in team history.

Louis Lipps

One of my favorite players in team history. For the longest time, I also thought that the restaurant Hot Licks was actually named Hot Lipps after the Steelers wide receiver.



Walter Abercrombie

It’s nice to see that he’s done well after his playing days by teaming up with Mr. Fitch in creating a clothing company.

Yancey Thigpen

The first name Yancey or the last name Thigpen alone probably wouldn’t make the list. Yancey and Thigpen together: magic!

Franco Harris

I can’t exclude a man who has his own Italian army.



We’ve now come to the greatest name in Steelers history. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce



Just kidding.



Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala

This is clearly and I would say unanimously the top name in Steelers history. Chris Berman and the ESPN football crew are a little tired these days; however, the highlights of them saying that this running back was a bad Mala Fala still makes me smile. Besides, Fuamatu-Ma’afala is only one of two Steelers that has an apostrophe in his name. (The other is the memorable Ta'ase Faumui, a fourth round draft pick in 1994. You don’t remember Faumui?)

Please note that this list is for entertainment purposed only. Don’t freak out if I missed someone. With that written, please share players I missed in the comments section below.

My Tale of Two Cities Returns To DC

My Tale of Two Cities has been invited to screen on Capitol Hill at the first of its kind event at the U.S. Capitol Hill Visitor's Center on March 23rd. Following the film, Newsweek's and MSNBC's Howard Fineman will lead a prestigious panel of community and business leaders including Pittsburgh Congressman Mike Doyle; Washington D.C. Economic Development Partnership's Executive Director, Steve Moore; Franco Harris, Businessman, Philanthropist, and Hall of Fame Pittsburgh Steeler; and the film's writer/director, Carl Kurlander, who will discuss the revitalization of cities and challenges faced by communities across the nation. (Besides all of these dignitaries, you can also meet me!)

Joining Congressman Doyle as honorary chairs of this special event are Pennsylvania Senators Arlen Specter and Robert Casey, Jr., as well as Congressman Jason Altmire (D-PA), Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (D-OH), and Congressman Steve LaTourette (R-OH).

Reception begins at 6, with the screening at 7 p.m. Tickets are free, but RSVPs are required to reserve seats which are limited. Please email Jamie Silverman at mytaleoftwocities@gmail.com with contact information to receive a ticket.

In addition, you can find out more about the film at the My Tale of Two Cities website.

State of the Ramblings

Five years. It's amazing that as of last Friday, I have written this blog for five years. Is this the point where I receive a lifetime achievement award or at least a fountain pen? Am I now considered an elder states person in the blogging community?



I actually started Sean's Ramblings through a bit of peer pressure as several of my friends wrote blogs at the time. I thought it would be fun to create my own site, and they encouraged me to do so. Now, most of those blogs are gone. I've also seen many other blogs come and go over the past five years. Most of these bloggers simply burned out. Somehow, I'm still here. So with that, let's look back at the past year.

It's funny how blogging works sometimes. I can spend hours writing personal stories, yet receive few comments or site visits. Conversely, I saw a funny video of Charlie Brown throwing out a first pitch at the Pirates game, posted it, and soon became a star in Taiwan!

From this past year, I am most proud of the interviews I did with Sarah Wendell, author, founder/blogger of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books and one of NPR's Ten Favorite Pop-Culture Humans Of 2009 and Jim Shearer of VH1 and Yinz Luv Da Stillers and Yinz Luv Da Guins. I also enjoyed the collaborative pieces where I asked other bloggers for predictions about the Steelers and Penguins seasons, their fashion choices for the Super Bowl and if they had any questions about the Pirates' spring training. As you can tell from this last sentence, Pittsburgh sports continues to be a major focus of my blog. That's what happens when the Steelers win the Super Bowl, the Penguins win the Stanley Cup and the Pirates, um, well, hold their spring training in Bradenton. I also created and hosted the 1st Annual Best Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament in order to celebrate the accomplishments of the Pittsburgh sports blogging community. (Yes, the tournament will return in 2010; I'll have more on this soon.) Plus, I met Hall of Famer Franco Harris.



While I write a great deal about Pittsburgh sports, I think what makes my blog unique is that I touch on a wide variety of other topics. That's what makes this blog fun for me. I can sarcastically suggest that the Steelers sign Brett Favre (too many people took this seriously) and share experiences of winning the lottery. I analyzed a Britney Spears song and gave concert reviews of Fleetwood Mac, Def Leppard, Poison and Cheap Trick. This was the year where I participated in Movember and made my television debut on Rizzo Sports Live (pre-mustache).



I've also been able to earn a small amount of money through advertisements and gave away an incredible watch. Hopefully, there will be more contests in 2010. In addition, I'd like to thank Turner Publishing for sending me free books and to Ile de France Cheese for sending me free Brie cheese. I am certainly willing to accept more free items, so keep them coming!

Unfortunately, not everything worked out perfectly at Sean's Ramblings. After attending a DC Bloggers Happy Hour near the end of 2008, I wrote in last year's State of the Ramblings that I hoped to continue to attend future events. That didn't happen. Hopefully this year. I also wrote a story about how I got in an argument with a former Pittsburgh Steeler. Thanks to one of my readers, Lee Tunnell, I got in touch with this individual. While he accepted the apology, was amazed that I even remembered this incident from 25+ years ago, and said that he may agree to participate in an interview, he never replied when I sent him the questions. I also insulted a clothing company who in turn insulted me back. I contacted them about doing an interview but that fell apart as well. I'm not too upset about that last one.

As for the coming year, I'll continue with Trivia Tuesdays and TMI Thursdays. I probably share too much information in TMI Thursdays (hence the name) though it was somewhat exhilarating sharing a heart-warming story about my first kiss. Whether you like it or not, I'll also write more about Ziggy. I'm sure that some of you don't care about my cat, but I do. If you want to blame anyone, blame the Steelers for using their 1st round draft pick on a guy named Ziggy. Naturally, I'm going to write about Ziggy & Ziggy!



I've mentioned this before but I write my blog for me. This has been a great journal of my life (or at least of the parts of my life I'm willing to share) and has truly become a big part of my life. I spend far too much time writing Sean's Ramblings, but I enjoy it. However, this blog wouldn't be around without you. I appreciate all of you for visiting, reading, commenting and supporting me. Thank you!

Now I'm off to start the next five years!

Ain’t Too Proud To Beg

The big news in the NFL the past few days has been James Harrison’s refusal to visit President Obama when the Steelers are honored at the White House. Harrison originally told WTAE "if you want to see the Pittsburgh Steelers, invite us when we don't win the Super Bowl. As far as I'm concerned, [Obama] would've invited Arizona if they had won." This also led to an extremely funny post by Christmas Ape at KSK (R-rated language for those sensitive readers). However, Harrison revealed to the Post-Gazette that the real reason he is missing the White House visit is because he has a fear of flying. I guess this also means that Harrison will not be a Monday Night Football broadcaster after he retires.

With Harrison missing from the festivities on Thursday, and based on my understanding of Algebra II from high school, it seems like there is an open spot for someone to attend. Therefore, I’d like to propose someone that already lives in the Washington DC area and does not need to fly. This person has been a Steelers fan since birth and even has this photo with Hall of Famer Franco Harris.



Plus, this person is a terrific blogger (at least in his mind), and he’d be more than happy to write about his experiences on this very blog. I have an idea: how about Sean of Sean’s Ramblings!

In all seriousness, how does one get invited to the Steelers ceremony at the White House? Besides actually being a Rooney or a Steelers player or a coach. If you have any connections at the White House, and can get me in, I’d love to witness this event. I'll even get you a Pop Tart from California Tortilla (Wednesday only). President Obama, if you happen to be reading this, have Rahm send me an e-mail!

Franco & Me

Here is a picture of Franco Harris and me from last Monday's screening of My Tale of Two Cities:



You'll just have to guess which one is Franco and which one is me!

Since Franco was nice enough to take this picture, the least I could do is promote the Pittsburgh Promise, a scholarship program to help all Pittsburgh Public School students plan, prepare, and pay for education beyond high school at an accredited post-secondary institution within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Harris serves as the Chairman of the Pittsburgh Promise's Board of Directors.


As a programming note, TMI Thursday will return tomorrow (Thursday; imagine that!), and I hope to have a recap, including pictures, of my trip to Bradenton for the Pirates' Spring Training on Friday.

My Tale of Two Cities and Sunday Links

As a reminder for folks living in the DC area, there is a special screening of My Tale of Two Cities, "a funny and heartfelt "comeback" story about coming home and the city of Pittsburgh, the real-life "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" tomorrow (Monday, March 16) at the AFI Silver Theater in Silver Spring at 7:00pm. That is one long sentence! Franco Harris, Mr. McFeely, Franco "Dok" Harris, who has declared to run for the Mayor of Pittsburgh, and Sean of Sean's Ramblings, who has declared not to run for the Mayor of Pittsburgh or any other city (yet?) will all be in attendance. 

Here is the movie trailer:  (UPDATE: This is the actual movie!)

Tickets are only $10, but are first come, first serve and may sell out. To reserve your seats, please email Natalie at mytaleoftwocities@gmail.com and specify the DC screening. More information about the film is available on the My Tale of Two Cities website. 

 Here are some other links and videos for your Sunday while you wait until the brackets are announced:

 - Steve Is Alive asks the Top Eight Mysteries of Pittsburgh. My favorite: "Who thought Franco Harris and George Washington were on the same level to share side by side statues of each other at Pittsburgh International Airport?" 

 - LiLu shares the places you must go to when you move to Washington. Sadly, since I live in the suburbs and don't get out much, I have been to less than half of these places. 

 - PSAMP found an online stock comic strip generator. 

 - Gilahi found a bare naked pole dancer. Actually, it's a bear naked pole dancer. This is completely safe for work or home. 

 - Congratulations to Cotter for his 1000th post on One For The Other Thumb! 

 - The USTA is looking for volunteers for the U.S. Open between August 29 to September 13, 2009. It probably helps if you live in or around New York. 

 - Finally, you know Jim Shearer from VH1's Top 20 Video Countdown and Yinz Luv 'Da Steelers. Well, he also puts out Yinz Luv 'Da Guins videos like this one: 

Major Announcement: Franco Harris and Mr. McFeely Coming to Washington

Pittsburgh is coming Washington! Actually, Pittsburgh is coming to Silver Spring, Maryland. As part of the annual "Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Day" in honor of Mister Rogers’ birthday, there will be a special screening of My Tale of Two Cities on Monday, March 16 at the AFI Silver Theater in Silver Spring. Tickets are $10, but are first-come, first-serve and may sell out. To reserve your seats, e-mail Cait at mytaleoftwocities@gmail.com and specifically mention the DC screening. Plus, there will be a special appearances by Steelers’ Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris, Mr. McFeely of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and Sean of Sean’s Ramblings. (Shockingly, the organizers are not promoting the fact that I will be in attendance.)

Here’s a description of the movie from its website:

"My Tale of Two Cities" is a funny and heartfelt "comeback" story about coming home and the city of Pittsburgh, the real-life "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood", coming back to once again become "The City of Champions." The film, which stars some of the city's favorite neighbors including Franco Harris, Teresa Heinz Kerry, former treasury secretary Paul O' Neill, and many others, has struck a chord at a time when people and cities across this country are thinking about how to reinvent themselves for a new age and when it seems, now more than ever, we need each neighbor to make a difference.



I hope to see you there!

P.S. I've been waiting for an official e-mail that the event is on, but I can wait no longer! If I'm a bit premature in posting this, then I apologize.


Photo from the My Tale of Two Cities website.