Max Hurleman finds that Steelers colors work well with his wardrobe
2025 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
Max Hurleman seriously under-packed for his first trip to Pittsburgh.
Now, more than a week into what was scheduled to be a weekend visit, the former Wyomissing star is running short of clean socks and underwear.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have helped ease his wardrobe dilemma: They’re providing all the gold and black outfits he needs after signing him as a free agent following a rookie minicamp that ended Sunday.
“It’s pretty awesome,” Hurleman said after being added to the Steelers’ 90-man offseason roster. “It’s definitely been a dream of mine (to play in the NFL). It’s so awesome to see years of hard work and believing in yourself (lead to this).”
Hurleman remains in Pittsburgh and is training with the Steelers every day during their month-long OTA’s, which run until late June. After a month off he’ll rejoin the team July 22 for training camp. He’ll be bidding for a spot on the 53-man active roster or, failing that, for one of the 16 spots on the practice squad.
Seeing him make it this far was unlikely. Coming out of Wyomissing the Power Five college programs looked right past him. At 5-11, and coming out of a small high school, he didn’t measure up to big-time college football standards.
He played four seasons at Colgate, an FCS school which competes in the Patriot League, and excelled, starting 23 games at running back. He earned conference Special Teams Player of the Year honors his final season.
With one year of eligibility left the ever-confident Hurleman decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal and swing for the fences. He landed a spot as a walk on at Notre Dame and quickly worked his way into position as the team’s No. 1 punt returner, and a key figure on other special teams units.
He was named the program’s Walk-On of the Year and ended his college career by playing in the Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, and finally in the BCS national championship game.
No one gave him a chance of being selected in the NFL Draft but he did enough at Notre Dame’s Pro Day in late March to catch the eye of Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and his staff.
Hurleman was invited to the Steelers’ rookie minicamp last weekend, along with the team’s seven draft picks and a handful of veterans, and about two dozen other free agents.
When, on the third and final day, Tomlin told him to grab a gold jersey and work with the defensive backs Hurleman knew he had made an impression.
“I could definitely feel that I was slowly gaining momentum throughout the weekend, just from the attention from Coach Tomlin and some of the other coaches, (even) the athletic trainers, were giving me.
“I knew I had put my best foot forward and that I gave myself a good chance. I definitely knew I had a chance (to stick); it kept motivating me to show that I could do it.”
Hurleman played only special teams and worked out as a defensive back during his season at Notre Dame. It was telling that the Steelers listed him as a running back for the minicamp. They had obviously done their homework.
“They went back and looked at the way I moved, and (watched) my Colgate tape,” he said. “That’s what they saw me as best at.”
When the three-day camp came to a close on Sunday Hurleman approached Tomlin, Steelers owner Art Rooney II, and general manager Omar Khan to thank them for the opportunity. Before he could finish Khan cut him off.
“He told me to shower and meet him in his office,” Hurleman related. “ ‘We’re gonna sign you.’ ”
It was a surreal moment for the 23-year-old.
Once again he had beaten the odds, in large part because of an inner belief in himself and his ability.
“Showing up to the rookie minicamp, there were a lot of different emotions,” he said. “(I was) nervous, excited, but also determined to prove that I can compete with the best of them.
“Coming into this, a big strategy was to remove the label from the situation, remove the NFL and Pittsburgh Steelers from the label of what I was doing and come in and treat it as a weekend of football.
“Not to lessen the meaning and realness of the situation (but to) help me feel comfortable and put me in a position where I could go out and compete and just be myself, be the best version of me. It helped me just do what I do and compete with some of the best players (in the world).”
