The Players’ Corner

Two months ago, when the Pittsburgh Steelers told Max Hurleman they were signing him after the team’s rookie camp, a sense of disbelief overcame him. The disbelief wasn’t born from doubt, but from the overwhelming realization of a profound dream.

Max’s path to the Steelers roster emphasizes the importance of doing the little things right: finishing out plays, knowing the playbook, and simply saying hi to the people around you.

This is how Max went from the FCS, to earning meaningful minutes as a Notre Dame walk-on, to getting signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Laying a Foundation at Colgate

Max’s 4 years playing in the FCS at Colgate University laid the foundation for his ongoing career, “That opportunity was amazing for me, and it gave me the opportunity to play division one football, which was my dream growing up.”

Playing at Colgate helped him adjust to the college game and play in a more conventional offense than the Wing-T formation his high school team lined up in. He explained, “I was just used to mostly being a slot back, a wing back standing in the slot. Most of my touches were jet sweeps or handoffs coming on an angle. You’re running counters and traps. So even being in the backfield right next to the quarterback in the side-car was different for me.”

While it was an adjustment, he realized it was still just football, “You quickly realize this is just football, just be yourself, be the player that you are. And you know, almost everywhere I’ve been up until this point, I’ve been like, “Okay, I can do this. Like after being out there the first couple reps, say, ‘Okay, here we go, it’s just another practice.’”

After adjusting to the collegiate game as a running back, Max took on a hybrid role at Colgate, playing wide receiver and special teams too. Luckily for him, versatility comes naturally from his days of playing different sports, “I played lacrosse, I played basketball, I swam, I played soccer, I played baseball.”

To supplement his versatile background, he emphasized the importance of training to be good at football overall, “You can lift all the weights and do all the sprint drills you want, and not to discredit those, those are incredibly important, but if you’re not good at the game, then it doesn’t matter… If you can’t catch, if you can’t move laterally, if you’re not a smooth route runner, or if you can’t move in space or read a ball carrier to make a tackle, none of that matters. So it’s really just practicing the sport and being good at the game that allows me to do those different things.”

While Colgate gave Max the opportunity he dreamed of, it also gave him the confidence to make the jump to the next level, “We played some big-time games and I thought that I held my own… So that’s what really gave me the confidence to take the jump and play at a school like Notre Dame.”

Walking On at Notre Dame

Unlike his time at Colgate where a lot of guys have partial scholarships, at Notre Dame, you’re either labeled a scholarship guy or you’re a walk-on. He explained, “What I didn’t know is when you show up as a walk-on, it’s different from FCS to FBS level…because at the FCS level, the scholarships are split up amongst your players, so guys are coming in on 50%-75% [scholarship], so there’s not really any true walk-ons. In this case [at Notre Dame], there are a bunch. And everyone knows who’s who… You kind of walk around with that label over you. It’s not the easiest thing to break out of, and basically you just have to let your play talk.”

Regardless of the walk-on label, Max was determined to make an impact on Saturdays. Even if it meant playing a new position once again, this time being defensive back, “I wasn’t playing my natural position. Probably because I was a walk-on and, ‘hey, well, we need a number here so we’ll just throw you at DB.’”

But once again, he stepped up to the challenge and even said, “Maybe it was the best thing for me and I showed that I could tackle during camp. And it was like, ‘Ok, this guy can be a special teams player.’ And that’s really what my role ended up being.”

While Max expressed that he would have loved the opportunity to compete for receiver or running back, he embraced the role he was given.

Max carved out a prominent role on special teams, even becoming the returner. He carved the role by being (1) a guy the coaches could trust and (2) showcasing his abilities. He said abilities on the special-teams side often come down to mindset, “Special teams is a mindset thing. Not every position, but most positions, it’s really just who wants it more. Especially on the coverage units or if you’re blocking.”

He understood that it might not be as flashy, but it’s still a key part of the game, “Special teams it’s one play at a time. They’re one-play drives, but if you make a big play, talk about a momentum swing. That’s as big of a momentum swing as a touchdown or turnover. You make a play on teams, that is huge. I’m getting chills talking about it. You make a tackle inside the 10 on an opening kickoff? *phew* Good luck. 3 and out.”

He gave Notre Dame momentum in plays like when he recovered a Virginia fumble on the opening kickoff, or when he set up Notre Dame in Indiana territory after returning a punt. And he even earned the highest praise from Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, who said Max was a crucial part of their winning and that “Max has been an amazing addition to our program. He fits this place, but he’s also a really good football player who came in here with the right mindset and has earned everything he’s gotten. He’s built a lot of trust in the coaching staff.” (Freeman 2024)

Max earned his role at Notre Dame. He made the most of his opportunity, and he impacted the game on Saturdays like he was determined to do.

The 3-Day Steelers Rookie Camp

Going into the rookie camp, Max knew the stakes, “I knew this was basically 3 days for the rest of my life.” 25 guys walked into the camp as tryout players, knowing only a few, if any, will get signed. And to Max’s surprise, it wasn’t just rookies. Veterans looking for a home were also there to compete.

In the end, 3 of them got signed. Max was one of them. His deal is a testament to the work ethic, the player, and the person it takes to continue to compete at the next level.

To prepare, he asked around about things he needed to do. The answer was simple: “Be as physically ready as you possibly can, and be a good person.”

Being a good person is simple to him, “I say this all the time, how hard is it to say hello? Some people just don’t say hi. It’s the most insane thing to me. Say hello. It goes such a long way… You never know, you could be making somebody’s day by just being like, ‘What’s up man, how are you doing?’”

It wasn’t just Max who made sure to know everyone’s names. Coach Tomlin led by example, “He knew everything about everyone. It was just so remarkable. I was very impressed to say the least. That’s part of his job, but it shows you why he’s really good at what he does. Because it matters to him… Everyone could have gotten sent home, but he still took the time to know who everyone was and tried to form relationships with each person. And again, I just think that speaks volumes to the type of man he is, let alone the type of coach.”

The player side of things that set Max apart was less simple. It came down to:

[1] “Learning all the position coaches’ techniques… Even if it’s something that I wasn’t taught before;

[2] I would also say one of Coach Tomlin’s big things is just your physical conditioning. If you can’t run 10 plays back to back and play 1 and 10 the same, then you can’t play. And so I was finishing drills further than everybody else. 5-10 yards further. I was running with more effort and more speed… Every single rep was 100 mph even if I was gassed. It didn’t matter. So I think that spoke volumes — the intensity that I brought;

[3] The first day, the running backs ran routes with the receivers for a 5-minute period. And I’m a very confident route runner… And I think the first route I ran, I could tell it caught their eye. Just my ability to stop on a dime;

[4] One of the receivers went down. I was kind of bouncing around, and I ran plays with the receivers. And so that night I was like, ‘I might be receiver tomorrow, I don’t know.’ And so basically I just taught myself the entire receiver playbook, and it’s not a big install. Don’t think I was up all night… But it was just an extra thing. I show up the next day, and all of a sudden, another receiver goes down again. So now I’m at receiver, but this time the coach didn’t have to tell me what to do. I actually knew the plays. That was a big moment. Not just that I could do it, but like, ‘Wow, this guy, he cares. He’s prepared.’ I think that speaks volumes.”

It’s the little things that add up and help him “find a way to stick around.” As his career with the Steelers develops, he’s going to continue to do the things to help him stick around. Even if that means focusing on the less flashy side of football, “If I could walk out of training camp and the coach would be like, ‘Max is the best blocker [at receiver],’ maybe that doesn’t ensure that I have a spot on 53, but that gives me a great chance. Especially blocking at receiver, that’s all mental, effort, and attitude. That has nothing to do with skill. Like at all. Just knowing your technique and wanting it more than the other guy. So that’s a complete mindset thing, and I’m definitely going to try to be the best I can at that for sure.”

To pair with this mentality comes his “I can, I will” confidence, because as he said, “If you’re telling yourself you can’t, you probably can’t. If you believe you’re already halfway there.”

As Max now reps the black and gold of the Pittsburgh Steelers, his story is anything but complete. It is an unfolding narrative, encompassing the continued sacrifice, unwavering confidence, and relentless dedication needed for an athlete playing the long game. His is an unfinished story, and the next chapter is just beginning.

References

1. Freeman, M. Self-Confidence at the Core of Max Hurleman’s Rise at Notre Dame. Irish Sports Daily. https://irishsportsdaily.com/s/24245/self-confidence-at-the-core-of-max-hurlemans-rise-at-notre-dame