Steelers' Legendary Coach John Mitchell Almost Ended Brett Keisel's Career Before It Even Started

The Pittsburgh Steelers had one of the most dominant defenses throughout the course of the 21st century. When the organization won two Super Bowls at the end of the 2005 and 2008 seasons, the scary units that faced opposing offenses were nearly impossible to get through. From the defensive line to the secondary led by Troy Polamalu, fans were never concerned when the defense was on the field. Those teams were wildly consistent, and it's safe to say that they could have absolutely won more than just two championships under different circumstances. The veterans of those groups set the culture that is still in place in the present day.

On those teams were players such as Brett Keisel, Ike Taylor, Bryant McFadden and Max Starks. The four former teammates sat down together recently to reminisce on the good ol' days when the Steelers were consistently in the championship conversation. For Keisel, he was coming in as a seventh-round draft pick back in 2002 after the franchise lost the 2001 AFC Championship Game.

He reflected on that year and told a pretty funny story about his first professional training camp. At the time, the legendary defensive line coach, John Mitchell, was in the middle of his near-30 year stint with the Steelers. He didn't care who he could possibly offend or put in their place; this led to Keisel learning the hard way as he was fighting to make the roster over two decades ago.

"They went to the AFC Championship Game the year before, so there was a lot of hype on where we were going to go [in 2002], and man, I'll never forget Coach Mitch, he's like, 'Keis, you know where Walmart is,' and I was like, 'Yeah coach, what do you need, I'll pick it up for you,' and he said, 'You should probably pick up a job application because I don't think you're going to make the team.'"

Seventh-round selections don't always make it on the initial 53-man roster. It was even more unlikely back then compared to the present day. It's evident that Mitchell was not a huge fan of Keisel during the defensive lineman's first taste of the NFL. Luckily, Keisel did end up making the team and having a heck of a career in the black and gold.

It's a good thing that Keisel didn't take a trip over to Walmart back in 2002. He was a staple on the Steelers' defensive line for several seasons, and defied the odds that come along with being selected in the final round of the NFL Draft. He had 30 sacks in his career and while he is not one of the best players of his era as a whole, he was the perfect player for Pittsburgh. He fit in so well and always accepted his role on the defensive unit.

The Steelers seem to have gotten away from having players like Keisel, but fans should remain hopeful that some of the culture from the early and mid-2000s still exists. It definitely was a different era back then, however, as it might be hard to find a coach like Mitchell that would directly state to a player that he was in serious danger of missing the 53-man roster. One can probably assume that it's not the only time Mitchell ever used that line, either.

Steelers Miss Legends Such As Brett Keisel On Defense

There is no doubt that Pittsburgh's present day defense absolutely has Hall of Fame-caliber players on it. With that said, the depth and consistency has been an issue overall in recent seasons. While Keisel will never put on a Gold Jacket one day, he will always be admired and respected in the Steel City for his selflessness and passion for the game. Another individual that certainly appreciates all of his effort is his former coach in Mitchell.

Do you think that the Steelers will ever have another player like Keisel? Let us know in the comments below!

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