Steelers Rookie Sees Career End After Ignoring James Harrison's Warning

Pittsburgh Steelers fans often get to hear from former linebacker James Harrison, as he has been very vocal recently on his podcast, Deebo & Joe. Harrison has never been shy about sharing his opinions, whether discussing former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, or diving into other sensitive topics around the organization. He has even weighed in on the long discussed saga involving Ben Roethlisberger and Joey Porter Sr..

While speaking on his podcast Monday, Harrison shared an unfortunate story about former Steelers rookie Mike Humpal, a sixth-round selection taken 188th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. As a late-round pick fighting to make the roster, Humpal was not in much of a position to negotiate or push back against coaching decisions made by then special teams coach, Bob Ligashesky.

Harrison explained that Ligashesky wanted Humpal to run a wedge on special teams, one of the most violent assignments in football at the time. Familiar with the brutal nature of the play, Harrison tried to warn the rookie about what he was walking into. Unfortunately, the warning came too late, as the play resulted in a serious injury that effectively ended Humpal’s NFL career before it ever truly began.

"He goes and tells this man to hit the wedge square," Harrison said while speaking about what Ligashesky coached Humpal to do. "This is back when we they had the big offensive linemen as the two- and three-man wedges. They're locked up, shoulder-to-shoulder, they're coming down and they're taking on the four or the five, whoever is taking on the wedge."

Harrison explained that the instruction immediately raised red flags for him, knowing how dangerous that assignment could be, especially for a rookie trying to earn a roster spot. 

At the time, special teams wedges were some of the most violent collisions in football, often involving multiple linemen charging at full speed with little regard for safety. Seeing what was about to happen, Harrison felt compelled to step in and warn Humpal before he took the field.

"He tells them, you come in there and you take on the wedge square," Harrison said. "After he tells him you take the wedge on square, after you hit it, turn your hip. I said hey, 'Hump, if you do that s**t, one, you might go to sleep. Two, you're going to get a hip pointer because they're going to bang the s**t out of you.'"

It appears that Humpal did not take the warning, and he ultimately faced the consequences. Harrison explained that Humpal went running down into the wedge and the result was unfortunate. 

"The same way Mike went in, Mike came straight out," Harrison said. "From out his head, straight back to his neck, down through his a**, and onto his back. That is the first, last, only play that Mike Humpal played in the NFL. He never played another down."

Steelers' Mike Humpal: A Chilling Quote in Hindsight

What makes this even sadder in hindsight is that, in a question-and-answer feature published by Steelers.com after he was drafted, Humpal was asked whether he envisioned special teams playing a major role for him. 

"I do. It's going to be really big," Humpal said. "If I want to make the team I am going to have to be valuable on special teams. That is something I am going to be working hard at and show them I am capable of playing well on special teams."

He understood that as a sixth-round pick, he would need to go all out on special teams, desperately fighting to earn a roster spot and prove he belonged at the NFL level.

Humpal’s determination showed he fully understood the stakes, but it also underscored the brutal reality rookies face in the NFL. Every decision, every play, could make or break a career, and for Humpal, that reality hit far too quickly.

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