Steelers Legend’s Incredible 417th-Pick Story Says Everything About Making Pittsburgh’s Roster

At a recent Iron City Distilling event in Creighton, PA, Pittsburgh Steelers legend Rocky Bleier appeared alongside his cousin, former NFL QB Bob Bleier, to promote their family whiskey brand. Before the festivities began, they took a few minutes to sit down with me and reflect on football, family, and what it still takes to make it in the NFL.

Rocky's story began more than five decades ago when he was selected 417th overall in the 1968 NFL/AFL Draft. More than 50 years later, that unlikely path to the league still carries a message for players trying to earn a spot on the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2026 roster. 

The Purple Heart recipient joked about his positioning in the draft, but what he shared was real.

"I wanted to play. And I got a chance to play. Came to Pittsburgh. I was a highly-touted 417th person picked in the draft that year as a 16th round draft choice. And from my point of view though, as I tell people, I said there was 17 rounds. At least I was not the last guy," Rocky joked. "I can make this team. And people say, 'Well, how did you make the team?' 'Well, can you tell me who played for the Steelers in the '60s?' That's how I made the team. Nobody remembers who played for [them]."

Rocky's path to Pittsburgh was anything but straightforward. After beginning his NFL career, he was later drafted into military service during the Vietnam War, where he was wounded before eventually working his way back to football.

"My mindset was that, well, I didn't lose a foot. I didn't lose a leg. Didn't lose an arm. I'm [just] banged up. Hey, playing this silly game of football through the years that we played, you've had bumps and bruises, and sprains and tears -- what did you learn? They heal. And you're back out playing again... so that was kind of my mindset. And then being in good fortune at a time with a team owner, the Rooney family, who had a great sense of value for their players, and they gave me a chance. I came back, they put me on injured reserve, and then I made the [practice] squad, then I made the team," Rocky explained. 

Rocky returned to the Steelers, eventually working his way from injured reserve to the practice squad, and finally onto the roster.

"And so by 1972, I made the team and back on the field. And so, I get a chance to play special teams. And so, you're out there doing whatever is necessary within special teams. [In] '73, played [more] special teams. Got to carry the ball once, the highlight of my career. And then in '74, injuries take place and all of a sudden, you get a chance to play and play and play, and in 1974, we win the division, we get to the playoffs, and I get a chance to play until I retire after 1980."

That message carries added weight for players trying to carve out roles on the Steelers' 2026 roster. Late-round picks and undrafted rookies face an uphill climb every summer, where every rep matters and roster spots are rarely secure. 

Players like seventh-round rookie Eli Heidenreich are entering that exact type of situation. Selected 230th overall, he, along with many other late-round rookies, will need to stand out quickly once training camp opens. In many cases, excelling on special teams can be the fastest path to securing a roster spot. For Rocky, that reality hasn't changed.

"So, it's being in the right place, right time and doing something with it... no one guarantees you anything," Rocky concluded.

Steelers Rookies Will Have To Earn Their Spot In 2026

For a new wave of Steelers rookies, that lesson still applies in 2026. Opportunities in Pittsburgh are earned, not given. Training camp will determine who takes advantage of them.

In Pittsburgh, you don't get given a roster spot. You take it.

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