Steelers' Carson Bruener Draft Pick Had Emotional Backstory, Mike Tomlin Reveals

Most draft picks come down to film, measurements and meetings. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, a few of them have also come with a family story. Former head coach Mike Tomlin opened up about one of his favorite draft-room moments, when he got to tell longtime Steelers scout Mark Bruener that the team was about to draft his son, linebacker Carson Bruener.

Tomlin shared the story during the second part of his interview on Not Just Football, the podcast hosted by Steelers captain Cam Heyward. The two were talking about how often family and football overlap, and Tomlin said those moments are one of the coolest parts of the job.

He then described the moment the Steelers were on the clock in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, with Mark Bruener sitting in the room.

"You know how cool it was, man, to draft young Bruener, you know, and his dad was a scout... sitting in the room and we're on the clock and I was like, 'Hey man, with this next pick, man, let's take this core special teamer, man, from out west, young Bruener,'" Tomlin said.

Heyward added that the elder Bruener broke down when Tomlin made the call. Mark Bruener played tight end for the Steelers before joining the team's scouting staff, so watching his son become a Steeler was a full-circle moment.

Bruener, a linebacker out of Washington, was the 226th overall pick. He made the 53-man roster again this season as one of Pittsburgh's four inside linebackers, along with Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson and Cole Holcomb, and Tomlin made it clear on the podcast that special teams were a big reason the Steelers wanted him.

Bruener was not the only family story Tomlin told. Heyward asked about the day the Steelers drafted his younger brother, Connor Heyward, in 2022. Tomlin said he knew a few minutes ahead of time that Pittsburgh would get a chance to take him. He thought about giving Cam a heads-up, then decided against it.

"I thought about, hey, should I call [him] or text [him]? I said, absolutely not. This is not any of his business, man. This is Connor's time," Tomlin said.

Tomlin joked that he is more of a fan of Connor than of Cam, and he admitted he enjoyed keeping the older brother in the dark. Connor Heyward spent four seasons in Pittsburgh before signing with the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason.

Tomlin also talked about Joey Porter Jr., whom he has known since Porter was 9 years old. Tomlin's son, Dino, raced against Porter in the 200 meters at a national Junior Olympic meet in Sacramento, and Tomlin said his son won. 

Joey Porter Sr., then playing for the Arizona Cardinals, left training camp for a day to watch. Later, when Porter Sr. was on Pittsburgh's coaching staff, the boys spent Friday nights at Tomlin's house before Saturday morning basketball, and Tomlin would work them out in his garage.

Pittsburgh drafted Porter with the first pick of the second round in 2023. Tomlin said he went to bed the night before knowing the plan, but he did not call the family because a team could have made an offer for the pick, and he did not want to make a promise he could not keep.

Steelers' Family Ties Run Deep Across Many Generations

Tomlin said there is a DNA component to football that he sees more and more. His father was drafted by the Colts in 1968, and both of his sons played Division I football. Players regularly tell him their fathers say hello, because he coached or played against them.

That is part of what makes the Steelers different. From the Heywards to the Porters to the Brueners, the organization has a long list of families tied to the black and gold. SteelerNation has covered more of Tomlin's conversation with Heyward, including the main reason he left after the 2025 season.

For Bruener, the story is still being written. He gets his next chance on Sunday night against the Cincinnati Bengals, a reminder that some of the best stories in Pittsburgh start long before draft day.

This story was produced with the help of AI and reviewed by SteelerNation editors.

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