Steelers Rookie Nick Herbig Discusses His Welcome To The NFL Moments: 'This Is How Guys Feed Their Families'

Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker, Nick Herbig had some idea of what life was like in the NFL before he arrived in the Steel City as Pittsburgh's fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. His older brother Nate Herbig had already been in the league for four years, and he's definitely learned a thing or two from fellow Wisconsin alumnus, TJ Watt. That didn't stop him from having a pair of moments in his first season so far that opened his eyes to what life is like in the big leagues. 

The Hawaii native joined former Steelers linebacker, Arthur Moats, and his partner Deke on their podcast The Arthur Moats Experience on Thursday afternoon to discuss his rookie season to this point and his journey getting to the NFL. Moats asked Herbig about what his "welcome to the league" moment was and he had a pair of instances that came to his mind. 

"For a long time, I felt like it was my first play on kickoff return against the Niners [San Francisco 49ers]. I'm running down the field and he's [the guy I'm supposed to get] five yards past me already and I'm like, 'What the heck.' That's when I realized, like this is how guys feed their families. This is legit and it ain't going to be a cake walk." 

Herbig added a second moment in Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals that gave him a real shock. Herbig picked up his second career sack in the game on rush where he started in coverage, but once Bengals quarterback Jake Browning broke out of the pocket, he came barreling down to make the stop. Earlier in the game though, it wasn't coming to him that easily. 

"On my first or second play of the game, the tackle hangs back on me. We had a nice blitz on and he just grabbed me with one arm and threw me like a ragdoll. I'm just on the ground looking up like, 'Holy.' That was some power. It was something different I hadn't felt before."

Moats said there will be plenty more moments like the one Herbig described against Cincinnati. The eight-year NFL veteran said the longer you play, the more you'll be able to get that over on other people. 

Steelers' Herbig Adapting To Life As A Steeler And A Pro Football Player 

Herbig said he met with the Steelers twice in the 2023 pre-draft process, once at the NFL Combine and then at his Pro Day. Initially, the team had him working with inside linebacker coach, Aaron Curry, and doing drills based on that position. He told Moats and Deke because of that, he was expecting the Steelers (like other teams that had talked to him) to move him from the outside linebacker spot to the inside as a stand-up coverage linebacker. 

Then when he got the call from General Manager Omar Khan that Pittsburgh was taking him, things changed. After Khan congratulated him, he handed the phone off to Pittsburgh's outside linebacker coach Denzel Martin, who quickly asked, "Are you ready to rush the passer?" He said that was a really cool moment with Pittsburgh throwing him that curveball. 

The most challenging thing so far for Herbig being a pro football player is managing the new life balance. He said you're no longer treated like a college kid and the expectations really ramp up. He added that balancing his free time and how he spends it is very different. 

He said the best thing about being in the NFL is the camaraderie and all the players of different ages and backgrounds coming together for one common goal. He said it's really special to be around guys like Watt, Cam Heyward, and Minkah Fitzpatrick, who have been playing the game at a high level and watching how they work.

Herbig is already well versed in Tomlinisms and knows that the job is football and the business is winning. He's hoping to go out there each and every week to help the team do their job, whether he's playing on defense or special teams. 

What have you thought of Herbig so far?