Steelers pick Navy RB Eli Heidenreich, fans at Pittsburgh NFL Draft go totally bonkers

Perhaps the most intriguing moment of the 2026 NFL Draft came in the final round, when the Pittsburgh Steelers selected running back Eli Heidenreich and the selection was announced to the hometown crowd gathered at the event.

The excitement felt from the moment Heidenreich appeared in front of the camera was not due to him stepping back from a successful university. It’s not because his athletic ability has scouts comparing him to San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey; just bigger and stronger.

The crowd went wild for Heidenreich playing for the United States Naval Academy.

Heidenreich, who waited backstage in the NFL’s green room for three days, emerged wearing the Full Dress Blue uniform worn by officers at official ceremonies.

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Heidenreich put on his Steelers hat and saluted. He soon hugged NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and posed for official photos with his Steelers helmet.

The crowd went crazy.

“That excitement from Eli,” Steelers general manager Omar Khan said, “I mean, I didn’t expect to see that on TV, and when you finally see it, you can’t help but get emotional. But it’s really, really, really cool…”

The NFL has decided to milk the moment for everything it’s worth, a steamroller of public relations. League officials gave Heidenreich the chance to make his way through the crowd and cheer on the adoring fans.

They then brought Heidenreich onto the ESPN set for an interview.

That’s right: The 230th general election — otherwise a routine last-round pick — received royal treatment, perhaps because fans understood that the United States, its Navy and other military forces were conducting operations in the Middle East.

Yes, did we mention Heidenreich is from Pittsburgh?

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This script keeps getting upgrades with every rewrite.

Heidenreich is scheduled to graduate from the Naval Academy in May. If the NFL had not materialized as a possibility, he planned to begin a five-year commitment to serve as an officer in the Marine Corps.

But Heidenreich knew determination would wait when he received calls from teams looking to sign him as an undrafted free agent early in the seventh round.

“I’m actually committed to a team,” Heidenreich said.

Pittsburgh Steelers fans cheer ahead of the First Round of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Then the Steelers called him and told him their plan to draft him.

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Therefore, he will enter into a 10-year service agreement that will allow him to defer service with the Marine Corps while pursuing his professional football career.

“I am grateful that they gave me this opportunity,” Heidenreich said. “I initially promised them five years of service, after which they gave me the opportunity to continue my football career and offer my service later. I am grateful for that.

“But being able to represent them — the United States Marine Corps, the United States Navy, the military as a whole — is an honor and something I don’t take lightly.”

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Navy running back Eli Heidenreich passes Army safety Max DiDomenico for a touchdown in the second half of an NCAA college football game on Dec. 14, 2024 in Landover, MD. (Daniel Kucin Jr./AP)

Heidenreich comes from a great lineage. His grandfather, Chris Heidenreich, was a naval officer, and his uncle, Chip Heidenreich, served as a medic in the Navy.

And now Eli Heidenreich continues the family tradition among the best the last American generation has to offer.

But only after giving professional football a chance.

“I’m grateful to have the opportunity to go out and do this in the NFL,” Heidenreich said.

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