He was already making a name for himself during training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, wearing a number of hats. But on Saturday night in the preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Hurleman opened a lot of eyes with his performance as a receiver.
Playing primarily in the slot in the 31-25 win, in which he played 35 snaps, Hurleman hauled in two passes for 29 yards, including a 3-yard touchdown from Skylar Thompson late in the first half.
Though he’s listed as a running back on the Steelers’ roster, Hurleman has put in a lot of work at receiver during training camp, and when given the opportunity against the Jaguars, he delivered. He’s a true football player, doing whatever it takes. But even with the big performance, he’s turning the page, not dwelling on the breakout performance as he continues to push for a roster spot in Pittsburgh.
“Yeah, you just have to [turn the page]. We learn from what happened Saturday, and you gotta turn the page and it’s just one day at a time,” Hurleman said to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, according to video via their YouTube page. “So yeah, you have a great performance, and you just have to move forward. Continue to have good days and just keep stacking days.”
Hurleman broke out Saturday, becoming a key piece for the Steelers’ offense, serving as a dependable weapon in the passing game in the two-minute drill for Thompson. Offense wasn’t the only area where Hurleman had an impact.
He made some plays on special teams, as Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora highlighted in this film room. He also served as a strong pass blocker.
Though he played at receiver Saturday night, Hurleman isn’t going to turn to specialization full-time. He still wants to wear whatever hat is asked of him to make the team and help the Steelers win.
For one night at least, though, receiver was that spot Hurleman opened some eyes.
“Receiver’s been a great spot for me. Yeah, [Mike] Tomlin talks a lot about specialized skill sets, and I think I’ve definitely shown that I have that at the receiver position. But you know, like I said, anywhere that I can help the team win, special teams, at receiver, running back, whatever that may be, I’m gonna try to be the best at that spot.”
That’s been Hurleman’s mentality since he signed with the Steelers, going from a rookie minicamp tryout player to holding down a 90-man roster spot. With that mentality, he’s opened eyes in training camp, generated some buzz in the preseason, and now has some momentum going in his favor as he pushes for a 53-man roster spot.
It’ll come down to making plays in the preseason, both as a receiver and on special teams. He has the right mindset and the work ethic. We’ll see if it can continue in a positive direction.
