The time has finally come for Behind the Steel Curtain’s most prestigious tradition: The Isaac Redman Award.
Now over a decade old (and with its own section on Wikipedia), the award, in the words of former BTSC editor Neal Coolong, is to be given to “the unheralded Steelers player who came from the furthest reaches of obscurity to reach general heightened fame and appeal among Steelers fans.”
As originally stated in that 2014 article, the basic rules are as follows:
Eligibility
- Player must not be a draft pick higher than the sixth round
- Player can only have participated in two other training camps prior to this one
- Player demonstrated frequent references in comments regarding the likelihood of significant playing time in the coming year
- Weight of general fan sentiment leans towards the player being a “diamond in the rough”
- Player does not have to make the team in the year of his nomination to qualify (this isn’t meant to be included in 53-man roster discussion)
Staff nominations
Ryan Parish: This year, it was between
two rookies for me: Gabe Rubio and Robert Spears-Jennings. Both impressed, but I’m going to give the nod to Rubio. In three games, the young nose tackle racked up six solo tackles and assisted on six others. He recorded five “Stops” which are plays PFF chart as tackles that produce a negative outcome for the offense. Rubio even managed two pressures the final preseason game against the Bills. There’s an argument that outside of Germie Bernard, he was the rookie with the most impressive preseason performance, which makes him the clear Redman winner on my ballot.
Mike Nicastro: I’ll go off the grid a bit and give my nomination to Lew Nichols, who is a similar player to Isaac Redman in stature — he even won the award last year.
Nichols just keeps on trucking. He led the team in rushing with 87 yards on 20 attempts – good for a 4.35 average.
He also scored a touchdown and probably should have had another if he kept his balance on a great run in their first contest against the Packers.
He isn’t going to necessarily be the belle of any ball, but he deserves some recognition, and possibly a roster spot, for his consistency and relentless approach.
Jarrett Bailey: I’ll give mine to Robert Spears-Jennings. With the depth at safety (or lack thereof) being a big question, the seventh-round pick had a very strong summer in camp and in preseason play. He should get a spot on the 53-man roster.
Joey Bray: It would be a shame if the Pittsburgh kid Eli Heidenreich didn’t get a nomination for the Redman Award.
Steelers fans rejoiced when the Mt. Lebanon high school alumni was selected 240th overall back in April. Heidenreich’s middle name is versatility, playing wide receiver and running back in college. His awareness and ability in the open field makes him a serious big play threat and giving Mike McCarthy no shortage of ways to use him.
The Steelers primarily used Heidenreich as a running back throughout the summer. After missing a few weeks in camp with a leg injury, his spot on the 53-man roster doesn’t seem to be a lock. Heidenreich played well in the Steelers preseason finale, scoring a touchdown and getting some run as a return man on special teams. “The Swiss Navy Knife” deserves a spot on the 53-man roster, and potentially a Redman Award victory.
Ryland Bickley: While my vote will almost certainly go to one of Rubio or Spears-Jennings (please convince me which one), I’d be remiss if I didn’t get Will Howard onto this ballot as a former sixth-rounder who dominated preseason talking points even when his on-field performance didn’t always live up to the hype.
Sure, Howard didn’t come from the depths of obscurity as a former National Championship-winning Ohio State quarterback, but he’s built up a fanbase worthy of Redman Award consideration, leading to discussion of the Steelers keeping a whopping four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster just to keep Howard from potentially being poached by another team. The point of this award is to recognize August storylines with a bit too much hype, and while Howard still has plenty of time to develop, I’m not sure if another player better encapsulates that sense of preseason overreaction than him.
Other notable eligibles
- DB Devan Boykin
- DL Kevin Jobity Jr.
- TE Lake McRee
- WR Max Hurleman
- DB Doneiko Slaughter
- WR Brandon Smith
- OLB Julius Welschof
- LB Carson Bruener
Vote!
But enough of what the staff wants to say — this is your decision! Vote below in the poll, and if you want to write in an eligible candidate, recs on a comment stating a player’s candidacy will count as votes.
The ballot will stay open through Saturday, with the winner announced before the cutdown deadline on Sunday.
May the best Isaac Redman Award candidate win, joining a storied fraternity that includes the likes of Mike Hilton, Roosevelt Nix, and Tyler Matakevich. And make sure to fill the comment section with civil discourse election propaganda below.
