With the Steelers concluding their preseason schedule Thursday night against Carolina, it’s time for Steelers Nation, and specifically the BTSC readership, to turn their attention towards the most prestigious award this website has to offer.
You clicked the link, so you know what I’m talking about. I’m speaking, of course, about the annual Isaac Redman Award.
If you’ve been around these parts a while, you’re undoubtedly familiar with this yearly tradition. But if you happen to be new around here and
are wondering what the hell I’m on about, the mystique of Redman Award is best summed up by BTSC’s former Editor in Chief, Neal Coolong:
“The Isaac Redman Award is unofficially given each year to the unheralded Steelers player who came from the furthest reaches of obscurity to reach general heightened fame and appeal among Steelers fans.”
If you’re looking for a more specific guideline on Redman eligibility, we’ve got you covered.
- 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)
Winning the Redman Award isn’t an exact science. The late-round and camp limits disqualify a lot of otherwise worthy candidates — for example, fifth-round pick Yahya Black is not eligible, neither is 2022 draft pick Skylar Thompson — and the fan element is the other major wild card. Some years, the fan support behind a single player is obvious. Some years, a surprise player makes a late push past an earlier favorite, and in others, no player manages to unify the fanbase.
Here’s a look at the history of Redman Award winners.
- (2012) Adrian Robinson
- (2013) Alan Baxter
- (2014) Daniel McCullers
- (2015) Roosevelt Nix
- (2016) Tyler Matakevich
- (2017) Mike Hilton
- (2018) Matthew Thomas
- (2019) Tuzar Skipper
- (2020) Ulysees Gilbert III
- (2021) Jamir Jones
- (2022) Mark Robinson
- (2023) Spencer Anderson
- (2024) Cory Trice Jr.
The nominees
Beanie Bishop Jr.
Ryan Parish: I’m going to kick things off by nominating a player that was the 2024 Redman frontrunner… until he wasn’t. While Cory Trice made a late surge to come away victorious, it was Beanie Bishop Jr. who was the presumed favorite for most of the 2024 preseason.
Bishop Jr. has a story Steelers fans should be familiar with at this point. Undrafted out of West Virginia University, Bishop was the starting nickel corner for roughly two-and-a-half months in Pittsburgh. He mostly played adequate ball, but was often the corner opposing teams would try to isolate into favorable matchups. His best game came against Aaron Rodgers and the Jets, when he twice picked off the Steelers’ new quarterback.
Now, Bishop might be having his last stand in Pittsburgh. Recent comments made by defensive coordinator Teryl Austin have brought Bishop’s spot on the roster into question. However, making the roster is not a requirement for the award, and based on the comment section’s response to Austin’s statement, it’s clear that Bishop has his share of supporters among the BTSC readership.
Lew Nichols III
Joey Bray: Let me start by saying that I am beyond honored to be giving my nomination for the 2025 Redman Award. I love seeing the fanbase react and all of the different late-round picks and UDFAs throughout the offseason. However, one guy in particular stood out throughout these preseason games.
Lew Nichols signed a one-year contract with Pittsburgh on July 29, joining the team already a week into camp. The 2023 seventh-round pick made the most of his opportunities in a crowded running back room. Nichols finished the preseason with 11 carries for 87 yards. Nichols showed he is a versatile threat with a 23-yard catch and run against Carolina. He is a physical runner who can nearly eight yards per carry, and being a threat out of the backfield, could earn him a spot on the team’s practice squad. Nichols won the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles last season and may soon be able to add to his trophy case as a recipient of the Redman Award.
Ke’Shawn Williams
Ryland Bickley: In my mind, it’s a three-man race between Lew Nichols, Eku Leota, and Ke’Shawn Williams. Each made plays consistently throughout the preseason, and in true Redman Award fashion, came out of relative obscurity (may the record show I thought Williams was a good addition from the day Pittsburgh signed him).
However, while Nichols might have a bit more hype and Leota has become a Steelers Twitter darling, I think it’s Williams who has the best shot at the final roster. Maybe this is peak Redman Award season hysteria, but if the Steelers do choose to keep six wide receivers and don’t add any outside names, the undrafted rookie could certainly make the team.
Williams is Pittsburgh’s second punt returner right now behind the injured Calvin Austin III, and I will NOT be hearing anything about his Week 3 bobble (that still resulted in a solid return).
Williams gave us one of the best highlights of the Steelers’ preseason with his Week 1 touchdown catch, and he shows off some electric stop-start ability every time he touches the ball.
Of the group of hyped-up UDFA pass-catchers of Williams, Roc Taylor, D.J. Thomas-Jones, and J.J. Galbreath, the Indiana product is one of two still on the 90-man roster and the only one with a strong Redman Award case this late in the summer. He’s a practice squad lock at worst — and certainly deserving of the 2025 BTSC Isaac Redman Award.
Others eligible for the award
- Kyler Baugh, defensive line
- Carson Bruener, linebacker
- Sebastian Castro, safety
- JJ Galbreath, tight end
- Will Howard, quarterback
- Max Hurleman, wide receiver
- Quindell Johnson, safety
- Donte Kent, cornerback
- Logan Lee, defensive line
- Eku Leota, outside linebacker
- Daryl Porter, cornerback
- Ben Sauls, kicker
- Cory Trice Jr., cornerback
- Julius Welschof, outside linebacker
Think one of these is your Redman winner? Did we forget anyone? Either way, write in your vote into the survey below. With NFL teams required to cut down rosters to 53 by Tuesday, our voting closes at 11:45 p.m. on Monday night.
