The 2026 NFL draft produced its share of memorable moments, but perhaps the best moment came with one of the final selections.
Eli Heidenreich, a star running back from the U.S. Naval Academy, was picked by his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers in the seventh round (No. 230 overall) on Saturday in Pittsburgh, Pa.
It’s a dream come true for any collegiate player to hear their name called during the draft, but for Heidenreich, getting selected by the team he grew up idolizing, was truly special.
Heidenreich said he didn’t know the Steelers were going to take him in the draft’s final round and began fielding calls from other teams interested in signing him as a rookie free agent. But surprisingly, the Steelers took him with their final pick. Heidenreich, who was in attendance, broke down in tears upon hearing his name called from Will Allen, a former Steelers defensive back.
Heidenreich grabbed a Steelers baseball cap, saluted the camera, and walked on stage swinging a Terrible Towel to a huge ovation from the crowd outside Acrisure Stadium.
Two Midshipmen Selected
Heidenreich, dressed in full Navy uniform, was the second Midshipman selected in this year’s draft. Just four picks prior to his name being called, teammate Landon Robinson, a six-foot, 287-pound nose guard, was picked by the Cincinnati Bengals. Robinson’s selection was announced by the Pat Tillman Foundation. Tillman, a standout safety for the Arizona Cardinals, left the NFL following the Sept. 11, 2011 terrorist attacks to join the Army. Serving in Afghanistan, he was killed in a friendly fire incident in 2004.
Robinson and Heidenreich were the first Navy duo selected in the NFL draft since George Welsh and Ronald Beagle went to the Chicago Cardinals in 1956. They’re also the fifth and sixth Navy players chosen in the last 12 years.
“It’s hard to summarize this moment,” Heidenreich said after the draft. “I’ve had the full range of emotions over the last hour. I’m just soaking it all in right now, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to represent the Black & Gold. I could not be more thankful that I made the decision to attend the Naval Academy. I am where I am today because I took a shot at attending a Navy camp and was offered because of my performance there. I’m thankful for all the people I’ve met along the way, and my best friends in the world are Navy football players. I’m also so happy for Landon — there is no harder worker or better person than Landon Robinson.”
The Midshipmen are coming off an excellent 11-2 season. Navy finished the 2025 campaign ranked 23rd in the Associated Press poll and trounced Cincinnati 35-13 in the Liberty Bowl.
Dual Threat
Heidenreich was a main contributor to Navy’s success. The six-foot, 206-pound running back was a jack-of-all-trades on offense, leading the Midshipmen in receiving, while also chalking up 499 yards rushing. In 2025, he became only the second player in the FBS since 1956 to gain a minimum of 475 yards rushing and collect at least 925 receiving yards in the same season, joining West Virginia’s Tavon Austin in 2012.
The running back, who graduated from Mt. Lebanon High School, rewrote the Navy record book during his time in Annapolis. Heidenreich broke the program record for receiving touchdowns in this career (16) and recorded six touchdowns each in 2024 and 2025, tying the single-season Navy record. Heidenreich collected 1,994 career receiving yards and 941 last season, both Navy records.
He had 51 receptions last season, tied for fifth most in school history and his 109 career receptions rank second overall.
Drafted in the seventh round, it won’t be easy for Heidenreich to make the Steelers’ final roster, but if he can show flashes of the potent dual threat he was in college, he could be a dangerous weapon for Pittsburgh.
