For Alex Highsmith, his first dose of NFL reality coincided with his first NFL loss. From a football standpoint, the Pittsburgh Steelers were riding high in 2020, making the most out of a difficult pandemic-shaped year. The last undefeated team at 11-0, they fell to the Washington Commanders, then the Football Team, that marked the beginning of the end of their season.
For Highsmith, it was his first NFL start, replacing Bud Dupree after suffering a season-ending ACL tear days earlier. The first start and first loss came with his “this ain’t like college” moment. Appearing on the Christian Kuntz podcast, Highsmith shared his story.