Just like with any job in the “real” world, it’s not always about what you know. Sometimes, it’s who you know. Make no mistake, Jeff Hartings was a worthy player for the Pittsburgh Steelers to sign ahead of the 2001 season. But the reason why he ended up with the team was largely due to Kevin Colbert, who was part of the Detroit Lions’ front office when the Lions took Hartings in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. When Colbert was hired as the Steelers’ general manager, Hartings followed him to Pittsburgh.
Sitting down with Steelers.