Jeff Hartings had to succeed Dermontti Dawson when he signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not that he is forgotten, but perhaps history would remember him better if he had an easier act to follow. That’s not a fact that eludes Hartings, and indeed, he had some reservations about coming here to fill Dawson’s shoes.
“It absolutely went through my head”, he told Rob King during an exclusive interview for the team’s website. Not only did Hartings have to replace Dawson—he also had to learn the center position. But he had a strong incentive to come to Pittsburgh.