The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a significant departure recently after Ron Hughes, the team’s college scouting coordinator and draft consultant for the past 15 years, retired following his 34th NFL draft.
But perhaps his more enduring legacy will be the role that he played in the professional life of the Steelers’ general manager, Kevin Colbert, and on the team’s drafting philosophy that has developed under his guidance.
The relationship between Colbert and Hughes began not too far from where they wound up sharing the past 15 years, in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League.