3rd Annual Steel Curtain Network Brett Keisel Award Nominees

The Beard.

Anyone who has watched the Pittsburgh Steelers for longer than the last 10 seconds knows exactly what that moniker means, and who it stands for. Six foot Five inches and 290 pounds of human teddy bear, except when stalking running backs on the football field. It’s not often that a late round draft pick gets his own tag line based on his nickname: ‘Fear da Beard’.

Brett Keisel is one of many Pittsburgh Steelers players over the years who have become fan favorites, NOT because he was a perennial Pro Bowl player, nor because he was a high pedigree 1st Round draft pick. It’s not because he won a Super Bowl or racked up a ton of sacks or tackles for loss.

No, Brett Keisel is a fan favorite of nearly all Steelers fans because of the embodiment of who he is as a player. ‘Diesel’ Kiesel the player always gave 110%, playing with a high motor that never quit. That ‘no quit’ attitude is a big reason why Kiesel made the team in the first place.

Having been drafted by the Steelers with the 242nd Overall Pick in the 7th Round of the 2002 Draft, Brett was a longshot to make the roster to begin with. He was the last draft pick for the Steelers in what turned out to be one of the most prolific player acquisition phases the Steelers have had in their long history. The amount of players that weren’t necessarily stars, but quality contributors, is likely what made this team a Super Bowl contender for the next decade, and Keisel was a main part of that.

Consider the names that came out of that 2002 Class: Kendall Simmons-OG (Rnd 1), Antwaan Randle El-WR (Rnd 2), Chris Hope-S (Rnd 3), Larry Foote-LB (Rnd 4), Verron Haynes-RB (Rnd 5), Brett Keisel-DE (Rnd 7), James Harrison-EDGE (UDFA), Jeff Reed-K (UDFA), James Farrior-ILB (Free Agent).

There’s a lot of good memories stacked in those names. So for Kiesel to be able to stick around and make an apperance in 5 games his rookie year was a feat unto itself. He wasn’t in what you would call “football shape” coming out of BYU as an undersized NFL Defensive End, but Pittsburgh is known for taking on those kinds of projects.

So one thing you could definitely say about Brett Keisel is that he was not afraid of hard work. Keisel knew his only way into the NFL was to show up and flat out outwork everyone on the field. Even after he was injured his whole 2nd season, the Steelers kept him around because of what they saw in him his rookie season, and he did not disappoint, eventually rendering Kimo Von Olehoffen expendable after the 2006 season when Von Olehoffen became a free agent and signed with the New York Jets.

Brett Kiesel the man is just as much of a legend as his effort, his playing ability, and his beard.

Originally hailing from Wyoming, Kiesel is an avid outdoorsman who can be seen in his social media these days fishing or hunting for his next trophy. But that’s not all to who he is off the field.

It was during one of his offseason hunting trips with his father, that Brett decided that it was time to grow a prodigious facial mop. Having seen the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup grow out their “Playoff Beards” during their Stanley Cup run in the spring of 2010, it gave Keisel all of the motivation he needed to get it growing.

During the following season in 2010, even the major telecasts started giving his chin cover some airtime, calling out the mountain man for the flowing locks coming from underneath his chinstrap.

After the 2010 season, Brett started his annual charity event “Shear da Beard”, with all proceeds going to the Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh. The event lasted 10 years until 2020, with the charity raising over $1 Million over the 10 years. Many Steelers personalities have been a part of the event over the years, with players like Big Ben, Cam Heyward, James Harrison, and Arthur Moats taking part in the festivities of ‘de-bearding’ The Beard.

Brett can still be seen roaming the sidelines at Training Camp, the preseason, and into the regular season, still giving his knowledge of the game and the 3-4 system to newer players when he’s not signing autographs and hamming it up with former players and NFL personalities. A genuine gentle giant with a heart of Black and Gold.

What Does It Take To Make The List?

There are a few requirements to gain access to this prestigious award list. They are born more of character than of talent, because to be a Pittsburgh Steeler is to be MORE than just a talented football player. Heck, there have been more than enough LeVeon Bell’s and Antonio Brown’s on the Steelers team over the years, but this is about elevating and celebrating those who have had to DOG their way onto this team.

First, the player has to have been a late round draft pick of the 5th round or later, or even undrafted. The type of player that needs to overachieve because of a lack of pedigree. You see, in that overachieving, the hard work, commitment, and intestinal fortitude (aka: the GUTS) needed to succeed at the highest levels of this game, it also reveals the character that is ALSO necessary to succeed at this level through the fire of attrition and competition.

The real ethos of this award is that of Brett Keisel: A player without a blue chip pedigree, but most definitely a steel heart of black and gold. One who isn’t expected to offer much, but through sheer will and hard work, forges his own way onto the roster (or practice roster). Hard work, overachievement, sheer will, and good character… the very definition of Brett Keisel.

Heck, I do know one thing. Had we not named this award after Brett Keisel, it MAY have gotten named for another player out of that Class for the same reason and pathway that Keisel took to get onto the roster: none other than James Harrison. The reason we went with Keisel instead of Harrison is because James Harrison “was not hired for his disposition.” Where as Brett Keisel is a mountain of a Teddy Bear, James Harrison is exactly as HIS nickname implies: Silverback… all muscle and murderous thoughts. Not exactly the brandable type for the kiddos.

For this year, there are offensive and defensive players alike, as well as drafted and undrafted players. There are even a couple of guys who were technically on an NFL team last year, but because of extraneous circumstances beyond their control, were not able to contribute to the team once the regular season got underway.

The hope is that the winner of this award will make the 53 Man Roster, but in the NFL, there are no guarantees. That is actually what makes this award so interesting, in that since there are no guarantees of a roster spot, the guy who flat out works harder despite the lack of talent or physical gifts can make an NFL roster.

I do feel confident in saying that even if the award winner somehow does NOT make the final 53 Man Roster, that they will most likely end up on the Practice Squad and can STILL make a game day roster throughout the season (provided they don’t get sniped away by another NFL team). Guys like Keisel, or even James Harrison for example, had to make it through not one, but many Minicamps, Training Camps, and Practice Squads, before they got their big shot. Some of our candidates for the award this year are in that mold.

Remember that YOU, the reader, will be voting for the award winner after the 3rd Preseason game against Carolina, so make sure to look deep into the shaky magic 8 Ball to find the diamond in the rough that suits your eye.

Now let’s get to the candidates!

The Candidates

Donte Kent, CB/PR – Central Michigan, 7th Round (Jersey: #34)

Believe it or not, Kent actually has Pennsylvania football ties even though he went to college at Central Michigan. A product of Harrisburg HS in Harrisburg, PA, Kent comes to the team as the Steelers last selection in the 2025 Draft. In his collegiate career, Kent appeared in 53 total games, recording 234 tackles, 6 TFL’s, 46 Pass Defenses, 2 INT’s, 2 Forced Fumbles, and one FR. These stats helped him earn 1st Team All MAC in 2022, and 2nd Team All MAC twice, in 2023 and 2024.

His path to the team is most likely on Special Teams, and it is where his blazing speed will really shine. He ran a 4.38s 40yd dash at the Combine and has Punt Returner ability, having returned a punt for a TD his senior season in college. With the Steelers having signed Jalen Ramsey after the Draft, and also having returnees like Cory Trice and last year’s Brett Keisel award winner Beanie Bishop in front of him, Kent’s path to a position at CB will most likely take the form of Dime package snaps in clean up duty during the Preseason.

Kent will wear jersey number 34, made noteable by past Steelers players Andy Russell, Tim Lester, DeAngelo Williams, Rashard Mendenhall, and Verron Haynes.

Sebastian Castro, S – Iowa, UDFA (Jersey: #29)

The Steelers first pick off of the UDFA list, Castro comes from a perennially strong Iowa Hawkeyes defense. After redshirting his freshman season in 2019, and gaining a season of eligibility in 2020, Castro slowly built a solid stat sheet over the next 4 years. In 2023, he earned 2nd Team All Big Ten Conference honors, and backed that up in 2024 with a 3rd Team All Big Ten selection. In all, he amassed 113 tackles, 14 TFL’s, 14 Pass Defenses, 4 INT’s, 2 Sacks, and 5 Forced Fumbles.

Castro’s immediate path to the team lies in his ability to provide depth to the Safety room that has just seen some turnover, with Minkah Fitzpatrick leaving for MIA and Deshawn Elliot taking over the top dog position. There is room for Castro to make a move, even though recently acquired Juan Thornhill may seem to have a leg up on the other Safety position at the moment.

Castro will wear jersey number 29, made noteable by past Steelers players such as Barry Foster, Ron Johnson, Ryan Mundy, and most recently, Levi Wallace.

JJ Galbreath, TE – South Dakota, UDFA (Jersey: #87)

Production. That’s what you see when you look at Galbreath’s collegiate career. Grabbed the starting TE role as a Sophomore and never looked back, amassing 93 Catches for 1,355 Yds and 12 TD’s while also grabbing FCS First Team AP All American, FCS First Team All Conference, and Third Team Phil Steele FCS All American status. He was a major focal point of the Jackrabbit offense as the “Move” Tight End, and will likely try to fill a depth spot as such on the team.

HOWEVER…

… do you think Arthur Smith likes Tight Ends? This offseason alone, General Manager Omar Khan has facilitated the move for at least 4 different Tight Ends while also having three already on the roster (Galbreath, Jonnu Smith, DJ Thomas Jones (FB/TE), and D Parham Jr (season ending injury) to go with Muth, Washington, and Heyward. With Freiermuth, Smith, and Washington all seemingly ahead of him, in addition to Connor Heyward offering positional flexibility, it would seem Galbreath has a major hill to climb, even with proven production at a lower level of competition. Can he show enough production during the preseason to garner more looks?

Galbreath will wear jersey number 87, made noteable by past Steelers players Larry Brown, Mark Bruener, Kevin Rader, and Rodney Williams.

Logan Lee, DE – Iowa, Rnd 6, Pick 178OVR 2024 Draft (Jersey: #91)

There was lots of talk last year about a player who seemed to fit the path of Brett Keisel to a “T”, right down to the measureables. Logan Lee came in from Iowa described as an undersized Defensive End with a hot motor. Lee did not get much playing time in the 2024 Preseason, logging only a handful of snaps and recording just one assisted tackle before ending up on Injured Reserve in September of ’24.

He comes in after having essentially a “redshirt” year, where he was on the Injured Reserve for the year due to a calf injury, but plenty of time to watch film and rehab the leg, getting “NFL strong” to try and fill in the lean frame he brought into the League. His position allows for more possibility to get on the field, especially in the Preseason, but will be hampered just a little bit by the addition of Derrick Harmon to the Defensive Line room. Lee will look to add valuable depth to a position of low-key need, with other depth players not having taken firm grasp of the backup positions over the last couple of years. He has the most “Brett Keisel” of paths to the team, and is why he is included in this year’s list.

Lee will wear jersey number 91, made noteable by such players as Kevin Greene, Aaron Smith, and Stephon Tuitt. Big shoes to fill with that number!

There are other players on the Steelers squad that are not listed here that COULD be listed here. I’ve merely taken some of the most obvious players to fit the criteria while also leaving some obvious players that might make the list, but do not for other reasons (such as Will Howard, QB of the National Champion Ohio State Suckeyes Buckeyes).

If you feel there are some other players who should be on this list, let me know in the comments below! I’ll add their name, their criteria, and re-present the list. I’ll also be amassing stats and “eye test points” as the weeks go by, and at the end of the Carolina preseason game, I’ll present the final list for fan voting, so stay tuned!

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