Even for a high-pedigree player like Pittsburgh Steelers first-round rookie Derrick Harmon, the NFL is a different world compared to the college game. Like most first-year players, the biggest adjustments for Harmon were the most fundamental.
“Biggest difference for me is really just learning the speed of the game,” Harmon told reporters via the team’s YouTube channel following Thursday’s final minicamp practice. “Hardest thing, the speed of the game is way different than college.”
Harmon’s answer is routine for rookies. Playing in the Big Ten and facing top schools like Ohio State lessens the learning curve to the NFL, but it doesn’t eliminate it. Though Harmon is playing in a defense similar to the one run at Oregon, a key reason why the game feels faster to the rookies has nothing to do with 40 times. Veterans with NFL experience who are comfortable with the playbook naturally move faster. When players don’t have to think and can naturally react, they play faster. For Harmon and the rest of the rookie class, the game will “slow down” in due time.
The Steelers are on summer break for the next six weeks. But a rookie like Harmon doesn’t plan to sit on the couch that whole time. He told reporters he’ll spend that time training in Dallas, staying in shape while preparing for Latrobe’s dog days of summer.
“They mostly said it was gonna be hot,” Harmon said when given a training camp preview. “That’s pretty much it. They said it was gonna be hot. So I’m ready for it. Being in Texas heat, just getting ready for that.”
Conditioning is a key measure of success for any player. The more tired players get, the less their physical tools shine through and the more likely their technique suffers. Harmon battled weight issues early in his college football career but got them under control during his final season at Michigan State and his breakout 2024 campaign after transferring to Oregon. Cutting out ice cream, except vanilla, was the key.
Pittsburgh opted to return to its 1:55 start times specifically to practice in the heat. That will likely also include the rain and humidity, two elements as common as blocking and tackling at St. Vincent College.
With heavy investments up front and the need to improve the team’s run defense, Harmon will be counted on for a key role. He’s still third fiddle behind Cam Heyward and Keeanu Benton in sub-packages, Pittsburgh’s primary grouping, but the Steelers are managing Heyward’s snaps more carefully than ever before. Harmon seems to be a quick study and there’s no time to waste.
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