He’s maybe the quietest player on the Pittsburgh Steelers, one who simply goes about his business and doesn’t feel all that comfortable talking to the media. But second-year center Zach Frazier plays with a real edge, and he gets some of that from one former offensive lineman he watched while growing up.
The would be former Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers center Ryan Jensen, a guy known for trash talking, playing through the whistle and really getting under the skin of opponents.
Appearing on the latest episode of Not Just Football with Cam Heyward that published Tuesday morning, Frazier revealed why he liked to watch Jensen as a young player coming up through the high school and collegiate ranks.
“Just, I feel like he was kind of a prick and like could finish plays,” Frazier said of Jensen, according to video via the show’s YouTube page. “It seemed like d-linemen always hated him and I just liked the finish part of his game.”
For offensive linemen, finishing blocks, playing through the whistle and having a real hard edge to their game helps set them apart. Physicality is a mindset, and being able to play through the whistle and constantly strain to finish helps with that.
Jensen had that in abundance throughout his career, spending four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, and five seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his career, he played 100 games with 90 starts, and earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2021 with Tampa Bay, winning a Super Bowl during the 2020 season, too.
He was a self-made player, a sixth-round pick who battled his way into becoming the highest-paid center in football at one point. Guys hated playing against him, too, because he was a prick, like Frazier said.
Former Buccaneers defensive lineman Gerald McCoy once recalled how Jensen was in practice, playing with a hard edge on that borderline of playing dirty.
Frazier doesn’t have that reputation, and hasn’t really crossed the line. But he will finish plays and does play with a bit of an edge . The Steelers need that along their offensive line. The great ones have that as a unit, and Pittsburgh seems to be slowly morphing into that.
Entering Year 2 in Pittsburgh, Frazier is regarded as one of the best young centers in football. He had a strong rookie season, and now he has a bigger challenge ahead of him in 2025, needing to prove it again, especially with a lot of tape out on him now.
Playing with some fire, trying to finish plays and getting under the skin of opponents is part of his game.
“I like to finish plays,” Frazier added. “No, I don’t talk at all, but I definitely get under people’s skin just ’cause I finish plays. It’s kind of weird. I just, I don’t say much, but I’ll definitely get after people.”
Hopefully that mentality resonates with the rest of the offensive line, which has a lot riding on it this season. Playing with a real edge, having that physical mindset and wanting to get after opponents and get under their skin could lead to success for the young group up front.
Check out the full episode of Not Just Football with Cam Heyward below.
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