When the Pittsburgh Steelers formally presented their first-round pick, Troy Fautanu at a press conference on April 27. Art Rooney II, the team owner, attributed the selection to the input of one of the team’s scouts.
“We had some insider insight on Troy this year because his teammate was Mark Bruener’s son,” Rooney stated on the team’s YouTube page. Rooney added, “It was great to have Mark share his thoughts.”The Steelers chose Bruener from Washington with the 27th overall pick in 1995. He was the previous Washington player to be selected by the Steelers in the first round before Fautanu. Bruener played as a tight end for the Steelers for nine seasons and five seasons with the Houston Texans.
Bruener began working as a scout for the Steelers in 2018.
Carson Bruener
His son is a senior linebacker at Washington. Bruener was a strong advocate for Fautanu.
Mark Bruener may have strongly supported bringing Fautanu to Pittsburgh, but he was unsure if it would happen.
“We were extremely excited that we were able to select him at 20,”
he remarked in a May 3 interview with Seattle’s Sports Radio 950 KJR . “We had no hint that he would still be available at 20.”Bruener wasn’t the only one who thought Fautanu wouldn't be available at 20.
Most predictions placed Fautanu in the 10-15 range. In an April 30 interview with 950 KJR , Fautanu stated he believes he fell in the draft after another team revealed his injury history. “As a scout, you need to do your job and verify your information with your contacts to ensure its accuracy,” Bruener explained.Despite those reports, Bruener confirmed the team was confident in what they observed throughout the pre-draft process.
“He was a player that I strongly advocated for. When we assess our players, we have various evaluators. Our assistant general manager assessed him. We had other area scouts and over-the-top scouts. He was evaluated by numerous people, and he played football in a way that aligns with our standards at the Steelers. We were very fortunate and pleased to have him as a Steeler.”
Bruener: Steelers Greeted Fautanu “the Husky way”
As per Bruener, a car service usually receives prospects at Pittsburgh International Airport prior to their pre-draft visits.
Fautanu’s flight was scheduled to arrive late the night before his pre-draft visit with the Steelers. However, Bruener informed the team that the car service would not be necessary and personally picked him up.
“He’s a Husky. We need to welcome him the right way,” Bruener explained. “So, all the restaurants are closed because it’s late. I get him a few hamburgers. He looks in the car and asks, ‘wait, is that for me?’ I replied ‘yes, you’re going to be hungry.’ He said ‘oh man, this is great.’ I said ‘we’ve got to welcome you the Husky way!'”
Fautanu’s tie with the Steelers goes beyond his connection to the Bruener family.
The offensive lineman grew up as a Steelers fan and admired Troy Polamalu.
“Watching (Polamalu), you get to understand what the Steelers are about,” Fautanu expressed in his introductory press conference on April 27. “How they play football, what their brand of football is. I integrated that into my own game. What comes to mind when I think of the Steelers is gritty. I think of working the trenches, things that aren’t visible, but I take seriously because it’s part of my job. It's an amazing organization. I’m thrilled to be a part of it.”
When the Pittsburgh Steelers officially presented their first-round pick Troy Fautanu at a press conference on April 27, team owner Art Rooney II promptly acknowledged one of the team’s scouts. a Steelers fan and idolized Troy Polamalu.
“Watching (Polamalu), you kind of get to see what the Steelers are about,” Fautanu said in his introductory press conference on April 27. “How they play football, what their brand of football is. I kind of just took that and put it into my own game. You know what I mean? What I think of when I think of the Steelers, I think of gritty. I think of working the trenches, stuff that you don’t see, but I take personal because it’s part of my job. It’s an awesome organization. I’m just so happy to be a part of it.”
