Bama in the NFL: Minkah Fitzpatrick Setting New Standard With Pittsburgh Steelers
He can laugh about it now. At least a lot more than the time in question. But former Alabama Crimson Tide standout defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick recently made an admission about his first few games with the Pittsburgh Steelers back in 2019, and something that most people assumed but never knew for sure.
He didn't know the playbook. Like at all. How could he?
"They said you got the post, you got the blitz, and you got the flat and that was it," he recently said on the Not Just Football With Cam Heyward podcast. "That's all I knew. That's it. I was learning as we were going."
Now for the explanation, and context. Even though the Steelers have had tremendous success over the years, it was mostly without a lot of help from Crimson Tide players. Until running back Najee Harris in 2022, the program's lone first-round draft selection out of Alabama was fullback Butch Avinger in 1951, and he never played a regular-season down for Pittsburgh.
Deshea Townsend defied the odds for years at cornerback, from 1998-2009, and both Anthony Madison and Levi Wallace have sort of followed suit at the position.
But the player who changed things in that respect, just like he helped changed the attitude of the Steelers defense, was Fitzpatrick. The three-time All-Pro may be the best safety in the NFL.
However, he wasn't drafted buy the Steelers. After winning the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation's top defender, the Jim Thorpe Award as the most outstanding defensive back, and winning his second national championship in 2017, he was selected No. 11-overall by the Miami Dolphins.
Despite starting the season as a backup, and then being inserted at free safety, he finished his rookie season with 80 total tackles (51 solo), two interceptions, and nine passes defended. But Fitzpatrick didn't think he was being used to the best of his ability, or like the direction of the team, and after the 59-10 loss to the Ravens to open the 2019 season he asked for a trade. A week later he made six tackles and recovered a fumble, but the Dolphins were crushed by the Patriots, 43-0.
So the Dolphins traded him to the Steelers for essentially a 2020 first-round pick (they swapped four other picks), and Pittsburgh immediately plugged him into the lineup for the Week 3 game against the 49ers. He had an interception, a forced fumble and five tackles.
Now, at age 26, he's been named All-Pro as many times as Donnie Shell. A fourth time would tie Troy Polamalu, and a fifth would match Rod Woodson's five, trying him for the most of any Steelers safety. The overall franchise record is six, by Nick Saban's former college teammate at Kent State, Jack Lambert, along with Jack Ham, Dermontti Dawson, and Alan Faneca. The record of 10 Pro Bowl selections by Mean Joe Green might be a little tougher to match, but one never knows.
"When you have a guy come in that demands a lot of attention and respect, it helps the unit as a whole," defensive lineman T.J. Watt said. "When one guy is creating all those turnovers, you get that blood in the water and it makes everybody around them better and that much more hungry to make turnovers and make plays. I think we've all just been feeding off each other for these past four or five years."
Bama in the NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers
The Franchise
American Football Conference
North Division
Team Colors: Black and Gold
Founded: 1933, the fifth-oldest franchise in the National Football League was originally known as the Pittsburgh Pirates (1933-39).
Stadium: Acrisure Stadium (capacity 68,400)
Playing Surface: Natural Grass
Training Camp: Saint Vincent College
All-Time Alabama Players
Includes Pittsburgh Pirates
- Ryan Anderson, OLB, 2022
- Buddy Aydelette, OT, 1987
- Mark Barron, DB, 2019
- Fernando Bryant, DB, 2008
- Isaiah Buggs, DT, 2019 - 2021
- Tom Calvin, RB, 1952 - 1955
- Jackie Cline, DE, 1987
- Russ Craft, DB/RB, 1954
- Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, 2019 - 2021
- Preston Gothard, TE, 1985 - 1988
- Najee Harris, RB, 2021 - 2022
- J. C. Hassenauer, C, 2019 - 2022
- Tony Holm, RB/LB, 1933
- Bobby Luna, DB, 1959
- Anthony Madison, DB, 2006 - 2008, 2009 - 2010
- Freddie Milons, WR, 2003
- Norm Mosley, RB, 1948
- Ben Smith, OE/DE, 1934 - 1935
- Deshea Townsend, DB, 1998 - 2009
- Levi Wallace, CB, 2022
Crimson Tide Drafted Players
Year | Player | Pos. | Round | Pick | Overall |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1940 | Cary Cox | C | 11 | 3 | 93 |
1948 | John Wozniak | G | 5 | 9 | 34 |
1949 | Bob Hood | E | 10 | 5 | 96 |
1951 | Clarence "Butch" Avinger | B | 1 | 9 | |
1951 | MIke Mizerany | G | 14 | 6 | 165 |
1951 | Tommy Calvin | B | 25 | 7 | 298 |
1952 | Bobby Wilson | B | 26 | 5 | 305 |
1955 | George Mason | T | 5 | 5 | 54 |
1956 | Jim Emmons | T | 14 | 2 | 159 |
1956 | Wes Thompson | T | 29 | 3 | 340 |
1977 | Paul Harris | LB | 6 | 20 | 159 |
1991 | Efrum Thomas | CB | 11 | 18 | 296 |
1998 | Deshea Townsend | CB | 4 | 25 | 117 |
2018 | Joshua Frazier | DT | 7 | 28 | 246 |
2019 | Isaiah Buggs | DT | 6 | 19 | 192 |
2021 | Najee Harris | RB | 1 | 24 | 24 |
Super Bowl Appearances
Super Bowl XL (Feb. 5, 2006)
Cornerback Deshea Townsend had six tackles, including a big stop of fullback Mack Strong just shy of a first down, as the Steelers limited the Seahawks' big plays en route to a 31-10 victory. Shaun Alexander had 20 carries, 95 yards, but did not find the end zone for Seattle.
Super Bowl XLIII (Feb. 1, 2009)
Townsend had three tackles and Anthony Madison two, both as reserves, as Pittsburgh topped Arizona 27-23. Fernando Bryant was also on the Steelers. After the Cardinals scored 16 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to take the lead, the Steelers countered with a game-winning drive and Ben Roethlisberger's 6-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds left.
Super Bowl XLV (Feb. 6, 2011)
Madison made two tackles as a reserve, but Aaron Rodgers connected on three touchdown passes as the Packers beat the Steelers, 31-25. Rodgers threw for 304 yards to be named game MVP.
Major Awards/Honors
All-Pro
Minkah Fitzpatrick (3): 2019, 2020, 2022
Pro Bowl
Minkah Fitzpatrick (3): 2019, 2020, 2022
Najee Harris (1): 2021
NFL interceptions co-leader (2022): Minkah Fitzpatrick
Crimson Tide NFL Rundown: Pittsburgh Steelers
In conjunction with our revamped Bama in the NFL Database, this is the 27th story in a series examining the team-by-team history of Alabama's former players in the NFL.
AFC
- Baltimore Ravens
- Buffalo Bills
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
- Denver Broncos
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Miami Dolphins
- New England Patriots
- New York Jets
NFC
- Arizona Cardinals
- Atlanta Falcons
- Carolina Panthers
- Chicago Bears
- Dallas Cowboys
- Detroit Lions
- Green Bay Packers
- Los Angeles Rams
- Minnesota Vikings
- New Orleans Saints
- New York Giants
- Philadelphia Eagles
See Also:
Bama in the NFL: The Ultimate Crimson Tide Database
Bama in the NFL: Active Alabama Crimson Tide Players by Team