Bruener Has Big Appetite for NFL and Fast Food 

by Bo Marchionte
@bomarchionte | College2Pro.com
Published September 4, 2025, 5:29 PM

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – For Carson Bruener, Sunday in New Jersey will be a milestone. The Steelers rookie linebacker isn’t just making his NFL debut at MetLife Stadium against the Jets, he’s finally stepping into a world he’s been eyeing since childhood.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Bruener said this week. “They always tell you that first year is the longest of your life, and it’s felt like that. You go through so much to prepare, and now it’s finally here. That’s what makes it so exciting.”

Bruener’s name was called in the seventh round of April’s draft, but for him, simply making the 53-man roster never felt like a question. His father, Mark, played 14 seasons in the league including a stretch with the Steelers and now works in the organization’s scouting department. The chance encounters in Latrobe during camp, or grabbing lunch together on the South Side, gave the rookie a rare level of comfort in a new city far from home.

“Coming from about 30 minutes outside Seattle, being this far away was a big adjustment,” Bruener said. “Just having him around was a big help. Even just sitting down for lunch, or having my little brother here for a stretch, that made things feel a little more like home.”

That doesn’t mean Bruener is caught up in nostalgia on game day. Asked if he thinks about his dad while playing, he shook his head.

“I’m too focused,” he said. “It’s just about my job, my responsibility, and the next play.”

Off the field, the 22-year-old shows his lighter side. He laughs about what happens after he sheds close to eight pounds in a single game. His recovery plan isn’t complicated: eat everything in sight.

“Taco Bell, McDonald’s, sushi. Whatever it is, I’ll take it,” he said. After Pittsburgh’s final preseason game, he rattled off a list. “Chick-fil-A 30-piece nuggets, a couple sandwiches, sushi, s’mores. I was starving.”

That blend of discipline and indulgence makes Bruener relatable a young pro adjusting to the grind of his first season, while leaning on family ties and celebrating the small wins with big meals. This Sunday, his appetite will be focused on something bigger an NFL debut he’s been chasing since those childhood days watching his dad in Houston.

Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com