Waitman Has Waited Long Enough
by Bo Marchionte
@bomarchionte | College2Pro.com
Published September 19, 2025, 10:16 AM
Pittsburgh, PA – In the midst of the Steelers loss last week to the Seattle Seahawks, their punter got a hold of one and knock it to the moon. While watching the carnage of their offense and defense, I told myself.
In a locker room with an offense that ranks near the bottom half of the NFL in yards (6th) and a defense that ranks 4th in yards allowed, it only seemed fitting to talk to one of the few bright spots on the Steelers roster – Corliss Waitman.
Because when everything feels like it’s sliding sideways, sometimes the best conversation you can find is with the punter.
Waitman’s path has been unconventional from the start. Born in Ghent, Belgium, he moved through South Alabama and then transferred to Mississippi State only to find out a week before the season that he couldn’t play due to credit transfer rules. For a specialist with no tape in his final season of college, it felt like a door slamming shut.
“I transferred to Mississippi State, first year the portal was open, there’s a lot of rules and regulations. Because I think we all know why. It’s a lot of things going on. They weren’t on the portal at first, so I didn’t get to play my final year because of credit transfers. A week before the season, I got told I can’t play. I thought it would be over for me, because usually specialists, you’re not gonna sit out and get drafted or picked up. So I thought it was over.”
Still, he kept grinding, waiting for a shot.
“I still worked out, just in case something would happen, and got a free agent offer here. And ever since, I’ve just been bouncing around and trying to just get my footing. A lot of years, guys get drafted, and it’s kind of hard to compete with drafted guys because, you know, it’s a draft pick. So, you just got to battle through. If you love the game, you keep going. If you don’t love it, you would quit. And I love the game.”
That love carried into Latrobe, where Waitman outlasted the competition and seized the job after Cameron Johnston signed in the offseason landed on IR. Winning that battle doesn’t mean comfort.
It means the fight just shifts to Sundays.
“NFL is a battle every day. Fair enough, people say it’s week to week, but the biggest is day to day. You don’t produce, you can’t be mad if another plan is being made. So, it’s a battle every single day, every day we practice, and every week we play a game. You got to put good shit out there,” said Waitman.
His first connection to punting wasn’t destiny, just opportunity.
“I grew up playing basketball. They just needed a kicker. My high school had a senior kicker, and they were looking for somebody for next year. My head coach had me try out, and I made the team. So, it kind of went quick. I went to a couple camps that summer and got ranked. I was like, damn, I’m actually better than I thought I was.”
From there, the late-bloomer tag followed.
“The guys I trained with, they punted since they were like seventh, eighth grade. That’s why I realized every year I feel like I’m still getting better. I started later than these guys, so I’m definitely still late blooming. I feel like I’m still getting better each and every year, and that’s what I want to continue to do.”
By the time he hit the Kohl’s kicking camps, the trajectory was clear, even if the path would take years of persistence and patience.
“I think I went to two camps, and yeah, it went pretty quick. I haven’t thought about it, like, that’s actually kind of a crazy journey, but hopefully inspire some other people to keep going.”
For a franchise defined by its defense and running game, the punter doesn’t usually earn the spotlight. But Waitman’s story from Belgium to South Alabama, from NCAA red tape to bouncing around the league, from an afterthought to leading the NFL in punts in 2022 is one of the few bright spots the Steelers can point to.
In a season where little feels steady, Pittsburgh has at least found reliability in Waitman’s left leg.
Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com
