Nestor Doing His Best Too Impress

by Bo Marchionte
@bomarchionte | College2Pro.com
Published June 10, 2025, 6:37 PM

Pittsburgh, PA – In between the mayhem of a four-time league MVP in Aaron Rodgers looking to rekindle his greatness and bring postseason success back to Pittsburgh, other players like Doug Nestor are working their tails off to just embrace the opportunity to take their first NFL snap in a real game.

It made me want to revisit a post from last week.

Last week during Steelers OTAs, a simple video posted on X (formerly Twitter) sparked a surprising wave of attention. It featured undrafted offensive lineman Nestor a 6’7″, 306 pounds of raw potential powering through reps on the sled with undeniable aggression and precision. The clip went viral, and with good reason.

“Yeah, I saw the tweet and everything,” Nestor said with a grin. “I was, you know, kind of a little bit blown back by the responses.”

The buzz wasn’t manufactured. It was a genuine response to something football fans instinctively know when they see it effort, talent, and a little underdog magic. And in Hestor’s case, it’s been a long time coming.

Originally from West Virginia by way of Virginia Tech, Hestor began carving out his football legacy early. As a freshman at Tech, he started 10 games at right guard and earned PFF College All-Freshman Honorable Mention. Over his collegiate career, he appeared in 57 games with 52 starts, an anchor on the offensive line. He went on to participate in both the East-West Shrine Game and the Hula Bowl, showcasing his talents in front of NFL scouts.

Despite the résumé, Nestor went undrafted in 2024. He spent last summer grinding through camp with the Minnesota Vikings before landing in Pittsburgh, where he’s been a consistent presence on the Steelers’ practice squad.

“Luckily, still here with the Steelers,” Nestor said. “That was, you know, from week one of last year. So, it’s huge for me not having to relearn everything in the offense but being able to dive deeper into it now. That’s what I’ve been trying to do. Learn the offense better, perfect my game, and get better as we go through Phase One, Phase Two, OTAs everything like that.”

What the video didn’t show, but those close to the organization already know, is that Hestor is far from just a one-hit OTA wonder. He’s built a reputation internally for working at his craft daily, blending physical tools with a high football IQ and humility.

“I just gotta prove to them that they can trust me to put me in there,” he said. “That’s what I’m trying to do show them they can trust me. Being here for a while now, I’m not a deer in headlights anymore. There’s a comfort level now.”

Nestor describes himself as especially stout in the run game. “Can move guys really well,” he said. “Pass pro needed improvement and that’s what I’ve been working on this whole time I’ve been here. Having guys like Zach [Frazier] and Troy [Fautanu] to help me those guys are tremendous. They help me develop every day.”

Those daily battles, against high-drafted rookies and seasoned pros, are sharpening Hestor into a player on the brink. For now, he’s still waiting on his shot in a regular-season NFL game. Whether in Pittsburgh or one of the 31 other NFL cities, Hestor is positioning himself to seize that moment when it comes.

And when it does, you can expect the same grit that showed up on the sled to show up in the trenches.

Because Nestor isn’t just trying to hang on, he’s trying to earn his way into the NFL one rep at a time. So, when that moment happens most won’t focus on the surreal moment of his own football journey. The announces will glance over his name with couple quick tidbits on where he played college football. But know this, these are those moments when you watch something special.

Nestor getting that first NFL snap in a real game, will pretty damn awesome. 

Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com