The joker is a guard
Never a dull moment with ‘ Bruiser’
The 6- foot- 4, 302- pound Garrett “Bruiser” Brumfield stops to chat on his way out from grabbing lunch in the cafeteria at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe.
“Wow,” Brumfield says, taking off his headphones and closing his to- go box, “this is my first interview as a professional football player.”
Looking forward to it? “Ohhh, I’ve been waiting on this moment for a minute,” Brumfield replies. “I didn’t see myself not being prepared, so let me think.”
It’s not often you can catch Brumfield speechless, even as an undrafted rookie who’s just trying to keep his head in the playbook as he competes at guard for the Steelers in his first NFL training camp. He loves to talk, loves to joke and loves his hometown of Baton Rouge, La., where he played his college ball at LSU.
It won’t be easy to play his pro ball in Pittsburgh. The Steelers have perhaps the most solidified guard tandem in the NFL in David DeCastro and Ramon Foster. Behind them, a versatile fifth- year veteran and occasional starter, B. J. Finney.
“I understand that they have a core of old guys. I’m not oblivious to that,” said Brumfield, a two- year starter at LSU. “You can look around and count, do the math, do the numbers. If I can just get on the squad and contribute to the best of my abilities, just keep developing, keep learning, keep growing, then one day I will be one of those guys.”
But while Brumfield faces an uphill climb, the universe threw him some sort of sign in March — at a 7- Eleven, of all places. Brumfield and former Florida State lineman Derrick Kelly were getting gas after a workout in Davie, Fla., when Brumfield looked over and saw … well, one of the Pouncey brothers. He grew up loving the late- 2000s Florida Gators, but he couldn’t tell if it was Mike or Maurkice.
Being that he’s admittedly not- at- all bashful, Brumfield approached him, told him who he was, and it turned out it was the longtime Steelers center. Maurkice posed for a photo with Brumfield and Kelly, told the two to keep working hard and not stress their futures, then they went their separate ways. Less than two months later, Brumfield signed with the Steelers after the draft, and was happy to see that Pouncey remembered him once he got to town.
“Shows you just how small the world is,” Brumfield said.
Pouncey might have been one of Brumfield’s role models growing up, but it’s Foster who’s his NFL blueprint. An undrafted free agent out of the Southeastern Conference himself in 2009, Foster made the team out of training camp and now enters his 11th season, on the heels of signing a twoyear contract extension.
Foster’s message to the third- team left guard is clear: You’ll always have a chance to prove yourself in this organization.
“If he’s a fighter, if he’s a guy who understands the game, gets smarter year by year and continues to evolve as a player, he has a shot here. And I truly believe that,” Foster said. “He’s super athletic. He’s definitely smarter than what we were when we came in. … I tell him all the time, this is your opportunity to earn six figures out of college. That doesn’t happen. I’m excited for him. I like the kid a whole lot, man. He not only gets football, he gets the surrounding parts of football, too.”
Jerald Hawkins, fighting for his own roster spot with the Steelers, spent two years in the offensive line room with Brumfield at LSU. But he’s another Louisiana native who has known him longer than that, and knows that passion pairs with the personality.
“I like it, because he comes to work with it,” Hawkins said with a laugh. “He doesn’t shy away from the work, so that’s always been a great attitude by him.”
It doesn’t take long for teammates to come up with a quick “Bruiser” story. At camp a few days ago, a group of the offensive linemen were standing outside their dorm rooms, just shooting the breeze. One went back inside to use the restroom and, well, fellow rookie Damian Prince can take it from here.
“Bruisey started freaking out,” said Prince, a longtime friend of Brumfield through recruiting camps over the years. “He’s like, ‘ Where did he go? What happened to him? I didn’t see him leave.’ He started hollering about how he got abducted by aliens or something.
“That’s always him. He’s always making a joke out of nothing.”
According to Prince, Brumfield isn’t just “one of” the funniest guys he’s played with; he’s No. 1.
“When I first got here in May, I didn’t want to be too vocal,” Brumfield explained. “I’m an undrafted guy, so, be seen, not heard. But also, I’m going to be myself.”
He breaks into a wide grin with that one. Brumfield will get his first opportunity to show his worth on the field Friday night in the preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Heinz Field, but he’s also looking forward to next week, when the team has its annual rookie talent show.
Of course he has something up his sleeve — maybe literally. Brumfield boasts of skills in magic, card tricks and “sleight of hand” that he’s eager to display.
“That’s going to be the moment that everybody is aware,” Brumfield said. “All hands on deck, everybody paying attention, Garrett Brumfield’s about to steal the show.”