Frazier’s toughness caught eye of a team hungry for a center
When former West Virginia center Zach Frazier fractured his leg in a late November game against Baylor, it likely cost him a chance to get drafted in the first round of the NFL draft. But what Frazier did after suffering the injury is what endeared him to the Steelers and made him an attractive choice when they selected him in the middle of the secondround Friday night.
Trailing 31-27 with 1:14 left on the clock and no timeouts, Frazier limped off the field after he was injured, avoiding a runoff penalty and saving the Mountaineers precious time they needed later in the drive when they completed the comebackfor a 34-31 victory.
“That’s who he is,” new Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said. “That’s what his resume is. He wasn’t trying to do some dramatic shot for the camera. That’s his history and his body of work. He’s one of the toughest guys I’ve seen on film. He reminds me of Ben Jones. He has a real toughnessabout him.”
Jones played 11 years in the NFL, and Smith coached him when he was the offensive coordinator with the Tennessee Titans. The Steelers are hoping Frazier can be their long-term answer at center after struggling to find a replacement for Maurkice Pouncey over the pastthree seasons.
Kendrick Green was drafted in 2021 and lasted only one season as the starter before he was benched for Mason Cole, who lasted two seasons before he was released in March.
The expectation is for Frazier to compete right away for the starting job.
“It’s rare when you find a guy with his kind of pedigree and his resume,” Smith said. “We couldn’t be more fired up to get Zach in the building.”
The Steelers have been keeping tabs on Frazier since the Senior Bowl in January. Frazier couldn’t practice during the week or play in the game, but he showed up for interviews and first spoke with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin in Mobile, Ala. He also took a top-30 visit to the Steelers twoweeks ago.
Frazier grew up in Fairmont, about 90 minutes south of Pittsburgh, but he grew up a Dolphins fan. His father, Ray, was from Florida and named his son after Hall of Fame linebacker Zach Thomas. Ray Frazier matriculated to West Virginia when he was recruited to play center at Fairmont State, but Zach Frazier didn’t play the position until he got to West Virginia. He was a right guard throughout his high school career in Fairmont.
“My dad coached me in Little League and middle school and even some in highschool,” Frazier said.
Frazier also excelled as a high school wrestler, and he has his mother’s side of the family to thank for his expertise in that sport. His grandfatherand uncles were West Virginia state champions, and Frazier followed in their footsteps as a four-time stateheavyweight champ.
When it comes to offensive line play, there are a lot of similarities with wrestling.
“It helps a lot,” Frazier said. “Every snap is some form of hand-to-hand combat or using leverage, which is what wrestling is. Understanding leverage and how to move people, that’s all an offensivelineman is.”
Smith, a former offensive lineman at North Carolina, appreciates the Steelers using their first two picks on offensive linemen. Frazier heard his name called one night after the Steelers selected Washington tackle Troy Fautanu with their No. 1 pick.
“Any great team I’ve been around, it started up front,” Smith said. “If you want to play the Steelers brand of football, it helps to get the rightguys.
“Every team I’ve been on, you want to win the line of scrimmage. If you want to have a physical team and play with an edge, you need thoseguys up front.”
And while the Steelers won’t hand either a starting job this summer, each will get every opportunity to earn a spot among the starting five. Given the lack of quality depth the Steelers have at tackle and center, this might not be a typical Steelers rookie class that bides its timebehind veterans.
“These guys have played a lot of snaps,” Smith said. “They have a lot of experience. They’re not that green. It will sort itself out. I appreciate the investment. They’re top-end players, and it’s our job to help them reach their potential.”
He’s one of the toughest guys I’ve seen on film. He reminds me of Ben Jones. He has a real toughness about him.”
Arthur Smith, on Zach Frazier, pictured