The Pittsburgh Steelers are in good hands, but they'll be missing their former head man.
Former General Manager Kevin Colbert kept his head down during his 22-year run with the Steelers, and with new front office manager Omar Khan taking the reins, it's gotten Steeler Nation to reflect back on Colbert's time with the team. A quiet, humble, smart man with incredible football instinct and a willing devotion to always build through the draft, Colbert served as a stopgap measure to any other front office personnel who were ready to throw money into the free agent pit and acquire big stars. After all, the Steelers are one of the largest brands in professional sports: why not leverage it?
Kevin Colbert and Omar Khan. | TribLIVE
Colbert had a different idea; it was precisely because they didn't waste money on big names that they were so prominent in the sports world. Instead, the team would develop slowly and under the radar, becoming home-grown champions twice during his tenure. In 22 years with the team, you would be hard pressed to find more than 2-3 seasons where any draft picks didn't pan out into impact-level players.
A Pittsburgh native, Colbert would travel around the league in various positions before returning home in 2000, including stints with the Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Once back in his roots, though, Colbert would play an instrumental role in drafting some of the most impactful players in the history of the NFL, as well as cult favorites within the limits of Pittsburgh.
He hit the ground running in 2000. Over just five seasons, Colbert would play a huge part in drafting superstars like Plaxico Burress, Heath Miller, Troy Polamalu, Casey Hampton, Antwaan Randle El, Brett Keisel (who was a seventh rounder, by the way), Larry Foote, and, of course, Ben Roethlisberger. These men would develop into core players for the franchise alongside already established starters like Hines Ward and Joey Porter, all thanks to Kevin Colbert's eye for football.
He also played the largest role in hiring longtime Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin in 2007, not that he needed any more feathers in his cap.
Over the following years, Colbert didn't slow down, adding a beautiful mix of offensive and defensive players into the lineup for Steeler Nation to revel over. Not only would this continue the Steelers legacy as one of the most consistently productive teams in the entire league, it also drove the franchise to three Super Bowl appearances, winning two of them.
Photo via Twitter: @Steelers
Players like Santonio Holmes, Lawrence Timmons, Maurkice Pouncey, Emmanuel Sanders, William Gay (a coveted fifth round steal), and LaMarr Woodley would serve as starters for years following the 2009 Super Bowl run, leading into the modern age of Steelers football.
Colbert had many years under his belt at this point, but still his eye for football talent never faltered. Over the next decade leading into his retirement, Kevin Colbert would continue to pump out incredible unseen talent, recording hit after hit and providing Ben Roethlisberger and company plenty of firepower along the way, like with sixth round pick Antonio Brown or Michigan State star, Le'Veon Bell.
But Colbert's bread and butter during this time was on the defensive side of the ball. Phenoms like Cameron Heyward, Ryan Shazier, Stephon Tuitt and TJ Watt all found their way into the black and gold. Throw in Minkah Fitzpatrick through an extremely rare first round trade later on, and the Steelers had a defensive core that would stand the test of time (minus the brutal career-ending injury to Shazier).
Toward the end of his career, Colbert managed to snag multiple offensive starters, as the defense would be shored up for years to come. Players like JuJu Smith-Shuster, Diontae Johnson, David DeCastro and the fan-favorite Najee Harris, the Steelers were setting up shop for a nice run before Colbert decided to hang it up.
Father time was calling for Kevin Colbert after 22 seasons. Announcing his retirement following the 2022 NFL Draft, Colbert gave the franchise one final gift: a first round quarterback. Since 2004, Colbert never needed to worry about the signal-caller for the offense. But now, he left the club where they had been early on in his career: holding onto a wide-eyed rookie who made huge splashes in college. Pitt QB Kenny Pickett might be the future of the team; Colbert certainly thinks so.
Photo via Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Kevin Colbert served as the brains behind one of the most successful organizations in football over the last two decades. With two Super Bowl rings, 18 straight winning seasons, and one of the greatest quarterbacks this game has ever seen, Colbert shaped the Steelers to be who they are today. And now, with many unknowns ahead, Steeler Nation has to put their trust in Omar Khan, a man who has been close to Colbert since he joined the team and seems to exemplify Colbert's principles. Stick to the draft, develop from within, and win like hell.
After all, if it ain't broke, don't fix it- That's the Colbert standard.
