Jacob Huesman is not viewing Pittsburgh as a steel curtain to his professional football aspirations.
The former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga quarterback flew to Pittsburgh last week for a rookie minicamp with the Steelers. Huesman was hoping to earn a free-agent contract with the six-time Super Bowl champions, but he was not among the four players the Steelers wound up adding to their 90-man roster.
“It was a great, great experience, and I played some of the best football that I ever have,” Huesman said Tuesday. “I felt like a big-time quarterback and that I had a good grasp of the offense. I felt I made all the right reads and made all the right throws. I was very pleased with the way I threw the ball.
“It is a little disappointing and I understand that it’s a business and that they didn’t necessarily have a spot for me, but the way I played has me feeling a little better. I gave it everything I had, so I can rest easy knowing that. I took care of everything that I could control.”
Huesman, who guided the Mocs to three Southern Conference championships and two runs in the FCS playoffs, worked all three days as a quarterback but also competed in several special-teams drills. He practiced twice Friday and twice Saturday before wrapping up with a Sunday morning workout.
The Steelers offered free-agent contracts after the minicamp to running backs Brandon Brown-Dukes and Cameron Stingily, receiver Markus Tucker and cornerback Donald Washington. Pittsburgh had to part ways with four players to make room for the new four, with one of the ousted being former Tennessee running back Rajion Neal.
“I’m sure there will be another opportunity,” said Huesman, who was a guest on “Press Row” on Chattanooga’s ESPN 105.1 FM. “Word travels around the NFL, and this is far from the end of the road as far as football goes for me. I’m going to stay in shape and hopefully hear from some teams here pretty soon.
“As long as I can sign somewhere before training camp, I’ll be in good shape.”
The 6-foot-1, 226-pounder finished his UTC career with 12,248 yards of total offense and 107 total touchdowns, each of those ranking third in Southern Conference history. He ran the 40-yard dash last month at UTC’s pro day in 4.52 seconds, which was faster than any quarterback during February’s NFL combine in Indianapolis.
Should he get another chance with another organization, Huesman believes he can put the Pittsburgh trip to good use.
“I got a feel for how it runs, so if I do get another opportunity, I’ll know exactly what to expect and exactly how to prepare and how to study the playbook,” he said. “I think it was huge to have a weekend of being a part of an NFL offense. It is different and a little more complicated, and coming in and learning the Steelers offense will only help me from here on out.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.