Their bond extends well beyond the field but has long been forged via football.
Counting different iterations of age groups over the early portions of the past 15-20 years, who knows by now exactly how many teams that both Alex Tecza and Eli Heidenreich have played for?
This weekend, one more was added to the list: the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Teammates growing up in the Mt. Lebanon youth program through winning a PIAA championship together in high school and at the college level for the Naval Academy, Tecza and Heidenreich were in the familiar position of running reps as part of the same football practice Saturday at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
“I’m getting sick of him,” Tecza said after Saturday’s session, failing to keep his straight face long.
“No, I’m joking. It’s pretty cool. We grew up playing here for camps and stuff. So it’s definitely a full-circle moment for me and definitely him. I know he’s been here (at the indoor facility on the South Side shared by Pitt and the Steelers) a bunch of times. So I feel like it’s just right, us sticking together for all these years since first grade, I think it’s only right that we try out for the same team. So, it’s pretty cool.”
Technically, this weekend’s rookie minicamp is no tryout for Heidenreich. As a draft pick, he’ll soon have his contract signed — complete with signing bonus — and a guaranteed opportunity at training camp and during preseason games.
For Tecza, though, the possibility exists Saturday brings an abrupt end to a football career that has featured a spot on the Trib Terrific 25 all-star team and three years as a starter for Navy. A running back, Tecza had 2,236 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns in college.
The Steelers, like most NFL teams, have signed players off rookie tryouts. But Tecza, while hopeful, recognizes the odds were against him.
“And I’m definitely satisfied with that,” he said. “The fact that I just got an opportunity to prove myself is all I wanted. I feel like I definitely put my best foot forward, but it’s not up to me from this point. And I can only pray and wait. So I was just happy to get the opportunity. This is my hometown team and a dream come true.”