Steelers Interviewed WVU OL Colton McKivitz

INDIANAPOLIS — West Virginia offensive lineman Colton McKivitz grew up a Steelers fan in the small town of Jacobsburg, Ohio, which is a few miles southwest of Wheeling, West Virginia.

Now, he might be able to join them, as the Steelers have shown interest in drafting the 6-foot-6, 306-pound tackle. McKivitz had a formal interview with Steelers offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett this week at the 2020 NFL Combine.

That’s a long way from a young boy waving a Terrible Towel.

“I was, I was waving the towel,” McKivitz said on Wednesday. “My grandpa was a huge Steelers fans and that’s who I kind of piggybacked off of.

“It’s been a whirlwind. You try and think back on how it all started and where you came from, but everything’s going so fast. The whole journey’s just been a blessing and everything been great so far. Why not stop? I think that’s been the biggest thing and like I said, I could be doing way worse jobs than this. For me it’s another step in the journey of getting to the ultimate goal.”

As part of the process, McKivitz has already gotten to meet one of his Steelers heroes. He’s been working out under the tutelage of former NFL center LeCharles Bentley. For their combine prep, Bentley brought in former Steelers tackle Max Starks, one of McKivitz’s favorites as a young Steelers fan.

“Where we’re training at he did our interview prep and it was kind of a star-struck moment when he walked in and I got to shake his hand and interview with him,” McKivitz said. “For him to walk in there, two super bowls, it was a huge thing for me to meet him and he was kind of a role model sitting there staring at you so it was a cool experience.”

With the Steelers interested in him, the idea that he could one day wear the same Black and Gold he grew up is something that he’s starting to consider.

“It’d be cool,” McKivitz said. “Being a hometown around that area and growing up as a fan, it’d be great.”

Where he fits is yet to be seen. McKivitz played both tackle spots and some guard at West Virginia. He said Sarrett asked him if he’d snapped the ball before, insinuating the Steelers might be looking at him as a versatile option. He has a third-day grade from most draft evaluators.