Steelers Nation celebrated the 2025 NFL Draft near and far, taking part in activities the team held in Pittsburgh and beyond to welcome the newest draft class.
The Steelers hosted a Draft Party in Pittsburgh, Mexico City and for the first time Ireland, bringing Steelers Nation together like it's never been done before for the draft.
Fans gathered for the 2025 NFL Draft Party at Stage AE in Pittsburgh on Thursday night, with approximately 1,800 fans taking in all of the excitement of the first round.
Steelers legend Casey Hampton was on hand to greet season ticket holders, while current long snapper Christian Kuntz did a live broadcast of the 'The Christian Kuntz Podcast.'
The highlight of the night, though, was hearing the announcement of the team's No. 1 draft pick, defensive tackle Derrick Harmon.
The Steelers Draft Party in Mexico City at Fronton Bucareli was held on Thursday night, the first time the event took place on the first night of the NFL Draft, with over 500 fans in attendance.
Current Steelers Keeanu Benton and DeShon Elliott and Steelers legend and Super Bowl champion Willie Colon were on hand, as well as Diana Flores, the star quarterback of Mexico's gold medal-winning Women's Flag Football National Team from the 2022 World Games and Women's Flag Football ambassador.
"It's important to do events like this because a lot of people don't have the opportunity to land in Pittsburgh or go to an NFL game," said Colon. "So, if we're able to go to Mexico and put our feet on their soil and really show we're reaching and loving you just as much as you love and reach out to us. I think it just builds a bridge. And I think that's ultimately what fandom is about, building a bridge from individual to individual, from community to community.
"Being a Steeler isn't just about being an ambassador of the organization and the Rooney family and everything that the Steelers culture stands for, it's so much more and expanded into a whole other world and it's awesome. You meet different generations of Steelers fans, and they all are just in love with the black and gold, man, and it's infectious the enthusiasm they have for their organization."
The enthusiasm was electric in Mexico at the event, hosted by Esteban Macias, Alvaro Martin and Arturo Carlos, and for Benton, it was a chance to welcome a new member of the defensive line with a great group of fans.
"The draft party was a lot of fun," said Benton. "It was great getting to meet members of Steelers Nation in Mexico throughout the night. I had heard that Mexico has lots of Steelers fans but to see that love for the team first-hand was amazing."
That type of enthusiasm was also on display at the draft party at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland, where the Steelers will play a regular season game during the 2025 NFL season. Over 300 fans were on hand, enjoying the excitement and the opportunity to win prizes, including 'Dublin 25' jerseys.
Steelers legend Brett Keisel was on hand for the party, greeting fans, signing autographs, announcing a draft pick and just enjoying the Irish culture.
"It was special for me to be there for a number of reasons," said Keisel. "But the biggest reason is Mr. Dan Rooney. He always talked about Ireland, ended up being the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, and spent a few years there going back and forth. He would always say how great the country is, how wonderful the people are, his heritage is from there. It was my first time to Ireland, and it was exciting to get a little bit of that old school culture.
"The Steelers are the world's team and it's evident anytime we travel. It's incredible. We're a historic franchise and I think people really relate to the hardworking people of Pittsburgh and the Rooney family."
