This headline wasn't a headline you expected to read today, "Former Badgers are star Sasquatch hunters in Pittsburgh Steelers schedule release." Yet, the antics around NFL schedule releases have grown every single season for NFL teams. So much so that the Colts had to pull theirs because they didn't have the copywrite to Minecraft usage and had a couple of different moments that could be considered libel. For example, when Tyreek Hill was shown being arrested, or Will Levis was getting run over by a bus.
The Pittsburgh Steelers kept it a little bit safe but arguably way more wacky, with former Badger stars Nick Herbig and Keeanu Benton starring in a nearly six-minute video pretending to be Sasquatch hunters "from their Wisconsin days." Watch it below:
Former Wisconsin players Nick Herbig and Keeanu Benton are actors for the Pittsburgh Steelers schedule release video
Nick Herbig and Keeanu Benton were both selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2023 NFL Draft. Benton was selected in the second round, while Herbig was in the fourth. Both are known to get in the backfield and drop quarterbacks for sacks or runningbacks for loss. In the sketch above for the Steelers, they joke about their goal being "sacking Sasquatch."
The whole skit is very creative and has a twist at the end (which I won't spoil). The former Wisconsin players were funny throughout as they took to their characters, and it was a creative way for the Steelers to announce their schedule for this upcoming season.
Herbig had a really good year for the Steelers last season, with 22 tackles, 5.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. This is a jump up from his rookie season, when he only had three sacks. Benton's stats from his rookie year to his sophomore campaign are identical, with 36 tackles and one sack. The big difference this year is that Benton added an interception to his stat line.
Wisconsin fans will want to see their former players in the fun and hilarious spoof. Watch it above.