Former OL Chris Schleuger remembers being released right after visiting his family: “I’ll probably be right behind you on the street”

Training camp begins in a few weeks, an exciting time for the players on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster. The young players in particular will now officially feel like they’re in the NFL, even though most have been under contract for months. Full contact, game planning, going to the stadium to play against other teams. And all of this while taking full advantage of their opportunity to make the roster. There will be surprises and favorites, and someone we’re not talking about yet will emerge. But the harsh reality is that most will be cut. That’s the story of offensive lineman Chris Schleuger, who had a cup of coffee with the team six years ago.

Schleuger, who still plays football, joined the BC Lions On Tap podcast earlier this month to talk about his time with Pittsburgh, and more specifically, how his time with the Steelers ended.

“My mom came to the Tennessee Titans game,” he told the show. “She drove there. After the game, I didn’t have a good feeling. I thought, ‘I’ll probably be right behind you on the street.’ They let me out at 3 o’clock. After that, I drove home.”

After going undrafted out of UAB, Schleuger signed with the Steelers following the 2018 NFL Draft. This was a dream not only for himself, but also for his family, as his father was a fan of the black and gold.

“It was a dream come true. Because my dad is a Steelers fan. My brother is a Steelers fan. We have Steelers curtains in the house. My dad got to go to the Eagles (preseason) game, and I’m grateful for that… I was just lucky to have that opportunity.”

He stuck it out all summer and all four preseason games, even though playing time was tough to come by. Here’s what we wrote about him after camp, after going through our notes.

“It’s always tough being a backup. You just don’t get a lot of reps, you don’t make mistakes and you don’t get to show the coaches your talent. (Teammate Joseph Cheek) was in the same boat. Schleuger showed the toughness I saw on tape at Northern Iowa and UAB, but beyond that he just didn’t stand out much. Country Strong is pretty much all I have to say. I don’t like his chances of making the practice squad. Maybe if he gets hurt he can come back.”

He was officially released by the team on August 31, which technically happened after the team’s last home game against the Carolina Panthers. Whether it was the game against the Titans or the Panthers, the result was the same. Schleuger became a free agent and had to look for work while enduring the bitter pill of being released for the first time.

“It was hard. I sat at home and pondered a bit, like everyone would. But at some point I pulled myself together and said, we’ll do whatever we want. If I can play, I can play.”

To his credit, he has accomplished a lot. He has been playing in the Canadian Football League since 2018. Most of that time was with the Montreal Alouettes, where he was on the roster from 2019 to 2022. But in 2023, he signed a two-year contract with the Lions. He spent most of the season as a reserve player, but made one start in Week 10.

Schleuger was upset but never bitter about the Steelers releasing him, calling the opportunity an “incredible opportunity,” one that furthered his football career and likely helped him gain even more notoriety in the CFL.

He has played many different positions in his career. He was a running back in high school, a guard in college, and went back and forth between the NFL and CFL during the same series. Going undrafted in 2018 and still playing professional football is no small feat. It’s an accomplishment his parents should be proud of.