JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Max Hurleman couldn't fight the urge. After scoring for the first time in a Pittsburgh Steelers uniform, he had to pull out the acrobatics.
Out of the slot on a 1st-and-Goal from the Jacksonville Jaguars ' 4-yard line, the undrafted rookie receiver beat Jabbar Muhammad to the flat and slid to catch a late-second-quarter touchdown pass from Skylar Thompson .
Hurleman popped up, spun the football and showcased a backflip .
"It was a thought," Hurleman said afterward. "It was definitely a thought. … It was somewhat of a thought, somewhat spontaneous. Just, when you're in the moment, you're super excited, sometimes you gotta do a backflip."
A play earlier, Hurleman pulled in a 26-yard catch on a seam route. Jaguars safety Darnell Savage didn't let him go without a good pop.
"Definitely felt that one a little bit," Hurleman said. "Skylar did a great job of trying to protect me and to throw me back a little bit. I also didn't do myself the biggest favor there. I was a little tight on my landmark, but Skylar definitely helped me out, threw a great ball and I was fortunate to come down with it.
"The first big hit of a game, it's always (like), 'Oh, OK, here we go. We're playing ball.' It hurts in the moment, but you kind of lick your lips and keep going."
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Max Hurleman makes a catch at training camp on Aug. 3, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Hurleman was buried on the Steelers' initial depth chart, listed behind everyone but Ke'Shawn Williams and Lance McCutcheon . The Notre Dame product was pleased with how things turned out in his first NFL exhibition.
"It was pretty awesome," Hurleman said. "It was definitely a very nice moment. Just trusting your training, trusting your coaches, trusting your teammates and trusting the process to work out. It's a really beautiful thing when it does."
Alan Saunders provided reporting from Jacksonville, Fla.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers Rookie Breaks Out Eye-Popping Celebration after Touchdown
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