The Pittsburgh Steelers snag Indiana championship-winning fullback/tight end Riley Nowakowski in the fifth round of the NFL Draft.
The Pittsburgh Steelers went for a player with a championship pedigree by selecting Indiana fullback/tight end Riley Nowakowski on Saturday in the fifth round of the NFL Draft.
That championship run was fueled in part by Nowakowski, who started all 16 games for Indiana last season. The 6-foot-2, 250-pounder caught a career-high 32 passes for 387 yards and two touchdowns, and scored one-yard rushing TDs on both his carries.
Building on that success, Nowakowski impacted the College Football Playoff championship game by scoring the first touchdown on a plunge against Miami. He was named third-team All-Big Ten tight end after five seasons at conference rival Wisconsin.
After playing in the East-West Shrine Game, Nowakowski ran 4.66 seconds in the 40-yard dash and posted a vertical jump of 33 ½ inches at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Nowakowski appeared in 40 games over five seasons with the Badgers, starting 10. He played four games as a freshman reserve in 2020 before redshirting, and totaled 18 receptions for 131 yards and one touchdown at Wisconsin.
Given his well-rounded background, the Steelers value Nowakowski's versatility, as he can line up at the line of scrimmage or in the backfield.
"He's shown on tape that he has the ability to navigate through the backfield," Pittsburgh running backs coach Ramon Chinyoung Sr. said. "But the young man plays with grit. At the end of the day, it's all about will. You've got to be willing to go hunt. He's done a lot of great things on tape. He's growing as a backfield blocker. I can't wait to get to work with him."
In addition to his athletic achievements, Nowakowski earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Wisconsin and pursued graduate studies in business analytics at Indiana.
As a senior at Marquette University High School in Milwaukee, Nowakowski won the John Anderson Award as Wisconsin’s top prep linebacker. He was first-team all-state with 126 tackles, including 29 for loss, and added three sacks, four forced fumbles, and two interceptions. He also lettered in basketball and track.
Nowakowski was with family and friends when he learned the Steelers had drafted him.
"It was just a very emotional moment, just all the hard work that's gone in throughout the years, all these people here that have supported me throughout the year," Nowakowski said. "Just being able to celebrate with them and hear my name called is definitely something special.”