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With this year's NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, the Steelers took every opportunity to make their first-round pick a show.
At the start of the broadcast and again at the time of their first-round pick, the Steelers brought in legends. At the microphone was NFL Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis. He is one of four guest pickers announced ahead of time for the Steelers.
But that wasn't all for Pittsburgh, as "Renegade" by Styx played before its first-round pick as well, a song with a special meaning for Steelers fans.
Here's what to know about all of the showmanship from Pittsburgh's Round 1 choice.
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Steelers crowd goes crazy for 'Renegade', Jerome Bettis
During the fourth quarter of every home game, "Renegade" is a surefire to energize the home crowd. So when Pittsburgh was ready to announce its first-round pick in 2026, they used the same strategy to energize the crowd once again.
The Steelers also brought in a slew of stars at the beginning of the night, including Jerome Bettis at the microphone, alongside Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann, Hines Ward, Ben Roethlisberger and more. When it came to announcing the pick itself, Bettis brought the enthusiasm that matched the moment.
He announced Max Iheanachor as the Steelers' first-round pick at No. 21 overall.
MORE: Tracking every Steelers pick in the 2026 NFL Draft
Why do Steelers play 'Renegade'?
"Renegade" has played in the fourth quarter of Steelers home games since 2002, and has become a sort of late-game anthem in Pittsburgh. It began during a playoff game in January 2002, when the Steelers' crew put the Styx song on the video board and it turned around the stadium energy.
The Steelers went on to make a dramatic comeback, and from there, the tradition was set in stone. Now the song plays at every Steelers home game, and this year's draft was no exception.
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