LISTEN: Phidarian Mathis and Najee Harris Have Special Bond

This week in our “Steelers NFL Draft Series,” we were joined by Alabama defensive tackle Phil Mathis (listen above). Mathis, a projected 2nd round pick in the upcoming draft, said that Steelers RB Najee Harris had reached out to him this past season to catch up. Considering they spent four years together on the Crimson Tide, it’s safe to say they have a strong relationship - one that extends to off-the-field services.

In late August of 2020, Alabama student athletes marched with coaches and supporters in a unified movement against racial injustices and police brutality. It was led by Crimson Tide Head Coach Nick Saban. The march came shortly after the unlawful shooting of Jacob Blake, then at the time a 29 year old black man who was shot seven times in the back in Kenosha, Wisconsin - leaving him paralyzed. 

"Sports has always created a platform for social change," said Saban. 

"Through this process I've learned a lot from our players. I don't get to see the world through the same lens that a lot of our players do and I respect and appreciate the lens that they see the world in, live the world in."

Harris, a senior captain RB, and Mathis, a junior captain on the defensive line, were two of the players that spearheaded the march. 

An excerpt from Bama Central:

“The march began at the Mal Moore Athletics Facility before moving down Paul W. Bryant Drive. The march then turned left onto Hackberry Lane and ended at the main entrance of Foster Auditorium, the same building that former Alabama governor George Wallace stood in front of in 1963 to make his stance known on desegregation.”

Here is a snippet of Harris at the podium: