Carlton Haselrig, a tremendous athlete who became an All-Pro lineman with the Steelers despite never playing a football game in college, a man who won a record six NCAA wrestling championships for Pitt-Johnstown, passes away unexpectedly

Carlton Haselrig
1966-2020
Photo: Getty Images

… the “Giant Killer"

In 1992, Carlton Haselrig was named an NFL All-Pro offensive guard after a stellar season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. A 12th-round draft pick by the Steelers in 1989 after never playing a down of football in college, he started 36 games for the team from 1990 until 1993 and another 11 for the New York Jets in 1995, according to Pro-Football Reference.

Even more incredible is that he set an NCAA wrestling record that will never be broken. His wrestling career started in high school when he won the PIAA State Championship as a heavyweight despite not having wrestled during the season because Johnstown High School did not have a wrestling program. 

A biography about his life released last year indicated how he accomplished those great feats but then saw his career end because of off-the-field issues. 

Enrolling at UPJ under Pat Pecora a great choice
Haselrig subsequently enrolled at Pitt-Johnstown [UPJ] where he wrestled for legendary Pat Pecora, who became a great mentor for him, and in his sophomore, junior, and senior season,s he won both the NCAA Div. II and Div. I national championships, something that is impossible today,

Haselrig arguably was the most accomplished wrestler in NCAA history. He won national championships at the Division II level for Pitt-Johnstown in 1987, ‘88 and ‘89. In those days, the Division II champion could compete at the Division I tournament, and Haselrig also won that title in those three seasons.

The NCAA changed its rules, meaning no wrestler will be permitted to match Haselrig’s accomplishment.

Joe Rutter, “Former Steeler, NCAA wrestling champion Carlton 
Haselrig dies at 54,” Tribune-Review, July 22, 2020

Haselrig was inducted into the Pitt-Johnstown Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.

Haselrig wanted to play college football after high school

According to his bio on Wikipedia, Carlton initially enrolled at Lock Haven University with the intent of playing football there. However, an injury before he ever had that opportunity changed his mind, and he enrolled at UPJ,

The Pennsylvania native began his collegiate career as a football player at Lock Haven, but a knee injury before the start of his freshman year prevented him from ever suiting up for a game. During winter break, he decided to transfer to his hometown school and take classes at Pittsburgh-Johnstown, which did not have a football team.

With that move, Haselrig set in motion the most prolific career in NCAA wrestling history — one that ended in, of all places, the NFL.

“Carlton Haselrig,” Wikipedia, current bio.

Biography released in 2019 outlined his struggles

Kevin Emily wrote a biography of Haselrig that was released last year. It was entitled “Giant Killer: The Carlton Haselrig Story,” and Haselrig liked the bio,

“I like ‘Giant Killer’ because my whole life I’ve had to slay the bigger opponents, ya know,” Haselrig said when the book was released. “When I was in high school, it was winning (the state championship) without a high school team; in college, I was going up against bigger guys, and then I had to win the D1s coming from a smaller school. Even with the Steelers, I was going against guys bigger than me. Plus not playing college football and all.”

Joe Rutter, Tribune-Review, July 22, 2020

As Rutter notes, this book details his rise and his fall, which was largely due to substance abuse issues. That was sad, because he could arguably ha ve been one of the Steeler's best offensive linemen of all time if he had stayed healthy.  

RIP Carlton.

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