Carlton Haselrig, a former Pro Bowl offensive lineman with the Pittsburgh Steelers and six-time NCAA wrestling champion, died Wednesday of natural causes, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported. He was 54.
The Steelers drafted Haselrig in the 12th round of he 1989 draft, despite the fact he did not play college football. The Pennsylvania native won six heavyweight wrestling titles in the late 1980s at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, which didn't field a football team.
Haselrig began his NFL career as a defensive tackle on the Steelers' developmental squad. A year in, he switched to guard and participated in all 16 games. He was a full-time starter the following season. In 1992, he made the Pro Bowl and earned All-Pro honors.
That was the apex of a professional football career that would be sidetracked by legal troubles and substance abuse. Haselrig would play just 20 more games over the next three years, including a short stint with the Jets, before retiring. He appeared in 67 games, starting 47 of them.
In 2008, he embarked on a brief mixed martial arts career, winning three of five fights. Per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Haselrig spent the past few years as an assistant coach at alma mater Greater Johnstown High School.
His six collegiate wrestling titles is a feat that cannot be matched. Haselrig won Division I and II titles from 1987-89 at Pitt-Johnstown, before the NCAA discontinued competing in multiple divisions.
