Hamilton native Kaleb Johnson selected by Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025 NFL Draft

GREEN BAY, Wis. — From the GMC to the AFC: Hamilton High School alum Kaleb Johnson saw his NFL dream become a reality Friday night when the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

After earning first-team all-state honors as a running back for Big Blue, Johnson went to Iowa, where he was one of only eight true freshmen to see action for the Hawkeyes.

Johnson finished his tenure in Iowa City with 2,779 rushing yards on 508 carries — sixth in program history. A Doak Walker Award finalist, Maxwell and Walter Camp Award semifinalist and Big Ten Running Back of the Year his junior year, Johnson became the fifth player in Iowa history to record two games with 200-plus rushing yards. He also had 30 rushing touchdowns, fourth all-time.

Now, he gets to stay in black and gold with the Steelers. Because he's with an AFC North rival, Johnson will also get to visit the Tri-State once a year during the season.

The Steelers posted a video of head coach Mike Tomlin welcoming Johnson to the team and telling him to "get ready to work."

"We're excited about being a part of your continued growth and development, man, as a player and as a young man," Tomlin said. "Come ready for all of that."

Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said the team is excited about what Johnson can bring to their squad.

"Really explosive running back ... one of the more instinctive backs I've watched in a couple of years coming out of the draft, perfect fit ... extremely fired up to get Kaleb in here," said Smith.