Pittsburgh Steelers legend James Harrison wants the Pro Football Hall of Fame to take notice of his fellow teammate’s Canton case during his recent podcast. Harrison, since his retirement from the NFL, has seamlessly transitioned into a media role, and now, with his Deebo & Joe podcast, has continued to advocate for his teammates and current players. In one such case, the star linebacker wants the Pro Football Hall of Fame to induct former Steelers star Casey Hampton.

“Brother. I don’t know why you aren’t in the Hall of Fame,” Harrison said about Hampton. “You know what I’m saying, like they are tripping. They don’t understand the things that don’t have numbers attached to them. As far as I’m concerned, bro, you are the coldest, coldest nose tackle to ever play the game. It ain’t nobody that did it better than you. Without you as an anchor on that defense, we don’t come close to having four to five number ones over that course of time.”

Many continue to question Casey Hampton’s Hall of Fame case, especially with the Texas Longhorns standout failing to secure a single All-Pro nod while making five Pro Bowls in an 11-year career. Furthermore, Hampton’s numbers were also decent as he recorded 403 tackles, 9.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, four passes defensed, and two fumble recoveries. But his impact on the Steelers was far greater than mere stats.

Hampton entered the league as a dominant defensive tackle for Texas while earning two first-team All-America honors and being named the 2000 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He was also a three-time All-Big 12 player and became the first defensive lineman in school history to lead the team in tackles in back-to-back seasons (101 in 1999, 78 in 2000).

Then, after being drafted by the Steelers, 19th overall in the 2001 draft, Casey Hampton stood strong as the star nose tackle of a top-five rushing defense for ten of his eleven-year career. During this tenure, from 2005 to 2009, the Steelers allowed one 100-yard rusher in 61 games, and one of the key reasons was Casey “Big Snack” Hampton, an indispensable anchor of the team’s 3-4 defensive scheme.

Hampton played a key role behind the Steelers’ two Super Bowl wins (SB XL and SB XLIII) and was also voted MVP by his teammates in 2005, along with Hines Ward. Although it isn’t just Harrison advocating for Casey’s Hall of Fame induction, the Los Angeles Rams’ legend and three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Aaron Donald, also praised Hampton before questioning why people don’t give him enough credit.

“You got Big Casey Hampton, one of the biggest guys. Super quick, though, you know what I’m saying?” Donald said on Ryan Clark’s The Pivot podcast. “Facemask on his face, he was so quick. Nobody did it better. Nobody. And I don’t understand why people don’t talk about that guy enough.”

Although Casey Hampton is part of the Steelers Ring of Honor, the Texas Longhorns Hall of Honor, and is in line to be inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame, he still awaits a call from Canton. While he waits, Hampton took some time to evaluate the Steelers’ recent first-round draft pick and shared his thoughts.

Hampton raises concerns about the Steelers’ 1st-round pick

After 11 years in the NFL, playing against some of the best offensive linemen, when Casey Hampton raises concerns about a rookie o-line star, one should take notice. The Steelers find themselves in a similar situation, as the two-time Super Bowl champion has questioned the Pittsburgh front office for drafting Max Iheanachor with the 21st pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

“My only deal is with a first-round pick, and I don’t watch film, but I know that football being played for just five years, I know that’s a project,” Hampton said recently on the Deebo and Joe podcast. “With me, I like when my first-round pick, I want that guy to be a guy. He can definitely develop into a guy, no doubt about it. He has all the intangibles. But I think it’s gonna be important to see how he develops and see how he’s gonna be.”

Iheanachor was born in Nigeria and moved to the United States when he was 13. He then started playing football at the community college level before transferring to Arizona State, and he lacks significant CFB experience as he has only played 32 games for the Arizona State Sun Devils over three years. Although he didn’t allow a single sack in 2025, his lack of games raises concerns about whether he can transition to the NFL.

Hampton’s concerns about Max Iheanachor are worth monitoring, as the rookie’s limited experience could be a challenge in his transition to the NFL.