April 26, 2026 • 5 mins
Max Iheanachor speaks with Rob King after the Steelers select him in the 21st overall in the 2026 NFL Draft
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
All right, Max. First of all, welcome to Pittsburgh. I'm
gonna try to do all of Pittsburgh nation favor before
we get started. Yep, can you pronounce your last name?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
My last name is pronounced e hanacha.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
So okay, everyone's gonna remember that now. So welcome to Pittsburgh.
What was last night like for you when you got
selected by the Steelers?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Surreal moment, Man came to explain it.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
It's just different ways, the emotion and you know, everybody
was around me man, from where it first started Juco Asu,
my family, my friends from high school, you know, just
everybody there.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Man.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Definitely one of the best moments of my life ever.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
What was your family's reaction.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
You didn't see the TV that was jump that was
it was sucked, man. It was just everybody was excited.
Everybody's you know emost no Man. Yeah, it was definitely
one of the best moments of my life. And be
able to share that with that was the meant a
lot for me.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
What kind of player in person are the Pittsburgh Steelers
getting just introduce yourself to the fans a little bit
of what.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Kind what's your style of play?
Speaker 1 (01:08):
What kind of player are you? What kind of player
are fans gonna be watching?
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Man, y'all getting a player. Y'all gonna see a player
that's you know, give it us all out there. Man,
play for the guy next to him, you know, go
to war for the team. Man. Try to bring a
lot of wins to this team. Is gonna be a
fun season off the field, man, guy, that's you know,
I always treat people right, respectful. You guys welcome me here,
and I got, you know, pay for so.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Hinz Werb was one of the on the coaching staff
at Arizona State. Did you ever talk to him before
you were drafted about the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
We talked a little bit like here and there.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
He's always shared his like story moments about being in
the NFL, but seeing how he always carried himself.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Man, just told me what it still is like.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Did you have you talked to him since you got drafted?
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Yeah, he called me last night. He called me last
night and we was just laughing and stuff, and I
was like, you're gonna let Musuem manson and he was.
He's amazing, man. Just seeing the work he's done the
receiver room. Man, this guy's the limit for him. He's
a great coach, but even a better person off the field.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Omar Khan talked to hines Ward last night and he said,
hines Ward told him, you are getting with Mac, you
are getting a Pittsburgh Steeler, a Pittsburgh Steeler type of
player in person. What does that mean to you to
hear that, man?
Speaker 3 (02:23):
It means a lot. You know, he's got to see
my growth over the last two years. He's been at
ASU man, So it's a special man because he's a
still he knows what it takes. He's done at the
highest level, at the best level out here. He's a
legend out here, so he knows what it takes. And
you know, for him being able to just speak good
about me, but also like knowing that I put in
the work too, it also felt good to me too.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
If you can give people, just share a little bit
of the background of your story moving from Nigeria to
California at age thirteen, What that was like, What that
transition was like for you.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
The transition was fun, man, I was young. We actually
moved to Atlanta first for six months, so I was
just really excited, like we get to see snow and
when it snowed for the first side. We ran outside
trying to catch it and stuff. It was actually really crazy,
but I was young, man. But you know, for my
parents making that move, man, it has to be a
lot for them, you know, sacrifice a lot. They built
their whole life back home to come out here and
(03:14):
start phrase for their kids. So now I gotta get
a better understanding of it. And but I was young
back then. I ain't really think too much of it.
But it's just more excitement, just getting I've seen a
lot of American movies and that's just kind of how
my mind was flowing at that point.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
You grew up playing soccer and you played a lot
of basketball, correct, Yeah, so how did you transition into
playing football?
Speaker 2 (03:36):
So I transitioned to football after high school.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
So COVID happened my senior year of high school, so
I didn't we didn't.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Really have a season.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
So after that, man, I'm playing summer basketballs to you know,
chasing basketball. So my AAU coach at the time, he
advised me to look into football, and then it was
just something he put me down with the head coach
at East LA sat then and talked to him and
had a business me being offensive lineman.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
It was history.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
After that Arizona State, you began to get more and
more playing time and then you know, you wind up
here as a first round choice. What was that transition like?
Mostly playing right tackle, correct a little bit of left tackle.
What was that transition like? Because you began to get
more and more playing time, did you fall more and
more in love with football?
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Man, I ain't gonna lie. Like after my first year
at Juko, man I knew this was what I wanted
to do. It was more like kind of just setting
small goals at just trying to get better and see
how far I could take this thing. Man Like, God
blessed me a lot, you know, without him knowning this
would be possible.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
As you progressed, did the confidence grow and and did
and did some of these You know, we've seen you
with some of the bulls, you know, the post You're
playing against other top players around the country, and it
looked like you were a guy that enjoyed going against
the other top players.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Now for sure, man Like, like I said, the more
I kept getting better, and you know, knowing you put
in a lot of work, man, you get confident.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
So that's all they just tell you.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Is hard work and just you know, perseverance, just staying
through it throughout on the hard times and be a
lot of hard times, but just embracing those moments and
just learning from you there said I the biggest stand
and just trying to progress every day.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
I'm sure it's been a whirlwind. But what are you
most excited about in the days and weeks to come?
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Man, I'm excited to be a stealer, man, I'll definitely
say that piece of it.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Man.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
I've been waiting for this, you know, kind of being
like a waiting game a little bit, this whole three
four month process, man, But excitement.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
I'm excited to be a stealer. I'm ready to get
to work. Max.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Appreciate it. Welcome to Pittsburgh, sir. I appreciate too,
All right, Max. First of all, welcome to Pittsburgh. I'm
gonna try to do all of Pittsburgh nation favor before
we get started. Yep, can you pronounce your last name?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
My last name is pronounced e hanacha.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
So okay, everyone's gonna remember that now. So welcome to Pittsburgh.
What was last night like for you when you got
selected by the Steelers?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Surreal moment, Man came to explain it.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
It's just different ways, the emotion and you know, everybody
was around me man, from where it first started Juco Asu,
my family, my friends from high school, you know, just
everybody there.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Man.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Definitely one of the best moments of my life ever.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
What was your family's reaction.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
You didn't see the TV that was jump that was
it was sucked, man. It was just everybody was excited.
Everybody's you know emost no Man. Yeah, it was definitely
one of the best moments of my life. And be
able to share that with that was the meant a
lot for me.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
What kind of player in person are the Pittsburgh Steelers
getting just introduce yourself to the fans a little bit
of what.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Kind what's your style of play?
Speaker 1 (01:08):
What kind of player are you? What kind of player
are fans gonna be watching?
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Man, y'all getting a player. Y'all gonna see a player
that's you know, give it us all out there. Man,
play for the guy next to him, you know, go
to war for the team. Man. Try to bring a
lot of wins to this team. Is gonna be a
fun season off the field, man, guy, that's you know,
I always treat people right, respectful. You guys welcome me here,
and I got, you know, pay for so.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Hinz Werb was one of the on the coaching staff
at Arizona State. Did you ever talk to him before
you were drafted about the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
We talked a little bit like here and there.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
He's always shared his like story moments about being in
the NFL, but seeing how he always carried himself.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Man, just told me what it still is like.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Did you have you talked to him since you got drafted?
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Yeah, he called me last night. He called me last
night and we was just laughing and stuff, and I
was like, you're gonna let Musuem manson and he was.
He's amazing, man. Just seeing the work he's done the
receiver room. Man, this guy's the limit for him. He's
a great coach, but even a better person off the field.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Omar Khan talked to hines Ward last night and he said,
hines Ward told him, you are getting with Mac, you
are getting a Pittsburgh Steeler, a Pittsburgh Steeler type of
player in person. What does that mean to you to
hear that, man?
Speaker 3 (02:23):
It means a lot. You know, he's got to see
my growth over the last two years. He's been at
ASU man, So it's a special man because he's a
still he knows what it takes. He's done at the
highest level, at the best level out here. He's a
legend out here, so he knows what it takes. And
you know, for him being able to just speak good
about me, but also like knowing that I put in
the work too, it also felt good to me too.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
If you can give people, just share a little bit
of the background of your story moving from Nigeria to
California at age thirteen, What that was like, What that
transition was like for you.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
The transition was fun, man, I was young. We actually
moved to Atlanta first for six months, so I was
just really excited, like we get to see snow and
when it snowed for the first side. We ran outside
trying to catch it and stuff. It was actually really crazy,
but I was young, man. But you know, for my
parents making that move, man, it has to be a
lot for them, you know, sacrifice a lot. They built
their whole life back home to come out here and
(03:14):
start phrase for their kids. So now I gotta get
a better understanding of it. And but I was young
back then. I ain't really think too much of it.
But it's just more excitement, just getting I've seen a
lot of American movies and that's just kind of how
my mind was flowing at that point.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
You grew up playing soccer and you played a lot
of basketball, correct, Yeah, so how did you transition into
playing football?
Speaker 2 (03:36):
So I transitioned to football after high school.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
So COVID happened my senior year of high school, so
I didn't we didn't.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Really have a season.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
So after that, man, I'm playing summer basketballs to you know,
chasing basketball. So my AAU coach at the time, he
advised me to look into football, and then it was
just something he put me down with the head coach
at East LA sat then and talked to him and
had a business me being offensive lineman.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
It was history.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
After that Arizona State, you began to get more and
more playing time and then you know, you wind up
here as a first round choice. What was that transition like?
Mostly playing right tackle, correct a little bit of left tackle.
What was that transition like? Because you began to get
more and more playing time, did you fall more and
more in love with football?
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Man, I ain't gonna lie. Like after my first year
at Juko, man I knew this was what I wanted
to do. It was more like kind of just setting
small goals at just trying to get better and see
how far I could take this thing. Man Like, God
blessed me a lot, you know, without him knowning this
would be possible.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
As you progressed, did the confidence grow and and did
and did some of these You know, we've seen you
with some of the bulls, you know, the post You're
playing against other top players around the country, and it
looked like you were a guy that enjoyed going against
the other top players.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Now for sure, man Like, like I said, the more
I kept getting better, and you know, knowing you put
in a lot of work, man, you get confident.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
So that's all they just tell you.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Is hard work and just you know, perseverance, just staying
through it throughout on the hard times and be a
lot of hard times, but just embracing those moments and
just learning from you there said I the biggest stand
and just trying to progress every day.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
I'm sure it's been a whirlwind. But what are you
most excited about in the days and weeks to come?
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Man, I'm excited to be a stealer, man, I'll definitely
say that piece of it.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Man.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
I've been waiting for this, you know, kind of being
like a waiting game a little bit, this whole three
four month process, man, But excitement.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
I'm excited to be a stealer. I'm ready to get
to work. Max.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Appreciate it. Welcome to Pittsburgh, sir. I appreciate too,
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