The Pittsburgh Steelers added to their defensive line depth by signing DT Brodric Martin-Rhodes from the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad. Martin-Rhoders is a former third-round pick by the Detroit Lions in 2023. But who is the massive new Steelers’ defensive tackle?

Three-Sport Athlete In High School

Brodric Martin-Rhodes went to Northridge High School in Alabama, the same high school as former NFL S Vinnie Sunseri and former NFL RB Bo Scarbrough. While there, Martin-Rhodes helped Northridge to two playoff appearances in football. He also played basketball for the Jaguars and threw the shot put for the track and field team.

Although Martin-Rhodes went professional in football, he was a pretty darn good shot put thrower. In 2017, he won silver in the Sectionals Finals. He also still has the fifth-furthest shot put throw in Northridge High School history.

Didn’t Start As A Defensive Lineman In High School

Surprisingly, Martin-Rhodes didn’t begin his Jaguars career as a defensive lineman. He started as a receiver. The switch to defensive line didn’t come until much later, which might be part of why he didn’t end up at a big college.

“I was a skill player, I was a receiver when I first got into high school,” Martin-Rhodes said in an interview with the University of North Alabama’s Rise And Roar show on YouTube. “That wasn’t really going nowhere. Around about my 11th-grade year, they moved me to defensive line, and I started to make more plays and just get on the map more.”

Martin-Rhodes didn’t receive much collegiate attention. He began his college career at the University of North Alabama, an FCS-level school, before transferring to Western Kentucky in 2021.

Tragedy Strikes

When Martin-Rhodes signed his letter of intent to play for North Alabama, he was flanked by two people: His mother, Karen, and his big brother Brandon. According to Martin-Rhodes, Brandon was a huge part of his life growing up.

Unfortunately for Martin-Rhodes and his family, Brandon succumbed to leukemia on October 14, 2021.

“He was probably the father figure I never had,” Martin-Rhodes said as he spoke to the Detroit media after the draft, per video from the Lions’ YouTube channel. “To be honest, I wasn’t very close to my father. So, him [Brandon], he was my protector, he was the person I go to, he was my right-hand man. It was his time; he got called up. He [was] my everything, my motivation.”

A Car Guy

It’s always interesting to hear what a football player thinks he would be doing if he weren’t in the NFL. You’ll get all sorts of answers. Martin-Rhodes is no different. After the Lions drafted him in 2023, he sat down for a quick “Get To Know” piece on Lions.com. And evidently, Martin-Rhodes is a car guy, through and through.

When they asked him what his hidden talent was, his reply was, “I can work on cars.” And he says that he would “probably be a mechanic” if he weren’t playing football.

Got Paid By Za’Darius Smith

Steelers fans are quite familiar with DE/OLB Za’Darius Smith. The Baltimore Ravens drafted him in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He spent the first four years of his career in Baltimore before joining the Green Bay Packers. He returned to the AFC North in 2023 with the Cleveland Browns. They sent him to the Detroit Lions in a mid-season trade during the 2024 season.

And there, Smith crossed paths with Martin-Rhodes. Smith wanted his No. 99 jersey that he wore with the Browns. Unfortunately for Smith, Martin-Rhodes held that number in Detroit. That meant some money had to change hands before the jersey number could.

“Going rate? I’ll say it’s three zeroes on the end of there…” Smith said after joining the Lions, per video from the Lions’ YouTube channel. “I’m not going to tell you the exact price, but for sure he’s going to have some good money, yeah. Put some gas in his car, for sure.”

Nothing like a good old-fashioned money-for-number swap in the NFL. And it wasn’t a bad bonus for a second-year NFL player, that’s for sure.