“So as he was developing, we worked a lot on using that in how to actually lead instead of yelling at other people. And then you saw him take the team and pull them together. He was like an elevator and he raised his level in the second half and played great.”
Those lessons McCormick learned along the way were part of the reason he chose to stay at South Dakota State: With so much NIL money in college football right now, talented players from smaller programs are often tempted to move on to better-off environments or higher-profile programs.
McCormick received offers to transfer to other universities, but he chose to remain at South Dakota State.
“I had offers, but I wasn't tempted,” McCormick said. “South Dakota State gave me so much and made me who I am today. There's no way I could leave South Dakota State. They've put so much into me, and I feel like they should benefit from what they've built. Of course, money would be great, but at the end of the day, my loyalty is to the guys who have been good to me.”
As Meyer said on draft day, that's one of the reasons McCormick wanted to be a part of the Steelers.
Teams had shown a lot of interest in him and he wanted to be part of an organization he felt was top-notch.
“This is a culture that I've seen my whole life,” McCormick said, “This team is one that embodies a super hard-working work ethic. I've met a lot of good people and from what I've heard, this place is great, the people are great, and this is definitely something that I wanted to be a part of.”
That's the mentality with which McCormick approaches the game and his craft.
And that's what makes him an attractive candidate.
The loyalty McCormick mentioned in sticking with South Dakota State makes Olson proud.
“That loyalty reflects the kind of person he is,” Olson said. “He's kind of an old-school guy. Old-school guy in a young body. There aren't a lot of those left anymore, so it definitely means a lot to hear him say something like that. It's good to have a guy like that in your program.”
