Reese Dismukes goes undrafted, signs with Pittsburgh

AUBURN -- Reese Dismukes was considered the best center in college football last season but 256 picks came and went in the NFL Draft this weekend without the four-year Auburn starter getting a call.

The Rimington Trophy winner, consensus All-American and two-year captain, Dismukes signed as an undrafted free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to a source. The Spanish Fort native started 50 games in his college career.

A report by WalterFootball.com, outlined character concerns as an issue team had with Dismukes.

"Teams have some off-the-field concerns about him as a person," according to WalterFootball.com, "and they aren't sure that he will be a good teammate to all segments of the locker room."

Dismukes was viewed as one of the top two centers in college football the past two years along with Oregon's Hroniss Grasu, who was drafted in the third round by the Chicago Bears.

Auburn offensive line coach J.B. Grimes said Dismukes was "by far" the smartest offensive lineman he's ever coached.

"He is a guy that will glom on to the NFL terminology and the protections and all those kind of things that we don't do," Grimes said. "But he'll be a guy that will be running your whole line in no time."

At 6-foot-3 and 296 pounds, Dismukes also lacked the size many teams desire from a center.

"I think the biggest questions that they have is when a 350-pound zero (technique) nose guard lines up on him and he's offsides how does he handle it?" Grimes said. "The answer is, you got a guy that has great body leverage with great hands. He's guy that's really, really quick with his hands."

Dismukes tested well among centers at this year's NFL Combine, running a 5.31 second 40-yard dash, posting 23 bench reps, 27.5-inch vertical, 107-inch broad jump, 8.14 seconds in the three-cone and 4.7 seconds in the 20-yard shuttle, but some of those and other measurables did not compare as favorably historically for centers.