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Steelers draftee Gennings Dunker reacts to going viral after Combine, talks partnership with Casey's

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones04/28/26brianjones_93

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Gennings Dunker in the third round of this year’s draft, and it marked the end of a very interesting pre-draft experience. On3 spoke to the former Iowa offensive lineman before the draft, and he looked back at the aftermath of going viral after the Combine.

“I guess I didn’t really pay too much attention to it. I guess the craziest part is going through O’Hare Airport,” Gennings Dunker told On3. “After the draft, people will come up and stop me and be like, ‘What is going on?’ I’m in the O’Hare Airport.” It was kind of crazy, but I mean, it’s really cool to represent the Hawks in my hometown and where I grew up.”

Dunker gained popularity after fans saw him running the 40-yard dash and Rich Eisen saying that he has the “greatest mullet in the history of the combine.” He also received love from former Eagles OL Jason Kelce, and he had a memorable interview at the Senior Bowl.

While Dunker has a great mullet, that’s obviously not the reason the Steelers drafted him in the third round. The Steelers like that Dunker had a lot of experience at Iowa, and he has a lot of size and power.

Gennings Dunker sets goals for 2026 season

Before the Steelers selected him, Dunker revealed his goals for his rookie year. “Contribute to the team, contribute to the O-line, make the organization better as much as I can, follow the standard,” he said. “I mean, as soon as I get there, there’s going to be a list that I make and put right on my door when I walk out every morning. That’s what I would do at Iowa.”

As Dunker prepares for the 2026 NFL season, he has partnered with Casey’s to highlight the return of the bacon cheeseburger pizza and the launch of new crispy fries. Both items will return to Casey’s stores on Wednesday, Apr. 29.

Courtesy of Casey’s

“So I grew up loving Casey’s,” Dunker said. “My hometown has 2,600 people, so we got a Casey’s in the middle of town. I can’t remember how long ago, maybe 10, 12 years. That was a big deal. It’s literally in the middle of town. It’s at the four-way intersection. There’s no stoplight, but if there was, it’d be right there. So we would go there all the time. We would have Casey’s Pizza once a week for supper, getting gas there, getting everything there.”