Bengals vs Steelers: Player and coaching connections

The connections among the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers, are plentiful, especially when it comes to coaching. Both the Bengals and Steelers have coaches who coached on the opposite team. Additionally, Bengals linebacker Chris Carter was a member of the Steelers for three seasons. Carter is making a bigger impact on the Bengals this year than he did during his time with the Steelers. In 2012, Carter had his best year with the Steelers, notching 8 tackles and an interception. This year, through six games, Carter already has five tackles in limited playing time. It will be interesting to see what Carter can do against his former team, and how often he'll be playing, especially with Burfict added back into the mix. Against the Bills, Carter played 19 percent of defensive snaps but against the Seahawks he didn't play any.

Former Steelers who are Bengals and Bengals who were Steelers

• Pittsburgh LB James Harrison played one season (2013) in Cincinnati.
• Cincinnati LB Chris Carter was drafted by the Steelers in fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft and three seasons (2011-13) with Pittsburgh.
• Steelers inside linebackers coach Jerry Olsavsky was with the Bengals as a player in the 1998 preseason.
• Steelers QB Bruce Gradkowski (reserved/injured) played for the Bengals from 2011-12.
• Bengals defensive line coach Jonathan Hayes played TE for the Steelers from 1994-96.

Coaching Connections

• Bengals HC Marvin Lewis served as the Steelers' LB coach for four seasons (1992-95).
• Bengals TE coach Jonathan Hayes coached with the Steelers from 1994-1996.
• Bengals DL coach Jay Hayes, also coached with Pittsburgh from 1999-2001.
• Bengals OQC/asst. OL coach Brian Braswell had a stint in Pittsburgh, doing spring/summer work for the Steelers in 2010.
• Pittsburgh OL coach Mike Munchak spent five seasons (2004- 08) with Cincinnati LB coach Matt Burke in Tennessee.
• Steelers STC Danny Smith and Cincinnati QB coach Ken Zampese worked together on the Philadelphia Eagles' coaching staff for one season (1998).

Cincinnati/Pittsburgh area connections

• Steelers HC Mike Tomlin was the DB coach at the University of Cincinnati from 1999-2000.
• Steelers LB James Harrison is from Akron, Ohio, and attended Kent State University.
• Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger is from Cory Rawson, Ohio (Findlay HS) and played his collegiate career at Miami University (Ohio) in Oxford.
• Steelers FS Mike Mitchell hails from Fort Thomas, Ky.
• Steelers WR/RB Dri Archer played collegiately at Kent State University.
• Pittsburgh FB Roosevelt Nix is from Reynoldsburg, Ohio, and also played Kent State University.
• Bengals HC Marvin Lewis was born in McDonald, Pa., and coached for the University of Pittsburgh from 1990-91.
• Cincinnati asst. HC/OL coach Paul Alexander was a GA at Penn State from 1983-84.
• Cincinnati DE Will Clarke is from Pittsburgh, Pa and played at Taylor Allerdice High School.
• Bengals TE coach Jonathan Hayes and DL Coach Jaye Hayes were born in South Fayette, Pa.
• Bengals WR coach James Urban coached at Clarion University from 1997-98.
• Bengals strength and conditioning coach Chip Morton was a strength and conditioning asst. at Penn State for five years (1987-1991).
• Steelers wide receivers coach Richard Mann coached at the University of Louisville from 1980-81.
• Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell is from Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
• Steelers CB William Gay, OT Byron Stingily, and WR Eli Rogers (reserved/injured list) played at Louisville.
• Steelers K Shaun Suisham (reserved/injured list) played at Bowling Green.
• Steelers FB Will Johnson is from Dayton, Ohio (Centerville HS).

NFL Connections

• Steelers OC Todd Haley was the HC in Kansas City from 2009-11 when Bengals DE Wallace Gilberry was a player for the Chiefs.
• Pittsburgh OL coach Mike Munchak coached Bengals CB Adam Jones for two seasons (2005- 06) with the Titans.
• Pittsburgh ILB coach Jerry Olsavsky played for Baltimore when Bengals STC Darrin Simmons was on the Ravens' staff in 1998.
• Pittsburgh C/G Cody Wallace and Wallace Gilberry were teammates with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the start of the 2012 season.
• Steelers S Mike Mitchell and WR Darrius Heyward-Bey each spent two seasons (2010-11) in Oakland with Bengals OC Hue Jackson.

College Connections

• Steelers S Will Allen is from Dayton, Ohio (Wayne High School) and played four seasons (2000-03) with Bengals K Mike Nugent at Ohio State.
• Allen also played with Cincinnati LB A.J. Hawk for two years at Ohio State (2002-03).
• Steelers OT Mike Adams (reserve/PUP), DE Cameron Heyward, CB Doran Grant (practice squad) and LB Ryan Shazier all played at Ohio State.
• Steelers OT Marcus Gilbert was teammates with Bengals DE Carlos Dunlap (207-09) and S Reggie Nelson (2006) at Florida.
• Pittsburgh G David DeCastro was teammates with Cincinnati HB Ryan Hewitt for three seasons (2009-11) at Stanford.
• Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell played at Michigan State with Bengals CB Darqueze Dennard for three seasons (2010-12).
• Steelers WR Martavis Bryant was teammates with Bengals DT Brandon Thompson at Clemson (2011).