PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers had a brief, impromptu film session Monday morning before the team made its way to the practice field. The breakdown had nothing to do with X’s and O’s — or any other football-related activity, for that matter. It instead centered around a viral video from the weekend.

Following Saturday’s practice at Saint Vincent College, two adult Steelers fans came to blows in the midst of a packed crowd seeking autographs from players. As the scuffle broke out, Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth came to the rescue.

In the video, Freiermuth can be seen lifting a young child who was near the fight over the chain link fence that separates fans from players and onto the practice field. The video shown to the Steelers on Monday morning was said to have background music playing when Freiermuth stepped in, playfully razzing the veteran pass catcher.

Once again, Freiermuth was in the right place at the right time doing the right thing. That is his reputation around the Steelers’ facility, both inside and outside the locker room.

“I saw it on Twitter over the weekend and shot him a text immediately,” quarterback Mason Rudolph told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “As if he needed to be loved any more in Pittsburgh.”

It starts within the workplace.

Freiermuth is beloved by his teammates. Those who attend a Steelers practice can attest to him being the roster’s social butterfly, frequently shooting the breeze with anyone who will give him a second to yap — from stars like Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt to undrafted free agents with little chance to make the team.

Then there’s what you see after practice.

On Monday, as the bulk of the roster made its way off the field, Freiermuth hung back to help multiple rookies, players on both sides of the ball, with additional work. Seemingly every conversation ended the same way — with words of positive affirmation.

“If there’s one thing you can always expect from Muth, it’s for him to bring the energy and be himself every single day,” offensive tackle Troy Fautanu said. “ ... He’s a very funny dude. He’s the light in the room.”

“He’s really the nucleus of this team,” Rudolph echoed. “We hang out at his house. He has us over for dinner. Him and his wife are awesome. He’s like the heart of the offense — him and Aaron [Rodgers].”

Freiermuth’s teammates aren’t the only ones who enjoy his positive energy.

Steelers team employees, along with the local media who cover the franchise, appreciate his upbeat personality, as well. No. 88 is seemingly always accessible, regardless of how well he or his team is performing.

Freiermuth’s humility shows when this is brought to his attention. He doesn’t bask in the praise, nor does he note that it’s a priority for him to have such a stellar reputation. He’s just being “Muth.”

“It’s just me honestly,” Freiermuth said. “I don’t try to get into the social media world. I like to keep my private life private and protect my people. But at the end of the day, I just go out there and be myself, be what I’ve always been. I think my parents did a great job raising me and pushing me to be myself.”

Dozens of those within or around the franchise have plenty of “Muth” good guy stories. Those stories are fun for many to hear, especially Freiermuth’s veteran teammates, players like Rudolph.

While younger Steelers only know the version of Freiermuth that exists today, Rudolph claims to know the full story. He’s seen the Steelers tight end grow into what he is today and isn’t afraid to share his harsh analysis of how it unfolded.

“I told him this to his face: Money changed him for the better,” Rudolph said with a playful smile. “He was very quiet his first couple of years. He was obviously a great player from the beginning, but personality-wise, he was a little tentative. I think getting paid really kinda helped stick his chest out.”

Whether his contract extension inspired Freiermuth to intervene during the fan altercation Saturday remains to be decided. Nonetheless, his actions reflect his overall reputation.

Freiermuth gave a quick chuckle when asked to share his account of the incident following Monday’s practice. It was a blur. He was signing autographs, lifted his head and saw one fan sucker punch another over a Will Howard signature. He then saw a young fan, and instinct kicked in.

“He looked like he was about to cry, so I just decided to pick him up,” Freiermuth said.

For Freiermuth, his decision to act wasn’t worthy of much further discussion. It was, in his words, “the least he could do.”

“That’s Pat,” Fautanu said. “100%.”

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