PITTSBURGH — There's the story about his high school team's lopsided victory where Zach Frazier and another team leader, furious over a lackluster second half, made everyone run before coaches arrived for film study on Saturday morning.

Another where his mom popped his broken, bloody nose back into place during a wrestling match, stuffed it with gauze and strapped tape around his head to stay under the allotted blood time and secure a pin. A third where the Steelers center built his own weight room as a kid via Christmas and birthday gifts.

Nick Bartic, who coached Frazier at Fairmont Senior High (W.Va.), chuckled when I asked this week for his best Zach Frazier tales.

"We have a bunch," he said. "I'll try to narrow it down."

Bartic proceeded to talk for the next 15 minutes, delighted to dish on a player who's clearly revered around his hometown.

"He has these Paul Bunyan-type stories," Bartic said. "Everybody has a story about Frazier — but they're true. Just these crazy things."

There's almost a mythological component to Frazier's legacy in Fairmont, located about 90 minutes south of Pittsburgh. It carried over to his time in Morgantown, too, where West Virginia offensive line coach Matt Moore offered similar stuff on one of his favorite former players.

The insatiable work ethic. The nasty demeanor on the field but also the sincerity he displays once games end. The love of preparation and acute understanding of what success entails.

Just one example: If Moore scheduled an offensive line meeting for 8 a.m., he knew Frazier would arrive at 6, taking advantage of the Mountaineers' light-therapy beds, float tanks and any additional rehab tools that may have been available.

"He's blue-collar," Moore said. "He's humble. He's always got a smile on his face. Loves football. Loves everything about it. Loves the workout aspect. Loves film. Loves the on-field stuff. He was always so happy to be doing everything we did, which isn't always the case. He plays the game like a kid."

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