The alarm clock chimes at 6 a.m., and Minkah Fitzpatrick’s first decision of the day, the same one he makes every morning, is to slam the snooze button. Only once. Fitzpatrick sleeps for 15 minutes more, then he swings his feet over the side of the bed and says a little prayer. The world outside his bedroom window in Pittsburgh is still dark. Another day in Fitzpatrick’s life has begun.



It looks a lot like the others. That’s by design.



In the bathroom, Fitzpatrick splashes water on his face and brushes his teeth. He dresses in Steelers sweatpants and a hoodie and heads to the kitchen. Breakfast is almost always oatmeal. Sometimes Fitzpatrick allows himself a little bit of brown sugar, but most mornings he sweetens with raisins and cranberries. By 7 a.m., he’s out the door, driving to the Steelers practice facility.



“Pretty structured,” Fitzpatrick says, smiling as he distills his weekday routine into two words. But...