Now We Know Why LeGarrette Blount Walked Out On Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers thought they had the perfect one-two punch at running back in 2014. Budding super star Le'Veon Bell had just completed his rookie season, and they signed the veteran bruiser LeGarrette Blount to counter Bell's speed, and elusiveness.

Maybe I should've rephrased that first sentence to say the Steelers fans thought... because obviously head coach Mike Tomlin, and offensive coordinator Todd Haley thought differently. Bell was still getting all of the carries, and Blount was obviously just an insurance policy. The first two weeks, Blount had 7 total carries combined. In the third game of the season, Blount ripped off a 50-yarder en route to over 100 yards rushing as both he and Bell went wild in a rout of the Carolina Panthers on Sunday Night Football. Then it was back to 4 carriers the following week for Blount.

He sugarcoated his displeasure some during an interview with 93.7 the fan in October of 2014:

"I don't think we've balanced things out a lot. With him getting the bulk of the carries, but the fact that it's working, I can't complain. We're winning games like that. I've been a featured back in this league. I was a starter with one of the best teams in the league last year. Obviously I want the ball more."

Blount eventually walked off the field during a Steelers beat down of the Tennessee Titans weeks later, and was released the next day.

On Wednesday, Andrew Fillipponi, and Chris Mueller interviewed Blount on radio row for 93.7 the fan, and asked him about the events that caused him to walk off the field that night in Nashville:

“The problem was the offensive coordinator, not calling the plays that I would be in,” said Blount. "I'm gonna just say, so there was no problem between me and Mike Tomlin. I like Mike Tomlin."

 

Blount said he would confront Haley about why he wasn't getting more opportunities and the answer was always the same:

“'We got to get the ball to you, we’ll do more and more to get you the ball, we’re going to get it to you,’ obviously I’m going to believe that because it’s my offensive coordinator, so I’m going to trust what he’s saying.”

Blount seemed to get a little confused about the timeline that set him off. In the below quote, you will see that he identifies the Colts game as the game that set him off and made him want to leave the Steelers. He cites it as the first time in his career that he received zero carries, but he had 6 for 21 yards in that game. The night he walked off in Tennessee was the first time he had zero carries.

"It was the Colts game," Blount said today. "I'm like 'bro, are you kidding me?' It's like, are you kidding me? I've never had a coach not give me the ball once, you know what I'm saying? After me having that 1,000-yard season my rookie year, every team that I've been a part of, I've always carried the ball in the games. You know what I'm saying? Whether it's seven, ten, whatever. I'm getting the ball and it's not no-carry games for me. And That was odd for me, man. That was tough for me, you know? Mike Tomlin knew it was tough for me."

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Blount was disappointed he didn't carry the ball once against the Titans:

"He dressed and left the locker room, apparently headed for the team bus that would take them to the airport. At least one player thought they should leave him in Nashville," Bouchette wrote in 2014.

Blount would end up leaving and signing with the New England Patriots and winning the Super Bowl. That left many Steelers fans sour as they believed Blount had orchestrated the entire thing so he could head back to New England.

“I knew it was a possibility because I was going to be available, but we didn’t coordinate it or anything like that, I didn’t talk to anybody,” said Blount.

 

So now we know the true story. Which was mostly what everyone expected. He wanted more carries, but he wasn't and still doesn't have any issues with Tomlin.

You can see the whole interview here:

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