The Pittsburgh Steelers are taking every opportunity to get up close and personal with as many college prospects as possible with the NFL Draft coming up at the end of April. With the 2nd annual HBCU Legacy Game taking place on Saturday, February 25th, the Steelers staff were front and center at the HBCU Combine held on Monday before the game.
ABIGAIL DEAN/PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Steelers GM Omar Khan is pictured here with safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
.@steelers General Manager Omar Khan in the house today scouting the @HBCULegacyBowl players #steelers pic.twitter.com/GvXi16f5A5
— HBCU LEGACY BOWL (@HBCULegacyBowl) February 20, 2023
According to NFL Network's chief national reporter, Steve Wyche, Khan was the lone general manager taking in the players running drills at the Oscher Sports Performance Center, in Louisiana, which houses practice facilities for the New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans. Despite being the only franchise leader in attendance, Khan made his presence known by going out on the field and addressing the young Black men in attendance:
"Congratulations for being here," Khan told a group of assembled pro football hopefuls according to former longtime league executive turned analyst for NFL Network, Scott Pioli. "You should be proud, but remember, all the scouts didn't come here to celebrate Mardi Gras."
Photo Credit: ESPN, courtesy of Omar Khan
Omar Khan and Dan Rooney celebrate Super Bowl 43. Khan is now the man in charge of leading the Steelers to the next one.
Khan, a New Orleans native who got his first job in the league with his hometown Saints, is no stranger to the area and no doubt took the opportunity to do some work close to home.
A Name to Remember in Steelers' Long History With HBCU Scouting
The organization has done pretty well over the years in scouting the HBCU's. They've drafted a number of Pro Football Hall of Famers and might try to go back to the HBCU's to address their need at inside linebacker, but one name stands out when talking about the Steelers' legacy here and that's Pro Football Hall of Fame member, Bill Nunn.
Photo Credit: Mike Fabus/ Pittsburgh Steelers
Legendary Steelers scout and Pittsburgh journalist Bill Nunn outside the room at the team's facility named for him.
The Steelers pride themselves on the organization's history and Khan being with the team since 2001 is well aware of the legacy left by Nunn. He was instrumental in drafting cornerstone players for the 1970's Steel Curtain defense and establishing the team's draft strategies. Almost everyone in the organization has some sort of story about an interaction they had with him or a lesson they learned from him:
"The journey that he walked that was his life was something to be learned," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said about Nunn via Bob Labriola of Steelers.com. "Strictly vocationally from a talent-evaluation standpoint, I was always really impressed how he never let football get in the way. His evaluation style was purely based on pedigree, knee and ankle flexibility, body control, fine motor skills, top-end speed, measurables, things of that nature. He never got distracted by the football, and he kept evaluations pure from a pedigree standpoint. I was always impressed and marked by that."
Nunn passed away in 2014 at the age of 89 due to complications of a stroke and was the first African-American to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a contributor in 2021. In the same year, the institution changed the name of the award given to journalists in recognition of their commitment to coverage of the sport to the Bill Nunn Award.
With his lasting legacy of success felt all around the organization, it's no surprise that Khan treats these opportunities to scout HBCU prospects seriously.
So, Steeler Nation, do you think the Steelers will draft a player from an HBCU? Do you still feel Nunn's legacy around the team? Let us know in the comments or on our social media.
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