May 13, 2017 5 min read

PITTSBURGH – For many of the young players attending the Steelers’ rookie mini-camp this weekend, the task at hand has been keeping up with the other players at their respective positions on the football field.

It can be overwhelming, especially for some of the players from smaller schools, who might not necessarily know a lot about what it takes to make it in the NFL.

Taylorstown native Akil Blount has a lot of things working in his favor as he attempts to make the Steelers’ roster after signing in mid-February.

First, Blount has already been through this process before. The former Florida A&M star signed with Miami as an undrafted free agent following the NFL draft last year but was cut Aug. 27.

Then, there is the support system he has in place.

One of his best friends growing up is C.J. Goodwin, a former California University football player who spent time with the Steelers on their practice squad before being signed by the Atlanta Falcons last year. Goodwin shifted from wide receiver to cornerback and became a regular contributor with the Falcons, helping them advance to the Super Bowl.

Oh, and it might be worth mentioning Blount’s father is former Steelers star cornerback and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Mel Blount.

Some might think that last thing would help give him a leg up with the Steelers, who also have the son of former Pittsburgh receiver Wayne Capers at their camp. The younger Capers is a running back from Duquesne.

But the NFL is a bottom-line business, and family ties don’t matter when the whistle is blown.

Blount is well aware of that after his experience last season in Miami.

“I learned a lot, actually, the NFL practice tempo, the speed of the game and how competitive it is,” said Blount, a 6-2, 249-pound inside linebacker. “Going home at the time that I did and not being on a team, made me realize how much I love the game and how much I want to work hard at this and make this my profession.”

The skill set is definitely there. The 22-year-old Blount was a mainstay in the Florida A&M defense and showed off his athleticism last spring, when he ran a 4.61-second 40-yard dash at his on-campus workout.

But he went unselected in the draft, just as Goodwin had a couple of years before.

The two met at the Linsly School in Wheeling, W.Va., where they attended high school. And Goodwin served as a counselor at Mel Blount Youth Home in Taylorstown, spending countless hours with the Blount family.

Blount and Goodwin have continued to work out together when they can.

“I was at the Super Bowl in Houston. I got to see him play,” Blount said of the Falcons’ overtime loss to the Patriots in which Goodwin had three tackles and a pass defense.

“It was just phenomenal growing up with him. He’s like an older brother to me. I just talked to him on the phone two days ago, talked some football and what not. He’s keeping me encouraged. He’s showing me that anything is possible. You can play at any level if you put the work in.”

Perhaps to drive that home, Blount can look at what Goodwin did. A receiver in college and with the Steelers, Goodwin made the transition to cornerback when he joined the Falcons. Anything to keep the dream of playing in the NFL alive.

That also has been the message Blount has received from his father.

“Really, he is just telling me basic father stuff. He’s always been a father before anything else,” Blount said. “I know people would think that he has a whole bunch of football knowledge. But he just told me to maximize my opportunity where I’m at and the opportunity I have and really work hard. That’s all he talked to me about, just putting the work in.”

Blount has done that. Though he was out of football for a period of time last year, it wasn’t wasted time. He continued to train and work on the things he saw he needed to refine after coming up short in Miami.

“I wouldn’t say the strength. I was one of the larger linebackers down there,” Blount said about what he worked on. “I would say the technique and mental part of the game, the smaller details, a lot of little stuff.”

Now, he hopes that year of experience will help pay off in a roster spot with the Steelers.

The opportunity just might be there. Pittsburgh lost longtime starter Lawrence Timmons to the Dolphins in the offseason as a free agent. Veteran Vince Williams will replace Timmons in the starting lineup next to Ryan Shazier, while L.J. Fort, Steven Johnson and Tyler Matakevich also return.

Pittsburgh did not select an inside linebacker in the draft, so there could be a roster spot open at the position.

Blount would love to win that spot with a team he grew up watching, and for which he rooted.

“I would say more just growing up here and this being my hometown, that’s the special thing,” Blount said. “Driving through the city and knowing how I looked at the whole organization when I was younger, compared to how I view it now. The Steelers are such a big platform for the city. Obviously, to play here is special in that regard to me.”