When you look at the list of nine undrafted free agent players that the Pittsburgh Steelers recently signed, one of them sticks out more than the rest and that’s Georgia Tech product Francis Kallon.
Kallon, who according to his college bio didn’t begin playing organized football until his senior season at Central Gwinnett H.S., didn’t crack the Georgia Tech starting lineup until last season and that included him doing so in just six games. He finished the season with 15 total tackles and two sacks.
At his Georgia Tech pro day, Kallon reportedly measured in at 6053, 295-pounds and ran the 40-yard-dash in 4.97 and 5.03 seconds, according to NFL Media analyst Gil Brandt. The rest of Kallon’s pro day workout that included a 31-inch vertical, a 9-0 broad jump, a 4.53-second short shuttle, a 7.13-second three-cone, and 21 reps on the bench resulted in a SPARQ score of 122.9.
Kallon’s SPARQ score is notable and especially being as Michigan’s Chris Wormley and Villanova’s Tanoh Kpassagnon both had slightly better scores. Kpassagnon was drafted in the second-round over the weekend while Wormley heard his name called in the third.
While Kallon will likely start his Steelers career as a defensive end, it’s worth noting that Brandt thinks he might be a candidate to switch to offensive tackle down the road. That certainly wouldn’t be surprising and especially when it comes to the Steelers considering the success they’ve had converting Alejandro Villanueva and Brian Mihalik from the defensive side of the football to the offensive side.
Kallon, who reportedly graduated in December 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in literature, media and communication, was born Feb. 2, 1994, in London, England. He moved to the United States in 2010 and that probably explains why he didn’t begin playing football until just a few years ago.
Mitch Sherman of ESPN.com wrote a very in-depth story on Kallon in 2011 and I highly suggest you read it if you have a few extra minutes.
Regardless of which side of the football that Kallon winds up playing on with the Steelers, he’s sure to be the most-talked about undrafted free agent the team signed this year once training camp gets underway.
