He hasn’t quite been able to show just exactly what he can do at the fullback position through rookie minicamp, OTAs and minicamp, but underfed free agent fullback Monte Pottebaum certainly has the attention of Pittsburgh Steelers running backs coach Eddie Faulker.
Speaking with reporters last week following mandatory minicamp at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side, Faulker said that while Pottebaum hasn’t been able to show much in limited reps, he’s looking forward to seeing “The Mullet” in action at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe when the pads come on.
“Monte’s smart; he hasn’t gotten a whole lot of reps out here, but he knows kind of his role and what the fullback role is, and when we ask him to get in there, he’s all over it,” Faulkner said to reporters, according to video via Steelers.com. “He’s smart. He knows his assignments. I’m really excited to get into the camp where we got pads on and see what he can bring to the table. But he’s a viable person for sure.”
Pottebaum is a real throwback to the position, an old-school fullback who could fill an old-school role in an offense that is very clearly leaning towards a run-heavy approach once again.
While he still has a long way to go towards earning a spot on the 53-man roster, there’s a clear path for him, at least on paper.
That path includes turning heads at training camp and in the preseason where he can really let his blocking skills shine with the pads on.
Pottebaum has some impressive tape overall as a lead blocker in Iowa’s pro-style offense. Fullback lovers will genuinely enjoy watching his tape as he plows through the line of scrimmage as a lead blocker. He projects as a seamless fit in Pittsburgh’s offense as the lead-blocker in front of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, as well as a special teams warrior for the Black and Gold.
Outside of some of the free agency additions and high-end draft picks, a lot of attention will be paid to the undrafted rookie fullback when the pads come on at Chuck Noll Field in Latrobe. He’s made his name as a lead blocker in college in the rugged Big Ten with the Hawkeyes. He’ll have to do the same when the pads come on in Latrobe if he wants to help Faulkner make the case for him to stick on the 53-man roster in Pittsburgh’s physical ground game in 2023.
