Throughout the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers, players on both sides of the football have had some intriguing versatility.
There was Carnell Lake and Rod Woodson defensively playing cornerback and safety in the 90s, and Kordell Stewart playing quarterback and wide receiver in the 90s as well. Le’Veon Bell was a dual-threat running back and receiver, and there was even a time when backup offensive lineman Doug Legursky was a guard and fullback.
Now, it’s Kendrick Green’s turn.
After entering training camp as a true bubble guy on the roster, Green is making a serious push for the 53-man roster due to his new-found versatility, getting plenty of work at fullback early in training camp. His work at fullback and even some H-back has drawn plenty of attention to him, and has even earned him a new nickname from former Steelers offensive lineman Max Starks.
“Fat Slash.”
That’s obviously a play on Stewart’s “Slash” nickname during the 90’s when he was a dynamic quarterback and receiver, lighting the league on fire in new, unique ways. Now, there’s “Fat Slash.”
“He’s not quite Kordell Stewart ‘Slash,’ but he’s ‘Fat Slash,'” Starks said on Steelers Training Camp Live via Steelers.com. ” … I think he can [continue this]. Yesterday on a third and short situation he got a carry on a fullback gut off of an offset I. He was the proverbial bull in a china shop. The defense looked like china because he was crashing and banging and he fought his way through for the first down.
“… I think this is a package they’re going to explore, and I think we’re going to see that Friday night.”
Green, who debuted at FB/H-back during the Friday Night Lights practice, has caught two balls so far in training camp, and also received a carry during Tuesday’s practice. He’s also laid the wood on a few blocks while pulling as a fullback, and with that position somewhat unsettled, his versatility is only going to help him in his bid to make the roster, which is something head coach Mike Tomlin alluded to on Wednesday.
The expectation was that Connor Heyward, who worked primarily as a tight end last year would serve as Pittsburgh’s fullback following Derek Watt’s departure, but Green has impressed during his time at the position. He’s making a strong case to stick around on the roster as a backup center and FB/H-back hybrid.
You don’t get to write sentences like that too often.
While he doesn’t have much experience with the football in his hands even with some touches in high school as a fullback, Green is a load in space. He certainly showed that Friday and Saturday, laying the wood to linebackers Toby Ndukwe and Tanner Muse on back-to-back days. As Pittsburgh continues to lean into the bully-ball mentality, Green is seemingly a good fit for it as a fullback/H-back.
