As we’ve done in previous years, we’re taking a look at those Pittsburgh Steelers under Futures contracts for the 2024 offseason — the ones who spent most of, if not the entire year, on the practice squad — and what we can expect from them during training camp and (hopefully) into the regular season. Today, an outlook on RB Aaron Shampklin.
Aaron Shampklin/RB Harvard – 5093, 194 pounds
Our final “Futures” report of the batch of Steelers signed to such deals after the team’s playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. Shampklin was a true outsider signing, not part of the 2023 roster in any capacity before being inked to an offseason contract on January 17.
A star at Harvard, he served as his school’s lead back over his final two seasons. His best season came in 2018, rushing for over 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging a blistering 6.1 yards per carry. He made All-Conference everything while leading the Ivy League in rushing yards per game. For a variety of reasons, he wouldn’t see the field again until 2021.
What happened in 2019? I don’t know. Shampklin disappeared. He was removed from the team’s roster and no longer enrolled in school. Even after a breakout 2018 season, information about his 2019 whereabouts is light. This article from highlighting future first-round pick Dalton Kincaid confirms Shampklin wasn’t around in 2019 but was expected to re-enroll the next fall. This message board post indicated shortly before the season, the school’s magazine was referencing Shampklin and expecting him to play. But he didn’t suit up and doesn’t appear to have been around the team. His Wikipedia page cites an injury, but this 2020 article quotes head coach Tim Murphy, noting Shampklin decided to return to Los Angeles and take “a year off.”
Though he seemed poised to return for 2020, his football path was blocked by COVID. The Ivy League canceled their 2020 season, meaning he went two straight years without playing football. He finally saw the field in 2021, and though his production dipped compared to his 2019 numbers, the difference wasn’t significant. He finished with 835 yards, a slightly decreased 5.6-yard average, but two more rushing scores. When he hit, he hit big with great performances against Georgetown (183 yards, two touchdowns), Brown (116 yards, two touchdowns), and Penn (116 yards, two touchdowns). Shampklin took it to all the other Ivy League programs. Just like 2019, he was one of the Ivy League’s top players.
Despite a lack of size, his athleticism popped at his Pro Day. Attending Holy Cross’ workout, he ran a 4.48 40, jumped 37.5 inches in the vertical, posted a 6.94 three-cone, and 17 reps on the bench. Excellent all-around testing. Undrafted, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys in 2022. There, he saw plenty of action, finishing second on the team with 28 preseason carries for 106 yards. But he was hurt late in the year and landed on IR, released days later.
He spent the following spring with the Indianapolis Colts but didn’t make it to training camp. Shampklin moved onto the USFL and saw three games of action with the Houston Gamblers before being signed in the summer mid-way through the Los Angeles Chargers training camp. With the odds stacked against him, the team waived him two weeks later after recording just three carries.
He remained a free agent for the entire 2023 regular season. Dangerously close to falling out of football, the Steelers picked him up in January.
Before rookie minicamp, Shampklin seemed to be in good shape. Pittsburgh didn’t have much depth behind its top three only needing to compete with UDFA Daijun Edwards. But over the last month, the team signed veterans Jonathan Ward and La’Mical Perine. Both bring gameday experience and will certainly squeeze training camp reps if not a practice squad spot entirely.
Still, Shampklin has some juice to his game and could be a threat in space. He’ll just need to show he can do more than be a runner in a room with versatility. Edwards and Ward have special teams/coverage value, while Ward is also highly regarded as a receiver.
