Tucked at the end of a dreary night at Acrisure Stadium, reflective of the Pittsburgh weather and the home team’s performance, was a special moment. Rookie undrafted free agent outside linebacker Julius Welschof picked up his first NFL sack, taking down Buffalo Bills QB Ben DiNucci to give the Steelers’ offense one last chance to win the game.
While Pittsburgh left with a defeat, Welschof left with a memory. After the game, his teammates couldn’t have been happier for him.
“He’s been working his tail off every day,” NT Keeanu Benton told Steelers.com’s Missi Matthews post-game. “Seeing his progress from the first day at camp to now is amazing. So just rooting him on and making sure he knows that he got it.”
Welschof made the crucial play as the Bills tried to put the game away, calling play-action instead of running the ball on third down ahead of the two-minute warning and nursing a six-point advantage. Welschof wasn’t fooled and made the stop.
Born and living in Germany until he was a teenager, Julius Welschof is the Steelers’ International player, making him exempt from counting against the 90-man offseason roster or, should he make it, the team’s 16-man practice squad. He effectively allows Pittsburgh to play one over the limit and develop a rookie without him costing a spot. Though Welschof wasn’t born in the United States, he spent an entire college career domestically, playing his first four years at Michigan before spending a fifth season at Charlotte. But he suffered a shoulder injury four games into 2023, ending his season.
He rehabbed and got cleared to test at his Pro Day, putting up a solid three-cone time of just over seven seconds despite his long and lanky build at 6065, 257 pounds. Undrafted, the Steelers scooped him up to join two other former Charlotte alums on defense in DL Larry Ogunjobi and EDGE Alex Highsmith, the latter serving as a mentor.
Welschof didn’t have an impactful summer but played the run hard and worked off blocks. He was durable and available, never missing a practice. He soaked up reps after injuries to Kyron Johnson, Jeremiah Moon, and Alex Highsmith along with T.J. Watt’s rest days created extra opportunities. Welschof logged 47 defensive snaps in the opener versus the Houston Texans though he didn’t register in the box score.
Saturday night was a different story. No matter his future, he can say he sacked a quarterback at football’s highest level. And given his work ethic, progress, and exemption, he’s a safe bet to stick on the Steelers’ practice squad all season.
