Three days after his impressive performance in the Steelers’ 32-25 preseason win over the Seattle Seahawks, Kenny Pickett showcased that he’s talented off the gridiron, as well.
Mike Tomlin revealed via Instagram on Tuesday night that Pickett won the 2022 Steelers home run derby, which is an annual training camp tradition at Saint Vincent College. Tomlin presented Pickett with a ceremonial bat for being the home run king.
In July, Pickett hit a home run at the Three Rivers Celebrity Softball Game at Wild Things Park, so it’s not surprising that he won the Steelers home run derby. He’s just a natural athlete. Along with playing football, Pickett played basketball and baseball in high school at Oakhurst (N.J.) Ocean Township. Pickett also comes from an athletic family. Pickett’s dad, Ken, was a Hall of Fame linebacker at Shippensburg, while his mom Kasey Pickett played soccer at Kutztown, and his sister Alex did the same at East Stroudsburg.
Some of the recent past winners of the Steelers home run derby are Larry Foote (2012), Greg Warren (2013), Dan Molls (2014), Ben Roethlisberger (2015), Sammie Coates (2016), Colin Holba (2017) and Matt Feiler (2018). The Steelers home run derby was canceled in 2019 after the passing of wide receivers coach Darryl Drake. It was also canceled in 2020 and 2021, as training camp was held at Heinz Field due to the COVID-19 pandemic