Steelers Invite former Maulers, XFL Tackle to Rookie Camp

The Pittsburgh Steelers have invited a former XFL and Pittsburgh Maulers player to participate in their rookie minicamp.

According to a report by Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the Steelers have invited San Antonio Brahmas offensive tackle Chidi Okeke to participate in their three-day rookie camp next weekend at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.

The Brahmas, coached by former Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, finished their season out of the XFL playoffs on April 22. Okeke is the first player from the third iteration of the league to get a shot with the Steelers.

Okeke (6-foot-6, 319 pounds) is a native of Anambra, Nigeria. He played high school football in Florida and Georgia before first attending LSU and then transferring to Tennessee State, where he was an all-OVC left tackle.

He signed with the Washington Football Team in 2019 as an undrafted free agent and has also spent time in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has played in there NFL preseason games, two with the Chiefs in 2019 and one with the Bucs in 2021.

Okeke was drafted into the USFL by the Pittsburgh Maulers in 2022 and played there last spring, but instead decided to play in the XFL in 2023. He was the starting left tackle for the Brahmas this year.

The Steelers already have two players with Nigerian heritage on their roster. Starting right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor is a native of Ibadan, Nigeria. Defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi’s parents are immigrants from Nigeria.

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