Steelers News

Steelers Invite HBCU Center to Rookie Camp

Published

12 months ago

May 9, 2023

The Pittsburgh Steelers have invited center Dacquari Wilson from North Carolina A&T to their rookie minicamp.

Wilson, a 6-foot-2, 295 pound Greensboro, North Carolina native, was a three-year starter for the Aggies, first reaching the starting lineup at the end of his redshirt freshman season in 2017.
He then started all 12 games in 2019 and was a first-team All-MEAC selection. The Aggies did not play due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but Wilson returned in 2021, to start all 11 games and was once again an all-conference selection as A&T moved up to the Big South from the MEAC and then again in 2022.

Wilson attended the NFL HBCU combine, where Steelers general manager Omar Khan was in attendance, and also worked out at NC State’s pro day, where the Steelers sent offensive line coach Pat Meyer.

At the combine in New Orleans, Wilson ran a 5.63-second 40-yard dash, a 5.83-second short shuttle, a 25-inch vertical and an 8-foot broad jump. In Raleigh, he ran a 5.5-second 40 and a 5.11-second shuttle, had an 8-foot-7 broad jump and a 26.5-inch vertical. He also posted 24 reps on the bench press. That combined to give him a relatively poor RAS score of 1.11.

The Steelers have a long history of involvement with players from historically black colleges, first stemming from the influence of scout Bill Nunn in the 1970s. Mel Blount, L.C. Greenwood, Javon Hargrave, Earl Holmes, Greg Lloyd, Donnie Shell and John Stallworth are among some of the notable former Steelers that are HBCU alumni.

Steelers assistant offensive line coach Isaac Williams is an HBCU alum from Alcorn State and also coached at North Carolina Central and Morgan State.

The team’s rookie minicamp will run Friday and Saturday at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side.