Steelers Re-Sign Former Harvard Running Back
The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed running back Aaron Shampklin to their practice squad, the team announced on Wednesday. Shampklin, who was with the Steelers throughout the offseason and the preseason, was waived on cut-down day.
The Steelers also placed running back Boston Scott on the practice squad/injured list on Wednesday, which opened the roster spot up for Shampkiln.
Shampklin spent all of training camp battling Jonathan Ward, La’Mical Perine and Daijun Edwards to be the team’s No. 4 running back. Edwards was one of the team’s early cuts, while Ward and Perine were also final roster cuts.
Shampklin joins Ward as the other running back currently on the practice squad. The Steelers placed running back Boston Scott on the practice squad/injured list on Wednesday.
In three preseason games, Shampklin rushed 13 times for 40 yards and also caught three passes for three yards.
The 24-year-old Harvard grad singed with the Steelers on Jan. 17 after spending training camp with the Los Angeles Chargers last season. He previously spent time with the Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys and Houston Gamblers of the USFL.
“Last year, being in the spring league with the Gamblers, it was good being on the field getting games reps and getting back comfortable,” Shampklin said in the spring. “I had come off an injury from the year before so it was good to actually play in a game again but you can’t beat being in an NFL environment. You got top of the line coaches. You are getting the best criticism compared to what you might get in the spring league.”
Shampklin impressed in OTAs, getting a ton of reps with the first-team offense, but was unable to keep that momentum through training camp and the preseason, and eventually fell behind Perine and Ward on the depth chart at running back.
While he was at Harvard for five years, Shampklin only played three seasons of football. As a freshman Shampklin played in 20 games and recorded 81 carries for 363 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Shampklin earned First-Team All-Ivy League honors as a freshman in 2017.
The 2018 season was Shampklin’s breakout season as he carried the ball for a career-high 173 times for 1,053 yards and eight touchdowns. He added eight receptions for 133 yards and one receiving touchdown. Shampklin’s high-level play earned him All-Ivy League First-Team honors for the second straight season. Shampklin led the conference in all-purpose yards and rushing yards as a sophomore.
Shampklin missed the entire 2019 season due to an injury and then the Ivy League’s football season was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic. He returned to the Crimson for the 2021 season. In nine games, Shampklin carried the ball 148 times for 835 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns.
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