Three Former Steelers Picked for All-USFL Team

Three former Pittsburgh Steelers players were named to the All-USFL team for the 2023 season, the league announced on Wednesday.

Cornerback Mark Gilbert, offensive tackle Jarron Jones and tight end Jace Sternberger were all named all-league selections. Two more players with local ties: Central College alum Arnold “Tre” Tarpley and Slippery Rock grad Wes Hills were also among the players honors.

Gilbert led the USFL in interceptions while playing with the Pittsburgh Maulers. Gilbert had four picks to lead the league. He played in all 10 games for the Maulers this spring, recording 29 tackles in addition to his four interceptions. Gilbert signed with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2021 spent parts of the 2021 and 2022 seasons on the team’s practice squad.

Sternberger caught 33 passes for 517 yards and seven touchdowns while playing with the Birmingham Stallions. The former third-round draft pick of the Green Bay Packers joined the Steelers practice squad in the middle of the 2021 season. He was released after training camp last August.

Jones was an All-USFL selection for the Memphis Showboats, his second straight all-league selection. He was also an All-USFL pick for the Tampa Bay Bandits in 2022. Jones joined the Steelers in 2020 and spent that season on the team’s practice squad. He was waived in July 20 after a domestic violence arrest that resulted in a 10-game suspension from the NFL.

The Pittsburgh Maulers, which played their home games in Canton, Ohio this season, tied for the league lead with five selections, including Gilbert and Tarpley, who played safety for the Maulers. Tarpley had a rookie minicamp tryout with the Steelers in 2019.

Linebacker Kyahva Tezino, kick returner Josh Simmons and punt returner Isiah Hennie were also selected for the Maulers, which will play their first playoff game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio on Saturday, June 24. That game will kick off at 8 p.m. at be broadcast on NBC. The USFL Championship will be held in Canton on July 1.