PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) - In March, Kameron Kelly had one of the finest performances of his football career, intercepting three passes, returning one for a touchdown, while with the San Diego Fleet of the AAF.
Less than a month later, Kelly, as well as the rest of the aspiring players in the AAF, were unemployed, as the league folded.
True to the rollercoaster that can be a professional athlete’s journey, he, less than two months later, was getting first-team reps at Steelers OTAs.
It was quite a ride for the physically imposing, 6-foot-2, 204-pound safety out of San Diego State. And it’s not over yet.
Kelly should make the Steelers 53-man roster, barring injury or something unexpected in Thursday’s preseason finale at Carolina. But that does not mean that this week is not a mentally trying one for a player like himself.
“I try not to think about what (Steelers coaches and management) think about me,” Kelly said Tuesday. “I just try to play and make as many plays as possible.
“Once you get caught up thinking about what the coaches are thinking, it’s easier to lose the little details about what you need to focus on. So I just try to focus on that and, hopefully, it makes an impression.”
It has. Kelly played the second-most snaps of any Pittsburgh player Sunday night in Pittsburgh’s 18-6 win over Tennessee.
“I just kind of get in the rhythm and go with it,” he said. “I never know what to expect going into a game. Every game is different as far as game plans. You never know what the other team is going to give you. So I just try to stay ready.”
Kelly, who played safety and cornerback in college, went undrafted in 2018, and joined the Dallas Cowboys during last year’s offseason. That did not pan out, as he was released before the preseason began. He then caught on with the AAF.
When he showed up in Pittsburgh, his play-making ability got him onto the field, as starting safety health with an injury in the spring. It appeared that Steelers brass was impressed with him from the start.
“It wasn’t even that they thought that highly of me,” he said. “Anybody who comes in here, coach (Mike) Tomlin knows that we all have talent, and he tells every single player that he doesn’t care about what means got them here.
“As long as you come here, do what you’re supposed to do, perform, learn what you’ve got to do, then you’ll have a chance.”
Kelly is a good story. An undrafted free agent that impressed enough in the AAF to get another shot at the big leagues.
Not only should he make the roster, but, with Sean Davis entering the final year of his contract and currently injured, Kelly could, sooner or later, become the starter at free safety. With Pittsburgh running more thrre-safety looks on defense, he could see the field quite frequently, regardless. That said, he is not totally satisfied with his performance to this point.
“I feel like I’ve left a lot out on the field,” he said. “There’s a couple of plays I could have made. From an assignment standpoint, I’ve been pretty good as far as making sure I don’t make any assignment mistakes.
“That’s the biggest thing. The plays are going to come. Not every play is going to come to you every game. As far as I’m handling my assignments, I feel like that’s the part I can do.”
The Steelers will trim down the roster this weekend. Nearly half of Kelly’s teammates will be looking elsewhere for work come Sunday. That stress can take a toll on a young player and handling that can be a struggle.
“Shoot, I talk to my mom, pray and just keep working,” he said. “I just try and focus on football itself, instead of what’s happening upstairs.
“There’s so much I can focus on as far as the game for myself, that it just takes away from any opportunity for me to try to think about the outcome or what’s going to happen after this week.”