The Steelers will unveil its Hall of Honor on Sunday, a unique display at Heinz Field, and recognize the members of the inaugural class. Among those being inducted into the Hall of Honor is Mel Blount (HOF, '89), one of the game's all-time great players.
Before being a part of the special weekend, Blount sat down to field questions from Steelers Nation Unite members and talk about being part of the Hall of Honor class, his playing career, and more in a special edition of The Huddle, presented by Hyundai.
"It's special," Blount said of being part of the inaugural Hall of Honor class. "This whole Steelers experience, from coming out of college, it's just been a great journey. And to be among the guys who are going into the inaugural class is special. I think it's a great thing and a great way to recognize guys who have made a contribution to this organization to get the Steelers to where they are today. I'm excited and honored to be part of that inaugural class going into the Hall of Honor."
With Blount having played on some of the greatest teams of all-time, members were eager to hear stories about Blount and his teammates, and how they all stay in touch nowadays.
"From time to time at different functions we do [see each other]," Blount said. "One of the things about this weekend that is really going to be great is we'll get to see a lot of guys. There are a lot of us going into the inaugural class. It's special when we can all get together. We're all getting older now and every time you can spend moments together and see each other, it's pretty special. We all kind of grew together and were able to accomplish some things together, and we start to understand how important relationships are."
Blount quite literally changed the game, as his physicality in the secondary led to rules changes during his career. Blount often is asked by fans how he thinks he'd fare in today's game, and was asked again during The Huddle how he thinks a young Mel Blount would play in today's NFL.
"I get asked that question all the time and I tell people I would have to get another job to pay my fines," Blount said, laughing.
With this year's team sitting at 8-2 and seemingly getting stronger, members wanted to know Blount's thoughts on the defense and where he sees the group heading as the season moves forward.
"I'm excited about our defense. I think we have a lot of talent and a lot of speed," he said. "We have young players in certain positions, especially in the secondary, but I think the class they drafted this year has come in and made a great contribution and that's always important. When you draft players in the first and second round, they have to come in and make a contribution, and we've had that. Joe Haden kind of fell into our laps and he, in my opinion, has been that missing piece that we needed on defense. I think the defense is strong and they have to keep getting better, which I know they will. When we get into the playoffs, I think they're going to be ready to rock and roll."
And having played and won four Super Bowls himself, Blount was asked if there was one Super Bowl that was more memorable than the others. For him, it was that first title.
"I always say the first Super Bowl because that was the first experience that we had," he said. "When we won Super Bowl IX, I think we all just kind of expected we would be back the next year. Fortunately, we were able to get back there and win another one. That first one, in my opinion, was the one that was special to me."
To see and hear more of what Blount had to say, become an official member of Steelers Nation Unite by joining for free today at SteelersNationUnite.com. There are year-round opportunities to interact live with current players and Steelers Legends, as well as benefits and rewards that can make the season even more rewarding for fans.
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