Kendrick Green at fullback? Pittsburgh Steelers give Peoria native a look in the backfield

Kendrick Green has had his ups and downs in his short time with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Peoria native got a chance to show a new side — fittingly — under the Friday night lights, where the 6-foot-2, 315-pound former University of Illinois lineman took snaps at fullback during a team scrimmage at Latrobe Memorial Stadium just outside Pittsburgh.

Green laid out some big hits while blocking and even caught a pass, much to the delight of almost 14,000 fans.

“It’s just something coach wanted to see, it might be the end of it,” Green told Jeff Hathhorn of KDKA-FM 97.3 The Fan. “It was a good time. It was fun. We knew we were doing that today, it may have been a today thing only.”

“I felt like I was a kid again playing backyard football. I was exhausted.”

Will Kendrick Green play fullback?

Despite Green's admission, the idea is not too far-fetched. According to Steelers Depot, the team's undrafted rookie free agent Monte Pontebaum unexpectedly retired this week. The site also said former fullback Derek Watt is a free agent and is unlikely to rejoin the team. Another fullback option is tight end Connor Heyward, who played running back in college.

And this isn't the first time the idea of Green lining up in the backfield has been broached. Former NFL linebacker Vince Williams said in May that Green's athleticism makes him a great candidate to slide into the role — comparing him to former Steelers player Roosevelt Nix.

Green also said Friday he played some scout team fullback last season when the Steelers were preparing to face the Baltimore Ravens and their big back Patrick Ricard, a 6-3, 311-pound bruiser.

"I was doing him on scout team," Green told SteelersNow.com, "so I caught one last year."

Green's athleticism is no surprise to his fans in Peoria. While at Peoria High, Green was a three-sport athlete, adding baseball and wrestling to his work as an all-state defensive lineman. He eventually moved to offensive line with the Illini, where he became an all-American guard.

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Green, 24, was selected by the Steelers in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft and immediately played a role. He started his rookie season at center in the final season for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, a likely Hall of Famer. In 2022, Green moved to guard and made the 53-player roster but was inactive for all 17 games.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Pittsburgh Steelers give lineman Kendrick Green reps at fullback