Subject: Steelers TE Kevin Rader: ‘I Can’t Let Up, Even For A Play’ Tue Jun 18, 2019 3:30 am
The Pittsburgh Steelers 2019 training camp in Latrobe once again should include several very good roster spot battles. One of those battles worth looking forward to as we sit here in the middle of June figures to be for the third and final tight end spot on the 53-man roster. The current combatants for that spot are Kevin Rader, Christian Scotland-Williamson, Trevor Wood and Zach Gentry, the team’s fifth-round draft pick this year out of Michigan. While Gentry will likely be considered the odds-on favorite to win the No. 3 tight end spot this summer, don’t sleep on Rader, a Youngstown State product, who spent all of last spring and summer with the Green Bay Packers.
After playing his freshman season as a defensive lineman at Youngstown State, Rader converted to tight end as a sophomore. He went on to record 41 receptions for 601 yards and 4 touchdowns during his final three seasons that included him registering a career-high 22 catches for 272 yards and two touchdowns as a senior. In his 2018 game against Pittsburgh, Rader caught 6 passes for 100 yards with a long reception of 36 yards.
Well, another year of me rooting for another YSU longshot. I don't think there's any way Rader makes the team, but he quickly became my favorite YSU TE after this one-handed TD catch pinned to a defender's back on the final play to win the 2016 FCS semifinal. Cooper Kupp was supposed to be the hero that day for Eastern Washington, but Rader had other plans ...
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solardave
Posts : 4896 Join date : 2011-09-30 Location : State of Confusion
Subject: Re: Steelers TE Kevin Rader: ‘I Can’t Let Up, Even For A Play’ Wed Jun 19, 2019 8:14 am
McDonald, Grimble and Gentry will be our TEs going into the season is my guess.
Stella Nation
Posts : 1163 Join date : 2015-05-13 Location : Stella City
Subject: Re: Steelers TE Kevin Rader: ‘I Can’t Let Up, Even For A Play’ Thu Jun 20, 2019 4:06 am
Personally I see More potential in Rader than In Gentry. I still can't understand they picked him in the fifth. If McDonald goes down we don't have any viable solution at TE imo.
solardave
Posts : 4896 Join date : 2011-09-30 Location : State of Confusion
Subject: Re: Steelers TE Kevin Rader: ‘I Can’t Let Up, Even For A Play’ Thu Jun 20, 2019 4:28 am
Personally I see More potential in Rader than In Gentry. I still can't understand they picked him in the fifth. When McDonald goes down we don't have any viable solution at TE imo.
Fixed it for you.
There's a reason we don't see a lot of Grimble. I mean he makes plays when he's in but couldn't wrestle the #2 spot from James so maybe one of these guys settles in to the 2 spot in front of him. You're right Stella about not having anyone viable past McDonald and he has durability issues too. Here's to hoping VM stays healthy all year.
Subject: Re: Steelers TE Kevin Rader: ‘I Can’t Let Up, Even For A Play’ Mon Jun 24, 2019 4:29 pm
TE prospect Rader brings Heath Miller appreciation to Steelers
Fans who follow the Steelers have probably seen the play by now.
It was ranked the No. 6 play of 2016 by ESPN, and no doubt No. 1 by Youngstown State and Kevin Rader.
He's the tight end who wrapped one arm around a linebacker to pin the winning touchdown pass to that linebacker's back with one second left of the Division 1 FCS national semifinals.
When Rader, the linebacker, and the ball all went to the ground, Rader held on. Tightly. "I didn't let go until I was down in that pile for probably 30 seconds," said Rader, a tight end who's returned home to Pittsburgh to compete for a roster spot with the Steelers.
"I knew there wasn't any time left," he said, "so I knew they were going to review it and I didn't want there to be any opportunity of a reversal. I nearly choked whoever was on the bottom of that pile with that ball."
