 Blount in 2010 | |||||||||
| No. 47 | |||||||||
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| Position | Cornerback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1948-04-10)April 10, 1948 (age 77) Vidalia, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Lyons(Lyons, Georgia) | ||||||||
| College | Southern (1966–1969) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1970: 3rd round, 53rd overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Melvin Cornell Blount (born April 10, 1948) is an American former professionalfootball player who was acornerback for thePittsburgh Steelers of theNational Football League (NFL) for fourteen seasons. A five-timePro Bowler, he was inducted into thePro Football Hall of Fame in1989.[1]
Blount playedcollege football for theSouthern Jaguars. He is considered one of the best cornerbacks to have ever played in the NFL.[2] His physical style of play made him one of the most feared defensive backs in the game at a time whenpass interference rules were less stringent. He founded theMel Blount Youth Home.
Blount was born inToombs County, Georgia.[3] The early years of his life were spent in poverty on a Georgia farm. Blount was a star inbaseball,football,basketball, andtrack at Lyons High School. After graduation he was offered a scholarship toSouthern University inBaton Rouge, Louisiana. While there he was a Pro-ScoutsAll-American pick as bothsafety andcornerback.
Blount was the prototype cornerback of his era and a significant reason why thePittsburgh Steelers were the dominant team of theNational Football League in the 1970s.[3] Athird-round draft choice of theSteelers in1970, he had the size, speed, and quickness for the position, plus the toughness and mental ability to adjust his coverage tactics and excel despite rule changes that favored receivers.[citation needed]
A Pro-Scouts All-American as both asafety and cornerback atSouthern, Blount became a starter in the Steelers secondary beginning in1972. That season, he did not allow a single touchdown.[citation needed] Blount was equally effective playing either zone or man-to-man defense. Known for his rugged style of play, his specialty was the "bump-and-run" pass defense. Because of his size and speed, he physically overpowered pass receivers.[citation needed]
Midway through his career however, the rules regarding pass coverage were changed making such harassment of a receiver illegal. The rule would come to be named theMel Blount Rule.[4] Blount had 57 interceptions in his career; he returned them for 736 yards and two touchdowns. He intercepted at least one pass in all 14NFL seasons and led the league in interceptions with 11 in 1975. Blount also was used as a kickoff returner early in his career. He totaled 36 returns for 911 yards and a 25.3-yard average. He also recovered 13 opponents' fumbles, two of which he returned for touchdowns.
Blount, who was named theNFL's most valuable defensive player in 1975 by theAssociated Press, earnedAll-Pro acclaim in 1975, 1976, 1977, and 1981. He also was a four-time All-AFC selection and played in fivePro Bowls. His fumble recovery in the1979 AFC Championship Game led to the Steelers' winning touchdown in a 27–13 victory over theHouston Oilers. Earlier inSuper Bowl XIII Blount's interception began a Pittsburgh drive which resulted in a go-ahead touchdown in a 35–31 victory over theDallas Cowboys.
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| APNFL Defensive Player of the Year | |
| Won theSuper Bowl | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Int | Yds | Y/I | Lng | TD | FR | Yds | Y/F | TD | ||
| 1970 | PIT | 14 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 1971 | PIT | 14 | 10 | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 1972 | PIT | 14 | 13 | 3 | 75 | 25.0 | 34 | 0 | 2 | 35 | 17.5 | 1 |
| 1973 | PIT | 14 | 14 | 4 | 82 | 20.5 | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 1974 | PIT | 13 | 13 | 2 | 74 | 37.0 | 52 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1.7 | 0 |
| 1975 | PIT | 14 | 14 | 11 | 121 | 11.0 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 1976 | PIT | 14 | 14 | 6 | 75 | 12.5 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 1977 | PIT | 14 | 13 | 6 | 65 | 10.8 | 37 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 0 |
| 1978 | PIT | 16 | 15 | 4 | 55 | 13.8 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 1979 | PIT | 16 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 0.3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 0 |
| 1980 | PIT | 16 | 16 | 4 | 28 | 7.0 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 32 | 32.0 | 0 |
| 1981 | PIT | 16 | 16 | 6 | 106 | 17.7 | 50 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 1982 | PIT | 9 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 1983 | PIT | 16 | 16 | 4 | 32 | 8.0 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 1 |
| Career | 200 | 189 | 57 | 736 | 12.9 | 52 | 2 | 13 | 105 | 8.1 | 2 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Int | Yds | Y/I | Lng | TD | FR | Yds | Y/F | TD | ||
| 1972 | PIT | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 1973 | PIT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 1974 | PIT | 3 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 1975 | PIT | 3 | 3 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 1976 | PIT | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 1978 | PIT | 3 | 3 | 2 | 29 | 14.5 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 1979 | PIT | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 |
| 1982 | PIT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 1983 | PIT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| Career | 19 | 19 | 4 | 59 | 14.8 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 0 | |
Following his football career, Blount became Director of Player Relations for the NFL, serving in the position from 1983 to 1990. He also became active in charity work. He founded theMel Blount Youth Home, a shelter and Christian mission for victims of child abuse and neglect in Toombs County, Georgia in 1983. In 1989, he opened a second youth home inClaysville, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. The Mel Blount Youth Home was investigated for the use of corporal punishment in the 1990s.[5]
In 1989, Blount was inducted into thePro Football Hall of Fame and theLouisiana Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted in theGeorgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1990 and theBlack College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.[6] In 1994, he was named to the NFL's75th anniversary All-Time team. In 1999, he was ranked number 36 onThe Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.
Blount has two daughters, Shuntel and Tanisia, and five sons: Norris, Dedrick, Akil, Jibri, and Khalid.
His sonAkil played college football atFlorida A&M and was signed as anundraftedfree agent by theMiami Dolphins.[7]Jibri played college basketball at Cleveland State[8] before transferring to play for North Carolina Central University.[9] His youngest son,Khalid Blount, is a football player who was ranked as a two-star recruit by Rivals before attendingDuquesne University.
Blount currently resides inBuffalo Township, on a 303-acre (1.23 km2) farm that includes the site of his former youth home.[10]
| International | |
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| National | |
