Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie defensive tackle Yahya Black reflects on gaining a ton of weight to get ready for the NFL.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted massive Iowa defensive tackle Yahya Black in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft to help close up running lanes that were too often available for opposing offenses last season. However, he revealed he didn’t always have those capabilities.
Black, who now stands at 6-foot-6, 336 pounds, reportedly arrived to Iowa at just 250 pounds.
“I was a string bean when I got to Iowa,” Black said. “The weightlifting program at Iowa, they really do it right. Maybe the pounds weren’t the best early on, but they really molded me into the guy I am now.”
Black clearly put a ton of work into his strength training throughout his collegiate career, and it has paid off.
Over the past five years, he recorded 117 tackles (51 solo), 5.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and nine passes defensed.
The Steelers are hoping he will continue to do just that at the next level as a key rotational piece on the defensive line, especially when facing their run-heavy AFC North rivals.
Luckily for Pittsburgh, Black takes a lot of pride in being a good run defender.
“You have to know your role. If you don’t know your role, then you’re really lost, and you can’t do everything at once,” he said. “So coach [Karl] Dunbar really, he was like, ‘Hey, if you know what you’re doing, you can get better at the other stuff, and improve. But right now, focus on what you need to focus on.'”
Head coach Mike Tomlin seems more than confident that’s exactly what the Steelers are getting in Black.
“He’s a big chassis. There’s F-150s, he’s like an F-350. He’s a big man and really stout against the run,” Tomlin said. “You can always use a skill set like that, certainly.”
Black is joining his former Iowa teammates, running back Kaleb Johnson, who the Steelers drafted in the third round (No. 83), and defensive lineman Logan Lee, who was selected in the sixth round in 2024.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Rookie DT Reflects on Weight Gain Journey to NFL: ‘I Was a String Bean’
