Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers have invited Ridge Texada, the program record holder at North Texas in career pass breakups, to their rookie minicamp later this week.
Texada broke up 37 passes over his four-year career with the Mean Green, setting the school’s all-time mark, which had been 30.
Texada, a team captain, finished with a strong 2024 season statistically, recording 44 tackles, two for a loss, an interception, a forced fumble and nine pass breakups. Texada played primality outside cornerback over his North Texas career, but did play a career-high 170 snaps as a box safety or slot corner in 2024, per Pro Football Focus.
The 5-foot-8, 186 pound Texada will almost certainly be limited to either the slot or free safety, thanks to his stature.
In pre-draft testing, he ran an impressive 4.42-second 40-yard dash. His agility and explosiveness were not as god, with a sub-par 33.5-inch vertical dragging down his Relative Athlete Score to a 6.5 out of 10.
North Texas is a school with a major tie to the Steelers, as it was home to the team’s 1969 first-overall draft pick, franchise icon and Pro Football Hall-of-Famer, Joe Greene.
Texada previously tried out at the Philadelphia Eagles rookie minicamp last weekend.
The Steelers will invite a number of players to tryouts for their three-day rookie minicamp, which will be held the second weekend of May at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
Over the last few seasons, the Steelers have typically signed one or two players to contracts from rookie camp invitees. Among the team’s rookie camp tryout successes have been quarterback Devlin Hodges in 2019. Last year, vets Anthony Averett and Jonathan Ward made the team after trying out at rookie camp.
Texada is the 14th player to be revealed as a tryout, joining Pitt outside linebacker Nate Matlack, Rhode Island RB/WR Tommy Smith, William & Mary (Penn Hills) QB/WR Hollis Mathis, New Hampshire (Mt. Lebanon) quarterback Seth Morgan, Central Michigan (Thomas Jefferson) center Dom Serapiglia, Slippery Rock defensive back Eddie Faulkner IV, James Madison wide receiver Omarion Dollison, Notre Dame special teamer Max Hurleman, South Carolina linebacker Debo Williams, Arkansas safety Jayden Johnson, Lindenwood offensive lineman Gareth Warren, Ole Miss punter Frasier Masin and Rhode Island long snapper Donato Crisanti.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers to Try Out Record-Setting Defensive Back
