Steelers renew contract with former Harvard running back

The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed running back Aaron Shampklin to their practice squad, the team announced Wednesday. Shampklin was with the Steelers throughout the offseason and preseason and was released on roster cuts day.

Shampklin spent all of training camp battling Jonathan Ward, La’Mical Perine and Daijun Edwards to become the team’s fourth running back. Edwards was one of the team’s first cuts, while Ward and Perine were also the team’s last cuts.

In three preseason games, Shampklin rushed 13 times for 40 yards and also caught three passes for three yards.

The 24-year-old Harvard graduate signed with the Steelers on Jan. 17 after spending training camp with the Los Angeles Chargers last season. He previously spent time with the Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys and Houston Gamblers of the USFL.

“Last year I was in spring league with the Gamblers and it was good to get out there and get some reps and get comfortable,” Shampklin said in the spring. “I was coming off an injury the year before, so it was good to be able to play in a game again, but there’s nothing like an NFL environment. You have top-notch coaches. You get the best reviews than you would get in spring league.”

Shampklin impressed in OTAs, getting a ton of reps with the first-team offense, but wasn’t able to carry that momentum through training camp and the preseason, and ultimately fell behind Perine and Ward on the depth chart at running back.

While at Harvard for five years, Shampklin only played three seasons of football. As a freshman, Shampklin played in 20 games and recorded 81 carries for 363 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Shampklin earned first-team All-Ivy League honors as a freshman in 2017.

The 2018 season was Shampklin’s most successful season, as he carried the ball 173 times for 1,053 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns. He added eight receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown. Shampklin’s high-level play earned him a first-team All-Ivy League selection for the second straight season. Shampklin led the conference in all-purpose yards and rushing yards as a sophomore.

Shampklin missed the entire 2019 season due to injury, and then the Ivy League football season was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. He returned to the Crimson for the 2021 season. In nine games, Shampklin carried the ball 148 times for 835 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns.