Kameron Kelly gets another shot to prove worth to Steelers at free safety

For the second time in three months, the Pittsburgh Steelers have turned to little-known Kameron Kelly with starting free safety Sean Davis unavailable to practice.

When Davis missed some OTA workouts in May, the Steelers turned to Kelly, whom they signed shortly after the Alliance of American Football folded in early April. The Steelers turned to Kelly again Sunday and Monday when Davis injured his finger. Kelly figures to start as long as Davis is out.

“You never want to see one of your brothers go down, so I wish him a speedy recovery,” Kelly said Monday. “I’m going to hold it down until he gets back.”

The Steelers must like what they have in Kelly because they turned to him instead of the more experienced Jordan Dangerfield.

Kelly, 22, was cut by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2018 preseason and was out of work until he joined the AAF. At 6-foot-2, he is the Steelers’ tallest free safety, and Kelly takes pride in his ball awareness. That was evident Monday when he had an interception on a deflected deep pass.

“I’m a sure tackler, but there are other guys on the team that are a little bigger than me and probably more physical than I am,” Kelly said. “But as far as going to get the ball, I feel like that is my best attribute, and that’s what I’m trying to show them.”

Before he joined the Steelers, Kelly started out as a wide receiver in the AAF under San Diego coach Mike Martz, the architect of the Greatest Show on Turf when he coached the St. Louis Rams. Kelly moved to defense after a few games and played all over the secondary until the league ceased operations.

With the Steelers, Kelly has focused on free safety.

“That’s what I like about coach (Mike) Tomlin,” Kelly said. “He’s trying to find out what I’m best at and use me there because that will make the team better rather than force me to do something that I’m not good at, then I’m not developing and we’re just wasting reps out there.”