The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed Virginia State University running back Darius Hagans as a free agent, according to Steelers now.
Hagans signing comes on the heels of the Pittsburgh Steelers signing another HBCU back – Morgan State’s Alfonzo Graham.
Hagans was initially signed by the Indianapolis Colts after the NFL Draft, but released on June 1.
He ran for 1,012 rushing yards on 189 carries with six touchdowns in 10 games during the 2022 season for Virginia State University. Following the season he participated in the NFLPA Bowl and the HBCU Legacy Bowl after the season.
Hagans also got a chance to participate in the Old Dominion Pro Day where he ran a 4.47 40-yard dash, jumped 10-foot-5-inches on the broad jump, registered a 36-inch vertical, and posted 26 reps on the bench at the pro day.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a long history of finding talented players from the HBCU ranks. That includes Hall of Famers like John Stallworth (Alabama A&M) and Mel Blount (Southern.)
A more recent HBCU diamond in the rough for the Pittsburgh Steelers was Issac Redman. Redman was a star at Bowie State that got a chance to shine in Pittsburgh at the pros. If the Steelers can get a Redman-like production out of either Hagans or Graham, that would be a pretty good gamble.