Walk-ons usually make their mark on the scout team, and every once in a while they get an opportunity to make an impact on special teams.
Kevin Steltz, a 5-foot-9, 245-pound walk-on fullback from Rummel High School in Metairie makes his impact in the starting lineup.
Steltz started last Saturday in LSU’s 59-13 drubbing of Arizona, and led the way on many of the Tigers’ 56 rushes for 182 yards on the ground. Steltz was in for 28 plays of the game.
But as the redshirt sophomore will tell you, blocking is the only thing Steltz will do for the offense. And he is fine with that.
“I know my role, and it’s to block,” Steltz said. “I don’t mind it. When I see No. 10 (Joseph Addai) and No. 2 (Shyrone Carey) or somebody else running in the endzone, that’s all I need.”
One reason blocking is the only thing Steltz does is because he is good at his trade. Coach Nick Saban said to just ask his teammates.
“I remember him on scout team when he first came out,” Saban said. “All the guys were complaining about having to take this guy on. And you know he’s a little fire-legged, fireplug-looking athlete. And he bench presses about 500 pounds. And I kept saying to those guys, ‘Man, that guy’s really that hard?’ And then I started watching him.
“He’s very explosive, he’s very strong, and he’s got tremendous toughness.”
Saban said his progression through three years in the program has been impressive.
“He’s developed in the offense,” Saban said. “He’s become a little bit more versatile and developed a little bit as a receiver and lost a little bit of weight and improved his movement a little bit. It’s made him a good role player for us in our offense.”
No matter how he develops as an offensive threat, Steltz said his favorite part of the position is the hitting.
“I like being able to hit somebody one-on-one,” Steltz said. “When you win the battle, you know you’ve beat that person physically one-on-one. When you make a block, a block might spring the running back or something like that. But it’s not just me. It’s the front five and everybody else on that play making a block.”
Steltz said he is pleased with his current progress and hopes to keep getting better.
“This is where I want to be and I hope everything keeps going all right,” Steltz said. “How many plays I get depends on what the coaches want to do in that game. It’s not up to me. It’s how our scheme is for a certain opponent.”