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What is the Mel Blount Rule?
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The rule would come to be named the Mel Blount Rule. [4] Blount had 57 interceptions in his career; he returned them for 736 yards and two touchdowns. He intercepted at least one pass in all 14 NFL seasons and led the league in interceptions with 11 in 1975.
Feb 11, 2024 · Former Pittsburgh Steelers CB Mel Blount was so dominant that the NFL had to change the way he played with the implementation of the Mel Blount Rule.
Jun 26, 2019 · It was coined the Mel Blount Rule, and while it opened the game like never before, it only made the Steelers even more dominant as the decade of the 1970s drew to a close.
- Bryan Deardo
Nov 8, 2022 · The rule is better known by its more popular title, The Mel Blount rule. While playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers, defensive back Blount was infamous for his physical play against the...
- Humble Roots Lead to A College Scholarship
- Blount Leads Southern
- Learning Curve
- Breakthrough For Pittsburgh and Blount
- Pittsburgh Is Super Bowl Bound
- Player of The Year
- The “Mel Blount Rule”
- More Super Bowls
- Blount Continues to Dominate
- In Retirement
Melvin Cornell Blount was born on April 10, 1948, in Vidalia, Georgia. He was the last of 11 children born to parents who were farmers in rural Georgia. Blount’s family was poor, but they stuck together and encouraged one another. The family home did not have electricity or plumbing, and the Blount kids helped pay the bills by working. Each day beg...
While playing at Southern, Blount grew into his eventual 6’3”, 205-pound frame. He had a high football IQ, was extremely quick, could change directions on a dime, and could outleap most opponents. By the time he was a junior, Blount was playing cornerback, safety, and returning kicks. That year, he was named to the SWAC All-Conference team and was ...
Blount was headed to a Pittsburgh organization in 1970 that had been to the playoffs exactly once in its entire history. However, the franchise hired Chuck Noll in 1969, and the former Baltimore Colts defensive coordinator began to assemble a talented roster. By the time Blount arrived, “Mean” Joe Greeneand L.C. Greenwood had been drafted the year ...
As the Steelers were preparing for the 1972 season, Pittsburgh’s secondary coach, Bud Carson, told anyone who would listen that ‘72 was Blount’s year to shine. Meanwhile, running back Franco Harriswas drafted by the Steelers, and the team finally took off. The Pittsburgh defense was ranked second in the NFL, and the offense was fifth on the way to ...
In 1973, Pittsburgh went 10-4 and lost in the Divisional round to Oakland while Blount had four picks and two fumble recoveries. Realizing they were still a few players away, the Pittsburgh front office had a draft for the ages in 1974. Three of their first four picks produced receivers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, linebacker Jack Lambert, and c...
By 1975, Blount was one of the premier shut-down men in the NFL. He was adept at both zone and man-to-man defense and played “bump-and-run” coverage with the best of them. As the 1975 Steelers repeated as the second-ranked defense in the NFL, Blount was unstoppable. That season, he posted an NFL-best 11 interceptions (still a franchise-best) on the...
In 1976, the Steelers lost in the AFC Championship game to the Raiders. However, Blount continued to sizzle as he had six interceptions, a caused fumble, and fumble recovery on the way to his second Pro Bowl (where he was named MVP) and the first of four consecutive second-team All-Pro nods. Realizing that receivers were getting mauled by aggressiv...
Despite not playing for the world title in 1976 and 1977, the Steelers were not finished dominating the competition and neither was Blount. In 1978, he had four interceptions and returned to the Pro Bowl. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, set a new franchise record for wins when the team went 14-2. They got a measure of revenge against Denver for the previous...
After 1979, the Steelers would not appear in another Super Bowl until the mid-1990s. However, Blount continued to remain steady and harassed many a receiver. In 1980, he collected four interceptions and a fumble recovery, and he added six interceptions (including his second career pick-six) in 1981. Blount’s stats in ‘81 led to his second first-tea...
After retiring, Blount worked for the NFL as Director of Player relations for seven years. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989 and was later elected to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, and the Black College Football Hall of Fame. When Blount was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, s...
Mar 22, 2021 · Implemented in 1978, the ‘Mel Blount Rule’ barred contact with wide receivers beginning five yards beyond the line of scrimmage, a rule that helped mark a turning point in the game that...
Apr 10, 2024 · 1. The 'Mel Blount Rule'. Blount and the Steelers had already begun their dynasty prior to the 1978 season after winning back-to-back Super Bowls in 1974-75. But it appeared that the NFL ...
