Former Steelers Draft Pick Wins UFL Award

The Pittsburgh Steelers' defensive prowess stretches beyond the NFL's bounds. A former draft pick of the organization just completed an impressive campaign in the UFL, and his production earned him one of the league's top honors.

Former Steelers' draft pick Travis Feeney, currently an edge rusher and linebacker for the St. Louis Battlehawks, was named the UFL's Sportsman of the Year. The league awards this honor to the player with the best sportsmanship during the most recent season.

With the Battlehawks, the 32-year-old played in nine games. He recorded 20 solo tackles and 17 assisted to finish with 37 total tackles. He also added 2.5 sacks, including a Week 8 contest where he earned Defensive Player of the Week honors after recording 1.5 sacks and forcing two fumbles. Last season, he finished with 39 total tackles and six sacks.

Feeney was originally selected by the Steelers in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of the University of Washington, but his NFL career was short. After being drafted, he failed to make the Steelers' roster. He stayed on the team's practice squad for a bit during the 2016 season before being signed by the New Orleans Saints. The Saints would release him from the organization before the end of the 2016 campaign.

Since then, Feeney's been working his way through other professional leagues. He's been with the Battlehawks since 2023, when they selected him in the league's supplemental draft. He played the 2022 season with the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL and before that he played two seasons with the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League.