Dezmond Sherrod enjoyed being on the sideline watching the Pittsburgh Steelers win the Super Bowl this past February.
But the former Caledonia High School and Mississippi State tight end doesn”t want to settle for being a member of the Steelers” practice squad this season.
Sherrod will report to the Steelers” training camp July 31 with the intention of impressing Pittsburgh”s coaches and to make the team.
“It”s an open competition at each position,” Sherrod said. “My main thing is to go out there, compete, and do my best.”
Sherrod said he has had a productive offseason and has tried to stay in the best physical condition to be ready for training camp.
Sherrod believes his experience last year in the Steelers” training camp will give him an advantage this year.
“I have the experience from last year of knowing how training camp is and how the preseason games are,” Sherrod said. “I”m using that experience to train and be prepared for camp.”
Sherrod, who received a Super Bowl ring as a member of the practice squad, was signed as a rookie free agent by Pittsburgh on April 28, 2007.
He is confident the Steelers will give him a fair chance in training camp.
“They are open-minded and want everyone to compete,” Sherrod said. “They are rooting for everyone to come out and be in shape. That”s the main thing. It”s really open for whoever wants it the most.”
Sherrod doesn”t see why Pittsburgh can”t defend its Super Bowl title.
“We have a lot of veterans who signed with the team,” Sherrod said. “We virtually have the same defense, which is the top defense coming back, and have a lot of the offensive players coming back. We definitely have a shot at doing it again.”
Sherrod played in 47 games with 18 starts from 2004-07 at Mississippi State. He was used primarily as a blocking tight end, catching four passes for 21 yards in 2004, one pass for 5 yards in 2005, two passes for 14 yards in 2006, and one pass for 10 yards in 2007.
He was a teammate in 2007 with his brother Derek Sherrod, who will be a junior offensive lineman for the Bulldogs this coming season.
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