It should come as no surprise that Steelers legends Mel Blount and Charlie Batch are among those who are assisting the City of Pittsburgh with hosting the 2026 NFL Draft, both serving on the Football Legacy Subcommittee, with Batch as a co-chair.
The two share a passion for the Steelers. They share a passion for Pittsburgh. And they share a passion for giving back.
That is why, less than a week before Pittsburgh hosts the Draft on April 23-25, Blount and Batch are tied together for another reason.
For one to say thank you to the other.
Batch was honored at the 2026 Mel Blount Youth Home All-Star Celebrity Roast, which was a combination of singing Batch's praises for all of the work he does in the community, while also bringing plenty of light-hearted fun.
"I wanted to show Charlie how much I respect and appreciate who he is, what he represents as a former Steelers player, as a man, especially as a Black athlete," said Blount. "I've always watched him. I thought this was the time for the Pittsburgh community to really see this person for who he is and how valuable he is to the community, and also the Steelers, even though he's not a player anymore.
"Charlie and I sit on the host committee for the NFL Draft here in Pittsburgh and I really got to see the depth of his intellect. You know, I remember when Kevin Colbert started the Lend a Hand program, and the influence that Charlie had in helping that get started and getting athletes.
"I've always admired Charlie, and I'm honored that he would let us recognize him. Our event, we call it a roast, but what we try to do is let them know that somebody else is watching them and appreciates who they are and what they represent."
Batch, who is from Homestead, Pa, just outside the Pittsburgh city limits, came to the Steelers, from the Detroit Lions, in 2002 and spent 11 seasons playing for his hometown team.
During his 15-year NFL career he played in 81 games, completing 908 passes for 11,085 yards and 61 touchdowns, and was a member of the Steelers Super Bowl XL and XLIII championship teams.
His contribution to the city, though, goes way beyond what he did on the field. He created the Best of the Batch Foundation in 1999, fulfilling a promise Batch made after his younger sister, Danyl Settles, was shot and killed in 1996, in the crossfire between rival gangs in their Homestead neighborhood. Through the Best of the Batch Foundation, Batch and his wife, Latasha, have established themselves as true difference makers, people the community and region can depend on, to be there for the youth in particular to help give them a better future. The foundation has been serving the area now for over 25 years and has been built into a force to serve others.
"It's humbling to be honored by Mel because I know the amount of work that he puts into what he's doing with the youth home and the programs they have," said Batch. "I've seen it first-hand. I have seen his work over the last 20 years and been around him so much. For me to see the work he is doing and the tradition that he set on the field, but what he continues to do off the field is amazing. Those are the guys that you want to follow and emulate, and hopefully be mentioned in that in the same breath one day with guys like Mel, Jerome (Bettis), any of those the guys that you just continue to emulate and want to be a part of it is just special.
"I have been at his event so many times, but being the honoree, it's an honor."
Batch no doubt is already mentioned in the same breath as Blount with their shared love of giving back to the community.
The Best of the Batch Foundation provides year-round educational programming to more than 3,800 children ranging in ages from 4 to 18, across 22 school districts in nine Southwestern Pennsylvania counties. The foundation outgrew their original home, moving into a state-of-the-art 33,000 square foot facility that they oversaw the construction.
"This is his home and I think we all love our hometown," said Blount. "Charlie had an opportunity to come back and play here and get involved in the community. It's amazing what he's doing with his foundation and the lives that he's touching. I respect that because I know the hard work, commitment and sacrifice that it takes to give of yourself, your time and your resources to try to help others.
"When you talk about what a Pittsburgh Steelers player is, he's more than just a player out there on the field. He's someone in the community that's making an impact and influencing lives and helping people. And that's what I see in Charlie. As a former player, someone who played way before him, to be able to say, I appreciate you, recognize who you are and what you're doing and what you represent means a lot to me."
It was Steelers legends like Blount who first set the example for younger players, and generations who followed, of what it meant to be a part of the Pittsburgh community and give back to others. The examples were ones that Batch saw when he joined the Steelers, and even as a kid when he personally benefitted from some of the programs the Steelers offered.
"The Rooney family and things that they would do in the community with the players, I benefited from that as a youngster," said Batch. "The older I got, I more started seeing how everything works. Having the opportunity to come back home with the Steelers after playing for the Lions, I wanted to give back to the community. I already had the foundation started, and I wanted to do more.
"Seeing what players like Jerome Bettis, who was next to me in the locker room, were doing now, and players from the past who were still giving back like Mel, what better way to learn. I want to help young players learn. The moment you enter into the organization, there are a lot of initiatives that everyone is involved with and continue to carry on.
"We wear it with a badge of honor and whatever ways that we can help the next generation of players that are coming in, you just want to continue to be that resource. It's important for alumni to continue to come back and spill into these young guys, because these guys have the same dreams and aspirations that we did as we sat there in their seats. Now you just want to continue to tell them here is what's possible, here's how you continue to make an impact in the region.
"You don't take those things lightly."
