How Pittsburgh Steelers’ surprise contributor went from substitute teacher to NFL RB

PITTSBURGH - In October of 2023, Aaron Shampklin was not on the football field, but in a classroom. The now Pittsburgh Steelers running back was a substitute teacher at Perry Linsley Academy, a middle school in Long Beach, California, to help pay the bills while chasing his NFL dream. Shampklin focused on teaching sixth and eighth graders math.

Shampklin was released by the Los Angeles Chargers on August 29, 2023, and did not receive an NFL contract until the Steelers signed him to a contract following the end of their season on January 17.

Between school days, Shampklin would wake up early and train. He would then go teach at the school, and train once again after he was done for the day. It is a lot to juggle, especially as Shampklin tried to chase his NFL dream.

The training can be brutal for Shampklin. He does two a days almost every day, and is able to train out of UCLA in the offseason for two days on Monday and Thursday. On Wednesday and Friday, Shampklin and his trainer take the hour long drive from Long Beach to Malibu to train his lower body at the Malibu Sand Dunes. He often does all of this after teaching for the day.

"We're at this place called the Malibu Sand Dunes. It's literally a sand hill. So, we literally run the sand hill for reps. And we're there for like an hour and a half. So, that definitely helps a lot. Like, we do, like, 40-yard sprints to the top," Shampklin said.

Yet, he carved out a routine to help him get there. Shampklin was trained in college how to balance football and life. He played for Harvard , majoring in Economics, and he balanced football, a social life, and rigorous academic courses to make it to the NFL.

"It's difficult," Shampklin said about his experience at Harvard. "I'm not going to say it was easy, because it was not easy. It was hard. It was mainly time consuming. If you don't have the time and effort to put it in, I mean, it's going to be hard for you. A lot of long nights."

Shampklin would sometimes go to sleep at two in the morning and then wake up at six for the team's morning lift. Sacrifices and a tough schedule were nothing foreign to Shampklin. In high school, Shampklin had other offers to go an FBS school. Washington State, UMass, and other teams offered him, but the Long Beach native decided to travel all the way across the country to Harvard instead.

However, all of that hardship helped Shampklin train his way into the NFL. Sometimes, Shampklin is not sure what kept him going after the Chargers released him a year ago.

"I don't really know what kept me going, but I just kept waking up each day, going to training and just kept the faith," Shampklin said.

Yet, it was all worth it for Shampklin. The Steelers signed him to their active roster this week, just two days after he made his NFL debut. Shampklin had just one carry for five yards, but that moment was the collision of his dreams coming true.

"It feels good to knock it out and really get the feel of real game speed, which is a change from college and everything," Shampklin said. "Now that the first one is out the way, I feel a little bit more comfortable going into this week."

Once put in the black posted lockers in the middle of the Steelers locker room for overflowing practice squad talent, Shampklin now has a locker proper in the back left corner of the room. That alone shows a some of his hard work coming to fruition.

Shampklin has only been on practice squads before this week in his NFL career. Now, he has the satisfcation of knowing he has an active roster spot, but he is still taking every day with a practice squad mindset.

"It feels good to be here, but I can't stop now," Shampklin said. "I still have a practice squad mindset every day even though I'm now here."

Through Harvard, substitute teaching, and three other NFL stops, Shampklin is on a 53-man roster for the first time in his career. He will be Najee Harris' backup against the Cowboys with Cordarrelle Patterson and Jaylen Warren injured and ruled out.

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