Akil Blount attended Florida A&M, a historically black college, eventually coming out as a 6’3”, 225-pound linebacker. His father, Mel Blount, was a 6’3”, 205-pound graduate of Southern University in Louisiana, a third-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1970 and an eventual member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Now his son will be entering the Hall of Fame—but in a very different way. Akil, who spend a couple of months early in the 2017 offseason with the Steelers, was recently named the recipient of the inaugural James Harris–Doug Williams Fellowship, which is a joint fellowship between the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Black College Hall of Fame.