PITTSBURGH -- Mike Hilton had been in Pittsburgh for about two weeks when a number with a 404 area code appeared on his cell phone.
A Foot Locker in Atlanta had accepted his application and planned to hire him as a sales representative. Cut by two NFL teams, Hilton was out of football prospects and needed side money, just enough to pay for training and food.
"I kept telling myself, 'Injuries can happen and somebody will give you a call,'" Hilton said.
That call came in December from the Pittsburgh Steelers, who offered him a spot on their practice squad for the final weeks of the season.