Jamain Stephens
Encyclopedia
Jamain Stephens is a former NFL
offensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers
and Cincinnati Bengals
.
. Blessed with great size (6'6), the Steelers selected him as a "project" player and projected him to be a great starting tackle with several years of development.
Despite the lofty expectations placed on him by the Steelers, Stephens' career with the Steelers was marred by mediocrity and a poor work ethic on Stephens' part. Despite his lack of development, he managed to start ten games (he played in 11) for the Steelers in the 1998 season, beating out Paul Wiggins
for the starting right tackle job in training camp.
. He nearly collapsed after the 11th of 14 scheduled runs, then barely walked through the remaining ones. Cowher was so disgusted by this embarrassing display that he cut Stephens hours later.
Cincinnati Bengals
after the Steelers cut him. Stephens played with the Bengals from 1999–2002, and was one of the players released by the team after Marvin Lewis
took over as head coach.
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
offensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
and Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
.
Pittsburgh Steelers
After a stellar college career for North Carolina A&T, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the first round (29th overall) in the 1996 NFL Draft1996 NFL Draft
The 1996 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 20–21, 1996...
. Blessed with great size (6'6), the Steelers selected him as a "project" player and projected him to be a great starting tackle with several years of development.
Despite the lofty expectations placed on him by the Steelers, Stephens' career with the Steelers was marred by mediocrity and a poor work ethic on Stephens' part. Despite his lack of development, he managed to start ten games (he played in 11) for the Steelers in the 1998 season, beating out Paul Wiggins
Paul Wiggins
Paul Anthony Wiggins was an American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Oregon and was drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft....
for the starting right tackle job in training camp.
1999 Training Camp Incident
Stephens is infamously known by Steelers fans for an incident that occurred on July 30, 1999 the first day of Steelers training camp. That day, a visibly out-of-shape Stephens (he appeared to be several pounds over his listed weight of 330 pounds) failed to complete a series of 40-yard runs that were traditional on the first day of camp under Bill CowherBill Cowher
William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...
. He nearly collapsed after the 11th of 14 scheduled runs, then barely walked through the remaining ones. Cowher was so disgusted by this embarrassing display that he cut Stephens hours later.
Cincinnati Bengals
Stephens was promptly signed by the rivalBengals-Steelers rivalry
The Bengals-Steelers rivalry is a rivalry in the NFL. The two teams have played each other twice a year since becoming division rivals in 1970, the lone exception being 1982, when the annual matchup in Cincinnati was canceled due to the player's strike; the teams only met in Week 2 in Pittsburgh...
Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
after the Steelers cut him. Stephens played with the Bengals from 1999–2002, and was one of the players released by the team after Marvin Lewis
Marvin Lewis
Marvin Ronald Lewis is the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League, a position he has held since January 14, 2003...
took over as head coach.