NFL DRAFT PROSPECT COLTON HOOD, WITH RAYSHAWN WILLIAMS. (PHOTO BY ROB TAYLOR JR.)
by Rob Taylor Jr.
Courier Staff Writer
On the very first day that the new Hazelwood Green Field was used, it featured kids who play on the Hazelwood Cobras youth football team, and some “slightly older” individuals who know a thing or two about football.
Some of the NFL’s top prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft played football with the mostly-African American Cobras football team on Wednesday, April 22, coinciding with the unveiling of Hazelwood Green Field, which will be home to the Hazelwood Cobras and the Central Catholic High School football team.
It’s located just a stone’s throw behind Hazelwood’s main thoroughfare, Second Avenue.
NFL DRAFT PROSPECT CARNELL TATE (PHOTO BY BRIAN COOK SR.)
The field is officially called, “U.S. Steel Community Field at Hazelwood Green.” The field was developed in collaboration with the Richard King Mellon Foundation, Tishman Speyer, Hazelwood Green Youth Sports Charities and Steelers Charities. The project was made possible by a $10.8 million grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, with additional support from Hazelwood Green Youth Sports Charities, Steelers Charities, Central Catholic High School and the NFL Foundation.
Among those on hand to celebrate the occasion was NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who said that “with the support of the NFL Foundation, the Steelers, through Steelers Charities, are once again demonstrating their commitment to community and legacy of excellence both on and off the field.”
NFL DRAFT PROSPECT MANSOOR DELANE (PHOTO BY BRIAN COOK SR.)
Colton Hood, a star cornerback with the University of Tennessee, played football with some of the Cobras like Rayshawn Williams. Two days later, Hood was drafted in the second round by the New York Giants.
Other prospects on the field with the kids were Ohio State’s Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs and Carnell Tate. All three were selected in the top 15 on Thursday, April 23, with Styles headed to the Washington Commanders, Tate headed to the Tennessee Titans, and Downs headed to the Dallas Cowboys.
NFL DRAFT PROSPECT CALEB DOWNS (PHOTO BY BRIAN COOK SR.)
David Bailey, who eventually was taken No. 2 overall by the New York Jets, was also having fun playing football with the Cobras, as were Francis Mauigoa (drafted by the New York Giants) and Kayden McDonald (drafted by the Houston Texans).
NFL COMMISSIONER ROGER GOODELL (PHOTO BY ROB TAYLOR JR.)
“Football has always been more than a game in Western Pennsylvania —it’s part of the fabric of our communities,” said Art Rooney II, Steelers Chairman and President of Steelers Charities. “The field allows us to honor generations of families who built this region’s football tradition and carry that spirit forward across the wide variety of sports that will be played on this new field. We are proud to help create a place where youth from Hazelwood and across all of Pittsburgh can learn, grow, and experience the confidence, pride and belonging that come from playing team sports.”
“For generations, U.S. Steel has been part of the Mon Valley and Pittsburgh,” said U.S. Steel President and CEO David Burritt. “We’re investing more than one billion dollars in Pennsylvania steelmaking, modernizing our operations, and building for the long term. And we’re investing in our communities, too. This field is about building strong communities, where kids can play safely, neighbors can gather, and futures can take shape. Simply put: We’re building more than steel. We’re building Pennsylvania.”