clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Meet Zoltan Mesko and Antwon Blake, the Steelers newest roster additions

The Steelers signed punter Zoltan Mesko and cornerback Antwon Blake Monday after releasing Drew Butler and Isaiah Green. The move clearly is an effort to improve the Steelers' special teams, which sagged during the preseason.

By Neal Coolong
David Butler II-US PRESSWIRE

It's hard by this point not to know former Patriots and now Steelers punter Zoltan Mesko.

He's the guy CBS wouldn't go one broadcast before mentioning his incredibly diverse background. Impressive, if not annoying. Not everyone is dubbed "the NFL's most interesting man" by Wall Street Journal.

Mesko was a quality punter - certainly better than either Drew Butler or Brian Moorman. Butler, as you may recall, beat out Moorman over the preseason to keep his job. That lasted a little over 24 hours, as Butler was released in favor of Mesko.

He speaks five languages and graduated with a degree in business administration from the University of Michigan. He also has a career net average of 40.7 yards - Butler had a net of 37.8 last season.

Antwon Blake, the other Steelers' signee Sunday, doesn't appear to have quite the same background. An undrafted free agent out of Texas El Paso in 2012, Blake made the Jaguars' roster and played in all 16 of their games.

Small but fast (5-foot-9, ran a 4.32 40 at his Pro Day in 2012, Blake would seem more of a special teams contributor than a player expected to get snaps in the Steelers' defense.

Big Cat Country's Alfie Crow quoted Blake after a Jaguars preseason game last season in reference to the impending cutdown day.

"I’d be lying if I said it won’t be on my mind a lot but I’m just going to try to do some things to keep my mind off of it right now because what’s done is done and I can just hope that I put enough on film for them to feel like they can use me in a good way. I’m putting it in God’s hands and the coaches hands and hopefully I come out on top."

So he seems humble, at least. He made the team, after all. It's almost a certainty any undrafted defensive back is only going to make a team if he can contribute in special teams, so perhaps the release of Butler and Isaiah Green were based in the idea of improving punt coverage.

Crow told BTSC after Blake's signing was announced "He's a special teams guy."

So there we go.

More from Behind the Steel Curtain:

More From Behind the Steel Curtain