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It is very rare when NFL teams draft a player who is strictly a punter in the top 100 selections of the NFL draft. In fact, it’s only happened 25 times throughout the history of the NFL. The Steelers have only done so once when in 1978 they drafted Craig Colquitt in the third round with the 76th overall pick out of Tennessee.
The Steelers have a new putter for 2020 who has an extremely similar situation. Drafted as the 99th pick overall in the third round by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2005 NFL draft out of Tennessee, Dustin Colquitt followed in his father‘s footsteps as both a high draft pick in the NFL for his position, and now as a punter for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
After 15 years with the Kansas City Chiefs and over 1,100 punts for more than 50,000 yards, Dustin can now say he and his father have both played for the same historic franchise. In fact, Colquitt is pumped to be somewhere familiar according to Teresa Varley of Steelers.com.
Dustin Colquitt said it's cool and special to be on his father's former team. He said he is 'pumped because I have been here before.'
— Teresa Varley (@Teresa_Varley) September 9, 2020
Dustin Colquitt was born in the offseason while his father was kicking for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In fact, the young Colquitt has a few memories of his family’s time in Pittsburgh. One in particular he shared with the Pittsburgh media during an interview on Wednesday had to do when he met Art Rooney Sr.
Punter @dustincolquitt2 via zoom said when he was a kid he would come to the team's walk-thru on Saturdays with his dad, Craig Colquitt. He met Art Rooney Sr. who signed a baseball for him that said, 'Dusty, one day you will be a superstar.' He still has the ball.
— Teresa Varley (@Teresa_Varley) September 9, 2020
But Colquitt has even more stories from his time in Pittsburgh as a youngster. Although it is extremely likely he is the only member of the Steelers who set foot on the field at Three Rivers Stadium, he is almost certainly the only one who can say he gave the field a special “christening” according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.
Dustin Colquitt, with his dad as the former Steelers punter has a couple cool stories: Back in the day, families would come for walkthrus before the home games. ... "I did pee on 3 Rivers Field."
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) September 9, 2020
Says he also has a signed Pirates baseball from Art Rooney.
It is very intriguing how the father and son combination now share the same experience of kicking for the Pittsburgh Steelers. With father Craig holding two Super Bowl championships in the Steel City, Dustin finally got his first ring as a member of the Chiefs in 2019. Dustin may also have some bragging rights over dad as he has been selected to the Pro Bowl twice in his career. But if Dustin could be a part of bringing home another Lombardi trophy to Pittsburgh, he may just hold the upper hand on Pops.
It wouldn’t be fair if little brother Britton Colquitt did not also get a mention as he has spent 10 years in the NFL kicking for the Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns, and most recently the Minnesota Vikings. Although Britton went undrafted unlike his other two immediate family members, he did also earn a Super Bowl championship with the Denver Broncos in the 2015 season.
But until little brother joins the Steelers, he will continue to be an afterthought. After all, this kicking family is currently all about the black and gold, and now it is up to Dustin to do his part to bring another Super Bowl victory to Pittsburgh.