Saeed Blacknall

Saeed Raashad Blacknall (born March 17, 1996) is an American football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Penn State, where he was given the nickname, "Megatron, Jr.", after former Detroit Lions wide receiver, Calvin Johnson.[1]

Saeed Blacknall
No. 80 – Pittsburgh Steelers
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1996-03-17) March 17, 1996
Long Branch, New Jersey
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school:Manalapan
(Englishtown, New Jersey)
College:Penn State
Undrafted:2018
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:Active
Career NFL statistics
Player stats at NFL.com

Early years

Blacknall attended high school at Manalapan High School in Englishtown, New Jersey, where he also lettered in running track and field other than football accolades. While playing football at Manalapan he helped his team to a combined 32-5 record during final three seasons and compiled nearly 2,000 receiving yards and 35 touchdowns. During his senior year, he won the Central Jersey Group IV State Sectional Championship in the 55m dash competing on the school's indoor track & field team.

Blacknall was rated as a four-star recruit and committed to Penn State University to play college football. He originally committed to Rutgers before changing to Penn State.[2][3]

He was rated a four-star recruit by all four major recruiting services (ESPN, Rivals, Scout and 247Sports).[4] ESPN.com, Scout.com and 247Sports.com ranked him among the top-150 recruits nationally.[5][6][7] ESPN.com rated him a top-five recruit in New Jersey at (No. 3), Rivals.com (No. 4) and 247Sports.com (No. 3).[8]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40‡ Commit date
Saeed Blacknall
WR		 Long Branch, NJ Manalapan HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 4.39 Jan 26, 2014 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN grade: 83[9]
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • ‡ Refers to 40 yard dash
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2014 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

    College career

    Blacknall played four seasons for the Nittany Lions, playing in 48 games and starting 15 games, under the guidance of James Franklin.

    Blacknall appeared in the first four seasons (2014-2017) of Unrivaled: The Penn State Football Story, presented by Pepsi, a weekly 30-minute preview show that debuted on Thursday, August 28, two days before the Nittany Lions met UCF in the Croke Park Classic.[10]

    Preceded by Penn State Football 2013 – The Next Chapter, it aired on WPSU-TV including several other outlets and became nominated for several Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.[11]

    Freshman season
    See also: 2014 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

    As a freshman, he appeared in 13 games with one start. He scored 11 catches for 112 yards and one touchdown. He made his collegiate debut against UCF in only the fifth football game to be held in the Emerald Isle Classic at the Croke Park Classic in Dublin, Ireland since its first game in 1988 during the 2014 NCAA Division I football season. He had his first career catch against UMass. Made first-career start at Michigan Stadium against Michigan Wolverines where he had four catches. Penn State chipped the Buckeyes' lead to 17–14 early in the fourth quarter on a touchdown pass from Christian Hackenberg to Blacknall who scored a 24-yard touchdown against Ohio State Buckeyes.[12] Also in 2014, Nittany Lions participated in the Pinstripe Bowl against Boston Eagles at Yankee Stadium during the Non-CFP bowl games.

    Sophomore season
    See also: 2015 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

    As a sophomore, played in 13 games with three starts. He gained eight catches for 248 yards and one touchdown. Totaled four catches for 101 yards against San Diego Aztecs on September 26 at Beaver Stadium where he hauled in a 46-yard pass. Blacknall gained a 25-yard touchdown reception again against Michigan Wolverines and recorded a 59-yard catch. As a sophomore, spent time on the field as a running back and sometimes a safety.

    Junior season
    See also: 2016 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

    As a junior, participated in 9 games with 7 starts, totaled 15 catches for a career-high 347 yards (23.1 avg.) with three touchdowns. Achieving six catches of 20-or-more yards. Blacknall had a 42-yard catch against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross–Ade Stadium. Blacknall garnered a 19-yard TD pass while playing against Iowa Hawkeyes. He caught a 43-yard pass against Indiana Hoosiers on November 12 at Memorial Stadium. He set a record by gaining six receptions for 155 yards and two touchdowns in the Big Ten Football Championship Game against the Wisconsin Badgers in the Lucas Oil Stadium and hauled in a 40-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter and a career-long 70-yard catch-and-run for a touch down in the third quarter. His yardage total broke the Big Ten Championship Game record and 70-yard catch became the third-longest in Big Ten Championship Game history. As a junior, racked up 1,359 all-purpose yards with 16 touchdowns.

    Senior season
    See also: 2017 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

    As a senior, appeared in all 13 games with four starts and recorded a career-high 17 receptions for 289 yards and two touchdowns. He had three catches for 64 yards with a 35-yard TD reception against Georgia Panthers on September 16. Made first start of the season and had an 18-yard reception against Indiana Hoosiers and scored four passes in one game with 74 yards against Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field, helping his team earn Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week honors. A 27-yard touchdown reception was recorded in a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium. Blacknall made his first-career special teams tackle against Pittsburgh Panthers on September 9. As a senior, totaled 52 receptions for 707 yards and 15 touchdowns. However, Blacknall didn't play at the 2017 Rose Bowl due to suspension for an undisclosed violation of team rules.[13][14]

    By the end of his college career, Blacknall had totaled 50 career receptions for 979 yards (19.6 avg.) with seven touchdowns. He had become a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. During his college career he had caught 40 passes for 743 yards, recorded 10 carries for 114 yards and returned kicks for 502 yards. As a two-time all-state selection, while earning first-team all-region, all-district and All-Shore Conference honors for three-straight years. He was selected to play in the Semper Fidelis All-American Game and the USA U-19 All-American Game.

    Career statistics
    NCAA career statistics
    Penn State Nittany Lions
    Season Receiving Rushing Scrimmage
    GamesRecYdsAvgTDAttYdsAvgTDPlaysYdsAvgTD
    2014 610959.511-1-1.0011948.51
    2015 5824831.01000824831.01
    2016 71534723.130001534723.13
    2017 121728917.020001728917.02
    Total 305097919.671-1-1.005197819.27

    Professional career
    Pre-draft measurables
    Height Weight Arm length Hand size 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
    6 ft 2 in
    (1.88 m)    		 210 lb
    (95 kg)    		 33 3⁄8 in
    (0.85 m)    		 9 7⁄8 in
    (0.25 m)    		 4.39 s 4.15 s 32.5 in
    (0.83 m)    		 10 ft 7 in
    (3.23 m)    		 21 reps

    Oakland Raiders
    See also: 2018 Oakland Raiders season

    After going undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft, Blacknall signed with the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent on May 4, 2018, along with Penn State teammate Jason Cabinda.[15] He scored a 45 yard touchdown in the fourth week during the preseason against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field.[16][17] He was waived on September 1, 2018 and was signed to the practice squad.[18][19] He was promoted to the active roster on November 14, 2018.[20] He was waived on November 19, 2018 and re-signed to the practice squad.[21] He signed a reserve/future contract with the Raiders on January 1, 2019.[22] It was reported that Blacknall would appear in HBO's Hard Knocks, featuring the Oakland Raiders. Although, he was waived on July 18, 2019 before the 2019 season premiering on August 6.[23]

    Miami Dolphins

    On July 19, 2019, Blacknall was claimed off waivers by the Miami Dolphins.[24] He played in the first two games with the team during its 2019 preseason.[25] He was waived on August 20, 2019, with an injury designation.[26] He was placed on injured reserve after clearing waivers the next day, then was waived with an injury settlement on August 25. The Green Bay Packers hosted Blacknall for a workout on September 16.[27]

    Arizona Cardinals
    See also: 2019 Arizona Cardinals season

    Blacknall was signed to the Arizona Cardinals practice squad on December 4, 2019.[28] His practice squad contract with the team expired on January 6, 2020.[29]

    Los Angeles Wildcats
    See also: 2020 Los Angeles Wildcats season

    Blacknall was drafted by the Los Angeles Wildcats in the 2020 XFL Supplemental Draft held on November 22, 2019. He signed with the team on January 6, 2020.[30]

    During the 2020 XFL season, Blacknall scored his first pro touchdown with a 42 yard touchdown on February 29 against New York Guardians during the second half of the game at MetLife Stadium.[31][32][33] Blacknall scored a 17 yard touchdown on March 8 against Tampa Bay Vipers during at Dignity Health Sports Park.[34] He had his contract terminated when the league suspended operations on April 10, 2020.[35]

    Pittsburgh Steelers

    On April 13, 2020, Blacknall signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.[36]

    References
    1. "Penn state wide receiver saeed Blacknall junior 2016-17 season highlights". YouTube.com. February 15, 2017.
    2. "Manalapan Football Player Saeed Blacknall Changes Commitment From Rutgers to Penn State". patch.com. January 26, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
    3. Bellano, Anthony (January 27, 2014). "4-Star WR Saeed Blacknall Flips from Rutgers to Penn State". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
    4. "SAEED BLACKNALL, 2014 Wide Receiver". Rivals.com. November 22, 2019.
    5. "Manalapan Wide Receiver Saeed Blacknall Chooses Rutgers". Patch.com. March 14, 2019.
    6. "Ohio State recruiting: Saeed Blacknall, '14 NJ 4-Star WR, talks Buckeyes". landgrantholyland.com. March 14, 2019.
    7. "New Jersey's top receiver Saeed Blacknall commits to Rutgers". articles.nj.com. March 14, 2019.
    8. "2014 Top Football Recruits in New Jersey". 247sports.com. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
    9. "Saeed Blacknall". espn.com. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
    10. "'Unrivaled: The Penn State Football Story' to debut Aug. 28". https://news.psu.edu/. August 22, 2014. External link in |website= (help)
    11. "'UNRIVALED: The Penn State Football Story' Presented by Pepsi Premieres August 29". https://gopsusports.com. 8/28/2019. Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |website= (help)
    12. "Ohio State survives Penn State's crowd and defense: Bill Livingston". cleveland.com. October 26, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
    13. "Blacknall and Bowen To Miss 2017 Rose Bowl Game For Penn State". wnep.com. December 29, 2016.
    14. "Penn State LB Manny Bowen, WR Saeed Blacknall suspended for Rose Bowl". dailynews.com. December 28, 2016.
    15. "Raiders Announce Undrafted Free Agent Signings". Raiders.com. May 4, 2018. Archived from the original on May 10, 2018.
    16. "Preseason Week 4 Final Score Oakland 30, Seattle 19: Keon Hatcher has huge game in preseason finale win for Raiders". silverandblackpride.com. August 30, 2018.
    17. "Raiders vs. Seahawks Highlights | NFL 2018 Preseason Week 4". YouTube.com. August 3, 2020.
    18. "Oakland Raiders announce roster transactions - 9.1.18". Raiders.com. September 1, 2018.
    19. "Raiders announce practice squad signings". Raiders.com. September 2, 2018.
    20. "Raiders elevate Blacknall; make practice squad additions". Raiders.com. November 14, 2018.
    21. "Raiders sign wide receiver Keon Hatcher, place LaFell on IR". Raiders.com. November 19, 2018.
    22. "Raiders announce reserve/future signings - 1.1.19". Raiders.com. January 1, 2019.
    23. "HBO's 'Hard Knocks' to feature three former Penn State Football players". https://victorybellrings.com. August 13, 2020. External link in |website= (help)
    24. "Miami Dolphins Claim Blacknall Off Waivers". MiamiDolphins.com. July 19, 2019.
    25. "NFL: AUG 16 Preseason - Dolphins at Buccaneers". gettyimages.co.uk.
    26. Nogle, Kevin (August 20, 2019). "Dolphins sign T.J. Rahming, waive/injured Saeed Blacknall". ThePhinsider.com. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
    27. "Saeed Blacknall: Workout in Green Bay". www.cbssports.com. September 23, 2019.
    28. Urban, Darren (December 4, 2019). "Cardinals Promote LBs Tanner Vallejo, Kylie Fitts, Sign DL Caraun Reid". AZCardinals.com. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
    29. @HBalzer721 (January 7, 2020). "Cardinals practice-squad contracts expired Monday: WR Saeed Blacknall; RB Justin Davis; NT Javi Edwards; LB Jamey Mosley" (Tweet). Retrieved January 9, 2020 – via Twitter.
    30. "XFL Transactions". XFL.com. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
    31. "Wildcats' offense sputters in XFL loss to New York Guardians". PressTelegram.com. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
    32. "L.A. Wildcats suffer road loss to New York Guardians, drop to 1-3 in XFL". latimes.com. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
    33. "WATCH: Former Penn State WR scores first pro touchdown". 247sports.com. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
    34. "Tampa Bay Vipers vs. Los Angeles Wildcats XFL live blog". dknation.draftkings.com. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
    35. Condotta, Bob (April 10, 2020). "XFL suspends operations, terminates all employees, but Jim Zorn says he has hopes league will continue". SeattleTimes.com. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
    36. "Steelers add depth at receiver". Steelers.com. April 13, 2020.
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