Steelers Legend Reborn! Two Former Pittsburgh Great Resurface in UFL
Two former members of the Pittsburgh Steelers signed contracts to play in the UFL this spring on Friday. The UFL announced on Friday that linebacker Tae Crowder agreed to a contract with the Birmingham Stallions and running back Kalen Ballage signed with the Arlington Renegades.
Ballage, 29, spent the entire 2021 season with the Steelers, largely serving as a special teams player and reserve running back. He did not sign with another NFL team after leaving Pittsburgh.
Ballage was selected by the San Antonio Brahmas in the sixth round of the 2023 XFL Draft, and he played in five games with that team in the spring of 2023, rushing 55 times for 149 yards.
After the XFL and USFL merged to form the UFL in the spring of 2024, Ballage was removed from the San Antonio roster and did not play anywhere during the 2024 season.
Crowder, 27, spent the end of the 2022 regular season and part of the 2023 offseason with the Steelers. A former seventh-round pick of the New York Giants, and Mr. Irrelevant from the 2020 NFL Draft class, Crowder spent three seasons in New York before joining the Steelers mid-season in 2022. He did not play in any games for Pittsburgh.
After being released by the Steelers, he caught on with the Los Angeles Chargers and spent time with the Tennessee Titans in 2023. Crowder was also out of football in 2024 before signing with the Stallions.
Birmingham is coming off a championship season, winning the first UFL title game last June. The 2025 UFL regular season starts in March with teams reporting to training camp in the coming weeks.
