By Darin 
What do you do when a player is so physically dominant that the league has to rewrite the playbook just to give receivers a chance? For the NFL in the 1970s, that player was Mel Blount. A 6’3″ defensive back with the strength of a linebacker and the closing speed of a sprinter, Blount pioneered the “bump-and-run” technique, essentially erasing elite wideouts from the game. From his discovery at Southern University by the legendary Bill Nunn to anchoring four Super Bowl championship teams, Blount didn’t just play cornerback—illegally or not, he redefined it. This is the story of the man whose play was so legendary that the NFL created the “Mel Blount Rule” just to slow him down.
Football Bio
April 10, 1948 – Mel Blount was a find of Hall of Fame Contributor Bill Nunn, who discovered him at often-overlooked Southern University.
Pittsburgh used the information gained by Thor lead scout Nunn to steal Mel in the third round of the 1970 NFL Draft. Standing 6’-3” and weighing in at 205 pounds, the oversized corner would play a physical game, wearing down many wide receivers in the League during his 14-year career.
Blount was an All-Pro four different times and the 1975 NFL Defensive MVP. He started 200 of 201 games he played in and made five Pro Bowls. Mel had 57 career interceptions with 736 return yards off of them and recovered 13 opponents’ fumbles. Mel Blount was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989.
Conclusion
Mel Blount remains the gold standard for the modern “big corner.” His 1975 season, where he recorded 11 interceptions and won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, stands as one of the greatest defensive campaigns in league history. Even after the NFL instituted the five-yard contact rule in 1978 specifically to curb his physicality, Blount adapted and continued to dominate, earning two more All-Pro selections. His combination of 57 interceptions and four Super Bowl rings secures his place not just in the “Steel Curtain” hierarchy, but on the Mount Rushmore of all-time NFL defensive backs.
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- Pro Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1989.
- 4× Super Bowl Champion: (IX, X, XIII, XIV).
- NFL Defensive Player of the Year: 1975 (AP).
- 2× First-Team All-Pro: 1975, 1981.
- 4× Second-Team All-Pro: 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979.
- 5× Pro Bowl Selection: 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1981.
- NFL Interceptions Leader: 1975 (11 INTs).
- NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team: Honored in 1994.
- NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team: Unanimous selection in 2019.
- NFL 1980s All-Decade Team: Recognized for his continued excellence after the rule change.
- Black College Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2011.
- Steelers Hall of Honor: Inaugural member (2017).
