Apr. 26—At the West Penn Community Recreation Center, sneakers skidded on the gym floor Saturday as kids zigzagged through cones and stretched to grab passes from Steelers defensive back Cory Trice Jr.
In opposite corners of the Polish Hill center, Steelers tight end Connor Heyward and defensive lineman Logan Lee joined the action, high-fiving kids as they tossed around a football.
The drills were part of The Big Draft, a collaboration between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh, aimed at recruiting mentors and showing the lasting impact a strong role model can have on a young person’s life.
Currently, there are more than 200 “Littles” — or young people in Big Brothers Big Sisters parlance — in the Pittsburgh area waiting for a mentor. Thirty of them were among the 50 to 55 kids at Saturday’s event.
“Watching our Littles interact with the players is truly special,” said Marc Bloomingdale, CEO of the organization. “While they enjoy the drills, what really stands out are the powerful stories the players share about their own mentors. For so many, having a positive mentor can make all the difference in their lives.”
With the kids circled around them, the players echoed that message.
“My dad passed when I was 7, and I had a lot of football and basketball coaches who took me in,” said Mr. Heyward, whose father was University of Pittsburgh and NFL standout Craig “Ironhead” Heyward. Connor’s brother, Cameron, is an All-Pro defensive tackle for the Steelers.
Image DescriptionSteelers cornerback Cory Trice Jr. throws a pass at the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh NFL Draft event with the Pittsburgh Steelers at West Penn Community Center in Polish Hill on Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Sebastian Foltz/Post-Gazette)
Mr. Trice also lost his father at a young age. He and Mr. Heyward took a moment to appreciate their mothers as their biggest mentors.
“They’ve been in our shoes, so whatever they got to say is valuable, just listen and have fun,” Mr. Heyward said.
For Mr. Lee, mentorship was deeply tied to his faith.
“I would really strongly recommend trying to find a mentor in each area of your life,” Mr. Lee said. “Find somebody you can trust and then really value their opinions to help guide you.”
Hundreds of “Littles” ages 6 to 25 are currently enrolled in Big Brothers Big Sisters programs across Allegheny, Washington and Greene counties. Many come from single-parent families, low-income households or underperforming schools, and often face challenges such as bullying or parental incarceration.
“I was having a really hard time in school, but then I met Vince and he was there for me, he encouraged me to work harder,” said 17-year-old Damion.
Vince Russo is Damion’s “Big” — an adult volunteer who was matched with him during the COVID-19 pandemic.
After going through interviews, reference checks and background screening, Bigs are paired with a Little based on factors such as proximity to one another and common interests. Big Brothers Big Sisters offers three mentoring options — community-based, site-based and big futures — all designed to help young people build lasting relationships and develop the confidence to work toward a brighter future.
“I was really nervous that this wouldn’t work, but we really became best friends,” Damion said.
When Matt McDonald, 28, volunteered to be a mentor six years ago, he was fresh out of college and looking for ways to connect with the community. It wasn’t long before he was paired with 6-year-old Stacy, a kid full of energy and spunk.
Their first outing was at Crafton Ice Cream Delite, where they got to know each other and talked sports. Since then, they’ve attended local sporting events together, gone bowling and watched movies.
“It takes little to be a Big,” Mr. McDonald said. “All you have to do is show up and be there for the little moments, just bring positivity into their lives.”
The two have also shared some pretty big moments together. Stacy and his mother were invited to Mr. McDonald’s wedding in 2022. Two years later, Stacy was one of the first people to meet his son, Julian.
“I was surprised by the impact this had on my life,” Mr. McDonald said. “Stacy’s become a huge part of my life — he’s like family.”
As the event wrapped up, Stacy caught Mr. Heyward on his way out.
“Connor, my birthday was Wednesday,” he said.
“Wednesday? How old did you turn?” Mr. Heyward asked.
“Twelve,” Stacy replied.
Mr. Heyward wished him a happy birthday and slid a bracelet off his own wrist, handing it to Stacy.
Standing beside him, Mr. McDonald smiled proudly as he watched Stacy put the wristband on.
© 2025 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Visit www.post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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