Former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman and NFL veteran Steve McLendon has been named the next head football coach at his alma mater. McLendon has been named the next man to lead Carroll High School located in Ozark, Alabama.

The Wiregrass Daily News was among several outlets to report the news.

“Community members say McLendon’s journey serves as an example of what’s possible for young athletes in the Wiregrass, showing that big dreams can start in small towns.

Now back in familiar territory, McLendon is focused on shaping the future — this time from the sidelines, guiding the Eagles forward.”

Staying local out of high school, McLendon played his college ball at Troy. Undrafted, he signed with the Steelers in 2009. Despite long odds as an unheralded and undersized lineman, McLendon spent his rookie year on the practice squad and soon climbed football’s ladder. He made his NFL debut in 2010, appearing in seven games for the Steelers and recovered a fumble forced by James Harrison in the season opener against the Tennessee Titans.

McLendon earned his first NFL sack the following year and by 2013, became a regular in the starting lineup. Across seven seasons with Pittsburgh, McLendon appeared in 79 games with 31 starts. He totaled 90 tackles (13 for a loss) with five sacks.

His breakout season came in 2016 with the New York Jets. He posted 3.5 sacks in just 11 games to finish third on the team. The next year, he set a single-season best with 46 tackles. McLendon played with the Jets until midway through 2020 when he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He finished out his final two NFL seasons with the team, winning a Super Bowl with them in 2020.

In 2021, McLendon intercepted his first NFL pass off New York Giants’ Daniel Jones. At age 35, he became the second-oldest player in NFL history to record his first interception. Only Trace Armstrong at 37 years old in 2002 was older for his first pick.

Now, McLendon is returning home to coach Carroll High School. As a player, he recorded over 300 tackles and 12 sacks throughout his career while being named team MVP in football, basketball, and track & field as a senior. He’s back as a coach to turn around a program that went just 1-9 last season. The program’s last winning season came in 2017.

McLendon joins former Steelers like TE Heath Miller and QB Zach Mettenberger as high school head football coaches.