PITTSBURGH -- Since Jerome Bettis retired after the 2005 NFL season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have searched for a big, bruising running back in his mould. The list of hopefuls has been long, if not particularly distinguished. Verron Haynes, Najee Davenport, Carey Davis, Gary Russell, Frank Summers, Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman all failed to consistently provide production in short-yardage and goal line situations. Enter LeGarrette Blount. The 6-foot, 250-pound veteran certainly looks the part. And while he has a long way to go to be mentioned with the likes of Bettis, there have been plenty of flashes during his four seasons in the league. Blount averaged 5.0 yards per carry while splitting time with Stevan Ridley in New England last season, and gashed the Indianapolis Colts for 166 yards and four touchdowns in the playoffs. Though second-year back LeVeon Bell remains the starter, Blount is confident he can make an impact no matter what situation. "I know they brought me in here to run the football, so I hope there are plenty of carries to go around," Blount said Wednesday. "I know that LeVeon is going to get his fair share, so I hope theres enough for all of us." Bell, last years second-round pick, missed the opening three games while recovering from a preseason foot injury. But he still played nearly 700 snaps, a heavy workload the 6-foot-1, 230-pound Bell managed with ease. Still, the Steelers will find opportunities to go from the patient and pragmatic Bell to the bruising Blount, with the emphasis on bruising. "Thats my running style," Blount said. "Thats how I run the football, and I feel like (Bell) is also a big, tough running back, too. So, thats just how this team is built, with a physical running game, and I think thats what theyre trying to get back to. So, hopefully, we can do that." Blount noted a balanced offence is needed to make a run to the Super Bowl such as the ones by Seattle and Denver last year. The champion Seahawks had Marshawn Lynch running the ball and Russell Wilson throwing it, while the Broncos ran the ball with Knowshon Moreno when Peyton Manning wasnt breaking NFL passing records. "I think its huge for us to (sign Blount), because Ive always said that we need to be a balanced offence," quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. "So, we need to run the ball. We need to be great at running the ball, and weve got guys that want to be great at running the ball. So, hopefully, we can do it and do it successfully." Blount added that while his body type and size make him an ideal power back, he has a variety of skill sets, such as catching the football and running away from defenders in the open field. But he certainly has proven he can run over them as well. Those attributes, combined with Bells slashing style, should give the Steelers a solid one-two punch. "I think we have a really good mix of running backs," Blount said. "(But) Ive seen the NFL Network, and they have these top 10 or top five running back duos in the NFL. I noticed that were not one of them, and I dont like it. In all honesty, I believe theyre downgrading the skill level that we have in our backfield. . I think thats kind of disrespectful." Does that mean Blount and Bell have something to prove? "Were not going to go out here and go on about how were not in that group," Blount said. "But were going to go out there and show that we belong there with our performance." NOTES: RB Dri Archer has missed the opening two OTAs, just like linebacker Jordan Zumwalt from UCLA, because his school is on the quarters system and their class has not yet graduated. . OTAs continue Thursday and also run Tuesday through Thursday next week. Tom Brady Jersey . Philippe Desrosiers stopped 42 shots through overtime and three more in the shootout to pick up his third shutout of the season for Rimouski (31-15-7). Zachary Fucale made 28 saves for Halifax (34-17-3) in the loss. Sports Jerseys For Sale .ca. The NHL Play of the Year showdown kicks off with some slick moves going head-to-head with a combination of soft hands and endless patience. https://www.sportsstarsjerseys.com/michael-jordan-jersey/ .com) - Cincinnati Reds pitcher Mat Latos had an arthroscopic procedure performed on his right elbow last week, the teams official site reported Wednesday. Michael Jordan Jersey Throwback . -- League scoring leader Anthony Mantha had two goals and two assists to lead the Val-dOr Foreurs over the Blainville-Boisbriand Phoenix 6-3 on Wednesay in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League play on Wednesday. Michael Jordan Jersey Washington Wizards . With Bernard hurt, the second-round pick has emerged.Hill ran for 152 yards during a 27-10 win at New Orleans on Sunday, his second big game. He also ran for 154 yards against Jacksonville earlier this season.It took 286 games and four years. There were 76 two-goal games between them and two cities that called the team home. But when Bryan Little scored for the third time in a 6-2 win over the visiting Colorado Avalanche on Dec. 5, the organization’s hat trick drought finally ended - and significantly - a Winnipeg Jets’ player proudly claimed full ownership of the new record. It has not been easy for the Jets franchise to put its own stamp on Atlanta Thrashers history at times, even though the uniform scheme has changed, passionate sellout crowds are the norm in downtown Winnipeg and the roster has been turned over since the Georgia days. But some old franchise records remain and always seem to be the most difficult to rewrite. Of course, fans of the Jets knew at some point that the hat trick slump would eventually end. Followers of the team had even isolated certain players who were more likely to supersede former Thrashers forward Eric Boulton as the last franchise player to record a hat trick. Boulton’s three-goal game came back on Dec. 18, 2010. Names like Blake Wheeler, Andrew Ladd, Dustin Byfuglien and Evander Kane were probably top of mind. But when Little scored three times last week, nobody was that surprised. After all, over the last three-plus seasons the Jets have been in Winnipeg, Little is just slightly behind Wheeler and Ladd, respectively, for the team’s overall scoring lead. “You knew it was a matter of time,” said Little. “I didn’t think it would take this long, but we’ve got a (number) of guys that can do it. It’s something we’ve talked about, but it’s not something we take too seriously as long as we’re winning.” Last week, the Jets did both, as Little’s hat trick came in an important win for his club over a Central Division rival at home. It was a moment fans at MTS Centre had waited for patiently. And after Little wristed a shot past Avalanche goaltender Seymon Varlamov for his third goal of the game at 1:17 of the third period, the roof on the building bubbled for the rest of the night. The goal also chased Varlamov from the net, and he watched the celebration continue for the balance from the Colorado bench as Reto Berra came on in relief only to be footnote to the historic night in Jets’ history. “Honestly, two of the three goals I didn’t celebrate because I didn’t know they were in,” said Little, who recorded his only other NHL hat trick in 2008 against Carolina as a meember of the Thrashers.dddddddddddd “It was unbelievable. It was the loudest I’ve heard this place in a while.” The first had to be reviewed because Varlamov actually caught the puck in his glove, but was ruled via video review that the puck was behind the goal line in goaltender’s mitt. The third goal also caused a celebratory delay because Little thought it initially went off the cross bar, but in fact, it had fully entered the net and quickly kicked back out. “It was a good night for the whole team,” said Ladd, who along with Little and Wheeler combined to record nine points that night as a line. “It was nice to see (Bryan) get it. He’s a guy that quietly goes about his business and doesn’t get the recognition he probably deserves. It was great to hear the crowd chanting his name and just a good night for the whole team.” Little finished the game with an assist as well for a four-point night overall. He is also the only Jets player this season to record a power-play (2), shorthanded (1) and game-winning goal (1). He also leads the team with a plus-8 this season. Interestingly, the former 2006 first-round pick (12th overall) of the Thrashers had a chance for a fourth goal in the game. It happened during a six-on-three situation with the Jets two men short and the Colorado net empty in favor of the extra attacker. Little broke up a play, skated to centre and slid the puck toward the empty net, but he admitted he was at the end of a tough shift and didn’t have the energy to get the puck fully to the opposition goal. “I was exhausted,” he said. “I had nothing left and couldn’t even shoot the puck hard.” Either way, Little now owns the Jets’ distinction as the most recent player to record three goals in a game. Whether it takes 286 games again between them remains to be determined. NOTES: Defenceman Adam Pardy has played 77 games with the Jets, but is still waiting to record his first goal with the organization. He has four goals career in 277 NHL games…. Of the 15 wins the Jets have this season, 12 have come when they’ve scored the first goal….Winnipeg has not posted a comeback victory in regulation this season when trailing after two periods (0-6-3)….The Washington Capitals will be the last of the 29 other NHL teams to play a game against the Jets this season. The two don’t meet until Feb. 19 in game 60 for Winnipeg. They meet for the final time in Winnipeg on Mar. 21 in game 72. ' ' '