Pittsburg, PA
Beaver County woman selected as Pittsburgh Steelers nominee for 2024 NFL Changemakers
PITTSBURGH — Chippewa Township resident Carolina Frantz was recently recognized as the Pittsburgh Steelers nominee for the 2024 NFL Changemakers.
The National Football League and the Pittsburgh Steelers have worked together to showcase local leaders who are making a difference in their communities during the NFL’s Inspire Change Weeks since 2017.
“It is exciting and a humbling experience for me,” Frantz said. “I had mentioned to them [the Steelers] when I won the award that I couldn’t believe that I could have won it because there are so many people out there in the community doing all sorts of things. I am just a normal human being, a nurse, looking to make things better for people. I am truly honored to have been chosen for it.”
For Pittsburgh Steelers senior director of community relations Blayre Holmes Davis, honoring Frantz, who has given so much to the community, is an important thing to do.
“We want to take the time to recognize the unsung heroes in our community and we appreciate folks like Carolina who are there to do the work and are there to receive services. We are honored to uplift her story and the work that she has done over the years and everything that is going to come along with it,” Holmes Davis said.
Frantz is currently the BSN-AID Program Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Duquesne University where she helps support students and mentor underrepresented students in nursing.
Back in 2018, Frantz decided to found the Western Pennsylvania Area Chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses with an old colleague who worked at Pittsburgh Mercy.
She signed up the chapter to become a distributor of socks from the company Bomba’s. For every pair of socks purchased, the company would also donate a pair.
For three years, the chapter had to wait to become distributors but once Frantz was chosen, she hit the ground running helping the Pittsburgh region all while sorting and distributing socks out of her garage.
“After I received the socks, I contacted my friend at Pittsburgh Mercy who gave me a list of all of the shelters in the Pittsburgh area that needed sock donations to help move product. After contacting them, all of those boxes were offloaded quickly, and I took a day trip in my husband’s pickup truck delivering socks to different homeless shelters in the Pittsburgh region. After that, I just kept expanding donations and continued to distribute them throughout the Pittsburgh region.”
Since 2023, Frantz has delivered over 15,000 pairs of socks to the Pittsburgh community.
While she continues to make impressive strides with her efforts, Frantz’s extensive work within the healthcare field has given her a deeper understanding of what her work can do for a community.
“It is more than just delivering socks,” Frantz said. “I have gotten to see what things look like in the healthcare space. To see people come into the healthcare system with foot ulcers, or other people that are at a higher risk for injuries and wounds. Unfortunately, a lot of people who are experiencing those ailments are part of the unhoused population. People most of the time that are unhoused don’t have proper footwear and socks which place them at a higher risk to develop those wounds.”
While she did not grow up a Beaver County resident, Frantz moved into the Pittsburgh region when she was 12 years old after immigrating from Colombia.
After moving around Western Pennsylvania, she, her husband and three kids moved to the Beaver County area around six years ago after her husband started to work at the Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Plant.
While being involved with the community close to home along with volunteer work, she has also started a new position in the Beaver County area.
“Recently I made an addition to my career working for the Gateway Rehab Center, and that was purposeful to give myself more experience in the behavioral health space,” Frantz said. “I have gotten a better understanding of people who have the most needs and continue to be able to give back. I work there once a week as a nurse at the Aliquippa facility, which is another part that I am giving to the community. Hopefully, some of the sock donations from the bigger organizations will touch the Beaver County community soon.”
By being nominated, Frantz will also receive a $10,000 donation from the NFL Foundation paid directly to the non-profit of her choice, which is Pittsburgh Mercy.
Frantz will also be recognized at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 17 game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day.
Though she won’t be able to be recognized in person at the game, Holmes Davis believes that her story can continue to push change in the community.
“We are a city that helps each other to create the needs for people,” Holmes Davis said. “We are excited to be able to share her story with our fanbase and hopefully through her work, people in the community will feel inspired to do something in their community as well.”
As Frantz continues to help the community with her various endeavors, she hopes that the work that she did can show people that putting a small effort into helping a cause can go a long way.
“It doesn’t take a lot of sacrifice to make a difference. We have been blessed with the ability to have a garage big enough and I am just one human being. If you take all the people that live in a five-mile region, you can do big things. People can make a lot of difference in the world by doing small things.”
Pittsburg, PA
Steelers’ Will Howard Gets Shout Out From Top NFL Draft WR
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers are likely one of the teams that will be heavily considering a wide receiver when it comes to their very valuable first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
One of the top options, and considered by many analysts to be the best overall, is Ohio State Buckeye alum Carnell Tate. Tate is a three-year starter at Ohio State, and the top wide receiver selection is likely to be between him and Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson.
While at Ohio State, Tate was a teammate of current Steelers backup quarterback Will Howard, and was asked about him during his workout at Ohio State’s Pro Day.
“Oh, Will isn’t giving me no tips. He’s probably going to root for me to come with him to Pittsburgh,” Tate said.
“I’m happy for him. I wish him nothing but the best. Love that guy to death,” Tate also said.
Howard would not be the first person to try to get their former teammate to join them from college to their professional team, with one big example being Derek Carr and Davante Adams a couple years prior.
If Tate were to join the Steelers, he would be the third member of the 2024 Ohio State National Championship-winning team to play for the Steelers simultaneously, with Howard and surging young linebacker Jack Sawyer having played on the Steelers in 2025.
Will Tate Go To Pittsburgh?
Tate is quite unlikely to end up with the Steelers, as he is expected to be among the first players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. With the Steelers having the No. 21 selection, they would need to make a significant trade forward to likely jump into the zone where Tate would be available.
“I think I’m a great football player,” Tate said about going into the NFL. “My speed … the combine is one time, but ultimately I’m a great football player. When you put the pads on, it’s another level.”
They could probably do that, due to the fact that they have 12 selections across the seven rounds. At this point in time, it does not see they love any particular player enough to make that big of a trade up, but trades into the late end of the top ten are quite common. Yet, their move to land Michael Pittman Jr. would make it significantly less likely that they make such a move to get another wide receiver.
While at Ohio State, Tate was always in the top half of their wide receiver room, yet played among some of the most talented wide receivers in recent history in current NFL player Emeka Egbuka and young talent Jeremiah Smith. He finished his final collegiate season with All-Big Ten honors, as well as well as being a second team All-American.
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Pittsburg, PA
Written off in Pittsburgh: 5 former Steelers looking for redemption in UFL
Spring football may not carry the same weight as the NFL, but it still offers an opportunity for everyone involved. Fans can satisfy the urge to watch the game they love, while players in the United Football League work to earn another shot at the NFL. No one should expect top-tier play from these teams, but the UFL can still deliver compelling storylines.
Several recognizable names will take the field this spring, including personnel with ties to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
One reason or another, things didn’t work out between the Steelers and these members of the UFL, and that’s why they are attempting a comeback. Pittsburgh either cut them or let them go, and few have heard much from these former members of the Steelers since. The United Football League will see them be thrust back into the spotlight in hopes of landing a shot in an NFL training camp.
Fans will witness several Ex-Pittsburgh Steelers making a comeback in the UFL
Benny Snell Jr., RB, Louisville Kings
The name Benny Snell Jr. has disappeared from football conversations in Pittsburgh since he left the team in 2022. A fourth‑round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Snell never fully found his footing with the Steelers. He was known as a tough, physical runner who could contribute on special teams, but his role in the NFL rarely extended beyond that.
Snell struggled to make a lasting impact in Pittsburgh, and the UFL now offers him a chance to rebuild his reputation and revive his professional prospects.
Todd Haley, OC, Columbus Aviators
It has been nearly a decade since Todd Haley left the Steelers after his stint as offensive coordinator. His last NFL role came in 2018 with the Browns, and since then, his coaching career has taken a winding path that has included high school football and spring league opportunities. Haley’s role with the Aviators could provide him with a chance to re-enter the NFL coaching conversation.
Anthony McFarland Jr., RB, Birmingham Stallions
Many had high expectations for Anthony McFarland Jr. when the Steelers selected him in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. His speed stood out immediately, but he struggled to develop into a complete running back. McFarland now enters his second season in the UFL after a solid stretch of production in 2025. He will need to take the next step and show more consistency this spring.
Tre Norwood, S, Birmingham Stallions
Another United Football League veteran with ties to Pittsburgh is Tre Norwood.
A seventh-round pick by the Steelers in the 2021 NFL Draft, Norwood used his positional flexibility to carve out a role early in his career. He now enters his second season with the Stallions after posting modest production last year. If the versatile defensive back hopes to earn another opportunity in the NFL, he will need to make a stronger impact in 2026, particularly by creating turnovers.
Roc Taylor, WR, Columbus Aviators
Fans were hopeful for Roc Taylor after he signed with the Steelers last year as an undrafted free agent. The wide receiver group on the roster lacked depth at the time, but Taylor was unable to make it through training camp. Despite that setback, his talent remains evident, and the UFL may represent his best path forward. Taylor has a valuable opportunity in front of him to take advantage of.
Pittsburg, PA
Get PFL Pittsburgh results for the Eblen vs. Battle event Saturday night.
MMA Fighting has PFL Pittsburgh results for the Eblen vs. Battle fight card and more from UPMC Events Center in Pittsburgh on Saturday night.
In the main event, former Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen tries to earn another title shot with a win over Bryan Battle, who makes his PFL debut. Eblen (16-1) suffered his first career loss against Costello van Steenis in a PFL title bout in his most recent outing.
Dalton Rosta and Impa Kasanganay clash in a middleweight contest in the co-main event.
Check out PFL Pittsburgh results below.
Main Card (ESPN2 at 10 p.m. ET)
Johnny Eblen vs. Bryan Battle
Dalton Rosta vs. Impa Kasanganay
Ariane Lipski da Silva vs. Sumiko Inaba
Alexei Pergande vs. Julio Arce
Lazaro Dayron vs. Jacob Thrall
Prelims (ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET)
Allan Begosso vs. Jack Cartwright
Natan Schulte vs. Jakub Kaszuba
Robert Watley vs. Dakota Bush
Ernesto Rodriguez vs. Masayuki Kikuiri
Tatiana Postarnakova vs. Elora Dana
Josh Fremd vs. Jarrah Al Salawi
Ethan Goss vs. Fred Dupras
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