Dewayne Hendrix signs with Pittsburgh Steelers

Former Pitt defensive end Dewayne Hendrix signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday, according to Damond Talbot of NFL Draft Diamonds. The Pitt alum most recently played for the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL after brief stints with the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins.

The 6’4”, 265-pound defensive end came to Pitt in 2015 after beginning his college career at Tennessee. He played in a total of 25 games between 2016 and 2018, missing most of the 2016 season with a foot injury. Hendrix would finish his Pitt career with a total of 50 tackles, including 10 for losses and 7.5 sacks, as well as two fumble recoveries.

After exhausting his eligibility at Pitt, Hendrix was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Miami Dolphins last April. However, he did not stick with the team despite a decent showing.

In his NFL debut, a preseason matchup between the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 8, 2019, Hendrix came up with three tackles, including two sacks and one tackle for a loss, as well as three quarterback hits. Then, against the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 29, 2019, he had three tackles, including one sack and one tackle for a loss, in addition to one quarterback hit.

That was enough to earn Hendrix a spot on the Dolphins practice squad, but he was released on Oct. 7, 2019. After that, he had stints on the Jaguars and Bears before ending up with the BattleHawks. In St. Louis, he had four tackles, including one sack and one tackle for a loss, and one quarterback hurry in five games.

As a member of the Steelers, Hendrix will be reunited with fellow Pitt alums and former teammates James Conner, Darrin Hall and Quadree Henderson back in Pittsburgh.