The Pittsburgh Steelers continued the offseason rebuild of their safety room in the 2026 NFL Draft by selecting Oklahoma S Robert Spears-Jennings in the seventh round. They already added S Jaquan Brisker in free agency, but continued to add more talent at a position decimated by injuries in 2025.
Spears-Jennings brings versatility to the Steelers’ backfield, having played both deep safety and in the box. But who is he as a person? Here are five things to know about the new Steelers safety.
Moved Around As A Military Kid
Robert Spears-Jennings moved a lot when he was a kid. Both of his parents served in the US Navy. Anyone from a military family knows it can be a hard life for children. Spears-Jennings lived in eight different states through his first 18 years. He has a good perspective on it, though. He sees both the positive and the negative.
“It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t the best, obviously,” Spears-Jennings said in an interview with Red Dirt Media. “You move every two to three years. It’s like you’re cool with people, but you’re not really making friends…It helped me be adaptable. Like, when I got to college, I wasn’t homesick, I was perfectly fine being here.”
Two-Way Player In HS, Didn’t Focus On Safety Until Senior Year
Spears-Jennings played high school football at Broken Arrow High School in Oklahoma. He primarily played wide receiver and also played cornerback. However, Oklahoma viewed him as a safety. So, ahead of his senior year, Spears-Jennings focused extensively on developing at that position.
On Sept. 23, 2021, Robert Spears-Jennings started at safety for Broken Arrow for the first time. He responded with two interceptions, one that he returned for a touchdown and one that sealed a 19-12 win over Westmore.
“It felt great,” said Spears-Jennings to The Oklahoman. “I like the feeling of it because next year I’m going to play safety. I just need to get a feel for safety and make sure I made the right decision. I feel like I made the right decision. I just felt like I belonged today.”
Spears-Jennings finished his senior year with 55 total tackles, two tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles and four interceptions, including the pick-six against Westmore. However, he didn’t play safety exclusively. He caught 36 passes for 626 yards and eight touchdowns, too.
Committed To Oklahoma, Stayed Even After Lincoln Riley Left
Spears-Jennings committed to Oklahoma under former Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley. However, Riley left Oklahoma during the 2021 season to become the head coach at USC. Some players re-open their commitments when head coaches leave or get fired. Spears-Jennings never did, thanks in part to legendary Sooners coach Bob Stoops. When Riley left, Stoops returned to the head coaching spot he held at Oklahoma from 1999 through 2016 as the Sooners’ interim coach.
“With Bob Stoops coming in the next day (after the Riley news) and talking to us, it calmed us down,” Spears-Jennings said in an interview with The Oklahoman. “It made us realize that OU is going to be OU regardless, no matter the coach.”
Then came new head coach Brent Venables, Clemson’s former defensive coordinator.
“I like his energy, his vibe,” Spears-Jennings said. “I feel like he brings a lot of energy to the table. He just told me my position won’t change and my scholarship is still honored.”
Just like Venables honored Spears-Jennings’ scholarship offer, Spears-Jennings honored his commitment to Oklahoma.
Hosted A Free Football Camp At Broken Arrow
Even after Robert Spears-Jennings went off to college, he did not forget about his former high school. He and a fellow Broken Arrow alum, Maurion Horn, started a free football camp in 2023.
“Nobody before us really started a camp that I know of, so we just wanted to give back to the kids and give back to the community, really,” Spears-Jennings told KJRH-TV. “I reached out to Coach Blankenship and Broken Arrow. We still have a great relationship. He was open arms.”
Spears-Jennings’ background playing on both sides of the ball certainly affected how he approached the camp. Horn did the same as well. He said that he would help receivers and safeties, while Horn would help running backs and cornerbacks.
Even Though He Ran Track In High School, 40 Time Surprised Him
Robert Spears-Jennings knew he was fast. He also ran track at Broken Arrow. He trained ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine, preparing to display his speed. He did that, running the 40-yard dash in 4.32 seconds that had everyone talking.
Even himself.
“I went in there, my goal was like a 4.43, low 4.4s,” Spears-Jennings said, according to a video posted by Broken Arrow Tigers Sports on Facebook. “So, when I ran a 4.32…it shocked me.”
Although Robert Spears-Jennings fell to the seventh round, he can definitely fly around the field. That speed certainly shows when you watch him play at Oklahoma.
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