Steelers defense admits they created Le'Veon Bell's rap career

During the peak of the "Killer B’s" era in Pittsburgh, the Steelers possessed one of the most explosive offensive units in modern NFL history. Behind Antonio Brown’s elite route-running and Le'Veon Bell’s patient rushing style, Pittsburgh kept scoreboard operators working overtime.

Off the field, however, both superstars famously expanded their ambitions into hip-hop, and former Steelers linebacker Bud Dupree admits the locker room might be to blame.

Speaking on former teammate Cam Heyward's podcast, “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward,” Dupree broke down the hilarious post-practice rituals that convinced Bell and Brown they were legitimate musical talent.

"We are the reason for everybody watching, man," Dupree joked. "I feel like we got to take the responsibility that Le'Veon really started rapping. AB too. We hyped them up so much in the locker room. They thought they was fire."

According to Dupree, post-practice rap battles in the locker room became standard entertainment. Teammates like Stephon Tuitt, Heyward, and Dupree would gather around, building up the offensive stars regardless of lyrical quality.

"We’s the real deal, making them think they was the best rappers in the world," Dupree recalled. "All you got to do is say one hard line and everybody just agreeing with you, ‘oooohhhhh’ running around in circles."

The relentless hype machine eventually spilled over into game days, where the team blasted the players' tracks during stadium warmups. However, the humor turned into disbelief when the side projects escalated into full-blown music careers and off-field business decisions.

"We done did all this hyping you up to be a rapper," Dupree laughed. "Now you going to sit out now and be a rebel, man. It was funny, bro. It was funny."

While Steelers fans remember the era for its prolific offensive output and eventual contract holdouts, the defensive unit looks back fondly on the locker room culture that accidentally created two off-field rap careers.

This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers defense admits they created Le'Veon Bell's rap career