Pittsburgh Steelers recognize high school football leaders at award luncheon

Story byWPXI. com News StaffSat, January 3, 2026 at 2:19 AM UTC·1 min readThe Steelers recognized high school football players today with the Jerome Bettis Leadership Award. The program recognizes 11 high school football players who have excelled in mentoring their teammates both on and off the field. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis year’s winners included:Connor Hiser - South Fayette High SchoolCharles Simmons - Bethel Park High SchoolMax Topper - Greensburg Salem High SchoolMarques Council Jr. - Aliquippa High SchoolColin Whyte - West Greene High SchoolTommy Wuycheck - Seneca Valley High SchoolKassius Gildon - Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High SchoolAdam Shroads - Central Valley High SchoolJonnie Maestra - Mars High SchoolChristian Dawkins - Beaver Falls High SchoolLukas Stead - Allderdice High SchoolThe athletes were honored during a luncheon at the Best of Batch Clubhouse in Homestead. Charlie Batch gave remarks at the event. Each student received $1,000 toward their school’s football program. The program is the result of a partnership between the Steelers, The Mentoring Partnership and sponsors of the Steelers Youth Football program, Giant Eagle and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and .