Depot After Dark: Official Leaves ESPN For NFL Team, Minicamp Team Photo, Levon Kirkland’s New Book

A Steelers Depot daily segment. A quick hit of some Pittsburgh Steelers-related stories that may not require a complete article but nuggets worth mentioning and passing on to you guys.

Your Depot After Dark for May 13.

ESPN Official Leaves For NFL Team

ESPN will need a new rules expert in its booth for 2024. Former official John Parry has left the network to join an NFL team, advising their coaching staff on gameday.

Parry cited his missing being directly involved with gamedays as the chief reason why he left the booth. He served as an official from 2000 to 2018 before being hired by ESPN in 2019. While initially unknown which team it’d be, the New York Post learned Parry had been hired by the Buffalo Bills. 

Minicamp Team Photo

As is team tradition, the 45 players who took part in the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie minicamp this weekend gathered for a team photo on Sunday. They were joined by coaches, staff, and GM Omar Khan.

So far, only one player from the 23-man tryout pool was signed. CB Anthony Averett was added and should serve as veteran cornerback depth who will push for a roster spot this summer.

Levon Kirkland’s New Book

Former Pittsburgh Steelers LB Levon Kirkland is now an author. He shared an Instagram post on Monday highlighting his new book, “Run Bonnie Run!” now available for sale.

As outlined on its Amazon page, the 32-page book is about:

“Run Bonnie Run! is based on the life story of former [Pittsburgh Steelers LB] Levon Kirkland. It is intended to inspire children to chase their dreams and overcome challenges, regardless of their background or circumstances.”

According to their page, it’s the first of three books that will come out in the series.

Xavier Wade Update

This is a note that probably only I care about, but Ferris State WR Xavier Wade initially accepted an invite to Steelers’ rookie minicamp. But when the team released their official roster, Wade’s name wasn’t on the list. It’s still unclear exactly what happened, but we know where he was this weekend. Wade was in Denver for the Broncos’ rookie minicamp instead, as tweeted out by the Ferris State athletics account.

Did the Broncos offer him right after the Steelers did, and he chose Denver? Did Pittsburgh rescind their invite for some reason? It’s hard to say, but at least we have an answer to why he wasn’t in Pittsburgh this past weekend. Wade, as of this writing, has not signed with the Broncos and is a free agent.