Halfback Rashard Mendenhall, the Steelers' first-round draft choice, was robbed at gunpoint while walking with a female friend along Chicago's lakefront early yesterday morning, according to the Chicago police and Mendenhall's agent, Mike McCartney.

Neither Mendenhall, 20, nor his friend, was hurt during the robbery in which his wallet and cell phone were stolen, according to McCartney, who said Mendenhall didn't try to resist the robbery.

"He told me the first thing he thought was, 'I don't have anything on me worth my life,' " McCartney said.

Chicago police have not made any arrests, according to police spokesman John Mirabelli. He declined to say whether anyone witnessed the crime, what kind of gun was used or how much money was taken.

Mendenhall and his friend were walking along Lake Shore Drive at about 2 a.m., "just kind of talking," his agent said, when two men came up to him, put a gun in his face and said, "Give us everything you got."

Other reports have said the men were wearing ski masks and black hoodies.

The running back, who is 5 feet 11 and weighs 224 pounds, gave the robbers his wallet, car keys and cell phone, "and they threw his keys back at him," McCartney said.

The agent said he asked his client if that part of the lakefront is a rough area and Mendenhall said it is not; on the contrary, it's a popular place to hang out and walk the shoreline.

"He was completely innocent. It wasn't like he was clubbing or anything like that," the agent said.

In light of recent crimes against pro athletes, many are trying to take more precautions, according to McCartney. Last year, Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor was murdered in his Florida home, while New York Knicks center Eddy Curry and Miami Heat forward Antoine Walker were duct-taped at gunpoint in their Chicago homes and robbed of cash, jewelry and a Mercedes-Benz sports car.

In the Chicago robberies, the police said the robbers almost certainly knew their victims were pro athletes.

But in this case, McCartney said, there's no reason to believe the robbers knew their victim was Mendenhall.

Still, he has advised his client to be more cautious about when and where he goes.

"He's in a different setting now," McCartney said. "People know who he is and you have to be careful."

The one-year starter for the University of Illinois set single-season records for rushing yards, touchdowns and points, running for 1,681 yards and 17 touchdowns last year.

The Skokie, Ill., native, who played for Niles West High School, was the 23rd player drafted in the first round April 26.

Mendenhall was in town over the weekend for a Steelers minicamp, and will be back in Pittsburgh in two weeks for spring workouts that start May 20.