Jerry DiPaola stories, Page 61
While Pitt kickers compete, Pat Narduzzi will ‘say my prayers’ for good health before live scrimmage
Pitt practice was lighter and a bit shorter Friday morning for good reason. The team will conduct a live scrimmage Saturday for the first time this summer. What does Pat Narduzzi want to see in the scrimmage? What every coach wants, of course: To have every player walk off the...
Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi urges Konata Mumpfield to save pass-catching acrobatics for games
The scouting reports on Akron wide receiver Konata Mumpfield were glowing. His speed, hands and route-running ability had placed him among the best pass catchers in the Mid-American Conference and earned him Freshman All-American status. When his name appeared in the NCAA transfer portal after last season, he was recruited...
Pro football greats Rickey Jackson, Russ Grimm join 7 All-Americans in Pitt’s 2022 Athletics Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Famers Rickey Jackson and Russ Grimm, seven All-Americans and three others who enjoyed celebrated careers at Pitt were named Thursday to the school’s athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2022. Pitt’s fourth Hall of Fame class, representing nine sports, will be inducted Sept. 30 at a...
Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi eager for Saturday, the summer’s 1st scrimmage
Preseason games such as what will occur Saturday night at Acrisure Stadium between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks aren’t part of the college football landscape. It’s probably because no one thought of it many, many years ago when schools first planned their preseason camps. Old habits are hard to...
While hunting quarterbacks, Pitt’s John Morgan shows young people another way
Depending on who’s listening, John Morgan III has separate messages that convey his passion for football and for life above and beyond the game. Pitt’s senior defensive end spent the summer preparing for training camp that is now deep into its second week. But there’s more cooking inside his brain...
Pitt notebook: Pat Narduzzi pays no mind to preseason polls
Pat Narduzzi has a vote in the USA Today Sports/AFCA Poll, but he wouldn’t mind if all preseason polls went away. And he’s not especially pleased with the existence of in-season polls. “There shouldn’t be a preseason poll. To me, the preseason poll means absolutely nothing,” the Pitt coach said...
Pitt notebook: Tight end depth gives offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. options
During his 32-year coaching career, Pitt’s Frank Cignetti Jr. has been a quarterback whisperer to such noted slingers as Aaron Rodgers and Eli Manning. But it’s a testament to his versatility as an offensive coordinator that he also has gained a reputation as a coach who still believes in an...
Pitt players will link with fans through Steel City NIL Club
Pitt football team members have banded together to form the first-of-its-kind Steel City Name, Image and Likeness Club that will allow fans to offer financial support to players. In exchange, donors will be able to meet players on video calls, watch discussions of practices, upcoming games and recruiting and interact...
Competition in crowded backfield led C’Bo Flemister from Notre Dame to Pitt
After he decided to leave Notre Dame, running back C’Bo Flemister put Pitt at the top of his list of potential transfer destinations. Doing due diligence, he sat down and watched video of Pitt’s top three returning running backs. What he saw was the best of Izzy Abanikanda, Vincent Davis...
Pitt joins group of 5 ACC schools ranked in preseason coaches’ poll
Pitt’s inclusion in the USA Today Sports/American Football Coaches Association Preseason Top 25 poll is not surprising. The Panthers are No. 16 — their highest preseason ranking in that poll since 2010 — after returning a plethora of starters from a team that finished 11-3 and was ranked No. 13...
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi confirms ‘nothing significant’ with Kedon Slovis’ injury report
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said nearly as much about his own injury Monday as he did about what may be ailing would-be starting quarterback Kedon Slovis. Some information was tossed around Twitter on Saturday, indicating Slovis had suffered an unspecified injury during a closed practice. Pat Narduzzi, on competition at...
Special version of competition emerges at Pitt’s training camp
Fans seeking information about the first week of Pitt training camp want to know, of course, about the two quarterbacks vying to replace Kenny Pickett. They are curious about the wide receivers expected to step up in the absence of Jordan Addison. Will transfers Konata Mumpfield and Bub Means allow...
Pitt’s Tylar Wiltz, Karter Johnson step onto bigger stage with confidence
The new Pitt linebacker began his first chat with reporters while flashing a smile and offering a friendly greeting. “How y’all doing? I’m Tylar Wiltz, from Beaux Bridge, La.” Not 20 seconds into the interview — before he answered his first question — he added, “It’s been a blessing to...
Pitt wrestlers Nino Bonaccorsi, Micky Phillipi will return for bonus season of eligibility
Pitt’s wrestling program received a significant boost in manpower for the 2022-2023 season Friday when All-Americans and two-time ACC champions Nino Bonaccorsi and Micky Phillippi decided to use their extra season of NCAA eligibility. The former WPIAL stars — Bonaccorsi from Bethel Park, Phillippi from Derry — have won a...
All seats sold out for Pitt-WVU Backyard Brawl on Sept. 1
The first Pitt game under the Acrisure Stadium name is a sellout. Pitt’s athletic department announced Friday morning there are no seats remaining for the Backyard Brawl on Sept. 1 between the Panthers and West Virginia. “When (sales) opened up, 15 minutes later it was sold out,” coach Pat Narduzzi...
Pitt Take 5: After only 4 practices, there’s still plenty of chatter while team takes shape
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi demands no one look beyond the next day’s practice, but we’ll do it here, anyway. The Backyard Brawl already is sold out, and a crowd of close to 70,000 may show up at Acrisure Stadium. Not bad for a televised event in which fans get no...
Pitt’s ability to fix small cracks in defense could lead to big things
Before every practice, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi gathers his team in a circle for a few moments of bonding. The coach will speak in his singularly defiant tone, challenging players to participate with a purpose. Players contribute words of encouragement, too. Just before they disperse to different areas of the...
High school coach’s memories of Pitt wide receiver Bub Means go beyond football
Edgar Carson knows what Pitt wide receiver Jerrod “Bub” Means can do on a football field. While at Lovejoy High School, which competes in Georgia’s second-highest classification, he played cornerback, safety, wide receiver and even wildcat quarterback. “Heck of a player, great student,” said Carson, the coach at Lovejoy. “Very...
Controlled contact highlights Pitt’s 3rd day of drills
Pitt started crawling toward real football Wednesday morning (Day 3) when players donned shells and limited contact was permitted — what coach Pat Narduzzi likes to call thud sessions. The idea is to hit and bounce off and keep as many players as possible off the ground (and uninjured). Sometimes,...
Oneil Cruz’s 7th home run leads Pirates to 5-3 victory against Brewers
Derek Shelton knows what can happen when he writes the names of three rookies into the meat of his batting order. “We talk about rookies are going to do things that frustrate you,” the Pittsburgh Pirates manager said, “and they’re going to do things that make you smile.” Finally, after...
Pirates send cash to Blue Jays for pitcher Jeremy Beasley
The Pittsburgh Pirates made a final move before the trading deadline Tuesday when general manager Ben Cherington sent cash considerations to the Toronto Blue Jays for right-handed pitcher Jeremy Beasley. Immediately upon finalizing the deal, the Pirates optioned Beasley, 26, to Triple-A Indianapolis. Beasley has spent most of this season...
Pirates send Johan Oviedo, Malcom Nunez to minors after trade with Cardinals
After trading for right-handed pitcher Johan Oviedo and corner infielder Malcom Nunez, the Pittsburgh Pirates sent both players to the minors Tuesday. Oviedo and Nunez represent the Pirates’ return in the trade Monday of veteran pitchers Jose Quintana and Chris Stratton to the St. Louis Cardinals. Oviedo was optioned to...
Running backs, special teams keep Pitt assistant Andre Powell busy
Class was in session for members of the media Monday afternoon at Pitt’s practice facility, and Andre Powell was the instructor. It’s a good idea to listen when Powell speaks. Not only is he one of two assistants who have been with Pat Narduzzi for all eight seasons — tight...
Pitt notebook: Expectations high, but Pat Narduzzi says preseason rankings don’t matter to him
Pitt hasn’t been ranked in the Associated Press preseason college football poll since 2010, a streak that could end this month. The Panthers finished 2021 as ACC champions and were ranked No. 13 in the final AP poll. They return 15 starters from that team, and Sports Illustrated predicted Pitt...
Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi hopes NIL is brought under control to eliminate poaching
Pat Narduzzi seemed to think the answer was obvious when he was asked Monday if he believes his Pitt program was violated this offseason by name, image and likeness rules. “You tell me,” he said. “I would say, probably.” Narduzzi did not specifically reference former Pitt All-American wide receiver Jordan...
