Pitt will wear alternate uniforms geared to pay tribute to city's steel heritage
When unbeaten and 21st-ranked Pitt welcomes No. 24 Louisville to Heinz Field on Saturday, players will wear alternate uniforms for the first time since the university unveiled new colors and branding in April 2019.
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The jerseys and helmets are sheet-metal gray, with several logos specific to Pitt, the city of Pittsburgh and its heritage of steelworkers.
One of the logos honors Samuel Yellin, a master blacksmith who designed the ironwork and iron lamps inside the 42-story Cathedral of Learning while it was being built in the 1920s.
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“It made sense to pay homage to Mr. Yellin,” Pitt deputy athletic director Christian Spears said.
Coach Pat Narduzzi said he likes the uniforms and will use them as a way to educate his players about the city’s history.
“I want to make sure they know why it looks like it does,” he said. “It’s Pittsburgh through and through. It’s the Steel City, and we have to go out and play with some pride with those things on.”
He said he believes in the adage, “Look good, play good.”
“If we went out there dressed in our rags or our pajamas, we might play like we’re half asleep. If you look good you do play good. Kids love a different look.”
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Jerry DiPaola is a TribLive reporter covering Pitt athletics since 2011. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in 1993, first as a copy editor and page designer in the sports department and later as the Pittsburgh Steelers reporter from 1994-2004. He can be reached at jdipaola@triblive.com.
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