Pitt's Habakkuk Baldonado got late start growing up in Italy, but he's catching up

Born in Rome, Habakkuk Baldonado appreciates the opportunity he has at Pitt to get a free education while playing football in a Power 5 conference.

He loves his teammates and enjoys the journey they are on together as the college football season approaches.

Sure, others received a more extensive football education in their U.S. high schools while he spent most of his teen years in Italy where there is less emphasis on sports.

But he wants to make one fact of life clear to everyone:

“I have great teammates,” said Baldonado, a redshirt freshman defensive end. “They are really good, but I’m not going let them step over me, you know. All you need are motivation, fundamentals and details.”

Baldonado played only one season of high school football in the U.S. at Clearwater (Fla.) Academy International, recording 83 tackles, 30½ sacks, nine forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries while averaging 24.4 yards per reception as a 6-foot-5, 230-pound wide receiver.

Those incredible numbers caught the eye of Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi, whose recruiting ties to Florida grow stronger every year. Baldonado, who has grown to 250 pounds, chose Pitt over offers from nine other schools, including Illinois, Michigan State, Nebraska and UCF.

After missing spring drills this year with an injury suffered during bowl preparation in December, Baldonado has moved into the defensive end rotation because of Rashad Weaver’s season-ending knee injury and his own hard work.

He is one of the top four ends, with starters Patrick Jones II and Deslin Alexandre and backup John Morgan.

He said he is taking nothing for granted in regards to playing time.

“You can’t know until the games come, right?” he said. “I feel great. I feel better than I’ve ever felt, stronger, faster. I have this big opportunity. I’m going to take advantage of it.”

Baldonado said he played a little football in Rome, but the league is much smaller than what exists in the U.S.

“That’s why I made the change,” he said. “We don’t have sports in school. Sports are in clubs after school. School comes first, and after that, you can do your sport.”

He didn’t enroll at Clearwater until he was 17 and a senior in high school.

It wasn’t easy leaving home, but he said his family is planning a trip to a game this season.

“I tell them it’s crazy, moving to whole other country alone, playing at this level of football. It’s been a crazy trip,” Baldonado said. “I love my family and at times I miss them, but this is what I decided to do. I’m happy where I am.”

Of course, the transition became a bit easier when he found pizza to his liking at LOTSA Pizza in Oakland. He said he doesn’t know of any other Italian playing college football at the FBS level, which creates another challenge.

“I have a whole country on my back,” he said.