Thanks to parents' Army background, Pitt linebacker SirVocea Dennis grows into leader

A year ago, SirVocea Dennis survived his sophomore season at Pitt — conquered it, really — recording 14½ tackles for a loss while earning third-team All-ACC honors at outside linebacker.

Then, coaches came to him and said, “‘OK, you showed you can handle the outside. Now, we’re moving you to middle linebacker and making you the quarterback of the defense.’

“That’s not a position I thought I’d be able to play,” Dennis confessed to reporters Tuesday.

The son of U.S. Army parents, he soldiered onward and won the job in training camp over junior Wendell Davis (who won the job last year before getting hurt).

“It’s definitely been different, but it’s a good different,” Dennis said. “The reason I thought I couldn’t play (middle) was just getting everybody set, making all the right calls. That was always the tricky part of it. Even though I did it with our Delta (passing down) package, it seemed a little bit more difficult with our base defense.”

How’s it going after two games and two victories?

“As I went through camp and now game reps, it actually comes easy,” Dennis said.

The middle linebacker position is one of toughness and leadership — Dick Butkus played there; so did Jack Lambert — and those concepts were not difficult for Dennis to embrace.

“I come from a military background,” he said. “I, basically, grew up into it. My Mom and Dad are both in the military. Both grandmothers, grandfathers, uncles. If I didn’t get my homework in on time, I got a lot of pushups and pullups.

“I used to think (leadership) was the hardest part (of playing middle linebacker), but being that it comes from my background, it’s easier than I thought it was. Coming into that role more helps me become a better player.”

Dennis, a junior, is part of a large group of linebackers that includes Davis and seniors Cam Bright, Phil Campbell III, John Petrishen and Chase Pine. Everyone gets significant playing time.

First-year linebackers coach Ryan Manalac designated Dennis, Bright and Campbell as starters in the first two games. But, to Manalac, it’s a paper honor that needs to be earned every day at practice.

Dennis has been on the field more than Davis (81 snaps to 49 in two games, excluding special teams, according to Pro Football Focus). At the outside position, Bright and Petrishen (74/70) and Campbell and Pine (71/58) are also sharing.

Manalac sends them onto the field, but he could never get a job at Pro Football Focus: He isn’t worried about how many snaps they get.

“SirVocea got the nod coming out of camp, had a couple good scrimmages,” Manalac said, “but Wendell’s right there. They’re a little bit different players, skill-set wise. They bring a little bit of something different to the table. But they’re both really good football players.

“They’re competing every day. It’s not a set-in-stone type thing. They’re setting the fronts, setting blitzes, doing different things. Both of those guys are capable of leading all 11 on the field, and they’re capable of getting in position to make plays.”

When Manalac arrived in February, he sat down with his linebackers and told them, “You guys show me what you’re about.”

As it turned out, the older players were willing to help the younger ones, resulting in what Manalac calls “a brotherhood.”

“They’re pushing each other, helping each other grow,” he said. “It’s impressive to see the details they take off (video study) and apply them in a game situation.”

When the players decided tackling against Tennessee wasn’t up to standard, they didn’t wait for Manalac to say something.

“Actually, we got on each other,” Dennis said. “Usually, we wait for the coaches to get on us about things like that, but (Tuesday) we got on each other about tackling … making sure we take great angles and make sure do everything right. I’m one of the guys (leading the discussion) and they’re also getting on me. It’s a group effort.”

Dennis appreciates how Manalac pushes him in meetings and on the field.

“You have to be a rough coach. If you’re not, why are you coaching linebackers? He brings intensity, great attitude to the game.

“He wants me to be better than what he sees on tape. When you have a coach like that, you understand it’s not how he says it. It’s what he says.”