Let’s get the bad news out of the way. Pitt will be losing some players with academic and medical problems.
Kyle Smith a Redshirt Sophomore Defensive End has sustained too many concussions in the last five years to be permitted to play any longer.
Instead, Smith will begin pursuit of a high school coaching career as a paid assistant at his alma mater, Harborcreek. He plans to enroll at an Erie college in January.
“They told me I couldn’t play anymore,” Smith said. “They allowed me the option to stay, but I decided I’d rather come home and be with my family.”
Smith said he suffered concussions as a high school sophomore and during his redshirt season at Pitt before enduring four last fall.
The first came in a collision with Temple quarterback Walter Washington. That was followed by another on the Pitt sidelines against Boston College. Smith, wearing street clothes, was hit in the face by the helmet of a teammate celebrating the game-ending fumble recovery.
The academic casualties are Junior Defensive End Azzie Beagnyam, Redshirt Freshman Wide Receiver Andre Broussard, and Redshirt Freshman Cornerback Steffan Brinson. All are leaving the team.
Beagnyam had been held out of the spring game for academic reasons. He is going to transfer to Division II Abilene (Texas) Christian so he does not have to sit out a year.
I guess that frees up some more scholarships.
Speaking of which, another hot wide receiver from Florida has Pitt on his short list.
“I’ve gotten a couple more offers, actually a lot more offers,” Preston Parker said. “FSU, South Carolina, Eastern Michigan, Bowling Green, Louisville, North Carolina, NC State, USF, UCF, Akron, Rutgers, Pittsburgh and there’s one more, but I can’t tell you until Monday.”
According to Parker, he’s also getting heavy interest from Arizona State, Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin.
Much has been speculated that the Hurricanes of Miami may be the next school to go ahead and pull the trigger on a scholarship offer, especially with how publicized Parker has been with his love affair with the ‘U’.
“I’m getting heavy interest from Miami (Fla.),” Parker said, “I’m gonna be at their camp on Saturday. If Miami did offer I would still want to wait it out and check out a bunch of schools.”
Among those is Pittsburgh, whom Parker wants to take a strong look at.
“I’ve got a lot of strong feelings for Pitt,” Parker said, “I’d be very happy if I got a chance to play there. I like the coaches and the offense. I’m very happy that they offered me.”
Rivals has him listed as the #31 player in Florida.
On the lighter side, Pitt great Tony Dorsett is in the Pittsburgh area for the annual Tony Dorsett/McGuire Memorial Celebrity Golf Classic. The event raises money for physically and mentally handicapped children and adults cared for at McGuire Memorial Home in Daugherty Township. There were some Pitt greats in attendance
Supporting Dorsett’s cause this year were ex-Pitt stars Mark May, Hugh Green and Bill Maas. Former Pitt coaches Johnny Majors, Jackie Sherrill and Foge Fazio played. So did a pair of former Heisman Trophy running backs – George Rogers and Mike Rozier – as well as former Steelers star Franco Harris.
There were at least 50 other celebs including Ty Law, the Aliquippa native and former New England Patriots cornerback who’s still a free agent.
A couple others in attendance included Matt Cavanaugh and Tyler Palko.
On Monday, the new tutor and his star pupil were able to put football on the backburner for a few hours and enjoy a day at one of the area’s most spectacular golf courses.
“It was kind of neat,” Palko said of the experience. “I really enjoyed it. I hope he says the same.
“Not that we were buddy-buddy or anything but I hope to have a great relationship with him. Hey, he’s the last quarterback to win a national title here (at Pitt). So I’ve got a lot of questions for him.”
He still has a lot of questions for him about that?
