This fine bit of cross-stitchery was done by my wife. She located an old Pitt cross-stitch design (apparently they license anything) and altered it slightly. The original design for the “Pitt” name was this style.

Not sure what I’m going to do with it, exactly. I suggested that it could be mounted on some other material and used as one of those car flags. She didn’t agree. It’s roughly 8 X 7 inches.

Any suggestions?

Gene Collier has a nearly sarcasm-free piece on Coach Wannstedt as training camp approaches.

When Wannstedt returned to Pitt before last season, he had been out of college coaching for 16 years, out of Pittsburgh for 26, and relearning both instantaneously represented a challenge with which he essentially went 1 for 2.

“The easiest things were recruiting and connecting with the community,” he said, “although I might not have been able to say that had I come from Oregon or Texas. But I had a hard time adjusting to the restrictions.

“Football hours for these guys are only 20. Twenty hours a week. I remember with the Dolphins, Zach Thomas would spend 20 hours in a day sometimes getting ready for a game. As a coach, you have so many things pulling on you in college. I could spend a month doing nothing but fund-raising. A month doing nothing but recruiting.

“But this year, I feel a lot better about what I need to spend time on.”

Even if he didn’t, within two weeks, it’ll be pretty clear.

Collier points out the lack of running game, determining the starters at receiver and the lack of an offensive line. He runs out of room before discussing the lack of a d-line.

Senior Linebacker Brian Bennet, gets a nice piece about his future career plans.

The Pitt fifth-year senior linebacker is focusing on his future after an internship with the U.S. Secret Service’s Pittsburgh field office. Instead of sacking the quarterback, the former Big East Defensive Freshman of the Year hopes to one day protect the president.

“You’ve got to be wild to even think about doing it,” said Bennett, 22, who graduated in December with honors and a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice and legal studies. “You’re throwing yourself in front of bullets. That’s the type of job I want to do, something exciting.”

…

“It makes our agents feel young again, to be able to explain the job to him and see his eyes light up,” said Matt LaVigna, assistant special agent in charge at the Pittsburgh office. “He’s going above and beyond. He does fit the profile of a candidate we’ve been looking for.”

Bennett endured a hectic schedule for six weeks. He awoke at 5:30 a.m. for Pitt’s voluntary workouts, followed by a 9-to-5 Secret Service shift and a three-hour abnormal psychology evening class.

It is a welcome diversion for someone who spent the better part of the last two years rehabilitating injuries.

“Most of the time you think about football, then reality starts hitting you,” Bennett said. “You get hurt a few times and start thinking about your future.”

After an internship with the University of Pittsburgh police department this past winter, chief Tim Delaney recommended that Bennett apply to the Secret Service.

“You read about the players who get in trouble. This is stuff you don’t read about,” Delaney said. “He’s a sharp kid. He’s a real success story. He’s not your typical student-athlete.”

It didn’t hurt Bennett’s cause that LaVigna played linebacker at Pitt from 1984-87 and can relate on a personal and professional level.

“I see a lot of me and my experiences in what he’s going through,” LaVigna said. “I did the same thing — tore a ligament in my knee and went through the rehab and played another two years. I feel his pain, so to speak.”

Bennett also learned during his background check that someone had stolen his identity. The article didn’t say how that worked out.

Bad news for Rod Rutherford, who was cut by the Steelers. Hopefully he can catch on with another team.

Then there were the stories about some Pittsburgh area HS players who are headed to Milford Academy, New Berlin, NY, one of the top prep football schools in the country. Two of the players could very well be headed to Pitt.

Aundre Wright hopes to be one of those players.

Wright was a wide receiver at Perry, and received some interest from Division I schools, but his test scores were not high enough to enroll.

“I was struggling in school in ninth and tenth grade, and by eleventh grade, it was too late to get caught up,” he said.

So his coach told him about Milford, where he can work on his grades without losing college eligibility.

When he graduates from Milford, he hopes to play college football at Pitt. He said that he has been in touch with the coaches at Pitt, and they are excited about his decision, because if he is successful academically he will be able to enroll in time for spring football.

“As long as Aundre does what he’s supposed to do, he’s going to be ready to enroll at Pitt in the spring,” Siegel said.

The other is Chris Hanna.

Hanna was an offensive tackle at Gateway, and was recruited by Division I programs. However, his test scores weren’t high enough to get admitted into college, so he will spend a semester at Milford to work on both his schoolwork and his football.

“I’m coming here to get my grades up and retake the SAT so I can play college ball,” he said.

He said he is probably going to play in college for either Illinois or Pitt.

Siegel said that if he has a good year, he expects to turn himself into one of the country’s elite prospects. That’s part of the appeal of Milford, which finished last season with a record of 9-2.

“Chris will end up at a very high-profile school,” Siegel said. “If he plays to his full potential, he could very well go to one of the top 20 schools.”

Another player heading Milford — at last check, he does have a little history of changing his mind — LeSean McCoy. McCoy, for those who forget was one of the top RB recruits in the country last year out of the Harrisburg area. He eventually verballed to PSU then changed his mind and said he will be heading to Miami. Who knows where he might decide to attend after Milford.