First off I have to apologize – I took 59 photos and for some reason I have only three, all blurry, in my phone. I’m pissed and so you all have to get your reading glasses on.
I had a chance to get up to the Southside today to watch Pitt’s Pro Day at the UPMC Sports Complex. What I’d like to do here is give you all a different look and slant on things than you would get from the mainstream media.
In other words – it’s funny what the players will tell you when the coaches are occupied elsewhere.
To start off the intent of Pro Day is to Pitt players (and others from smaller schools and elsewhere – more on that later). Pitt had a slew of seniors there – all of them on the roster actually. The only player who didn’t take part in anything was Nate Peterman surprisingly enough. I asked a few people what that story was but heard versions of ‘It’s his decision” each time.
Well, the other kids were there to show up and kick ass and I think, from talking with various NFL Scouts, they all acquitted themselves well.
Scouts from every NFL teams are here and they are like Navajo Code Talkers in that I can’t understand a word they are saying and I’m trying to eaves drop a group are sitting right behind me.
Four guys from the Steelers – one older and three younger. Talked with the Tampa Bay scout – looking at Peterman among others.
Lots of these scouts are in their late 20s & early 30s – stringers for just the times and visual impressions of the kids? I don’t know but I’d say there were at least eight people from the Steelers. I asked one of the scouts how often he does these things and apparently he;s a local HS coach, or something along those lines, who get called to give reports.
It must be that those Steeler guys are playing hooky from working next door because you know there isn’t a chance in Hell they will actually draft any of our boys.
I’ll get into some specifics later – some 40 yard dash times were eye-opening for sure but fist let’s set the stage.
I arrived at the clubhouse facility at 9:00 am and the upstairs dining area was the staging point for both the scouts and the media in attendance. Food and coffee etc… and I had some interesting talks with some guys (and girls – Megan) from the Pitt News and then NFL Channel. They – the NFL- were there to film the running jumping and skipping that was done. Coach Narduzzi took the Scouts into the players meeting room for some top-secret talks that we weren’t invited to.
pittpov.com 