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Pitt Kickoff Luncheon 8/27/21

PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAMER JIMBO COVERT TO SERVE AS KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT ANNUAL PITT KICKOFF LUNCHEON

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PITTSBURGH—Newly inducted Pro Football Hall of Famer Jimbo Covert will serve as keynote speaker at the 2021 Pitt Football Kickoff Luncheonpresented by Huntington on August 27.

A star offensive tackle at Pitt from 1978-82 before going on to an All-Pro career with the Chicago Bears, Covert will join Coach Pat Narduzzi, Director of Athletics Heather Lyke and the 2021 Pitt football senior class at the Kickoff Luncheon, which will be held at the Westin Pittsburgh.

Kickoff Luncheon 2021

Tickets for the 2021 Pitt Football Kickoff Luncheon are $60. A table of 10 costs $550, while a table with a Pitt head coach is $800. To reserve a seat or table, click here. Doors open at 11 a.m., followed by lunch and the formal program at noon.

Covert was a fixture on Pitt’s punishing offensive fronts during the early 1980s. As a consensus All-American his senior season, he did not give up a single sack. The Panthers went 31-5 during Covert’s three years as a starter, finishing in the nation’s Top 10 each season.

Covert was chosen in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft (sixth overall) by the Chicago Bears and head coach Mike Ditka, himself a former Pitt All-American who is a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee.

With Covert as a spearhead, the Bears led the NFL in rushing four consecutive seasons from 1983-86. His teammate, Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, called him “the best offensive tackle in the NFL.”

Covert was a vital part of Chicago’s famed 1985 team—considered one of the finest in NFL history—that went 15-1 and demolished the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX, 46-10. He would play eight decorated seasons in Chicago (1983-90) and was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1980s.

Pitt football tickets for the 2021 season are now on sale. Fans can purchase full seven-game season ticket packages for as low as $175, while lower bowl seats are available starting at only $205.

Flexible payment plans are available. For more information, click here or call (800) 643-7488.

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119 thoughts on “Pitt Kickoff Luncheon 8/27/21”

  2. Covert is on the BoT. He needs to begin making waves. He has nothing to lose at this point. Deep down this football program must really disgust him.

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    1. Pitt must be the only school where its past players just keep quiet about the football program and never raise a stink. So many great ones in the 1980s and why they never barged into Posvar’s office and demanded academic standards not be raised heading into the 90s is beyond me.

      As I’ve said before, the school retired Covert’s number to keep him quiet on the Board. Numbers 1, 42, 73 should not have been retired either. Ditka’s, too. All great players but you cannot retire numbers to make some noise on a Saturday. Put the players in the Pitt HOF instead.

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  3. Golf and hockey are two sports Pitt should pick up. History and tradition is immense in this area. But heather can’t fundraise. Hence the problem. Hope she gets the Sparty job. We all know now that compliance does NOT matter after Baylor. Murder and rape there. Nothing.

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  4. I’ll fly in and pay the $60 if I’m allowed to ask one question and one followup. Otherwise, you’re giving money to promote mediocrity. You enable.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Would like to see TX Panther at the Head Coach’s table. What great conversations would certainly ensue from such a seating arrangement:)

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Would like to see Reed and Tex at the head table! Duzz would hide behind Covet. Love to see Huff sitting next to Heather and giving her information on how to do an Athletic Director’s job!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. If I come in, they would know me and probably do what they did with Reed. But they’d probably flank me with two wide receivers. Fools. I could easily escape and make my way to Narduzzi to ask him a question. We all know Pitts wide receivers can’t catch.

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Before I sign out, pitt really needs a fundraiser. Not a compliance person. One of the Lowest revenues in P5. Lowest donation rate in ACC. Our compliance person already has two programs with level 2 violations already anyway.

    Answer is LTR.

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      1. May would be good to have around. Maybe in a fundraising capability or on a committee. But I don’t see him as AD. Lou would find him a good role.

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    2. Who the heck is Lou?

      Pitt’s fundraising has been in the crapper for decades. Heather inherited it and will leave the same situation. What might Pitt do to raise excitement for athletics? Hmmm 🤔😁

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  8. I would pay 60 to hear Lou Carnesecca.

    I would not pay 60 to hear Covert unless he was going to give THE message, that it is a new dawn for Pitt athletics and we will have a whole new squad of administrators, that he will actually re-brand the golden panthers and lead it, the AD will report to a COO, not the Chancellor, and athletics will begin to make money beginning immediately! That’s 55 bucks, the rest, or other 25 will be to hear about the MPS and what Pitt will do to get into an actual P4 conference and not be left out. I was not a math major at Pitt, so don’t get your abbacus out and add up the dollars. Or is the plural of abbacus, abbacai?

    A question because I do not know the answer. Is this the first mention of the kick-off lunch via media outlet? If so, do they not understand that outside its athletic department, people actually PLAN to travel and to attend events. Two weeks notice is not acceptable. I hope I am wrong.

    Heck, the POV golf outing had at least a 6 week notice and probably more. Please tell me that the luncheon has been scheduled for at least three months!

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  10. Lamar Jackson is said to be refusing vaccination and he’s already had it twice. What I wonder is if the player misses a game or two because they have Covid and have to quarantine will their game check be withheld because they chose not to get vaccinated?

    Do that and it should solve the problem of players holding out…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Slippery slope, but my sense is that players of that ilk have guaranteed contracts, so they will get paid regardless. The folks that do not have guarantees would probably lose the money but have it covered via grievance procedure……or the union.

      Think about potential issues with athletes and myocarditis and other side effects. If I am Lamar Jackson and have no other comorbitities, I wouldn’t get it and risk myocarditis and an end to a career. His age bracket, he might get sick, but it should not be debilitating and career threatening.

      It’s his choice and the risks are low medically and extremely high financially. When I say that, it is not because of his current contract (due to gurantee), but the next one.

      Did Pitt really only give a two week notice??? Good grief. They can’t get out of their own way!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. The immunization protects against significant illness, hospitalization and death.
        No immunization is 100% effective, but given that COVID has killed more Americans than WW1, WW2, the Korean War and Vietnam combined, there is no rational explanation to not be immunized.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. But we all know that alliances don’t often hold together. Some school will betray it. And there’s a super power out there that can defeat it.

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    2. That would be awesome. I proposed a few weeks back that the ACC and Big10 merge. The SEC would crap themselves. Hope these three join forces.

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      1. It would be short lived until a ACC school like clemson betrayed the alliance. Or until the sec begins poaching. Remember the sec now has Oklahoma and Texas added to their war machine. They are nuclear capable.

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        1. PAC12, Big10 and ACC could form their own super conference with playoff and championship. It would blow the SEC away in all areas, especially TV markets. Leave the SEC swinging in the wind.

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          1. But all the sec needs to do is poach clemson or Florida state or Miami. And it’s game over. The alliance is just a stop gap measure. A desperate attempt to salvage the inferior conferences. Super league will be here before you know it. Led of course by the sec.

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          2. You’re right….the SEC comprises some sparsely populated States. Poor ones too !

            Mississippi 35th least populated state (2 Sec schools)
            Arkansas 34th
            Oklahoma 28th
            Kentucky 26th
            Louisiana 25th
            Alabama 24th
            South Carolina 23rd

            The least populated ACC State other than SC is Massachusetts at #15 (BC)
            Least populated ACC Southern State is Virginia at #12

            Furthermore the ACC Southern States are the ones that are economically booming and the ones
            most Northerners are moving too.

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        2. Why would Clemson ever leave the ACC?? They have the whole ACC conference to lord over as the, by far, best team in the conference. Go to the SEC and actually have some competition? and come in second, third, or fourth?? – I don’t think so.

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          1. If the money was right they would. Could be a difference of $25 million per year. As long as they aren’t in the same division as bama, they would do just fine.

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  15. I’ve gone to several Kickoff Luncheons and enjoyed every one. PC wasn’t much of a talker, you know, so he started the practice of having each of the seniors say something about the senior sitting next to them on the dais. Sometimes the player hardly seems to know the player next to them, or struggles for something to say. Other times the remarks are interesting and/or funny.

    My favorite Kickoff Luncheon was when I got to sit at the same table with gorgeous Women’s BB player Mallorie Winn – who was clearly shocked when I brought up and knew about a couple of her buzzer-beater winning baskets…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Fran — funny! I could see that she was delighted that someone in the room knew of her exploits on the BB floor.

      BTW, have you seen this Central Catholic News… Saw this on the Lair…

      “Central Catholic football with a couple of big additions recently. Peter Gonzalez (son of the former Pitt QB) is a talented sophomore WR who transferred in from Mars. And how about this one … Debaba Tshiebwe (Oscar’s lil brother) is playing football! A junior. He’s 6-6, 265!!!”

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 1 person

  19. I wonder if this is how Pitt will post the football HC opening when Narduzzi is fired after this season?

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  20. Can anyone who received their season ticket package from Pitt confirm that the marketing materials containing a printed football schedule forgot a game/team? It appears that the athletic department people forgot to include the Western Michigan game. Ridiculous.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. missingwlat —. Same issue in my package from Pitt, but at least the Western Mich. tickets are in there.

      (Hope you’re doing well…)

      Go Pitt.

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      2. Someone asleep at the wheel in our marketing and/or athletic department.

        Doing well John. Will be missing you next Saturday when we make a run at the Frankcan Cup. Could have used you.

        Unfortunately I don’t appear to have the horses to compete with Richman, Lastrow and Erie Express.

        If only I could have convinced UPitt to make the trip. Or Dr. Tom or Tex for that matter. Where o where is Jay from Tower A when you need him?

        Liked by 1 person

        1. With older age, now I hit straight but not as long as my younger age. But I would only be good for the first 9 anyway. The bourbon and Cubans would then impact my long game. I’d still be able to chip and putt though.

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    1. In reference to missingwlat’s post above, Jerry writes in this article:

      “But don’t ignore the Western Michigan game. The Broncos of the Mid-American Conference haven’t had a losing season since 2013.”

      Looks like someone at Pitt ignored the Broncos… 🤔

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 1 person

  22. Haha…didn’t notice that Missing Wlat.
    Classic marketing on Pitt.

    When I asked the youngster that answered the phone regarding hoop tickets why we couldn’t just go online and see what seats were available for the yearly reseatting he had no idea what I was talking about.
    Worse, he didn’t care…

    On a positive note, armed security guards delivered the FRANKCAN CUP yesterday in safety packaging that rivaled the transfer of the Faberge Egg.
    Good job Biggie!

    Liked by 2 people

  24. A Pitt Marketing Department-like mistake on my part…..

    I referred to the trophy for next weekend’s golf tournament as the Frankcan Cup. Of course any loyal POV reader knows that it MUST be capitalized: FRANKCAN CUP!!!

    Liked by 4 people

  25. Moved my son into WVU this past week. Had a great conversation with a hoopie couple over martinis sitting at a bar. They’d love to have Pitt back on the schedule every year. They didn’t give a crap about PSU. Super nice folks, invited my wife and I to their huge tailgate for a game. We threw some occasional insults back and forth during our conversation and laughed. College football is awesome.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I do wish wvu was back in a regular schedule. My wife’s moms side is 100 percent Hoopie. But they eventually moved to Pittsburgh and mount Lebo. Neighborhood across the road where Mario used to live. One of my tailgate buds taught at wvu.

      I don’t think pitt will ever play penn state again. Pitt isn’t getting an invite to an expanded big Ten or a football super league. Not with this current administration and leadership team.

      But I say bring on those corncob smoking, moonshine drinking, banjo playing and sheep loving Hoopies.

      Best of luck to your son. He’ll actually experience some good football and basketball. I move my son down to Austin next weekend.

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  26. Looks like Western Michigan will have some bulletin board material for the Pitt game, if Pitt can’t even remember them to put them on the printed schedules. Such poor management of the athletics dept. Doesn’t anyone proof read their material before going public with it? (and only two weeks notice for the luncheon?) When will they start to select staff based on competence over minimum wage and family ties?

    WVU seems like a college that is a state university that many conferences should want, especially the Big 10. The Big 10 took Nebraska, so why not WVU? If only TV and not academics matter, then WVU should make a good addition. It seems clear that the discussions involving the ACC, Pac 12 and Big 10 will most likely be to arrange OOC games to juice up their TV money.

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    1. Proof reading on Pitts end and the marketing company they outsource to print. Both failed. This would get someone fired in the business world. But this is Pitts academic world. What happens when you don’t treat sports like a business. No accountability. No creativity and innovation. No results.

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      1. That must be why the run game is so terrible – when the Whipple playbook was printed they left several pages out in error that were run related.

        Yeah, that must be it.

        Liked by 4 people

    2. The B1G doesn’t take Community Colleges……outside of the one in Nowheresville PA.

      And they needed the Creepy Valley Crew so that Mich State didn’t feel completely alone in sexual molestation on campus.

      Liked by 1 person

  28. A reminder to all: 11 years ago Pitt outsourced their ticket operation to a company with no affiliation to Pitt!

    They handle printing of tickets, proofing and the hiring of idiots to answer the phone. Could care less about the happiness of Pitt Ticket buyers. Rumor is that the whole operation was recommended by a member of the BOT who obviously got a kick back.

    A good AD would have stopped this immediately and brought the operation back in house. Please go to MSU Heather!

    Pitt committed a common corporate sin, that an expert is ALWAYS someone outside of the company!
    “No man is a prophet in his own town” Luke 4:16

    Liked by 4 people

  29. A few years back I called to get tickets to a home game against Georgia Tech. I asked to be seated with fellow Pitt fans and was told I would be so seated. You guessed it, not a Pitt fan in sight. Fortunately the GT fans were good folks to be seated with even though Pitt won. Just one of the reasons I haven’t returned since then.

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    1. Zack was great at Tennessee

      He hooked me and my posse up

      Dropped Bernie’s name and it was – ‘I’ll get you the key to the city’

      All I wanted was the key to the bourbon distillery.

      Liked by 2 people

  30. Don’t understand why the bumpkin schools of the SEC garner such a big tv contract.

    Most of the states of the SEC are among the least populated and least economically viable in the country.

    Mississippi 35th least populated state (2 Sec schools)
    Arkansas 34th
    Oklahoma 28th
    Kentucky 26th
    Louisiana 25th
    Alabama 24th
    South Carolina 23rd

    The least populated ACC State other than SC is Massachusetts at #15 (BC)
    Least populated ACC Southern State is Virginia at #12

    Furthermore the ACC Southern States are the ones that are economically booming and the ones
    most Northerners are moving too. The SEC states mostly are like states to avoid.

    They got Texas now but nobody outside of Texas cares about Texas. Even half of Texicans hate the
    Longcows.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Texas is the worlds 8 th largest economy I think. Cali is fifth or sixth. Texas is a Republic for a reason.

      The sec needed Texas.

      It really doesn’t need clemson or Florida state but will poach them for sheer greed.

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      1. Neither Clemscum of Florida State is much of a TV market. If they leave, it opens the door for other schools. Even though FSU hasn’t been much since Jameis was their head campus charmer.

        Good riddance.

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    2. Most of these schools represent the state. And they have very passionate fans. Football is a religion in sec land. The ACC fans can’t compete. I suggest you attend some sec games. Like Tennessee this September. I’ll be there because it’s better than 99 percent of any bowl pitt can play in.

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  31. And a longhorn is not a mere cow. It’s similar to a working horse. It’s tough and won’t quit. It’s suited to a harsh environment.

    Yes, half of Texans, all 35 -40 million of us, don’t follow UT. But they are the ignorant ones. And the ones who didn’t have the brains to get into UT.

    BTW – the Okies add nothing to the sec. nothing but Indian territory up there. And tornadoes.

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    1. Texas 28,995,881

      According to US News & World Report.

      Seven ACC universities are ranked Higher than Texas.

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      2. Texas is a top 25 academic school. And my son is in a program ranked number 4. It’s no slouch in academics. It’s on par with other state schools if not the leader. Michigan and NC come close. Again it’s a state school that costs half of Pitt.

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          1. Cal is a top one but Virginia’s tuition is nearly $20k. It’s more private than state. Just like Pitt. It’s ridiculous Pitt calls themselves a public school. Pitt only receives a subsidy of 6 percent from the state on a $2.4 billion operating budget. They could borrow from the endowment like they always do. They don’t need the state. That money comes with far too many strings attached.

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  32. Great conversations. Thanks for the continued release of articles to keep us all going this year.

    What I have been wondering about the upcoming season..

    If a player or players test positive for covid prior to a game, and those players are vaccinated, then will the players not vaccinated have to sit out for both teams while the vaccinated ones can then play?

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    1. It’s a huge cluster. And typically clusters lead to train wrecks. Nobody has clearly thought this through. Good question to ask heather if they took any questions other than the canned and sanitized ones at the upcoming luncheon.

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      1. If MLB is any indicator in how this will be handled, as surely some Pitt players will test positive for the coronavirus during the course of the season, since the test is so wildly inaccurate and there are
        62 to 82 players active for games. And more than that on the roster.

        Several NY Yankmees have tested positive, like Gerrit Cole & Anthony Rizzo. But all games have been
        played as scheduled since Rizzo tested on Aug 8th.

        Carry on My Wayward Son !

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        1. In the end, games will be played. Money talks. And fans needs to get out. Particularly in the south. That tennesse game will have 100k strong. It will be nothing like my experience at Heinz. Totally looking forward to it.

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              1. Speaking of the Tennessee game, if there’s any takers in the dfw area, I’ll drive. I have a rental home with two buds. Plenty of room. You just need to like bourbon and laugh at my jokes. 🤠

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                  1. If she rides with me, I’ll be drinking. And since I don’t drink and drive, I’ll just play some Petty when I pass her by – ‘don’t come around here no more’

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                  2. I’d rather carry a dead carcass of coon in my car than give that lady a lift. Coon makes good eats.

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    2. That is how the NCAA handled the baseball CWS.

      Consistency matters…

      So yes, that should be the protocol even though I think it is STUPID!

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  33. If there is one aspect of the Pitt program that is positive, it is the assistant coaching. There has been a significant upgrade in coaching assistants, after much turnover, since Narduzzi put his first staff together. Once he dumps Whipple, he should have a staff that is quite good, except for in the recruiting area. Not everyone on the staff is carrying his own weight on the recruiting front, especially Whipple. Don’t expect a top flight QB to be recruited until this OC problem is remedied.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Nor does he deserve the be! Of all 500 of those coaches, not one would kick a FG vs Penn State on the 1 yd line! Not one

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  38. Mrs. Erie wants a table with coach Duzz. Whose in?

    It’ll be $80 per seat – I’ll pay for Duzz and the Mrs.

    I’m sure this table is still available unless Duzz bought it and hand picked his guests.

    My 5 guests would include Jay, Reed, Last Row, Major Major and Ike.

    Back-ups in case of prior commitments – Tex, Richman, JoeL, UPitt and MissingWlat.

    Honorable Mentioned – JoeKnew, Dan72, in the ville, Annie and Farmer.

    I hope I did not miss anyone. If Mrs. bales on me I’ll call Mark Stepnoski…

    H2P!

    Liked by 4 people

  42. My way too early weather report for Saturday’s FRANKCAN CUP Golf Outing –

    87 degrees, mostly sunny, light breeze of 5 mph, lots of golf and Pitt will still be in the ACC.

    Liked by 2 people

  43. OT: in the Pittsburgh region today will be the finals for the USGA Amateur Men’s Championship – 36 holes of match play at Oakmont Country Club. There were 312 amateur golfers to start this week’s event competing for the title. The two young men in the finals are from Michigan and Ohio. One plays college golf for Michigan State and the other North Carolina.

    With all the history of western PA golf, why does Pitt not have a men’s team?

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    1. Pitt should have golf and hockey. Popular with men and women. Region rich with history and tradition.

      But they would need boosters. And Pitt doesn’t have a Golden Panthers.

      I’d contribute money to help get those programs started. Just don’t ask me to give football anything.

      Golf in North Texas is a challenge with 20-30 mph winds from the south. Typical summer pattern.

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  44. There appears to be a transfer heading to Pitt. Based off Twitter. It sounds like an offensive lineman from Ohio State, Ryan Jacoby, who entered the portal on August 8th. It could also be the local kid who left North Carolina, Beatty.

    We might know today

    Liked by 1 person

  45. The best lines are those with experienced guys that have played together and know the scheme and playbook. It’s tough for a transfer to come in and be anything more than depth and backup.

    I really don’t expect Pitts line to jell until mid season and this assumes no injuries.

    And a line is only as good as its weakest link. And center play is critical.

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  46. As long as he gets here he could be able and ready by late October, maybe. I’m not even sure if he has to sit out or not. I know there is immediate eligibility with the first transfer, but there has to be a deadline in doing so.

    Kradel needs pushed, so I hope this kid plays right guard.

    Liked by 1 person

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