Pitt Football All-2010’s Team
We are now in the final month of the 2010’s and it’s been…an interesting decade for Pitt football. On January 1, 2010, though Pitt was still a member of the Big East Conference, they were led by Dave Wannstedt and coming off of their first 10-win season since 1981. Future Unanimous All-American and two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald was only a little over a month away from signing with Pitt as well. Things were certainly looking up, but then the Athletic Department, led by Steve Pedersen at the time, spent a few years bungling things. After the 2010 season Dave Wannstedt was forced out, and the ensuing disastrous coaching decisions left the program rudderless. Meanwhile, the college athletics landscape as a whole was undergoing a seismic shift and there was no guarantee that Pitt wouldn’t be left even worse off than they were when the realignment of the early 2000’s left the Big East decimated. Luckily, the school was able to secure a liferaft in the form of an invitation to the Atlantic Coast Conference. This saved the school from the crumbling Big East and solidified it’s position in the top echelon of college football.
Since then, Pitt has actually been relatively successful, posting 31-25 record in ACC play, scoring an upset over eventual National Champion Clemson in 2016, and winning the Coastal division in 2018. Despite this, it can’t be denied that Pitt has been pretty mediocre, finishing between 5 and 8 wins in every year this decade. This is incredibly disappointing given the way that the previous decade ended and the apparent trajectory that the program was on at the time. The jury is out on if Pat Narduzzi is the guy to lead the team beyond this mediocrity or whether that’s even possible given the current college football landscape. However, just because the team has been middling, doesn’t mean that the players have been. There have been some extremely talented players to wear a Pitt uniform over the past 10 years and we’re using this interregnum between the end of the regular season and the bowl game to recognize and reflect back on them.
While Pitt still has one game remaining in the decade, given the long layoff until they face Eastern Michigan in the QuickLane Bowl, now seems to be a good time to reveal the Dream Backfield Pitt Football All-2010’s Team. In determining this team, I only looked at accomplishments that the players accomplished from the 2010 season on. I also included Honorable Mentions where I felt it was appropriate and designated some players as “Bad Timing” if they played in this decade, but at the beginning or end and therefore do not have their whole career included in determining the team. Feel free to reminisce about some of these players or yell at me about any picks you disagree with on our message board or on twitter.
Offense
Quarterback – Nathan Peterman
Peterman began his career at Tennessee, but transferred to Pitt after the 2014 season, soon after Pat Narduzzi became the Panther’s Head Coach. It didn’t take long for him to take the job from incumbent starter Chad Voytik. He would throw for 2,287 yards on the season, averaging 7.3 yards per attempt. The next season he would really flourish in new Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada’s system, throwing for 2,855 yards with a 9.3 yards/attempt average. The peak of the season and of his Pitt career came in the upset over Clemson, where he would outduel DeShaun Watson, throwing for 308 yards, 5 touchdowns and no interceptions. He would finish his Pitt career with 47 touchdowns to only 17 interceptions and be drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the 5th round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Though his NFL career to date hasn’t really panned out, he was a very good Quarterback in his two seasons at Pitt.
Honorable Mention: Tino Sunseri
Running Back – James Conner & Ray Graham
Much has already been written and said about the awesome career James Conner had, despite the adversity he faced. What many may forget though is that Conner originally came to Pitt as a Defensive End. Though he did play some defensive snaps during his college career, he’s always going to be remembered for his offensive exploits. He was named the 2014 ACC Offensive Player of the Year as a Sophomore after rushing for 1,765 yards and 26 touchdowns. He then of course missed virtually the entire 2015 season with a knee injury and was then diagnosed with cancer, but he would make a stunning return to football in 2016. That season he rushed for 1,092 yards and 16 touchdowns and won the Brian Piccolo Award as the “Most Courageous ACC Player”. His 3,733 career Rushing yards is second only to Tony Dorsett in Pitt history. He was then taken by the hometown Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2017 NFL draft. Though his pro career has been beset by injuries, he was still good enough to be named to the Pro Bowl last year.
Ray Graham came to Pitt with a 4 star rating and a place in the Rivals Top 250 prospects. Despite his high pedigree, he initially took a backseat to a fellow Class of 2009 Running Back named Dion Lewis. Lewis left for the NFL after the 2010 season though and it was Graham’s time to shine. He rushed for at least 900 yards in each of his final three seasons with the Panthers and was named a Big East 1st-team Running Back each of his final two seasons. His 277 yard game against Florida International in 2010 remains the 2nd most rushing yards recorded in a game by a Pitt player. He would finish his career with 3,271 yards and 32 touchdowns. A robust NFL career never solidified for Ray Graham, though he did spend a couple of years in the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers organizations.
Honorable Mention: Qadree Ollison
Bad Timing: Dion Lewis
Wide Receiver – Tyler Boyd & Devin Street
Tyler Boyd was another highly touted recruit, joining the Panthers as a 4 star recruit out of nearby Clairton, Pennsylvania. Boyd made an impression right away, posting 100 yard receiving games in 3 of his first 4 games in a Pitt uniform. His 2013 and 2014 seasons are both in the Top 5 of all-time Pitt individual receiving seasons, the only player in Pitt history with multiple such seasons. He is also Pitt’s all-time leading receiver with 3,361 yards. He would leave Pitt early after a spectacular three-season career, being drafted in the 2nd round of the 2016 draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. Now in his 4th pro season, he logged his first 1,000 yard season last year and has proven to be one of the only bright spots for the moribund franchise.
In contrast to Boyd, Devin Street was a fairly unheralded recruit when he signed with the Panthers. As a two star recruit, he was one of the lowest rated recruits of the Class of 2009. After taking a redshirt season in 2009, he developed into a reliable option in the Panthers passing attack as his career unfolded. Though he never recorded a 1,000 yard season, he had at least 750 yards from his Sophomore season on. His 2,901 yards is 4th in Pitt history and his 202 receptions is 2nd only to Tyler Boyd. He was named 2nd Team All-Big East in 2012 and 3rd Team All-ACC in 2013. After graduating he was selected in the 5th round of the 2014 NFL Draft and had a modest pro career, recording 152 yards and a touchdown over three NFL seasons with the Cowboys and Colts.
Honorable Mentions: Jester Weah & Mike Shanahan
Bad Timing: Taysir Mack
Tight End: J.P. Holtz
J.P. Holtz came to Pitt as a 3 star recruit from Shaler Area in the North Hills. Holtz played as a true freshman in 2012 and over his 4 year career recorded 931 yards and 11 touchdowns. His best season by far came in 2015 when, as a senior, he had 350 yards and 4 touchdowns with an average of 14.6 yards per reception. That year, he was selected by the coaches to the All-ACC 3rd team. After graduating, he went undrafted but didn’t give up on playing pro football. Just last week he had the best game of his career as a member of the Chicago Bears, with 3 receptions for 56 yards against the Cowboys.
Honorable Mention: Scott Orndoff
Center: Jimmy Morrissey
Jimmy Morrissey is one of only two active Panthers that I selected for this all-decade team. The former walk-on has had an impressive Pitt career given his pedigree. In fact, John McGonigal from the Post-Gazette wrote a fantastic piece back in October on the path he took to becoming Pitt’s starting Center. Morrissey has been the anchor of the Pitt Offensive Line for the past three seasons and was recently named All-ACC 1st team. He will be back for one more season at Pitt next year to show NFL scouts that he has what it takes to make it as a pro.
Guards: Dorian Johnson & Matt Rotheram
In total contrast to Jimmy Morrissey, Dorian Johnson was one of the highest rated players to come to Pitt under the modern recruiting ranking services. A 5-star player from nearby Belle Vernon in the Class of 2013, Johnson originally came to Pitt as a Tackle, but shifted to Guard for good by his Sophomore season. He saw extensive playing time as a true freshman and was a full-time starter by his Sophomore season. His was a key component of Pitt’s dominant offense in 2016, earning 1st team All-ACC and 1st team All-American honors. Despite being drafted in the 4th round by the Arizona Cardinals, his NFL career unfortunately never got off the ground. However he still seems to be playing football, as he is on the roster of a team for the forthcoming XFL revival.
Matt Rotheram signed with Pitt as a 3-star recruit out of North Olmstead, Ohio in the Class of 2010. After taking a redshirt year, he quickly became a mainstay on the Panthers offensive line during what would prove to be a chaotic period in program history. In 2014 he was selected to the 2nd and 3rd All-ACC teams by the Coaches and Media respectively. Though Rotheram went undrafted, he signed with the Green Bay Packers and spent the next few seasons on the fringes of the NFL with 4 different teams.
Tackles: Brian O’Neill & Adam Bisnowaty
Brian O’Neill came to Pitt as a member of the Class of 2014 as a Tight End, but shifted to Offensive Tackle prior to the 2015 season. As a redshirt Freshman he spent the majority of the season as the starting Right Tackle. Like Johnson, he was an important piece of the potent 2016 offense. His most famous moment as a Panther likely came when he scored a touchdown on a suprise lateral against Georgia Tech. The trick play earned him that year’s Piesman Trophy (Link). In 2017 he shifted to Left Tackle with the graduation of Adam Bisnowaty and was named All-ACC 1st team by the Coaches. He would leave school early and be drafted in the 2nd round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He has since entrenched himself as a valuable part of the Minnesota Vikings, having yet to allow a sack through nearly two seasons.
Adam Bisnowaty, like Dorian Johnson, was a highly regarded local Offensive Line recruit, though he signed a year earlier in the Class of 2012. After taking a redshirt season, Bisnowaty started 8 games in 2013 and was the Panthers starting left tackle for the ensuing three seasons. Like O’Neill and Johnson, he was instrumental in the explosive Pitt offense, earning 1st Team All-ACC from the Coaches that season. Unfortunately, like Johnson his NFL career never got going, despite being drafted in the 6th round by the New York Giants. He would spend a couple years on the fringes of the league with 6 different teams, but like Johnson he is currently slated to participate in the XFL this fall.
Defense
Interior Linemen: Aaron Donald & Jaylen Twyman
Aaron Donald may be one of the best players to put on a Pitt uniform in the school’s long and illustrious history, so his inclusion on this All-decade team is a no-brainer. Before he won 2 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Awards (and counting) and before he was a unanimous All-American with numerous national awards his senior year, AD was just a 3-star recruit from Penn Hills. Donald played right away as a true freshman in 2010, but really blew up as a sophomore the next year when he became a full-time starter. His senior year would be one of the most dominant seasons ever by an interior Defensive Lineman with 11 sacks, 29.5 Tackles for Loss, and 4 Forced Fumbles. He would be named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and win 4 national Defensive Player of the Year awards (Nagurski, Bednarik, Outland, and Lombardi). He would be taken in the 1st round by the Rams, with whom he has quickly built a Hall of Fame caliber career.
It’s appropriate that the other Interior Defensive Lineman to be named to this team has drawn many comparisons to Aaron Donald. In fact, I had taken to calling him AD Jr. throughout the season. Twyman played a bit last year as a freshman, but he broke out in a big way in 2019, his first full season as a starter. He finished the season with a team-leading 10.5 Sacks and was named a 1st Team All-ACC player and 2nd Team All-American. Twyman’s Pitt future is uncertain, as he hasn’t decided yet if he will leave for the NFL Draft this offseason. It’s looking likely that he will return for at least one more season, but regardless of his ultimate decision he doesn’t look anywhere near done terrorizing opposing offenses.
Honorable Mention: Chas Alecxih
Defensive Ends: Jabaal Sheard & Ejuan Price
Jabaal Sheard only played one season in the 2010’s before leaving for the NFL,but it was a heck of a year. In 2010, Sheard was already considered a talented Defensive End, but he had generally been overshadowed by teammate Greg Romeus. While Romeus unfortunately missed most of that season due to injury, Sheard took advantage of the extra attention. He would finish the year with 9 sacks, 14.5 Tackles for Loss, and 4 Forced Fumbles and was a unanimous 1st Team All-Big East selection and 1st Team All-American. Sheard was taken in the 2nd round of the 2011 NFL Draft and is now in his 9th season in the league. As a pro, Sheard has 50.5 career Sacks, 13 Forced Fumbles, and won Super Bowl LI with the New England Patriots.
Ejuan Price was a player that seemed to be at Pitt forever. He played as a true freshman in 2011 and didn’t leave Pitt until after the 2016 season. This was unfortunately due to missing two entire seasons to injury, but he was luckily able to get a medical redshirt for the 2014 season. He would finish his Pitt career with 53 Tackles for Loss, 29.5 Sacks, and 4 Forced Fumbles. He would be named a 1st Team All-ACC player in 2015 and 2016 and a 2nd Team All-American in 2016. After his collegiate career, he would be taken by the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL Draft. However, he only played in 1 game for the Rams and is not currently on an NFL roster.
Honorable Mention: Patrick Jones
Bad Timing: Greg Romeus
Linebackers: Matt Galambos, Oluwaseun Idowu, and Brandon Lindsey
Matt Galambos was a linchpin for the Pitt defense as the starting Middle Linebacker for three seasons from 2014-16. During his entire 4-year career, he accumulated 283 tackles, which puts him in the Top 20 All-time of Pitt players. He also had a nose for takeaways, registering 3 interceptions, 4 fumble recoveries, and 2 forced fumbles in his career. After his college career, he would sign with the hometown Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted Free Agent and spend the next couple of seasons on their practice squad.
Oluwaseun Idowu is the second member of this team to come to Pitt initially as a walk-on. He walked on to the team in 2014 and, after his redshirt season, saw significant playing time on special teams in 2015. He finally earned his scholarship prior to the 2016 season and spent most of the next three years as a starter. He would finish his career with 253 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 23 Tackles for Loss, and 5 forced fumbles. As a junior, he would be one of the lone bright spots for the only Pitt team of the decade to not qualify for a bowl game as he earned 2nd Team All-ACC honors. Idowu wasn’t drafted, but signed as an international Free Agent with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. This past season in the CFL he recorded 19 tackles and 1 sack in 15 games.
Brandon Lindsey was a heavily recruited 3-star player out of former Pitt pipeline Aliquippa in the Class of 2007, receiving offers from Boston College, WVU, and Ohio State. Despite this, he didn’t get on the field at Pitt until the 2009 season. He really blew up in 2010 though when he recorded 10 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, and 3 forced fumbles and would be named 2nd Team All-Big East. He would finish his 3-year Pitt career with 22.5 Sacks, 34.5 tackles for loss, and an interception. Lindsey signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted Free Agent after not being selected in the 2012 draft and spent some time in the Canadian Football League, but a professional career never gained traction.
Honorable Mention: Max Gruder
Bad Timing: Kylan Johnson
Cornerbacks: Dane Jackson & Avonte Maddox
Dane Jackson was a relatively lightly recruited player out of nearby Quaker Valley in the Class of 2015. He was rated as a 2-star player by Rivals and received no Power 5 offers other than from Pitt. Despite this, Jackson quickly made it onto the field, playing in 12 games (starting 3 of them) in his Redshirt Freshman season in 2016. He would end up being a 3-year starter at Cornerback, establishing himself as one of the best Defensive Backs in the ACC during these years. Since the beginning of the 2017 season, Jackson has logged 35 passes defended, 2nd in the ACC over this period, and was recently named to the All-ACC 2nd Team for the 2019 season. Jackson has one more game in a Pitt uniform, but he has already accepted an invitation to play in the Senior Bowl and is currently projected to be taken in the middle rounds of this Spring’s NFL Draft.
Avonte Maddox came to Pitt as a 3-star recruit out of Detroit, Michigan. Like Jackson, he was relatively lightly recruited, though he did have another Power 5 offer from Purdue. He would end up contributing right away, playing in every game and starting 6 as a true freshman in 2014. He would also end up being a 3-year starter and would lead the team in interceptions each season from 2015-2017. Overall, he would record 8 total interceptions, 2 of which were Pick Sixes, during his Pitt career and was named an All-ACC 2nd Team Player as a Senior in 2017. In the 4th round of the 2018 NFL Draft, he was taken by, and still plays for, the Philadelphia Eagles. In nearly 2 seasons in the NFL, Maddox has played in 23 games, starting 14 of them, and has 2 interceptions.
Honorable Mention: K’Waun Williams
Safeties: Jordan Whitehead & Jarred Holley
Jordan Whitehead was the headliner of Pat Narduzzi’s first recruiting class at Pitt in 2015. Though he committed to the previous regime under Paul Chryst and had offers from Ohio State, Penn State, and almost every other big time program in the country, he chose to stay with the hometown Panthers. He contributed right away and quickly established himself as a dominant defender. He would be named the ACC Defensive and Overall Rookie of the Year. Though he would never quite replicate his spectacular freshman year, he was still talented enough to enter the NFL draft after his junior year. Like Maddox, he was taken in the 4th round of the 2018 NFL draft, though he went south to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Whitehead quickly established himself as a starter in the Tampa Bay secondary and earlier this season recorded his first career interception.
Jarred Holley was a highly touted recruit coming out of Easton, Pennsylvania in the Class of 2008. Holley would see his first action in the previous decade as a redshirt Freshman in 2009, but by 2010 he had solidified himself as a full-time starter in the Secondary. That season he would record 5 interceptions and would be named All-Big East 2nd Team. He would do one better the next season and be named All-Big East 1st Team. After his Pitt career, he would sign with the Steelers as an Undrafted Free Agent, but a professional career never materialized. He has since begun a coaching career and is the Safeties Coach at the University of Albany under former Pitt Assistant Greg Gattuso.
Honorable Mention: Jason Hendricks
Bad Timing: Paris Ford
Special Teams
Kicker: Chris Blewitt
Chris Blewitt was Pitt’s primary placekicker for 4 seasons and it took well less than half of that time for me to get sick of all of the “He Blew It!” jokes that would pop up on twitter any time he would inevitably, well… Anyways, Chris would get the last laugh as he would end his Pitt career as the 2nd All-time leading scorer (363 points), have the most career Field Goals (55), and set the record for longest Field Goal with a 56-yarder that beat Georgia Tech in 2015 (since tied by Alex Kessman). By my count he also had 5 game-winning Field Goals either as time expired or late in regulation, the most famous of which has to be his 48-yarder that clinched the upset over Clemson in 2016. Since leaving Pitt he has been trying to make it onto an NFL roster, most recently being part of an off-season competition to become the Chicago Bears kicker.
Honorable Mention: Kevin Harper
Bad Timing: Dan Hutchins
Punter: Ryan Winslow
Ryan Winslow was Pitt’s punter from 2014-17 and in that time he booted the ball nearly 5 and a half miles. In more relatable figures, he punted the ball a total of 226 times for 9,513 yards for a 42.1 yards per punt average. His final season in 2017 was especially prodigious, as he averaged 44.5 yards per punt, 2nd in the ACC. That season he would be named All-ACC 1st Team. Earlier this season, Winslow spent two games as the Arizona Cardinals’ punter after their normal punter (fellow Pitt alum Andy Lee ironically) missed them due to injury. Though he has since been cut it is apparent that he is still looking to play football professionally.
Returner: Quadree Henderson
Though Quadree Henderson’s primary position was Wide Receiver, he made his mark with the Panthers as an electric return man. Though he played sparingly as a true freshman, he gave a hint of what to expect the next two seasons when he took the opening kickoff of the 2015 Military Bowl back for a touchdown. The 2016 season would especially be a boon for him as, in addition to being able to tear it up on Special Teams, he was utilized heavily in new Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada’s scheme on jet sweeps. That year he would be named a Consensus All-American. He would finish his career with 7 total punt/kick return touchdowns. After the 2017 season Henderson decided to try his luck in the draft, but was not selected. He would spend part of the 2018 season on the New York Giants, but he is currently on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ practice squad.
Full Team
Offense
Quarterback – Nathan Peterman
Running Back – James Conner
Running Back – Ray Graham
Wide Receiver – Tyler Boyd
Wide Receiver – Devin Street
Tight End – J.P. Holtz
Center – Jimmy Morrissey
Guard – Dorian Johnson
Guard – Matt Rotheram
Tackle – Brian O’Neill
Tackle – Adam Bisnowaty
Defense
Interior Lineman – Aaron Donald
Interior Lineman – Jaylen Twyman
Defensive End – Jabaal Sheard
Defensive End – Ejuan Price
Linebacker – Matt Galambos
Linebacker – Oluwaseun Idowu
Linebacker – Brandon Lindsey
Cornerback – Dane Jackson
Cornerback – Avonte Maddox
Safety – Jordan Whitehead
Safety – Jarred Holley
Special Teams
Kicker – Chris Blewitt
Punter – Ryan Winslow
Returner – Quadree Henderson
Maybe I’m a little biased, but that’s a hell of a team in my opinion. While the historic 2016 offense is still well-represented, I couldn’t have just named the primary 11 guys from that team and called it a day. That would leave out such great former Panthers as Tyler Boyd, Ray Graham, and J.P. Holtz. On the other side of the ball, I would probably be willing to put that Defensive Line against the theoretical All-Decade Defensive Lines for any team in the country. All 4 have been named All-Americans and 3 of them have been drafted with Twyman likely to make it 4 for 4 at some point in the next couple years. The only area that maybe leaves something to be desired in my opinion are the Linebacking corps. This is in no way to disrespect Matt Galambos, Oluwaseun Idowu, and Brandon Lindsey, who were all very good players during their Pitt careers. It’s undeniable though that this unit has not produced very many All-conference selections or draft picks. I know that when I think of the dominant Pitt defensive players of the recent past, it tends to be monstrous linemen or streaking Defensive Backs. Hopefully, the dominant defense we saw this year will be the norm in the next decade and the 2020’s All-decade team will include excellence at every unit.
*Stats courtesy of College Football Reference
*Stats and other information courtesy of the 2019 Pitt Football Media Guide
