Pitt's Price Is Right! Think he will win as many Post Season Awards as Aaron Donald? Nice read on how Smart Recruits choose Pitt and never give up on Pitt, and Pitt never gives up on them.
Pitt's Ejuan Price has persevered -- and opponents now are paying
There’s a saying the coaches repeat often at Pitt that has stuck with defensive end Ejuan Price: “Be where your feet are.” The idea, Price said, is to live in the moment -- carpe diem for the football world. It’s one of those things coaches say to anchor players in the hard work that often requires a bit of extra motivation, but for Price, it’s become something of a mantra for his life.
“A lot of things happened in the past,” he said, “and my future is looking a little different than it used to.” That past was almost overwhelming -- two chest injuries and a back problem that cost him all but six games from 2012 through 2014. The rehab and setbacks and optimism squashed by yet another injury had him wondering if he’d ever set foot on a field again. Now, two seasons removed from that last injury, the future seems unimaginably bright. Price leads the nation in sacks (8.5) and tackles for loss (12.5) and is drawing attention from NFL scouts. That’s kind of crazy for him to even consider. So instead, Price is focused on the moment. Right here, right now, with the people who’ve carried him this far. “Right now,” Price said, “I’m a Pitt Panther, and we’ve got Virginia on the clock.” It’s actually a nice feeling for Price. The goals are small -- work hard, be a leader, get ready for the next game. On Saturdays, he hunts the quarterback. Then he starts again. There’s routine -- after three years of the unknown. Price was one of the top middle linebacker prospects in the country coming out of high school, and he committed to Pitt to be close to his Rankin, Pennsylvania, home. As a true freshman, he played in all 13 games with five starts, and his future seemed bright. Then came the injuries.................
...........Price’s teammates worked to keep him involved, and his family provided a solid foundation as he rehabbed. His mother, Michelle, lives just a few minutes from Pitt’s campus, and Price made regular visits. They’d chat about football occasionally, but mostly Michelle just offered a shoulder to lean on and a reminder that, no matter what came next, he’d be OK......................Price found another fan in head coach Pat Narduzzi, who took over the program in 2015. Price had hardly sniffed the field, so it wasn’t as if Narduzzi saw much on tape to offer hope, but the longtime defensive coordinator at Michigan State instantly recognized he had a special talent and was just waiting for a chance to prove himself.
“I was a no-name guy with one more year left,” Price said of his early work with Narduzzi. “He hammered it into me that I would be healthy and make a lot of plays.” The first part was obvious early in 2015, but the latter prediction took a bit more time. Truth is, after three straight seasons of setbacks, Price was reluctant to push too hard. What would happen if he got hurt again? How many more chances would he have? Narduzzi had the answer: Be where your feet are.......................Price is a hot commodity now. In the past calendar year, he’s racked up 16.5 sacks -- three more than any other player in the country. He’s two sacks ahead of Florida State’s DeMarcus Walker for the ACC lead, and that’s a harbinger for good things to come. Since 2004, every ACC sack leader has been selected in the first three rounds of the NFL draft...................
READ THE REST YOU WON'T REGRET IT!
LINK:
http://www.espn.com/blog/ncfnation/...e-has-persevered-and-opponents-now-are-paying
NCAA STATISTICS LINK:
Tackles For Loss: #2
http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/individual/39
Sacks: #2
http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/individual/36
Smart Recruits Choose Pitt Is It!
Pitt's Ejuan Price has persevered -- and opponents now are paying
There’s a saying the coaches repeat often at Pitt that has stuck with defensive end Ejuan Price: “Be where your feet are.” The idea, Price said, is to live in the moment -- carpe diem for the football world. It’s one of those things coaches say to anchor players in the hard work that often requires a bit of extra motivation, but for Price, it’s become something of a mantra for his life.
“A lot of things happened in the past,” he said, “and my future is looking a little different than it used to.” That past was almost overwhelming -- two chest injuries and a back problem that cost him all but six games from 2012 through 2014. The rehab and setbacks and optimism squashed by yet another injury had him wondering if he’d ever set foot on a field again. Now, two seasons removed from that last injury, the future seems unimaginably bright. Price leads the nation in sacks (8.5) and tackles for loss (12.5) and is drawing attention from NFL scouts. That’s kind of crazy for him to even consider. So instead, Price is focused on the moment. Right here, right now, with the people who’ve carried him this far. “Right now,” Price said, “I’m a Pitt Panther, and we’ve got Virginia on the clock.” It’s actually a nice feeling for Price. The goals are small -- work hard, be a leader, get ready for the next game. On Saturdays, he hunts the quarterback. Then he starts again. There’s routine -- after three years of the unknown. Price was one of the top middle linebacker prospects in the country coming out of high school, and he committed to Pitt to be close to his Rankin, Pennsylvania, home. As a true freshman, he played in all 13 games with five starts, and his future seemed bright. Then came the injuries.................
...........Price’s teammates worked to keep him involved, and his family provided a solid foundation as he rehabbed. His mother, Michelle, lives just a few minutes from Pitt’s campus, and Price made regular visits. They’d chat about football occasionally, but mostly Michelle just offered a shoulder to lean on and a reminder that, no matter what came next, he’d be OK......................Price found another fan in head coach Pat Narduzzi, who took over the program in 2015. Price had hardly sniffed the field, so it wasn’t as if Narduzzi saw much on tape to offer hope, but the longtime defensive coordinator at Michigan State instantly recognized he had a special talent and was just waiting for a chance to prove himself.
“I was a no-name guy with one more year left,” Price said of his early work with Narduzzi. “He hammered it into me that I would be healthy and make a lot of plays.” The first part was obvious early in 2015, but the latter prediction took a bit more time. Truth is, after three straight seasons of setbacks, Price was reluctant to push too hard. What would happen if he got hurt again? How many more chances would he have? Narduzzi had the answer: Be where your feet are.......................Price is a hot commodity now. In the past calendar year, he’s racked up 16.5 sacks -- three more than any other player in the country. He’s two sacks ahead of Florida State’s DeMarcus Walker for the ACC lead, and that’s a harbinger for good things to come. Since 2004, every ACC sack leader has been selected in the first three rounds of the NFL draft...................
READ THE REST YOU WON'T REGRET IT!
LINK:
http://www.espn.com/blog/ncfnation/...e-has-persevered-and-opponents-now-are-paying
NCAA STATISTICS LINK:
Tackles For Loss: #2
http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/individual/39
Sacks: #2
http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/individual/36
Smart Recruits Choose Pitt Is It!
