Free commitment article: Pitt's new JUCO WR on why he picked the Panthers

[Chris Peak]

The recruiting process wasn't a smooth one for Rafael Araujo-Lopes, but he stuck with it and now he's headed to Pitt. He spoke to Panther-Lair.com about the process, the Panthers and more. Free article.

Link: JUCO WR just kept going to get to Pitt

 

[MajorMajors]

Excellent article Chris. Will be interesting to see what kind of college career Rafael has... Could be a great story in the end.

Go Pitt.

 

[ratking17]

Awesome read chris. Thanks

 

[CaptainSidneyReilly]

The recruiting process wasn't a smooth one for Rafael Araujo-Lopes, but he stuck with it and now he's headed to Pitt. He spoke to Panther-Lair.com about the process, the Panthers and more. Free article.

Link: JUCO WR just kept going to get to Pitt

QUOTES FROM RAL!"
"First of all, the city of Pittsburgh is an absolutely beautiful place," he said. "The people, the city, everything is great there. And the University of Pittsburgh is a great academic school; there's so much support academically and with the different programs they have. "Meeting the coaching staff definitely gave me a good feeling. It's very comfortable there; they're all very relatable. It's an incredible coaching staff, just very good people that you can be friends with and talk to outside of football. They're awesome people. "The opportunity at Pitt will be awesome, and I couldn't pass that up. There was no way I was going to pass that up."....."From the time I spent with Coach Narduzzi, I can say he was the best person I was around and spoke with," Araujo-Lopes said. "He's a truly amazing person. He has a huge heart and he's really passionate about the game. He has a great personality and he's definitely a person that players will want to play for. This team, I know, wants to play for Coach Narduzzi."

BACK AT RAL:
Winter Park, Florida, Home Of Former Congressman Andy Ireland, that became the Lobbyists for Barnum and Baileys Circus, a great place, great people and great Public Servant!

TRIBLIVE ARTICLE LINK:
For months, college recruiters paraded through Winter Park (Fla.) High School, paying little attention to wide receiver Rafael Araujo-Lopes.

“I was banging my head against the wall. I couldn't understand it,” Winter Park assistant coach Craig Russell said. “He had an electric senior year (2013). He was the most explosive player in Orange County, hands down, in my opinion. “Recruiting is an inexact science, but Rafael had a plan.”

That plan sent Araujo-Lopes across the country to Reedley (Calif.) College and back again in the span of only one year after he verbally committed to play football this season at Pitt. Because he was an academic qualifier when he graduated from high school, Araujo-Lopes can transfer and play immediately after only one season at Reedley, a junior college.

At Pitt, Araujo-Lopes, 5-foot-9, 192 inches, will move into the mix at receiver — probably in the slot — and compete for playing time with Dontez Ford, Zach Challingsworth, Elijah Zeise and Jester Weah. He will have three years of eligibility. “If I show I can handle all the concepts and all the routes, I will move (outside),” he said.

In his first five months on the job, coach Pat Narduzzi has shown a willingness to recruit players from various venues, including junior colleges (Araujo-Lopes and defensive end Allen Edwards) and Power 5 schools (quarterback Nate Peterman, defensive end Dewayne Hendrix and defensive tackle Mark Scarpinato). All, except Hendrix, are eligible this year.

Araujo-Lopes said he is looking forward to playing for Narduzzi. “He naturally just brings energy to the table,” Araujo-Lopes said. “He's a great person to be around ... not just talking football. “When you have a great person as a coach, you want to play for that coach. It's like having your best friend on the team. You want to play for your best friend. “I know this team will want to play for him.”

Araujo-Lopes, whose high school position coach, Sinclair Brown, went to Reedley, excelled last season against junior college competition, recording 74 receptions for 1,229 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also returned kicks — something he could attempt at Pitt — to boost his all-purpose yardage to 1,732. He also performed a myriad of duties at Winter Park, playing wide receiver, safety, cornerback, tailback and Wildcat quarterback.

“He was our No. 1 weapon,” Russell said.

Jerry DiPaola is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib. Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/college/pitt/8339423-74/araujo-lopes-coach#ixzz3ZndxsNRx

 

[raleighpanther]

If this kid is half as polished on the field as he is off it, he is going to be an All-american. Really articulate guy. His comments read like they were written for him by Pitt's PR department.