"Coach Pat Narduzzi's first order of business after Pitt players voted for their four captains was inviting Avonte Maddox, Jester Weah, Max Browne and Dennis Briggs into his office.
Narduzzi wanted to make sure they knew the heavy load the team placed upon their shoulders.
“It's a responsibility, no different than to a class,” Narduzzi said. “With that responsibility, they have to be accountable, they have to be on time, they have to be prepared just like I have to be prepared for a meeting.”And, of course, they shouldn't hold anything back.
“When things are on their mind, they need to vent,” the coach said.
Narduzzi said players should claim ownership of the team.
“This is your football team,” Narduzzi said he told them. “It's not my football team.”
The vote for captains broke new ground for Narduzzi's three-year Pitt tenure. Browne is the first quarterback and first transfer voted captain. Previous captains James Conner, Ejuan Price, Adam Bisnowaty, J.P. Holtz, Lafayette Pitts, Darryl Render and Artie Rowell and three of the four this year had been in the program for several years.
Leadership may be a more important element on this year's team, given the discipline handed down by Narduzzi before training camp that included the dismissal of two seniors.
There are 15 seniors on the team, but perhaps only nine will assume key roles early in the season. All were honored and said a few words about one of their teammates at the Kickoff Luncheon on Friday at the Westin Convention Center.
Behind closed doors during training camp, all 105 players -- scholarship and non-scholarship -- stood up in front of the team and spoke on leadership, Narduzzi said.
“We've never done it that way before,” he said.
A year ago, three of the captains were far from earning that distinction.
• Browne was at USC where he also was voted a captain.
• Briggs was a sophomore, who still hasn't made his first start.
• Weah, a wide receiver, had no collegiate receptions at the time.
“Max was shocked and Jester was humbled,” Narduzzi said.
But the vote is an example of how some players are growing, and how welcoming the players are to newcomers. .
“(Weah) might have been the grumpiest player on the football team (earlier in his career),” Narduzzi said. “That's a fact.”
Weah, who led the team with 36 receptions last season, disputes the “grumpiest” designation. But he knows what Narduzzi meant.
“I wouldn't say I was grumpy,” Weah said. “I would say I didn't have the right attitude when I cam to practice.”
Now, he said he looks at Briggs, a younger player, and says, “I try to be more like him.”
Browne, who said he didn't even put his name on the ballot prior to the vote, said he has become “super comfortable” with the new teammates he never had met until January.
“It's crazy to look back and think it's happened at two different schools,” he said. “A different group of guys, different path to get there. At the end of the day, it's still a huge honor no matter where you are.”
Narduzzi said the voting was so close that two players he didn't name finished fifth and sixth in the voting, but were close to the top four. Maddox said he voted for Weah and offensive lineman Alex Officer.
Maddox, who will become a four-year starter this season, said it's an honor “just to know what the guys think of me ... that I'm able to lead the guys to something bigger than you are.
“I'm going to give these guys all I can while I can. They look up to me and, to be honest, I look up to them.”
http://triblive.com/sports/college/...e-maddox-dennis-briggs-voted-captains-by-pitt
Narduzzi wanted to make sure they knew the heavy load the team placed upon their shoulders.
“It's a responsibility, no different than to a class,” Narduzzi said. “With that responsibility, they have to be accountable, they have to be on time, they have to be prepared just like I have to be prepared for a meeting.”And, of course, they shouldn't hold anything back.
“When things are on their mind, they need to vent,” the coach said.
Narduzzi said players should claim ownership of the team.
“This is your football team,” Narduzzi said he told them. “It's not my football team.”
The vote for captains broke new ground for Narduzzi's three-year Pitt tenure. Browne is the first quarterback and first transfer voted captain. Previous captains James Conner, Ejuan Price, Adam Bisnowaty, J.P. Holtz, Lafayette Pitts, Darryl Render and Artie Rowell and three of the four this year had been in the program for several years.
Leadership may be a more important element on this year's team, given the discipline handed down by Narduzzi before training camp that included the dismissal of two seniors.
There are 15 seniors on the team, but perhaps only nine will assume key roles early in the season. All were honored and said a few words about one of their teammates at the Kickoff Luncheon on Friday at the Westin Convention Center.
Behind closed doors during training camp, all 105 players -- scholarship and non-scholarship -- stood up in front of the team and spoke on leadership, Narduzzi said.
“We've never done it that way before,” he said.
A year ago, three of the captains were far from earning that distinction.
• Browne was at USC where he also was voted a captain.
• Briggs was a sophomore, who still hasn't made his first start.
• Weah, a wide receiver, had no collegiate receptions at the time.
“Max was shocked and Jester was humbled,” Narduzzi said.
But the vote is an example of how some players are growing, and how welcoming the players are to newcomers. .
“(Weah) might have been the grumpiest player on the football team (earlier in his career),” Narduzzi said. “That's a fact.”
Weah, who led the team with 36 receptions last season, disputes the “grumpiest” designation. But he knows what Narduzzi meant.
“I wouldn't say I was grumpy,” Weah said. “I would say I didn't have the right attitude when I cam to practice.”
Now, he said he looks at Briggs, a younger player, and says, “I try to be more like him.”
Browne, who said he didn't even put his name on the ballot prior to the vote, said he has become “super comfortable” with the new teammates he never had met until January.
“It's crazy to look back and think it's happened at two different schools,” he said. “A different group of guys, different path to get there. At the end of the day, it's still a huge honor no matter where you are.”
Narduzzi said the voting was so close that two players he didn't name finished fifth and sixth in the voting, but were close to the top four. Maddox said he voted for Weah and offensive lineman Alex Officer.
Maddox, who will become a four-year starter this season, said it's an honor “just to know what the guys think of me ... that I'm able to lead the guys to something bigger than you are.
“I'm going to give these guys all I can while I can. They look up to me and, to be honest, I look up to them.”
http://triblive.com/sports/college/...e-maddox-dennis-briggs-voted-captains-by-pitt
