pittsburgh sports report may 2014

GREGORYPOLANCO

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PUBLISHEREllis G. Cannon

BUSINESS MANAGERLarry Appolonia

PRODUCTION DIRECTORMichael Betters

EDITORTony DeFazio

[email protected]

SENIOR MEDICAL ADVISERDJ Phillips, MD

Sam Akhavan, MDAllegheny General Hospital

WEBMASTERTom Ballas

BNS Web Creations

BEAT WRITERSNate Barnes, Scott Kromko,

Anthony Jaskulski, John Krysinsky, Alex Nseir, Joel Peretic,

Connor Whooley

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSRyan Bertonaschi, Andrew Choynowski,

Sam Fatula, Steve Flinn, Chris Galiszewski,Kurt Hackimer, Matthew Jacobs,

Julia Kramer, Nate Marsh, Geoff Pfiel, Erika Schneider, Dan Sostek, Jeremy Tepper, Carley Thieret, Ken Torgent

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATORSTaylor Sinclair, Emmiley Stern

CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHERSCharles LeClaire, Justin Berl

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSMark Alberti, Aaron Doster,

William McBride, Michael Migliore,Kris Mellinger, Vincent Pugliese, Nick Susnjer, Ronald Vezzani Jr.

There are nine players on the 2013-14 Penguins team that have theirnames on the Stanley Cup. All ninewon the Cup with the Penguins in2009; Craig Adams, Chris Kunitz andRob Scuderi also won Cups in Carolina,Anaheim and Los Angeles.

The Stanley Cup is the oldest trophy in North American pro sportsand one of the hardest to win. It issteeped in tradition. It is not only thenames of everyone who has won thetrophy that appear on the chalice; sotoo does the blood, sweat and tears ofeach man.

The names of Craig Adams, SidneyCrosby, Pascal Dupuis, Marc-AndreFleury, Chris Kunitz, Kris Letang,Evgeni Malkin, Brooks Orpik and RobScuderi are not only scrawled on theStanley Cup, but they are etched in hockey history forever.

And that means absolutely nothing.The Stanley Cup that the Penguins

won in 2009 is meaningless right now. It didn’t matter to the Philadelphia

Flyers in 2012, it didn’t matter to theBoston Bruins in 2013, it didn’t matterto the Columbus Blue Jackets lastmonth and it doesn’t matter to anyother team in the Eastern Conference.Five years ago doesn’t matter any more.

When discussing his past playoff fail-ures, Fleury said recently that he oftenreminds himself, “I have one more Cupthan most people.”

That’s certainly true. But it justdoesn’t matter.

There was a time when what thePenguins achieved in the very recentpast meant they had earned the benefitof every doubt along the way. But thatvery recent past has turned into nothingbut a distant memory.

Fleury’s recent past—as well as thatof the entire Penguins’ team—is filledwith too much postseason failure, toomuch underachievement, too little grit,and too few wins.

And that’s all that matters now. When Marc-Andre Fleury struggled

in the playoffs four years ago, we couldexcuse it by reminding his critics that“he has a resume,” and that resume in-cludes a Stanley Cup.

When Marc-Andre Fleury strugglesnow, we look at that very same resumeand all we see are four consecutive post-seasons with a sub-.900 save percent-age. We see a goalie not among the top10 in save percentage or goals againstaverage in this postseason either.

When Sidney Crosby struggled in theplayoffs four years ago, it made sense topoint to that Stanley Cup resume andassume that he’d eventually get it to-gether. Now Crosby’s resume consists oftwo consecutive playoff series withouta goal.

That 2009 Stanley Cup will meansomething again for those nine Pen-guins, of course. It will mean everythingagain, in time.

But right now it don’t mean nuthin.

ContentsMay 2014 Vol. 18, No.4

DEPARTMENTSPSR FOCUS

3 EDITOR’S DESK Pens Stanley Cup is meaningless

4 UP CLOSE WITH PSR Former Steeler Alan Faneca

11 LOCAL SCENE Monty Meza-Clay returns

PHOTO CREDITSJustin Berl 17abc, 18, 19abCharles LeClaire 3, 20Mark Alberti 23

Pittsburgh Pirates 1, 6; Courtesy of AlanFaneca 4; Len Redkoles/Getty Images 5; BillGentry 7a; West Virginia Power 7b, 8ab; Al-toona Curve 9abc; TNT Promotions 11ab; De-rick E Hingle/USA Today Sports 12; StreeterLecka/Getty Images 13; The McDonoghSchool 14a; Matt Slocum/AP Photo 14b;Vikki Vellios Briner 21; McKay Family 22;

6 NORTH SHORE NOTESGregory Polanco waits for the callIn The Dugout: Tyler GlasnowProspect Watch: Altoona Curve

12 PURE STEELSteelers free agent additionsDarrius Heyward-Bey’s last chance

17 BLUE LINEPens’ pending free agentsProspects ready to make NHL impactOlli Maatta’s sensational season

20 ON CAMPUSTom Savage’s NFL futureThe James Franklin MachineBlackhawk’s Brendan McKayPitt’s 2015 class starts locallyRising StarsRising Stars

TONY DEFAZIOPSR EDITOR

Don’t Mean a Thing

EDITOR’SDESKDESK

4 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • MAY 2014 www.pittsburghsportsreport.com4 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • MAY 2014 www.pittsburghsportsreport.com

Tony: How did marathon processstart?Alan: I lost almost 50 pounds withinthe first three months after I decidedto retire, and then I lost, I don't know,30, 35, 40 more after that over time.So I had already lost a little over ahundred pounds and I decided I wasdone, just done, with working outand lifting weights. I didn't wannatouch it, I didn't really want to see itin my life anymore. My wife hadtrained and run a half marathon theyear before and I was still doing somecardio in the gym and stuff, and thenone day I was just like let's get out-side. It's a beautiful day outside. Sowe started jogging.

I started jogging with her outsideand then I just kind of kept doing itmore and more, and was doing it onmy own. And then one day I was like,“Hey let's go the long way,” and forsome reason I thought that was kindacool. It felt fun, and I started thinkingabout running a half marathon.

So I was in Pittsburgh at a Steelersgame, I'm not sure we were playing,but I was on the sidelines and I wastalking into the athletic training staff.A lot of them do races and run andcompete and stuff.

I told them what I was up to run-

ning-wise, and I told them how far Iwas running, and they were like, “Ahman you got that; that's easy.”

And in my mind I was like “Awman, easy?” I really wasn't looking todo something easy. So they were kindof calling me out without knowing it.I came home and all of a sudden juststarted running a little bit further andI started training and just said, “Screwit, I'm going to run a full marathon.”

TD: So that competitor is still verymuch in there somewhere.AF: It was, it really was. It really gotmy competitive juices flowing againand that was fun. It was a differentthing to try to run farther, and run-ning for pace and stuff. So I got a littlebit of that competitive buzz back.When I said I was going to do the halfI was thinking that it was going to bechallenging, and then those guys toldme I had it in the bag. That's not re-ally what I was looking for so the nextthing I know, I just came home andthe next run I just started training fora full marathon.

TD: How long was the whole process?AF: The game was mid-to-early Octo-ber, the race was Super Bowl Sunday,and I was probably running maybe for

about a month before that. So maybesometime in September or so I startedgetting outside and jogging. So it waslike a full NFL season but withouttraining camp. I held out (laughs).

TD: Was the marathon a one-timegoal or are you a runner now?AF: I think of myself as a runner. Idon't know when I would do anotherrace, I don't have anything on thehorizon. I did buy a race bike and I'vebeen training for what's called aDuathlon. It's a triathlon without theswimming. It's run-bike-run. I don'tthink my shoulder would hold up tothe swimming portion of a triathlon.

TD: How about your knees? How arethey holding up?AF: Losing a hundred pounds cer-tainly helps out and I generally feelreally good. Everything has beengoing good. The marathon did take alot out of me as it would on anybodywho runs one, so it took a little whileto recover after that, but I feel greatnow.

TD: How did you know when it wastime to retire from the NFL?AF: I didn't, really. Man, it kinda tooka lot of searching in my mind. Can I

really do this? I could have played another one or

two seasons, but for me it was like,“Man I've been playing football since4th grade. Can I literally just saystop?”

Maybe it's a little different whenyou're walking away of your own freewill as opposed to the game passingyou by or nobody wanting your serv-ices anymore, because that's really amind check. You've been doing itsince you were nine years old, andnow its, “Wait a minute. Am I reallynot going to put a helmet on thisyear?”

It took me awhile to wrap my brainaround the fact that I could say that,and I could walk away from it. I couldactually make that choice.

TD: Once you did make that choice,was it easy to adjust to life withoutfootball, or Was there a hole there?

AF: You know what, man? (FormerSteelers teammate) Jeff Hartings toldme this when he retired and I didn'tbelieve it at the time. He came topractice and I came up to him andstarted talking to him about some-thing that was happening in theleague at the time, I don't even re-member what it was.

“I really wasn’t looking to do something easy. So they were kind of calling me out without knowing it... I just said, ‘Screw it, I’m going to runa full marathon.’”

-Alan Faneca

ALAN FANECAFormer offensive lineman Alan Faneca played

10 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and 13in the NFL, earning All-Pro status nine timesand winning Super Bowl XL in 2005. The NewOrleans native retired from the NFL after the2010 season and made headlines this past Feb-ruary when he ran the New Orleans Rock ‘n’

Roll Marathon in under four hours. Faneca andhis family—wife Julie, 8-year-old daughter An-abelle and 3-year-old son Burton—recentlymoved from New Orleans to the Washington,DC area. PSR’s Tony DeFazio caught up withFaneca shortly before the move.

PSRINTERVIEWINTERVIEW

UP CLOSE


PSRINTERVIEWINTERVIEW

But he was like “Whoa, whoa, Idon't even know anything that you'retalking about.”

And I was like “What?” And he goes, “Man, you'll see when

you get out. You don't really pay asmuch attention to it, it's just kind oflike that's it. You're out.”

And I was like “Whatever man”and totally dismissed him.

So of course the same thing hap-pened to me. I got out of it and I canbe barbecuing in the backyard onSunday, 5 PM, and and I'll be like,“S*** there's football on TV,” and Iwon't even realize it. Its like anotherworld. I simply don't think about it asmuch, so now, I definitely have nohole. That was a little weird, though,that I felt that way. That there wasn'ta hole and I didn't wish I could get

out there. I felt like when I said I wasdone, I was done. And I have beenblessed and had a great ride and it wasfun. And you know what, you canwalk away from it and not do it andstill move on with life and do otherthings.

TD: You are eligible for the Pro Foot-ball Hall of Fame in 2015. Do youallow yourself to think about that?AF: The only thought I give it is wheneverybody brings it up to me. That's ahuge, fantastic honor. If it ever hap-pens for me, then it'll happen. It does-n't happen, then it doesn't. There'snot much you can really do about itso why worry about it or let it affectyour life?

TD: And if you do get inducted...

AF: Oh I think of myself as a Pitts-burgh Steeler. That's a for sure.Whenever I grab something for mylittle boy to throw on, I pick theSteelers shirt over the Jets or Cardi-nals stuff.It was a great time, great fun, a greatorganization and a great group ofguys. The guys that they put in thatlocker room make the organization,and that's what makes it go, and thoseare the guys that you keep up with.

TD: What about a highlight from yourcareer?AF: the obvious choice is the SuperBowl win. You know, I've got a pictureof me on the field holding the trophy,screaming my lungs out and raisingthe trophy, and I've got all that con-fetti falling around me. I tell you

what, I pull that thing out now and Ilook at it, and my hair still stands onend. That's a great moment.

Another one that I think about alot might not be as huge or whatnot,but my first AFC ChampionshipGame. We played at Heinz Field, andI still remember standing in the tun-nel and the crowd was so loud and Ifelt like every single person, it lookedlike they were each waving two Terri-ble Towels. It was really a chilling mo-ment, first playoff run since I havebeen there and it was really one ofthose, “Man, this is what it's allabout” moments. Standing there thatday in the tunnel is something I thinkabout a lot.


BY KURT HACKIMER

Baseball pundits are usually a ratherstubborn bunch.

Generational debates constantlywage as young writers try to explainbaseball’s deficiencies through math-ematics while grizzled newshoundscontinually implore them to find realjobs.

But occasionally these divergentclasses unify in appreciation of a trulyspecial talent whose stellar baseballacumen melds seamlessly with his rawphysical skill.

This is the case with outfielder Gre-gory Polanco, the Pittsburgh Piratestop prospect.

Polanco was a skinny 17-year oldkid in the Dominican Republic whenthe Pirates signed him to a $175,000contract in 2009.

Today, at 22, he has blossomed intoa monstrous 6’4” 220-pound baseballmarvel that is universally lauded bystat geeks and baseball purists alike.

“Polanco is like a more polishedYasiel Puig,” Sports Illustrated colum-nist Joe Sheehan said. “Polanco ap-plies his skills more effectively thanPuig. That’s the shape of player we’retalking about.”

While that does not guarantee thatPolanco will debut and terrorize MajorLeague pitching like Puig did last sea-son, it is an indication of the level ofplayer Pirates fans can expect whenPolanco arrives in Pittsburgh.

David Todd, who hosts a talk showon ESPN Radio 970, said thatPolanco is a legitimate five-tool guy.

“When Polanco was in Double A,people were comparing him to Marte.His ceiling is really McCutchen,”Todd said. “Everybody knows abouthis speed and athleticism, but he isdeveloping power, he can hit for aver-age, and has a great arm. OncePolanco comes up to the majors, youcould make an argument that Mc-Cutchen will be the weakest defender

in the outfield.”“Defensively, he’s a center fielder

who is going to play right field next to[Starling] Marte and [Andrew] Mc-Cutchen. Nothing is ever going to fallbetween them,” MLB.com prospectexpert Jonathan Mayo added. “Evenif he isn’t going to hit a ton, his speedand defense will make a difference.”

While Polanco first prominently ap-peared on the baseball radar at the be-ginning of last season with theAltoona Curve, he burst onto the na-

tional scene in the offseason when heblew through the Dominican WinterLeague—a level somewhere betweenTriple A and the majors—and wonthe league’s MVP award.

“He had his ups and downs [in Al-toona],” said Corey Giger, who coversthe Curve for the Altoona Mirror.“You could see the potential, but it’snot like he tore the cover off of theball. When he went to the Winter

Top Pirates prospect Gregory Polanco was hitting .400 through the first month of the season.

see POLANCO PAGE 7

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Promoting Polanco


League, he just gained a world ofconfidence.”

The maturity that Polanco has dis-played is what impresses Sheehanand so many others.

“Polanco has been able to apply histools and turn them into skills,”Sheehan said. “So much of evaluat-ing a prospect is plate discipline. Hehad an even strikeout to walk ratio[in Double A]. That kind of polish issomething to be really excited about.”

Since then, he’s had an impressivespring training with the Pirates and isoff to a magnificent start in his firstfull season at Triple A Indianapolis,

demonstrating poise uncharacteristicof a player his age.

According to Baseball America,Polanco only swung and missed eighttimes in the first 192 pitches he’s seenthis season. Throughout that span,his batting average was above .400.

With the underwhelming platoonof Jose Tabata and Travis Snider oc-cupying the Pirates right field,Polanco’s arrival in 2014 appears tobe imminent.

But his promotion might not comeas quickly as some would like.

Normally, a player must accrue atleast three years of MLB service timebefore he is considered eligible forsalary arbitration. However, if aplayer ranks within the top 22

percent of all 2-year players in termsof service time, that player is eligiblefor Super Two status and can receivearbitration a year early. By delayinghis arrival, the chances of Polanco re-ceiving Super Two status substan-tially decrease.

Of course, if the Pirates continueto struggle, there will likely be a sig-nificant push from Pirates fans to pro-mote Polanco soon.

“Sometimes I look at StarlingMarte and he’s so raw. Polanco is al-ready more of a baseball player thanhe is,” Sheehan said. “By 2016,[Polanco] is going to be the secondbest player in the lineup next to Mc-Cutchen.”

POLANCO, from PAGE 6

Gregory Polanco, OFBats: Left, Throws: Left Height: 6' 4" Weight: 220 lb.

Born: September 14, 1991 in SantoDomingo, Dominican Republic

Dominican Summer League, 2009: 63games, 221 AB, .267/.370/.357with 6 triples & 24 RBI

Rookie League, 2010: 53 games, 188AB, .202/.245/.287 with 19 SB &23 RBI

Rookie League, 2011: 48 games, 169AB, .237/.333/.361 with 18 SB &34 RBI

Low-A, 2012: 116 games, 437 AB,.325/.388/.522 with 16 HR, 85RBI, 40 SB

High-A, 2013: 57 games, 218 AB,.312/.364/.472 with 30 RBI & 24SB

Double-A, 2013: 68 games, 243 AB,.263/.354/.407 with 1-1 BB/SOratio

Triple A, 2014 (thru April): 23 games,90 AB, .400/.460/.644 with a1.104 OPS

THE POLANCO FILE


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“It's really exciting just to show up for work every day and seethat everybody's motivated. The team is doing so well and thatdrives other people to do better. I'm really blessed to be a part ofit every day.” - Tyler Glasnow

Tyler Glasnow, 20, has been ranked as thethird-best prospect in the Pirates’ organiza-tion. The 6’7” righty was drafted by in thefifth round in 2011 out of Hart HS in SantaClarita, California, and was one of the toppitchers in the minors last season, posting a

2.18 ERA, .142 opponents' batting averageand 164/61 strikeout-to-walk ratio for Low-A West Virginia, where he earned PiratesMinor League Pitcher of the Year honors.Glasnow talked about his past success andthe upcoming season.

TYLER GLASNOWIn theDugout

Q: You were named the 2013 PiratesMinor League Pitcher of the Year.What did that mean to you?A: It was definitely an honor. Theycalled me when I was at home and thefirst thing I did is, I ran downstairs andtold my parents and they were just asexcited as I was. So it was a good expe-rience to share with them

Q: What do you think your keys to suc-cess will be in 2014?A: Sticking with my approach. I think Ilearned a lot last year, working with JJ(Jeff Johnson, pitching coach for single-A West Virginia), and now we have areally good coaching staff here. Every-thing they tell me, I just try to take inand use to my advantage. Just comingout here and working hard every daywill put me in a good position for 2014.

Q: Is it exciting to be part of what hasbeen rated as the top farm system inbaseball?

A: I mean you can come here everyday and you can see the chemistryin the clubhouse. It's really excitingjust to show up for work every dayand see that everybody's motivated.The team is doing so well and thatdrives other people to do better. I'mreally blessed to be a part of it everyday.

Q: What's the key for you wheneverything is working on themound?A: When everything's clicking? Well,I'm kind of a tall and goofy guy, Iguess you can say, so timing is a fac-tor for me. I know when somethingis going wrong it has to do with mytiming, or I'm probably thinking toomuch. But on a good day I'm justfree and easy, not really thinking toomuch and just kind of out therehaving fun.


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Pirates Prospect Watch

ALEN HANSONThe Pirates’ No. 5 prospect entering the season,

Hanson sits at 65th on Baseball America’s top 100prospect list. Hanson, a shortstop, needs to im-prove defensively if he is to remain at the positionafter committing 32 errors in 2013. The 21-year-old Dominican signed as a free agent with the Pi-rates in 2009 at the age of 16 and has made asteady climb through the minors. He led the GulfCoast League in triples with 7 in 2012 and hit 13at Low-A West Virginia the next season, compli-mented by 16 homers and a .309 average. Hansonhit .291 with a .783 OPS for the Bradenton Mau-raders in High-A last year and had been solid withthe bat in his brief time at Altoona.

NICK KINGHAMWhen signed by the Pirates out of Sierra Vista

High School in Las Vegas in 2010, Kingham wasthrowing a 92 MPH fastball that is now reaching97-98 on a regular basis. His fastball features ve-locity and movement as well as command. King-ham’s pitching repertoire also includes acurveball and a change up. The former fourth-round draft pick started 12 games for Altoonalast season, going 3-3 with a 2.70 ERA and 69strikeouts and 30 walks in 74 innings. He madea strong season debut and was carrying a 1-1record with a 1.61 ERA through his first fourgames of the season. Kingham is projected to seetime in Triple A Indianapolis later this year.

STETSON ALLIEPitcher turned first baseman Stetson Allie recov-

ered from an early season oblique injury and joinedthe Altoona Curve in mid April. Allie hails fromCleveland, and was originally drafted by the Piratesin 2010 as a pitcher. Despite a fastball that reached100 MPH, Allie had trouble controlling his pitchesand was converted to a corner infielder—a positionwhere he saw a great deal of success as a high schoolstar in Ohio—after only 30 innings in professionalbaseball. During his time at Low-A West Virginia,Allie batted .324 with 17 homeruns in 66 games. Hewas promoted to Altoona despite a .229 average andjust 4 homeruns at High-A Bradenton. He is off to astrong start with six homers in April, including fourin a four-game stretch late in the month.

BY CARLEY THIERET

Altoona has a trio of future stars in pitcher Nick Kingham and infielders Stetson Allie and Alen Hanson

www.pittsburghsportsreport.com PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • MAY 2014 11www.pittsburghsportsreport.com PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • MAY 2014 11www.pittsburghsportsreport.com PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • MAY 2014 11www.pittsburghsportsreport.com PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • MAY 2014 11

BOXINGLOCAL SCENELOCAL SCENE

Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack &Resort, in association with eight-timeWorld Champion Roy Jones Jr. andTNT Promotions, presents "Back Witha Vengeance" live at The Harv on Sat-urday, May 17, 2014.

A full bill of professional boxing is ontap, featuring the highly anticipated re-turn of the ultimate toe-to-toe actionwarrior Monty Meza-Clay (34-3,21KO) in the main event. The crowdpleasing Meza-Clay, formally IBAWorld Champion and top ranked con-tender by the WBO, IBF and WBA, iscoming back from injury that kept himout of the ring for the past year.

Fan favorite Bill "Hutch" Hutchinsonwill seek his ninth victory and continue

his rise in the rankings.Hutchinson has not lost about since his professionaldebut.

The intriguing story oflurking undefeated heavy-weight prospect Ed Lati-more (4-0, 4KO) steps upto his next challenge. Inhis last bout, Latimoreknocked out former IBFworld title challengerRubin Williams.

Northeast Ohio'snewest favorite son, An-tonio "Carita" Nieves,earns his second opportu-nity on the big stage aftercapturing "Performance ofthe Night" honors atMountaineer in his lastbout in scoring an impres-sive stoppage victory.

Also planned for this big night of en-tertainment is a TBA "Special Attrac-tion Bout" that will surely please boxingfans, as well as the pro debut of Donnie"Too Quick" Marshall.

Tickets are on sale now: VIP Ringside$100, Section A $50, Section B $35 andBleachers $25. All tickets are plus tax &$2.50 Etix service fee and can be pur-chased at Mountaineer Casino’s PlayersClub in person or by calling 1-800-804-0468 Ext. 8297 or online atwww.MOREatMountaineer.com orwww.Etix.com. Free parking and free shut-tle service between the casino and TheHarv on fight night.

First bell 7:00 P.M. Bouts subject tochange.

Monty Meza-Clay Returns From Injuryto Headline May 17 Card

Back in the Ring

12 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • MAY 2014 www.pittsburghsportsreport.com12 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • MAY 2014 www.pittsburghsportsreport.com12 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • MAY 2014 www.pittsburghsportsreport.com12 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • MAY 2014 www.pittsburghsportsreport.com

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www.eqt.com

New SteelersBY NATE MARSH

The Steelers were active in freeagency this offseason, adding severalveterans to bolster their depth, com-plement existing strengths and replacedeparted starters.

OFFENSELaGarrette Blount, RB: Going into his

fifth year in the NFL, Blount has founda team that should be able to utilize hisskills to the fullest. His rookie year atTampa Bay was by far his most produc-tive, as he rushed for 1,007 yards andaveraged 5 yard per carry in 13 games.His numbers have dwindled sincethen, but the former Oregon productcontinues to be an excellent situationalback who can carry the load on occa-sion. At 245 pounds, he may not havethe quickest feet, but he has excellentacceleration and knows how to throwhis weight around. His ability to blockis an upside, but his receiving abilityhas been a weakness. Blount averaged29.1 yards per return on kickoffs lastyear in New England, the first time hehas received kickoffs in the NFL, witha long of 83 yards. Blount also rushedfor 166 yards and 4 touchdowns in thePatriots playoff win over the Colts lastwinter. The duo of Blount and Le’VeonBell should be the best combination atrunning back the Steelers have hadsince Willie Parker and Jerome Bettisshared carries in 2005.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR: Draftedfirst round by the Oakland Raiders inthe 2009 NFL Draft out of the Univer-

sity of Maryland, Heyward-Bey has notlived up to expectations. However, thequarterback situation in Oakland cer-tainly didn’t give him the best oppor-tunities. After four years in Oakland,the Indianapolis Colts signed him to aone year deal for the 2013 season buthis planned rebirth never quite hap-pened, as he caught just 29 passes. In72 career games, Heyward-Bey has to-taled 169 receptions for 2,380 yardswith 12 touchdowns. At 6’2” 219 lbs,he will add quality size to the wide re-ceiving corps. Recording a 4.23 40-yard dash time in 2009, speed is his

biggest asset, especially with the depar-ture of Emmanuel Sanders. If he canrid himself of the dropped passes thatplagued him last year, Heyward-Beymay finally be able to make a major im-pact in the NFL. If he doesn’t, how-ever, he’s a low-risk gamble at$795,000 for one year.

Lance Moore, WR: To make up for theloss of Jericho Cotchery, the eight-yearveteran of the New Orleans Saintsbrings experience and sure hands tothe wide receiving corps. Starting infive of the 13 games he played with the

Saints in an injury-plagued 2013 sea-son, Moore recorded 457 yards andtwo touchdowns on 37 receptions. At5’9” 190 lbs, he is smaller than Cotch-ery and will most likely be used in theslot. The downside is that his lack ofsize could impact his offensive produc-tion in the redzone, especially whencompared with Cotchery, who caught8 touchdown passes inside the 20-yard line last season. His Super Bowlexperience, however, is always wel-come on a team where anything lessthan a division title is considered adisappointment.

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Free Agent Additions

DEFENSEBrice McCain, CB: In five years with the

Houston Texans, McCain made 72regular-season appearances, starting 10and recording 111 career tackles. The2013 season was his most productive,with four starts to go along with 30tackles, both career highs. He also hasfive career interceptions, with one re-turned for a touchdown. He isn’t thebiggest corner at 5’9” 190 lbs, primarilylimited to the slot and special teams.The plus side with McCain is that hehas the experience to jump on the fieldwhen needed. He is an insurance pol-

icy that costs the team very little andwill provide quality depth.

Mike Mitchell, FS: After four mediocreseasons with the Oakland Raiders, thesecond round draft pick from the 2009Draft had a breakout year with theCarolina Panthers last season. He setcareer highs in 2013 with 66 tackles,four interceptions, three and a halfsacks, and two forced fumbles. Thesurprise year led to a 5-year $25 millioncontract. With high hopes for Mitchellto build on his upward momentum, theSteelers organization plan on the 27-

year-old bring a little bit of youth to re-place Ryan Clark in the secondary. Heis predominantly a coverage cornerand his tackling could use a bit of pol-ishing, but his above average speed willbe utilized by Dick LeBeau. If Mitchellcarries the chip on his shoulder toPittsburgh that he did to Carolina, hewill be a formidable combination withTroy Polamalu in the backfield.

Arthur Moates, LB: Buffalo’s sixthround draft choice in 2010 played 59games with the Bills, starting in 20games and registering 109 tackled, five

sacks, two forced fumbles, and onefumble recovery. He was also a contrib-utor on special teams with 32 tackles.Moats had a bit of a break-out seasonin 2013, playing in all 16 games with12 starts and 48 tackles. Listed at 6’2”250 lbs, Moates is unique in that hecan play all four linebacker position ina 3-4 scheme and is known for his rundefense. With Dick LeBeau’s creativedefensive packages, this could be anunder-the-radar signing that winds upmaking a major impact. If Moates takeadvantage of the situation he is in, theone-year $795,000 contract would bea steal. If nothing else, he is a great ad-dition to the special teams and a safelinebacker.

Cam Thomas, DT: The 6’4” 330 lbsNorth Carolina product was drafted inthe fifth round of the 2010 draft by theSan Diego Chargers. Coming from a 3-4 scheme in San Diego, Thomas is ver-satile enough to be able to play nosetackle and defensive end, which will bevaluable with the departure of AlWoods and Ziggy Hood, and the likelyloss of Brett Keisel. This gives SteveMcLendon, also able to play both noseand end, the ability to move from po-sition to position based on need.Thomas is more of a true nose guard,and McLendon has performed betterat end, so the move may benefit bothplayers. Nicknamed “Baby Zilla,”Thomas has played in 54 career gameshe has tallied 70 tackles, six sacks,three passes defended, and an inter-ception. He is a young and able bodyon a defensive line that needs peopleto fill in holes.

www.pittsburghsportsreport.com PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • MAY 2014 13www.pittsburghsportsreport.com PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • MAY 2014 13www.pittsburghsportsreport.com PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • MAY 2014 13www.pittsburghsportsreport.com PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • MAY 2014 13


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Running Out of TimeBY DAN SOSTEK

Talent has never been a question forDarrius Heyward-Bey. The 6’ 2”, 220-pound wideout displayed a tantalizingcombination of size and speed at theUniversity of Maryland.

Heyward-Bey ran a 4.30 40-yard dashat the NFL Combine, and was draftedseventh overall by the Oakland Raidersin 2009, leapfrogging Texas Tech’sMichael Crabtree and Missouri’s Je-remy Maclin as the first receiver se-lected.

Yet Heyward-Bey has failed to makean impact in the NFL. Aside from his2011 season, when he tallied 64 recep-tions for 975 yards, Heyward-Bey hasstruggled to realize his potential.

The reason for his lack of success ispretty simple, according to many ex-perts: His one glaring weakness is hishands. According to Pro FootballFocus, Heyward-Bey has droppednearly one of every ten passes thrownto him over his career. He had ninedrops in just 58 targets in 2013.

“Drops have followed Heyward-Beyhis entire career and it’s hard to imaginethey will magically go away,” said DaveBryan of SteelersDepot.

The veteran wide receiver, currently27-years old and entering his sixth sea-son, may find it hard to get playing timeeven with the Steelers current lack ofdepth at the position.

“He is fast and can stretch the field,”says Bryan, “but seeing as the Steelersrarely use four receiver packages, unlessan injury happens, he’s not likely to seemuch playing time.”

This is because Heyward-Bey isn’t theonly new face in town at the wide re-ceiver position. The Steelers also signedformer New Orleans Saints wideoutLance Moore, a player who might notsport the talent that Heyward-Bey doesbut has boasted much more impressiveproduction.

Markus Wheaton, a third round pickout of Oregon State in 2013, will be en-tering his second year as a pro. Despitea disappointing rookie season in whichWheaton caught just six passes in 12games, “If Heyward-Bey ends up aheadof Wheaton on the depth chart, some-thing has gone horribly wrong with theyoung Oregon State product,” accord-ing to Bryan.

Finally, the Steelers are expected toselect at least one wide receiver in theearly rounds of the draft this year. Withall of these factors, Heyward-Bey willneed an extremely impressive camp to

earn significant playing time. He couldbe fighting for a roster spot.

Some, though, believe the Steel Cityis the perfect place for the Marylandproduct to thrive.

“I like Pittsburgh as a situation forDarrius,” says Matt Zenitz, who coveredthe former Terrapin for The CarrollCounty Times during his collegiate ca-reer. “I’m not sure what happened in2012 or with Indianapolis last season,but he’s still one of the faster receiversin the NFL, and I could see him makingan impact for the Steelers in a reserverole.”

Heyward-Bey’s ability to produce,particularly in a Todd Haley offenselargely predicated on quick passes tosure-handed receivers, remains to beseen. But his unharnessed potential wastoo tantalizing for the Steelers to passup. It’s up to him to realize it.

Receiver Heyward-Bey Hopes it Finally Clicks

Playoff StatsLIGHTING UP THE SCOREBOARD

While Darrius Heyward-Bey isintent on looking forward and for-getting about his past frustrationsin the NFL, that doesn't meanhe's forgotten about his past.

Heyward-Bey certainly has notforgotten where he comes from, asthe former NFL first-round draftpick has donated money to pay forstadium lights at The McDonoghSchool his alma mater in in Ow-ings Mills, Maryland.

Heyward-Bey, who graduatedfrom McDonogh in 2005, onceasked athletic director MickeyDeegan why the Eagles stadiumdidn't have lights.

“When I told him lights wereexpensive and it would take a verygenerous gift to make that hap-pen," recalled Deegan, "he put hisarm around my shoulders andsaid, ‘Ms. Deegan, when I go proI’m going to buy you some lights."

Heyward-Bey kept his promise.“On every level, night games

are exciting,” Heyward-Bey said.“Young players dream of playingunder the lights, but the reality isthat 95 percent of athletes don’tplay after high school. I’m gladMcDonogh football players willnow have that opportunity.”

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THEBLUELINETHEBLUELINE

BY TONY DEFAZIO

The NHL salary cap is rumored tobe as high as $71 million in 2014-15,which could be a major factor in howthe Penguins approach the offseason.

The biggest potential free agentlosses for the Penguins this upcomingoffseason are do-it-all forward JussiJokinen and top-four defensemenBrooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen.

Niskanen's pending departure wasassumed last offseason, but the Pensnever did move the 27-year-old – andthat ending up being a very good thing.Niskanen had a career year, posting ca-reer highs in goals, assists and points,leading NHL defensemen in plus-minus, and garnering some Norris Tro-phy attention.

Niskanen’s performance was so good,in fact, he may have priced himself outof Pittsburgh.

Fellow defensemen Brook Orpikcould also be moving on, given his age(33), a bruising style of play that hastaken a toll on the Pens alternate cap-tain, and the organization's glut ofyoung blue liners.

Prospects like Brian Dumoulin, Der-rick Pouliot, Scott Harrington andPhilip Samuelsson are all close to beingNHL-ready, and the emergence of OlliMaatta as a top-four performer couldmean the end of the line for Niskanenand Orpik in Pittsburgh.

And despite adding valuable depthand toughness, veteran Deryk Engel-

land may no longer be in the team’slong-term plans.

Up front, the biggest potential depar-ture is Jokinen, whose position and lineversatility, coupled with his strong post-season play this spring, could put him inhigh demand in what is a relativelyweak year for free agent forwards.

Don't assume Jokinen's departure isimminent, however. He has expressedhis desire to stay in Pittsburgh and thePenguins clearly appreciate the sametools that will make him coveted on theopen market.

It's doubtful that rental players MarcelGoc and Lee Stempniak will return, andveteran Tanner Glass will likely carry ahigher price tag than the Penguins arecomfortable with. But without much inthe way of forward depth in the organi-

zation, unrestricted free agent Joe Vitalecould be brought back into the fold.

Goaltender Tomas Vokoun, whomissed the entire season with a bloodclot issue, won't be back and may haveplayed his final NHL game.

The two restricted free agents whowill get the most attention are centerBrendan Sutter and blue liner SimonDespres. Sutter, who was a trade candi-date at the deadline this year, finishedthe year strong and was one of theteam’s better forwards in the postseason.

Finally, though the Pens went all-inand failed to land Vancouver's RyanKesler at the trade deadline, they are ex-pected to re-visit the idea this offseason,which could obviously impact their freeagency plans.

Expanding Salary Cap Could Change Pens Outlook

Pending Free Agents

UNRESTRICTEDChris Conner CDeryk Engelland DTanner Glass LWMarcel Goc CJussi Jokinen LWChuck Kobasew RWMatt Niskanen DBrooks Orpik DTaylor Pyatt LWLee Stempniak RWJoe Vitale CTomas Vokoun G

RESTRICTEDSimon Despres DBrian Gibbons CJayson Megna CPhlip Samuelsson DZach Sill CBrandon Sutter CHarry Zolnierczyk LW




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BY NATE MARSH

The salary cap era in the NHLmeans that every team has to changepersonnel every season. With severalunrestricted free agents on the docketthis summer—and the possibility ofeven greater turnover than the teamhas seen in some time—many eyes areturned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton toproduce next years’ Penguins.

If there’s one position where thePenguins continue to have quality or-ganizational depth, it’s defense. OlliMaatta had a stellar year, being men-tioned in some Calder Memorial Tro-phy conversations for rookie of theyear. Simon Despres hasn’t made theimpact many expected, but he’s beenreliable when called upon, and RobertBortuzzo has played more and moresince being called up in 2011.

Baby Pens defensemen Brian Du-moulin and Philip Samuelsson haveeach played a handful of games in theNHL, and Scott Harrington was one ofthe most reliable defensemen atWilkes-Barre/Scranton. How close isthe trio to moving up to the big club inthe near future? Jonathan Bombulie,beat writer for the Baby Pens, weighedin on the matter.

“They’ve both been hurt at timessince they were in the NHL,” Bombuliesaid. “When healthy, their develop-ment curves have been different.

“Samuelsson’s has been slow andsteady. He was rough as a rookie, de-

cent last year, then very good this sea-son. He’s been consistent and subtlyphysical in his own zone and actuallypretty handy with the puck, surpris-ingly. Samuelsson looks to me like asixth or seventh NHL defenseman atthis point.”

The son of former Penguins blue-liner Ulf Samuelsson, 22-year-old Philipplayed in five games for the Pens lastseason. Dumoulin, also 22, played insix.

“Dumoulin has been more up anddown,” said Bombulie. “He’s more

prone to make a bad read in the defen-sive zone than Samuelsson, for exam-ple, but his upside is higher. Aninteresting statistical note that sayssomething about Dumoulin’s style ofplay: He has two penalty minutes – adelay of game minor – in his last 24games. That’s because he uses his longreach to defend. It’s a stick-on-puck ap-proach that the Penguins like.”

Neither player, however, is at the topof Bombulie’s list.

“I actually think Scott Harrington isthe most NHL ready,” Bombulie said.

“He’s only 21, but he’s a rock solid,steady stay-at-home defenseman whocan come in on the third pair and workhis way up the lineup. I can count thenumber of bad shifts he’s had this sea-son on one hand.”

Wilkes-Barre is thinner in the for-ward department, but the one namethat stands out is Adam Payerl.

“He’s the young forward with thebest chance to stick in the NHL nextyear,” Bombule said. “He has the phys-ical strength and style of play to protectthe puck well down low and fit into abottom-six role.”

Payerl has played in two NHL gamesthis past season.

Goalie Eric Hartzell was lookingmaking waves in January, winningAHL Goalie of the Month honors, buthas since stalled out and actually playeda brief stint at Wheeling in the EastCoast Hockey League. “

“His problems seem to be on pucksin his skates, tracking plays around thenet, not actually stopping shots,’ Bom-bulie said. “It seems like the kind ofthing that can be fixed, but until it is,his progress is at a standstill. He can’tmess around either, because there aresome really good goalies in the pipeline.Matt Murray, a 19-year-old, was one ofthe best goalies in the OHL this seasonand Tristan Jarry, 18, was one of the bestin the WHL.”

A new crop of young blue liners is on the way

Future Pens




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BY TONY DEFAZIO

With the score tied 3-3, and histeam in danger of falling behind theColumbus Blue Jackets in their EasternConference Quarterfinals series, 19-year-old Olli Maatta stood at the leftpoint and accepted a feed from EvgeniMalkin. The rookie defenseman rifleda shot toward the net. The puckpinged off teammate Jussi Jokinen’sstick, then Blue Jackets defender JamesWisniewski, before finding its way pastColumbus goaltender Sergei Bo-brovsky and into the net, putting thePenguins in front 4-3.

It was just his third career NHL play-off game, but Maatta’s play resembledthat of a grizzled veteran more than ateenager with a playoff “beard” assmooth as a sheet of ice.

Maatta, drafted by the Penguins 22ndoverall in 2012, was not supposed to bewearing an NHL jersey this year. But hestood out in a deep pool of blue lineprospects in the team’s developmentcamp last summer, and his performanceduring training camp made it clear thathe was ready.

Maatta settled in as a member of thePenguins’ third defensive pairing, butwhen fellow defensemen Rob Scuderiand Paul Martin suffered broken legs amonth apart in October and November,things changed. Maatta went from play-ing 16 minutes a game early in the sea-son, to logging more than 21 per gamein December.

“Nobody knew that he was going tobe capable of shouldering the minutes,”said Brian Metzer of SiriusXM NHLNetwork Radio and Penguins Live. “It'sso few and far between that a 19 yearold is capable of shouldering that loadagainst top lines.”

In February, Maatta seamlesslystepped out of NHL rinks and onto theinternational ice for the FinnishOlympic team. He played seven gamesin 11 days for Team Finland, scoringthree goals while winning a BronzeMedal with his countrymen.

Just four days after having the medaldraped around his neck in Russia,Maatta was back in Pittsburgh.

Maatta’s responsibilities increased yetagain after Martin broke his hand in theOlympics and Kris Letang suffered astroke shortly thereafter. His level of

play increased again as well.“To be able to have him play there

with injuries to two top-four guys inMartin and Letang, it’s pretty amazing,”said head coach Dan Bylsma.

“It doesn't seem as if anything over-whelmed him,” Metzer said.” He doesn'tget wide eye or anything like that. Hehas just been able to look at it all in theface and just step right up to any chal-lenge that he's faced so far. And nowhe's doing it in the playoffs.”

Maatta has embraced every challengealong the way

"I've been just enjoying being part ofthe NHL and being a pro hockeyplayer,” he said. “I don't think I've everlooked at it like, 'Oh God I wish thiswould be done.' Every day I come to therink I just want to be here and I’m en-joying it.”

Defenseman Olli Maatta Soars as a Rookie

Sonic Youth METZ ON MAATTA

Brian Metzer, co-host of Penguins Live and SiriusXMNHL Network Radio, shared histhoughts on Olli Maatta’s rookieseason

“When you look at the factthat this is a 19-year-old kid whohad no NHL experience—yes, heplayed for a pretty successful pro-gram, the London Knights, wherethey do a great job of preparingtheir players for the next step—it’s still unheard of for a 19-year-old defenseman to step into theNational Hockey League and dowhat this kid has done.”

“Early in the year the Penguinsshielded him a little bit. He andNiskanen were used more againstthird lines, but as the year wenton and those injuries rolled up toLetang and Scuderi and Orpikand company, he stepped right upand did whatever he needed todo to be a valuable contributoron the blue line. If they didn'thave this kid here, I don't thinkthat they would have been ableto maintain or offset the loss of asmany guys as they did.”

Brian Metzer also covers the Pen-guins for the Beaver County Timesand is a contributing writer forNHL.com. Follow Metz on Twitter@Brian_Metzer


A LONG STRANGE TRIP

Tom Savage was a three-yearstarter for Cardinal O’HaraHigh School in Springfield,PA, from 2006-08. He blos-somed into one of the topquarterback recruits in thecountry and turned down of-fers from Penn State, FloridaState, Georgia and dozens ofothers, to play for Greg Schi-ano’s rising Rutgers program.

He made an immediate im-pact, earning the starting jobas a true freshman. Savage ledthe Scarlett Knights to a 9-4record . Savage threw for2,211 yards and 14 touch-downs, while throwing only 7interceptions, and earned aspot on the Football WritersAssociation of America All-American Freshman Team.

He opened the 2010 seasonas the starter again, but suf-fered a hand injury and was re-placed by Chas Dodd, whoheld onto the job the rest ofthe year. Savage decided totransfer after the season, land-ing at Arizona. He sat out the2011 season under NCAArules, but head coach MikeStoops was replaced by RichRodriguez and Savage—whowas not a fit for Rodriguez’sspread offense—transferred yetagain, this time to Pitt.

After sitting out his secondconsecutive season in 2012,Savage finally returned to thefield as the Panthers starter. Asolid senior year led to an in-vite to the NFL Combine, andthe rest… well, we’re waitingto find out the rest.

BY RYAN BERTONASCHI

Only a couple dozen potential NFLdraftees are invited to New York’sRadio City Music Hall for the league’sannual draft.

These players are among football’sbest young talents: Teddy Bridgewater,Jadeveon Clowney, Aaron Donald,Tom Savage…

Tom Savage?Yes. The former Rutgers-turned-Ari-

zona-turned-Pitt quarterback’s NFLDraft stock has skyrocketed in recentweeks, earning him a spot near NFLCommissioner Roger Goodell for thenationally-televised extravaganza.

In the end, Savage declined the offer,but the honor was well-deserved. He,after all, has miraculously blossomedinto this year’s Cinderella prospect.

“With Tom, it was funny,” DanAlgeo, who coached Savage at Cardi-nal O’Hara High School, said. “Beforethe combine, it was looking like he wasgoing to be [an undrafted] free agent.Then he went through the combine,and it sounded like he was going to bea fifth or sixth rounder. Then he did his

pro day and workouts.”After his pro day at Pitt’s Southside

facility, Savage spoke to a line ofcoaches, including Bill O’Brien of theHouston Texans.

“You can tell there’s buzz and someexcitement building on with the num-ber of teams talking to him and work-ing out,” Daniel Jeremiah, a formerNFL scout and now a writer forNFL.com, said.

Some of that buzz has come fromfans. Other buzz has come from Cardi-nal O’Hara, where Algeo’s currentplayers have become obsessed with thehype surrounding Savage, who was theLions’ first-ever two-time captain. Lastmonth, his players came into the lockerroom with breaking news to share.

Tommy is going in the second round.That’s what they’re projecting.

This mock selection was made byESPN’s Todd McShay, one of the mostaired NFL Draft Analysts out there.

And Jeremiah agrees.“He’s got a very real shot at landing

in the top of the second round,” Jere-miah said. “Those teams picking uphigh in the first round, if they elect to

pass on quarterbacks and take some ofthese premiere position players, whichI think a lot of them will have ratedhigher, then I think there will be aquarterback market in the top of thesecond round.”

“You look at Houston,” Jeremiahadded, noting the Texans have the firstpick in the second round. “I think hefits in with what Bill O’Brien wants todo.”

But Algeo advised Savage to be pa-tient, implying that success is attainedby way of a growth curve in the NFL.Not all good quarterbacks get thestarting role as a rookie.

“We talked and I said, ‘Tom, youwant to go where you go. But I’d loveto see you go to New England, Denveror New Orleans to groom like AaronRodgers did under Brett Favre. I thinkthat would be [ideal],” Algeo said.

Savage was known at Pitt as a big-armed, yet relatively immobile quarter-back who didn’t have much room forerror. After all, Savage played behind apoor offensive line. He was sacked 43times – the most of any Division I quar-terback – and was constantly on themove.

“He’s not a Johnny Manziel,” Algeosaid. “But he’s got pretty good pocketawareness. His pocket awareness hasimproved. I think his feet are goodenough that he can escape trouble.”

If he’s drafted, Savage would becomeonly the second Pitt quarterback in 31years to be selected. The other guy?Dan Marino.

“I’ve known Tom since he was a littlekid,” Algeo added. “He’s special. I’mnot surprised.”

Late RiserFormer Pitt quaterback Tom Savage has seen his draft stock rise


BY RYAN BERTONASCHI

If it were ever revealed that PennState head coach James Franklindidn’t participate in the daily activ-ity that most humans call “sleep,”Nittany Lions fans shouldn’t be sur-prised.

That’s because he’s always some-where recruiting, and he makes surehe’s doing it with undivided atten-tion.

“First all,” Franklin told reporterslast month, “I was supposed to giveyou guys eight to ten minutes lastweek. I gave you six minutes. I apol-ogize. We had some recruits here. Igot excited. I wanted to get to them.So today, I’m supposed to give youeight to ten minutes, and you’ll get11 minutes as a make-up.”

Since Franklin replaced formerPenn State head coach Bill O’Brien,who left in January to coach theNFL’s Houston Texans, Franklin hasmade headlines for his plan to “dom-inate the state” of Pennsylvania in re-cruiting, but he has so far exceededhis own recruiting expectations.

His commitments have come fromhigh school seniors nationwide, andhe’s on his way to dominating thecountry.

Brian Tripp is a radio host for StateCollege’s ESPN Radio 1450. He saidhe’s seen the bond that Franklin iscapable of forming with young highschool athletes.

“One of the biggest things JamesFranklin does is build a relationshipwith players and build a trust,” Trippsaid. “So along with the energy andpassion he has for the job is finding arelationship and a trust with the play-

ers and their families, trying to builda family-like atmosphere to fit hiscore values for the program.”

Only Alabama has a better 2015commitment list than Penn State ac-cording to Rivals.com andScout.com.

The class, so far, has been high-lighted by running back runningbacks Andre Robinson and SaquanBarkley, who chose Penn State overPitt and others; wide receiver JuwanJohnson, who gave Franklin his com-mitment over Ohio State, Alabamaand others; and a pair of offensivelinemen – Steven Gonzalez and RyanBates – who had long lists of offers.

Five of the commits are natives ofPennsylvania.

“He’s really trying to do what hasbeen the foundation of Penn State’ssuccess for so many years, and that isrecruiting the mid-atlantic region,”Tripp said.

No matter how highly-rated his 12current commits are, though,Franklin’s most daunting tasks layahead of him.

He is far from finished, and he isstill in the mix for a lot of young tal-ent, both at the national and regionallevels.

George Campbell, a wide receiverfrom Florida who is rated a five-starby Rivals.com, is one such player, butFlorida and Florida State appear tobe the early favorites for Campbell.

In addition to Johnson and Bran-

don Polk, Franklin’s second widereceiver commit, the Lions are inthe mix for four-star wide re-ceivers Irvin Charles, Trent Irwin,Van Jefferson, Christian Kirk andAlex Ofodile.

Franklin hasn’t yet landed aquarterback in the 2014 class, buthe may get a commitment fromone of two four-star talents. BradyWhite from California and Bran-don Wimbush from New Jerseyare both pro-style quarterbackswith scholarship offers fromFranklin.

Two WPIAL products, SterlingJenkins, an offensive linemanfrom Baldwin, and Jordan White-head, a defensive back from Cen-tral Valley, are both being activelypursued by Franklin and his staff.

“Jenkins is gigantic,” Tripp saidof the 6-foot-8, 296-pound tacklewhile noting the mutual interestbetween program and player.

Jenkins narrowed his list to PennState and Ohio State, while White-head is still collecting offers. White-head has offers from Michigan,Michigan State, Notre Dame, OhioState, Pitt and others.

Most of the mentioned recruitswere on-hand for Penn State’s springBlue-White Game.

Beaver Stadium accommodated60,000 for the game, and the atmos-phere was of interest to many re-cruits.

“It looked like good old Penn Statefootball,” Tripp added. “Just like whata lot of people would call the ‘goodole’ days.’”

Believe The HypeFranklin’s hype machine delivering so far for Nittany Lions

22 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • MAY 2014 www.pittsburghsportsreport.com22 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • MAY 2014 www.pittsburghsportsreport.com22 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • MAY 2014 www.pittsburghsportsreport.com22 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • MAY 2014 www.pittsburghsportsreport.com22 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • MAY 2014 www.pittsburghsportsreport.com22 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • MAY 2014 www.pittsburghsportsreport.com

Sports Medicine

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“They’re some of the best in the field — and they help keep us on it.” — Neil Walker

There’s nothing like being on a great team.

We’re proud to take the field with Neil Walker as the OfficialMedical Provider of the Pittsburgh Pirates. All year long, we’ll be there with the best in sports medicine care — including physical therapy, speed and agility training, surgery and rehab, exercise physiology, strength and conditioning, sports psychology, concussion prevention and more. All from doctors and specialists who utilize the most modern techniques, treatments and technology. We’re there for the Pirates, and we’re here for you, too. With the same nationally renowned care that’s designed to keep you at the top of your game.

OFFICIAL MEDICAL PROVIDER OF THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES

Can’t Go WrongBlackhawk pitcher Brendan McKay has twoenticing options awaiting him this summer

BY CARLEY THIERET

As the month of June approaches,high school seniors prepare to saygoodbye to their friends, families andhigh school memories and begin anew chapter in their lives. Whetherit is college, trade school or enteringthe work force, graduation bringsanxiety and uncertainty to manyhigh school seniors. Blackhawk sen-ior Brendan McKay, however, figuresto have a very different set of choicesto make come graduation time.

The senior southpaw is one ofthe most dominant pitchers in recent WPIAL history, and al-though he is committed to playbaseball for the University ofLouisville next year, there is a goodchance he will be drafted in the top10 rounds of the MLB First YearPlayer’s draft this June.

What a graduation present thatwould be.

McKay grabbed the attention ofscouts during a stellar junior cam-paign, when the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Player of the Year went 9-1while compiling 98 strikeouts and a0.52 ERA.

Along with being Blackhawk’s acein 2013 and the best pitcher in theWPIAL, the 6’1”, 220-pound McKayfinished his junior season with a .537batting average. When not on themound, McKay sees time at first baseand in the outfield for Blackhawk.

McKay is not disappointing in hissenior campaign as he was 4-0 enter-ing May with a streak of 51 scorelessinnings pitched dating back to lastseason. He threw a no-hitter againstWest Allegheny, just days after open-ing the season with a complete game

shutout of Shenango, while register-ing 20 strikeouts and no walks. Thereare 21 outs in a high school baseballgame and McKay recorded 20 strike-outs. There’s the dominance.

McKay has the tools to make hismark on the WPIAL, not only lead-ing Blackhawk to a WPIAL champi-onship, but individually becomingthe first pitcher from the WPIAL tobe drafted in the first three rounds ofthe draft since Butler’s Matt Clementwas taken in the third round by SanDiego in 1993.

While McKay is unsure whetherhe’ll be on the mound for theLouisville Cardinals next spring orplaying pro ball somewhere, his op-tions are pretty good ones for an 18-year-old.


BY DAN SOSTEK

So far, Paul Chryst’s first full batchof recruits as the head coach of theUniversity of Pittsburgh has been animpressive one. Sporting immediateimpact players like wide receiverTyler Boyd, running backs JamesConner and Rachid Ibrahim, tightend Scott Orndoff, offensive linemanDorian Johnson, and defensive backsTitus Howard and Terrish Webb,Chryst’s 2013 recruiting class was ex-tremely productive in their freshmanyear.

His 2014 class looks to be equallyimpressive, with top recruits like of-fensive linemen Alex Bookser andMike Grimm, wide receiver AdonisJennings, and running backs ChrisJames and Qadree Ollison all signingwith Pitt.

Despite lacking elite-level defen-sive prospects, Chryst and companyhave done a good job of landing qual-ity recruits early in the staff’s tenure– before seeing any real on-field suc-cess. So it should come as no surprisethat Pitt’s class of 2015 is already offto a solid start, featuring three localproducts: tight end Nick Bowers, of-fensive lineman Alex Paulina, andlinebacker Kevin Givens.

NICK BOWERS, Kittanning HS: Bow-ers, a 6’ 4”, 235-pound athlete looksto be a prototypical well-roundedtight end that projects well in any of-fense. He’s extremely versatile, hav-ing lined up at wide out many timesin his junior year, exhibiting just howdangerous of a threat he is as a re-ceiver. He often appeared to physi-cally overmatch defenders, though,and likely won’t be able to do that atthe college level. Early in the process,

Bowers chose Pitt—a school hegrew up rooting for—over a litany ofother programs including Purdue,Boston College and Cincinnati. Ri-vals.com recruiting analyst MikeFarrell reported that Bowers, the12th-ranked prospect in the state ofPennsylvania, visited Penn State inApril. If the Panthers were to loseBowers to their in-state rivals, itwould be a detrimental takeaway.

ALEX PAULINA, Canon-McMillan HS:Paulina was the first 2015 recruit tocommit to Pitt. He’s the rare highschool recruit that seems to projectimmediately at guard or center, dueto his combination of blocking skills

and limited frame (6’ 3”, 280 lbs).Paulina seems to be the type of of-fensive lineman that Chryst moldedinto stars during his tenure at Wis-consin, so Paulina should make animpact eventually at Pitt, althoughscouts would like him to improve hisspeed and quickness a bit. He re-ceived an offer from Virginia Tech,while sparking some interest fromschools like Penn State and WestVirginia. According to Rivals.com,he is rated the 11th best prospect inthe class from the state of PA.

KEVIN GIVENS, Altoona HS: Themost recent 2015 commit, Givens,an athletic linebacker, is the only

defensive player of the trio. Notoverly heralded but drawing increas-ing interest from Big 10 schools de-spite his early commitment to Pitt,Givens announced his choice viaTwitter, tweeting, “Proud to be a PittPanther… #H2P”. He has proto-typical size for a linebacker, with astarting point at 6’ 3”, 230 poundsand will only get bigger, while sport-ing good athleticism. Althoughscouts have harped on a need to im-prove his tackling, it seems thatGivens, who received offers fromTemple and Western Michigan, is anice, under-the-radar get for thePanthers.

Paul Chryst is keeping it local with the class of 2015

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pittsburgh sports report may 2014

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