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INSIDE99
04-30-2010, 01:46 PM
University of Pittsburgh Official Web Site
http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/043010aaa.html

Pitt places four players on the NationalChamps.net 2010 Preseason All-American List – ties Boise State and Georgia as the teams with the most players honored


PITTSBURGH—The Pitt Panthers will feature some of the very best players in the country this season according to NationalChamps.net, which has announced its 11th Annual Preseason All-America Team.



Four Pitt players were named All-Americans by NationalChamps.net, including first-team selections in sophomore running back Dion Lewis and senior offensive tackle Jason Pinkston. The Panthers’ second-team honorees were junior receiver Jon Baldwin and senior defensive end Greg Romeus.



The four All-America selections tied for the most of any school. Georgia and Boise State also had four honorees.



One of the most exciting runners in college football, Lewis (Albany, N.Y./Blair Academy [N.J.]) ranked third nationally in rushing last year (138.38 yards/game). He was named to no fewer than eight All-America teams and also earned Big East Offensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors.



Lewis’ running style and high production sparked comparisons to some of the top backs in school history. He finished with 1,799 yards and 17 touchdowns on 325 carries (5.5 avg.), the second highest yardage in Pitt annals. Only the legendary Tony Dorsett, who eclipsed 2,000 yards during his 1976 Heisman Trophy campaign, rushed for more yards in a single season at Pitt.



Pinkston (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) enters his third season as a starting offensive tackle at Pitt. As a junior, he was selected first team All-Big East and garnered second-team All-America accolades. The Panthers have produced a 1,000-yard rusher each year he has been a starter.



Baldwin (Aliquippa, Pa./Aliquippa) was a first-team All-Big East performer after compiling 57 catches for 1,111 yards (19.5 avg.) with eight touchdowns. A big play waiting to happen, he had touchdown catches of 79 and 71 yards as well as a 61-yard rush last year. Baldwin was one of only three receivers nationally to top 1,000 yards and average at least 19.5 yards per reception.



One of the country’s most disruptive defenders, Romeus (Coral Springs, Fla./Coral Glades) was a unanimous first-team All-Big East selection after collecting 43 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and a team-high eight sacks last year. He additionally had three forced fumbles, an interception, a fumble recovery and blocked PAT.



Romeus was named a finalist for the 2009 Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award and additionally was selected to three different All-America teams, including CollegeFootballNews.com (second team), Sporting News (third team) and Rivals (third team).



Over the past two seasons, Pitt has produced 19 wins, the second highest total in the Big East Conference and among the top 25 nationally. The Panthers are 20-7 (.741) over their last 27 games, dating back to the landmark 13-9 upset at West Virginia on Dec. 1, 2007 — the first victory over a team ranked No. 1 in school history.



The 2010 Panthers are already earning preseason Top 25 recognition from such entities as Rivals.com (No. 13), ESPN.com (No. 14), SportsIllustrated.com (No. 16), ESPN “College Football Live” (No. 16) and CBSSports.com (No. 24).



Pitt will play one of the most-anticipated season openers in the country in 2010 when it travels to Utah for a Sept. 2 game. The Panthers and Utes will kick off at 8:30 p.m. (ET) for a national telecast on Versus.



For season-ticket information, log on to PittsburghPanthers.com or call (800) 643-PITT.



—30—





E.J. Borghetti

Associate Athletic Director/Media Relations

University of Pittsburgh Panthers



Office: (412) 648-8240

Twitter: http://twitter.com/PittBorghetti

Web: www.PittsburghPanthers.com

Jim
04-30-2010, 04:50 PM
Very good article.

But I'm wondering that with all of that collegiate talent so aptly described why nationalchamps.net didn't have Pittsburgh placed into the earlybird top 25. They way the Panthers are described it seems that a fan can begin planning on buying tickets and reserving a hotel room in Tempe.

Also I think Georgia, while it seems they may make more of a statement in 2010 with Florida rebuilding and Tennessee trying to settle in with a new coach, will have its problems. NC.net has them in at #25 in the earlybird and they don't have to play Alabama or LSU. They have problems with Tennessee and definitely with Florida. Arkansas and Miss. State are going to be tests to rival the Florida game in my view.

Top QBs will be from Ohio State, Boise State and Washington in my view. I'm looking for Washington to surprise some folks, BSU to defeat VPI and for Iowa or Wisconsin to uspet Ohio State.

INSIDE99
05-01-2010, 02:13 PM
The scenario you bring up about Pitt in 2010 is valid. I look at them in the same way I see many high school teams in that I watch some of those teams that have 5-6 future Division I players on the squad. Yet they get beat by opponents that are lucky to have one single kid go on to play D-I ball. A big reason this happens is that the players surrounding those 5-6 Division I athletes might not be so grand. Give me a team with 22 average to good starters with more heart and an understanding of the game than the one with 7 great starters with size and speed. Of course at the high school level coaching is also a bigger part of that equation.

But Pitt is missing a qualified proven QB. The middle of the line on both sides of the ball get totally retooled. And aside from Jon Baldwin on the outside, they are short on proven pass catchers. With only 11 starters back and a new QB...that would be my logic.

I just got done the Florida preview which will be released soon. My gosh they are swarming with deep pools of talent at every position. See recruiting. All they need is Brantley to be the guy he can be. And in time he will. It's only a matter of when not if.

NCT
05-01-2010, 11:14 PM
I just checked the "comparative stats" link on the main site's All-America selections. Damn. Kevin's kid really is a hell of a punter.