University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Training Camp Key For Developing Defensive Front
8/10/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 10, 2010
As an incoming freshman at Pitt in 2006, Greg Romeus had six games of organized football to his name. A basketball player who took part in only one year of high school football, his three-point stance was virtually non-existent and his overall knowledge of defensive football was raw.
But there was something about Romeus that made coaches and teammates do a double-take. They saw a mix of athleticism, size and determination that gave him a never-ending cap on his potential. These days, as one of the finest defensive linemen in the league, the redshirt senior is continuing to utilize his tools and grow as a player. And that's exactly what the Pitt coaches want to see with each player who steps onto the field.
"We love seeing our guys improve," said Pitt defensive line coach Greg Gattuso. "That's one of the best parts about coaching."
Coach Dave Wannstedt, Gattuso and the rest of the Pitt coaching staff have seen that over and over again with the development of their young players. And as an integral part of any defensive system, the defensive line is counted on to mature and grow quickly in order to build depth and overall strength up front.
Some of the players are raw and need work coming out of high school, but according to Gattuso, training camp is a place where growth is seen constantly.
"It's critical," he said. "We get most of our fundamentals in, and all of our techniques. During the season, we're doing more game-plan stuff, so you don't get as much work on fundamentals."
Several of Pitt's young players have noticed the importance of learning those fundamentals early, and the coaches have used examples like Romeus to show how far a student-athlete can come with desire and hard work.
"Early on, the coaches showed me film of Greg (Romeus) and how far he's come in his career," said freshman T.J. Clemmings. "I know he's learned so much and experienced a lot. So anything he can tell me, I just take it in and add it to my game to try to become a better player.
"I'm in here and I'm going to do my best," he added. "I know it's going to be hard, but I need to do everything I can while I'm here. In high school, the tackles and guards were so small. So I've been looking forward to this because I want to play against and learn from guys a little bit bigger and stronger than me."
Shayne Hale, a product of Gateway High School in nearby Monroeville, Pa., has been around long enough to have noticed the same thing. He's had the last two seasons to study the position and work on his technique, stance and overall skill. A redshirt sophomore, he knows all about the learning curve, both physically and mentally. He's also been helped by the older players who have taught him things along the way.
"I've definitely learned a lot from all of the guys around me," Hale said. "You see a guy like Romeus, who has been around for a while, and you pick things up from him. He's come a long way and is a great example. He and all of the older guys have been great examples like that since I've been here."
