University of Pittsburgh

Tuesday 12 Qs: Le’Veon, Neal, Wing, Kirk, Niko

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DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

photoWelcome to Tuesday Twelve Qs, our chat that takes place each week at 1 p.m. live from the Steelers’ headquarters on the South Side.

The format is simple: Use the comment section below to submit an entry, no more than one per person. Submit it anytime you want. I’ll pick from those to get the thing rolling, then monitor new entries as we move along.

All topics welcome, as always.

UPDATE 1 p.m.: OK, away we go …

Josh: Very interested to see how the Steelers handle Le’Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount, considering Santonio Holmes in the past. Do you think they will act on the matter before the NFL does? The NFL process is very drawn out.

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News with Views: Panthers going green

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DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

News with Views, on the Pitt football team …

• Pitt will play five freshmen, Paul Chryst announced today at his first formal press conference of the season leading up to the opener Saturday vs. Delaware. One is running back Chris James, a four-star guy who has had a four-star camp, and the rest, not surprisingly, are on defense with cornerback Avonte Maddox, linebacker Quintin Wirginis, end Rori Blair and safety Pat Amara.

Those who recall Chryst playing a dozen freshmen last season might think this is a sign of the Panthers’ maturity, but that’s far from the case: Their 81 underclassmen on the camp roster — 53 freshmen, 28 sophomores — marks the highest such total of any FBS team in the nation.

“You just kind of see where guys come in, how they develop,” Chryst said. “We feel good with the guys that I listed as going.”

• At the same time, Chryst challenged his seniors — only seven starters in that class — to lead the way: “That’s a group that’s small in numbers again, but they have to help show younger guys how to prepare. Even just the value of practice reps that you give them. The seniors, you put on them that they have to have the best season of their career. And guys have to follow them.”

At the forefront will be freshly named captains, right tackle T.J. Clemmings on offense and free safety Ray Vinopal, both of whom joined Chryst at today’s media availability …

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Tuesday 12 Qs: Shazier, Manfred, Hayes, Wing

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DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

Welcome to Tuesday Twelve Qs, our chat that takes place each week at 1 p.m. live from the Steelers’ headquarters on the South Side.

photoThe format is simple: Use the comment section below to submit an entry, no more than one per person. Submit it anytime you want. I’ll pick from those to get the thing rolling. I’ll then monitor new entries.

UPDATE 1 p.m.: OK, Mike Tomlin just spoke with us here in his press conference room, and I was able to get downstairs to the locker room for about 15 minutes of material from the athletes.

And off we go …

Kevin: It’s only two games, but the Steelers looked quite different than the past two years. The speed from Ryan Shazier along with Stephon Tuitt, Sean Spence and Mike Mitchell really makes the defense look stronger. If the O-line is improved, as well, then what are realistic expectations for the 2014 Steelers?

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Interview: Chad Voytik, Pitt football

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DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

Chad Voytik, Pitt’s sophomore quarterback, is entering his first season as a starter after a year of being redshirted behind Tino Sunseri and a year of backing up Tom Savage. He appeared in four games last season, including a winning relief role in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl vs. Bowling Green.

I interviewed Voytik after the Panthers’ practice today on the South Side.

Tuesday 12 Qs: Stephon, Kasperi, Jose, Dana

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DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

Welcome to Tuesday Twenty Qs, our chat that takes place each week at 1 p.m.

The format is simple: Use the comments below to submit an entry, no more than one per person. Submit them anytime you want. I’ll pick from those to get the thing rolling. I’ll then keep monitoring new entries, even as the session is ongoing, to cover follow-ups or updates.

As always, all topics are on the table. Really, anything at all.

UPDATE 1 p.m.: OK, here we go …

jtusk64: Many believe Pedro Alvarez is not a part of the long-term future since he’s a Scott Boras client. What’s the definition, then, of “giving up” on him: Pinch-hitting, trying a new position, or waiving/trading? Or do they hope for the best and try to resign at low value?

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Column: Pitt needs more than NFL legends

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DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

Somewhere between seeing the new Sports Illustrated with LeSean McCoy of the Eagles on the regional cover, or hearing on NFL Network that the Rams’ defensive coaches are describing Aaron Donald as a specimen unlike any they’ve witnessed in two decades, or reading that Tom Savage might become the Texans’ backup QB, or catching up on the latest regarding Larry Fitzgerald, Darrelle Revis, Jabaal Sheard, Devin Street and others … it’s easily reinforced that there’s this immense incongruity between the caliber of player the Pitt football program produces and the caliber of team.

And it borders, in all candor, on the bizarre.

I mean, explain, please, how a program can land the occasional world-class player — and that category comfortably fits McCoy, Fitzgerald, Revis and now Donald — but can barely survive .500 on an annual basis because of its perpetually inferior supporting casts?

How does that happen?

Wait, better question: Will it happen yet again with Tyler Boyd?

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Exclusive interview: Paul Chryst

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DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

Paul Chryst will enter his third year as head coach of Pitt football when his players open training camp Monday on the South Side. Chryst, 48, has overseen seasons of 6-7 and 7-6, qualifying for bowl appearances in each.

Expectations are low for 2014, at least in some circles, with the ACC’s preseason media poll placing Pitt sixth in the seven-team Coastal Division, and that no doubt has plenty to do with the graduation loss of all-universe nose tackle Aaron Donald, a first-round draft pick of the Rams, and quarterback Tom Savage (drafted by Texans) and wide receiver Devin Street (Cowboys).

On the sunnier side, wide receiver Tyler Boyd was named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list, and running back James Conner was named a Doak Walker Award preseason candidate. Those two, plus mobile QB Chad Voytik, offer hope for an offense that could be both tough and dynamic.

On Tuesday afternoon, I interviewed Chryst on an array of topics:

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Tuesday 12 Qs: Pedro, Jarvis, Scuds, more

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DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

Welcome to Tuesday Twenty Qs, a better, fairer format, I think, for the weekly chat. We’ll do it every week at this time, and this time was chosen so that, in football season, it can immediately follow Mike Tomlin’s weekly press conference.

The format is simple: Use the comments below to submit an entry, no more than one per person. Submit them anytime you want. I’ll pick from those to get the thing rolling. I’ll then keep monitoring new entries, even as the session is ongoing, to cover follow-ups or updates.

Again, all I ask is that it’s one entry per person. Most of the complaints I heard in the old format were about the same people getting chosen too often.

As always, all topics are on the table. Really, anything at all.

UPDATE 12:56 p.m.: OK, I guess we’re about to get going … except that I said 20 questions, not the 72 I’m seeing down there right now! Come on!

Milo Hamilton: What have these past three weeks or so been like for you ?

DK: Kind of like this new format, Milo: Bitten off more than I can chew!

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