Attention all of Pittsburgh: Meet the real Shady

‘ ‘ ‘ We all know LeSean McCoy can run and cut and score touchdowns. His talent on the football… ‘ ‘ ‘ We all know LeSean McCoy can run and cut and score touchdowns. His talent on the football field is unmistakably elite, and the buzz surrounding him and Pitt this season is as loud as it’s been in years. ‘ ‘ ‘ Even through all the interviews and TV spots, though, nobody’s asked the second-year running back and Heisman hopeful the toughest and most divisive of questions: ‘ ‘ ‘ Antoon’s … or Sorrento’s? ‘ ‘ ‘ Well, it turns out Shady doesn’t really know which he likes best, but rest assured, he still is very much a Pitt student for now, even if he has his own Web site. And even if someday he’ll suit up and play on Sundays. ‘ ‘ ‘ The Pitt News talked with him earlier this week about everything but football, for the most part: TPN: Did you ever have a freshman moment or get lost on campus at all? LM: Getting lost? Nah, I’d just ask somebody. And when I’m asking somebody, you bet it’d be the prettiest girl. She probably has the best advice for me. (Laughs). TPN: What do you like to do when you’re not playing or practicing? LM: As a team we just all hang out, play some video games. You know, we’re just regular college students, we hang around, get some food, get some pizza. Sit around and joke all day. TPN: What’s your favorite pizza joint? LM: Um, I don’t know the name of it, but it’s in Oakland, it’s right on campus … right over there by Bouquet. I think it’s on Atwood … but yeah, good pizza. TPN: Have you ever had an embarrassing moment on the football field that you can look back on and laugh? LM: I ripped my pants last year a little bit … running. It was like a little strip on the back end, like, you could tell, but you couldn’t tell. You know, but it was close to halftime, so I just ran in the locker room and changed. Of course, I was the first one to run off into the locker room. TPN: Walking around campus, do you feel like a celebrity at all? LM: Wow, a celebrity? Nah, I wouldn’t say I’m a celebrity, just a noticed face, I guess. You know, it’s not too much. People might notice, say ‘What’s up, Shady,’ or something like that. It’s not even like I’m a celebrity. It’s not like Hines Ward or Big Ben [Roethlisberger] or somebody where they would harass them the whole time. Just college students just trying to say what’s up, say good luck, maybe an autograph or two here and there. It’s cool. TPN: Is there anything that Pitt students might not know about you that you would want them to know about you? LM: Man … I’m just a nice guy, you know? I’m always smiling, having a good time. I’m not really too tough, either. I put the pads on and everything, but I’m not too tough. TPN: If you had to change one thing about yourself, what would it be? LM: Oh, taller. I wish I was taller. Like 6-4, 6-5. TPN: Would you be a running back at 6-5? LM: Oh, no. No football. (Air dribbles between legs and shoots). Me? I got a mean jump shot. Coach [Jamie] Dixon needs to give me a shot.