Finally finding home

For junior linebacker Shane Murray, home is definitely where the heart is. It’s also where he… For junior linebacker Shane Murray, home is definitely where the heart is. It’s also where he continues to improve on the field for one of the nation’s best and most underrated defenses.

‘This is my area,’ said Murray. ‘I stayed in Oakland throughout high school and now college. I grew up a huge Pitt fan. This is where I wanted to come and was lucky enough to get a scholarship.’

Murray originally came to Pitt from heralded Pittsburgh Central Catholic as a quarterback. Location is just about the only thing that hasn’t changed for Murray since his transition from high school to college football.

Murray, a junior linebacker who hails from Hazelwood, has changed positions twice since arriving at Pitt as a freshman in 2005.

After redshirting as a true freshman, Murray trekked from quarterback to the other side of the ball, where he converted to safety. In his first active season in 2006, Murray lettered as a part-time safety and special teams player.

His sophomore season featured another positional change. But this time, instead of heading to the other side of the ball, his move was simply closer to the line of scrimmage. Murray’s seamless transition to linebacker can be credited to the transition itself.

‘When you change from quarterback to safety to linebacker as a football player, you have to learn all the positions and all the tendencies,’ said Murray. ‘That helped me.’

It still took some work for Murray to adjust to his third position in as many years.

‘The biggest difference in moving to linebacker is the speed,’ said Murray. ‘When I was playing safety, I was 10 to 12 yards off the ball, watching everything develop. At linebacker, when you see the first movement, you have to react quickly. If you’re a half of a second too late, you’re going to get beat.’

Murray is confident, though, that his second positional change will be his last.

‘I think I’ve finally found a home [at linebacker].’

Luckily, it just so happens that Murray’s new neighbor is a prospective first team All-American.

Playing next to a player like Scott McKillop hasn’t allowed for much recognition for Murray, but Pitt’s senior defensive leader considers Murray tantamount.

‘Last year we three [McKillop, Murray and Adam Gunn] started every single game,’ said McKillop. ‘We developed a lot of trust for each other. We developed a brotherhood out there. If one of us has some uncertainty, we know we can ask one of the others.’

Their camaraderie fueled the nation’s fifth-best team defense last season. McKillop led Pitt, as well as the country, in tackling. Murray was the Panthers’ second leading tackler with 60.

Newly hired linebackers coach Joe Tumpkin, who followed defensive coordinator Phil Bennett to Pitt from Southern Methodist University, thinks Murray has the potential to be even more productive for the Panthers this year.

‘We want him to be an even better player,’ said Tumpkin.

‘Part of that comes with him, and he has the focus and desire to become a better player. His attitude and focus in the offseason have set him up in the right situation at the right time.’

At 6-1 inch and 225 pounds, some would consider Murray too small to play linebacker for a Division I program. As a former quarterback, Murray uses his offensive knowledge to make up for his assumed lack of size.

‘People think he may be a little undersized for a linebacker,’ said McKillop. ‘But he makes up for it in his preparation. He’s very smart, he knows all the positions in and out, and he’s been around football all his life. He brings his A-game every practice.’

Tumpkin agrees that Murray’s intuition guides his on-field ability.

‘ ‘His toughness, his understanding of the defense and his knowledge of the game helps all his other athletic ability be better,’ said Tumpkin.

Murray’s best asset from the weak side linebacker is his speed and ability to track down ball carriers laterally, which was a point of emphasis from the Pitt coaching staff during spring practice.

‘As linebackers, we worked hard on footwork and being able to read fast and step,’ said Murray.

It’s difficult to improve on a defense that allowed fewer than 300 total yards per game last season, but that’s conceivable for defensive coordinator Phil Bennett’s unit.

The Panthers’ defensive line has the potential to be the best the Big East has to offer, and the better the group is up front, the better the linebacking corps will be.

‘Our defensive line makes the plays,’ said Murray. ‘If we’re having a good game, it’s because of them. As linebackers, we clean up after them. They bust up the holes. We may get the glory, but it’s all ’cause of them.’

Pitt’s secondary took the biggest personnel hit after last season. Both Kennard Cox and Mike Phillips are gone. Cox and Phillips started every game last year at cornerback and strong safety, respectively. Pitt will look to Dom DeCicco and Elijah Fields to fill the vacant safety spot. Jovani Chappel will get the first look at the open corner spot, but he will be challenged by redshirt freshman Buddy Jackson.

‘Our secondary has a lot of talent,’ said Murray. ‘We have a lot of hitters, and we have good coverage and good tacklers.’

If the rest of the defense tackles half as well as Murray and the linebackers, Pitt’s defense will be as stingy as any in the country.

With the national spotlight on McKillop, there will be pressure on Murray to perform as his wingman. But don’t expect Murray to succumb to the pressure: He’s too proud for that.

‘I have a lot of pride in this sport,’ said Murray. ‘Especially because of where I grew up and my family.’