Junior college transfers making most of shortened time at Pitt

It was about a week into training camp when junior wide receiver Lowell Robinson made up his… It was about a week into training camp when junior wide receiver Lowell Robinson made up his mind.

“I’m going to break the punt return record at Pitt,” he said to freshman teammate Dorin Dickerson in the second-floor recruiting lounge at Pitt’s UPMC practice facility on the South Side.

Dickerson laughed, and the two went on to joke about other topics. But talk to Robinson one on one, and realize he isn’t joking. He wants to make a big splash at Pitt, even though he only has two years to do it.

Robinson is a transfer from Erie Community College in New York, where he refined his game and earned All-America status. So, it’s no surprise to see why head coach Dave Wannstedt offered him a scholarship to play for Pitt, but with one stipulation.

Because he played at junior college or JUCO, Robinson used up two of his four years of NCAA playing eligibility. So even though he came to Pitt with this year’s freshman class, he’ll only have half the career available to the rest of the class.

“Mindset wise I feel like a junior but sometimes the coaches get me mixed up because I came in with this recruiting class,” Robinson said. “I feel like a junior, but I feel like a freshman learning wise, because juniors that have been in Division I-A know what’s going on and I’m still learning.”

Robinson isn’t the only Panther in his situation, though. Offensive lineman Jeff Otah from Valley Forge Military Academy knows how he feels.

“It puts a little pressure because you don’t have a lot of time,” Otah said of his junior eligibility. “There’s more pressure because I have to learn the plays. I don’t have any time to waste.”

So far, Otah and Robinson haven’t wasted any time. Robinson has already moved into the top kick-return spot, and Otah has certainly pleased his head coach with his physicality.

“By my count, Jeff Otah had about five pancake blocks today,” Wannstedt said after an early day of training camp. “I don’t know if he realized what he did, but he had a good start today.”

Making the transition to a Division I-A school from junior college isn’t always easy, which makes the quick progress of Otah and Robinson that much more special. They’ll be the first to tell you, they are definitely not in JUCO anymore.

“The school is a lot bigger, and what you do on this level means a whole lot more than on the junior college level,” Otah said.

“In JUCO you’re the man and you’re doing everything right,” Robinson said. “Right now I’m going through a little bit of growing pains, but it’s not getting me down. JUCO ball is fast, but you got a couple of [players] that really want it and everybody else is just kind of there. The whole system here is just a better situation.”

But better doesn’t necessarily mean easier. In this case, it means harder, but the challenge is welcome.

“I’m just learning the system,” Robinson said. “[The Pitt coaches] are throwing a lot at me right now, but I’m catching on quick. I know I can help the team as long as I get the ball in my hands. The coaches said that I’m not going to come in and start, but there’s playing time to be had. I know my role on this team and I’m just happy to be here.”

“I’m surrounded by great athletes but all I can do is work hard, that’s how I look at it,” Otah said. “There’s a lot that I’m trying to get in fast. The faster I learn the faster I’m going to get on the field. I feel I can play on this level.”

He quite conceivably can. Junior college players have made significant contributions to Pitt in the recent past. Former place kicker Josh Cummings spent two years at the College of the Canyons in Santa Clara, Calif., before becoming the Panthers’ starting kicker the last two seasons. Wide receiver Princell Brockenbrough also spent two years at San Francisco City College before coming to Pitt and starting opposite Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald himself spent a year at Valley Forge before becoming a Pitt legend.

So even though he only has two years to play at Pitt, Robinson sure isn’t acting like it.

“It’s just a big learning experience right now, but it’s a mind thing,” he said. “You just have to be confident.”

Setting his sights on breaking the punt return record at Pitt is a start.