A position battle worth watching

Chances are that you don’t know David Abdul.

It’s quite possible that you are unaware that… Chances are that you don’t know David Abdul.

It’s quite possible that you are unaware that when Abdul arrived on Pitt’s campus in the fall of 2002 he was one of the best high school kickers in the country, primed to take over Pitt’s kicking duties from day one.

It’s likely that the everyday Pitt football fan didn’t know Abdul was behind Josh Cummings the last two seasons. Or that after making 22 field goals in his first two seasons, Abdul has only made two in the last two years. And while there may be far more entertaining battles in spring practice for the Panthers, I will only have a rooting interest in one.

I will be rooting for Abdul, and chances are that you don’t know why.

In the summer of the 2003, just months removed from a fantastic freshman season as Pitt’s starting kicker, Abdul was uprooted from his Oakland apartment after a fire tore through many of his possessions. Abdul was forced to move into St. Anne’s Church in Homestead, Pa., for the time being.

One night after Abdul and some teammates had been drinking, Abdul and wide receiver/best friend Billy Gaines returned to the church and went exploring through a crawl space above the church’s floor. Gaines accidentally fell through the ceiling and died, while Abdul held him in his arms.

Life didn’t get any easier for Abdul over the next few months. Back in Ohio, Abdul’s girlfriend had given birth to their son, Chase, but the two did not move to Pittsburgh, and Abdul spent 2003 season away from his newborn child, while still mourning the loss of his best friend.

His sophomore campaign was understandably a struggle for Abdul, who made only 50 percent of his field goals on the season. But it wasn’t until the season ended that Abdul found out how low things could get.

In February of 2004, Abdul was caught in a life-threatening car accident that left his kicking leg broken in three places and required the insertion of a steel rod. While Abdul rehabbed his leg, Cummings took over the kicking duty and excelled. Abdul used the time to get stronger and says he has now regained almost all of the strength he had before the accident.

Last season, Abdul spent most of his time in uniform on the bench, although he did make two field goals when Cummings was injured. He looked on as the Panthers finished a disappointing 5-6 and missed going to a bowl game for the first time since he put on the blue and gold.

As for mental strength, Abdul says he has regained that as well. He believes that he has been blessed with everything he has been given, and considering that Chase will turn three in a week, Abdul will wed his girlfriend, Nicole, in July and all three of them will be together this year in Pittsburgh, I would say he’s right.

As for the competition on the field, Abdul is battling sophomore Connor Lee for the kicking duties. Let me make it known that I have nothing against Lee, but Abdul deserves to have his career end with a successful final year, one that resembles his first year as a Panther in 2002.

See, don’t you think it would be something if at some point during the 2006 season, Abdul trotted out on to the Heinz Field grass facing a game-winning kick for the Panthers? And when he lined up his feet, right before he told the holder he was ready, he was able to think back on everything that has made him stronger and he could laugh, because making a kick is nothing compared to what Abdul has accomplished over the past two years?

I will be rooting throughout the rest of the spring for Abdul to win the job, but even if he doesn’t, Abdul’s experiences have proved that there is more to life than making field goals.

But, hey, chances are you already knew that.

Matt Sortino is a senior staff writer for The Pitt News. You can e-mail him at mbs3@pitt.edu.