From Pitt to Patriots

Sitting in the stands of Heinz Field watching the Steelers play last fall, Hank Poteat… Sitting in the stands of Heinz Field watching the Steelers play last fall, Hank Poteat couldn’t help but feel out of place.

“I was excited. It was my first time being a fan [but] it didn’t sit well,” the former Steeler said. “I knew in my heart I could play again.”

It didn’t look like the former Pitt standout would get a chance that season, however. Five years removed from his final season as a Panther, Poteat spent that entire 2004 NFL regular season without a team. So, in the closing weeks of the season with no immediate football plans in sight, the free agent decided it was time to think about the future.

“I had already made up my mind to go back to school, back to Pitt to finish my degree,” Poteat, who studied business at Pitt, said. “It was December and [I was] going to be full-time.”

But then came an unexpected phone call. Planning another playoff push, the defending Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots wanted to add depth for a repeat run through the playoffs and were looking for a corner.

“It definitely felt good. I was definitely not expecting that call at that time of the season,” Poteat said. “I worked out and prepared the whole season as if something was going to happen. That right there was a blessing to have that opportunity.”

So, Poteat put his educational plans aside and joined Bill Belichick’s squad shortly before the playoffs — not a bad situation to walk into given his recent bout with free agency. Despite a brief stint with Tampa Bay the year before, Poteat hadn’t seen serious playing time since his three-year career with the Steelers, who drafted him in the third round of the 2000 draft.

The Philadelphia native’s tenure with Pittsburgh was highlighted by his first career start in a 2002 Wild Card victory over Cleveland. He also still holds the longest punt return for a score in team history at Three Rivers Stadium, a 53-yard scamper in a 24-3 win over Washington in 2000.

It was, however, punctuated by his release prior to the start of the 2003 season. While it took the 27 year old some time to fully land on his feet, his days of playing beneath the lights of Heinz Field were not over.

In only his second game as a Patriot, Poteat saw significant playing time in New England’s 41-27 AFC Championship game victory over the Steelers last January. He collected two solo tackles and batted down a Ben Roethlisberger pass in the second quarter of the games, opportunities not awarded to him while sitting in the stands watching this same Steeler team play just a few months before.

“It was great, I got a chance to play against some of my friends,” he said of the game with the Steelers. That win pushed the Patriots into the Super Bowl, an eventual win over the Philadelphia Eagles for New England’s second straight title and third in four seasons. It capped a remarkable turnaround for Poteat, who hadn’t won a championship in four NFL seasons or four years of college ball.

The Panthers stumbled through a 4-7 season his first year at Pitt, but the woes didn’t last for long. In 1997, then-new head coach Walt Harris’ first season at the helm, the Panthers topped Miami, Virginia Tech and West Virginia on their way to a 6-6 campaign and the school’s first bowl game in eight seasons.

While the wins started to accumulate, so did the individual attention and accolades for the talented corner. Twice he earned First Team All-Big East honors, once in 1998, a season where he amassed a Pitt single-season record 764 kickoff return yards and again in 1999 when he took over the career mark for kickoff return yards with 2,010 for his career, a record that still holds.

What’s more, Poteat also played in one of the very special games in Pitt’s storied past — the Panthers’ 37-27 win over Notre Dame in 1999. This was the final game played at Pitt Stadium, which has since been demolished and replaced by the Petersen Events Center.

“When I was at Pitt, even though we didn’t fill [the stands] every game, when we played a big game, there was an atmosphere,” Poteat said. “The fans, the student section — I loved Pitt stadium being right there because I was a part of that.”

Pitt has since moved to Heinz Field, however, and while Poteat has only been to one Panther contest since donning the uniform, he still keeps up with the program and looks for big things out of his alma mater.

“Change is always good,” he said. “As for coaching, sometimes it is good for a change, even though coach Harris came in and turned the program around. Bringing in some new guys may help the program reach a higher point and hopefully the University will play for a national championship.”

There is more to his motives than pride in being a former Panther, however.

“[My teammates] talk about their teams and how they ran through the Big East,” Poteat said with a laugh. “They don’t respect Pitt too much. I remember when I was on the Steelers, we would make bets when Pitt played West Virginia. Amos Zereoue made me wear WVU stuff all week once. We’ve go to get [Pitt] going so that I can keep these guys in Pitt stuff.”

He now spends his time participating in preseason work outs and training, preparing for the upcoming season where the Patriots seek a three-peat. And while his degree will have to wait, he still insists on finishing it once he is awarded the chance. Should he need any more motivation, he need look no further than his wife and two daughters.

“Being in and out of football, you realize that football is not forever,” he said. “I have a family and you have to think about the future.”