Keeping up with the learning curve

Joe DelSardo has shown the type of hard work and dedication required to succeed at any… Joe DelSardo has shown the type of hard work and dedication required to succeed at any Division I program, and for his talent and efforts, he has been rewarded with a scholarship.

Head coach Walt Harris announced this award in front of the team at the end of Friday’s practice. DelSardo said that although he was surprised, no one was more surprised than his father.

“He didn’t believe me at first,” DelSardo said. “I think my mom cried and I know my dad was happy.

“Words can’t describe how good I felt.”

Trying to come up with money to pay for tuition and other expenses associated with college can be a real burden. And since DelSardo’s parents were the ones faced with that burden, he’s just glad to relieve them of the pressure.

“I’m honestly happy for my parents,” DelSardo said with a smile. “It was on their shoulders to get me through college, so that’s really what I’m happy about.”

Coming from their worst yardage output in the Harris era, Pitt’s receivers continue to make progress by learning from experience.

Through the eyes of Harris, DelSardo is the most experienced receiver in the group.

“I think it’s going to be a while before our young kids hit the groove,” Harris said. “I don’t know if any of our receivers are ready, other than Joe DelSardo. I think Joe probably knows our scheme the best out of anyone out there. The rest of them are all learning.”

Harris knows the problems facing a team that has little experience at the wide receiver position, but the overall positive attitude of the group should make the learning experience a little easier.

“I think the trait of a young receiver is A: they don’t get all the details, or B: they don’t get to the proper depths,” Harris said. “Most of them cut them [routes] short. They don’t know how to defeat different looks on an individual basis. But that’s the way it is.”

“They all have really good attitudes. So we’ve just got to find what each of them can do and then, as we go, they’ve got to become more consistent.”

The Panthers did add one new face to the receiving corps recently. True Freshman Darrell Strong, who was originally brought in as a quarterback before moving to tight end, has been practicing with the receivers this week. Although he has made three position changes in his young career, Strong said that he’s been OK with it.

“When I came in as a quarterback, I had to learn all the positions,” Strong said. “That’s what you have to do as a quarterback. Then, at tight end, I just had to learn the blocking schemes.”

At 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, Strong offers the Panthers something they lack at receiver — size.

“One of the reasons Coach moved me here was because of my size,” Strong said. “I was a small tight end, but now I’m a bigger receiver.”

Other receivers welcome the addition of Strong. DelSardo believes Strong’s athletic ability could be a real asset to the offense down the line.

“I think Darrell has great hands and he’s a great athlete,” DelSardo said. “We want to get him in there in the red zone and get him some jump balls.”

But don’t expect to hear from Strong for a while. Harris sees real potential in the young receiver, but says he still has a long way to go.

“I think it’s way too early to talk about Darrell Strong,” Harris said. “We’re not ready to put him in the College Football Hall of Fame yet. We like his potential, but when that potential is going to surface into execution, no one knows.”