By Bob Smizik | Friday 11 a.m.
There’s been quite a bit written and spoken about a couple of Pitt rookies -- DeJuan Blair and Sam Young -- trying to make it in the pros.
Almost nothing has been written or spoken about a third Pitt rookie also trying to make it in the pros.
Blair and Young were basketball stars at Pitt on a highly successful team. It’s understandable there would be focus on them.
LaRod Stephens-Howling wasn’t even a starter as a senior on the Pitt football team which didn’t have the kind of success that the basketball program did.
T
he story of Stephens-Howling is pretty amazing because a lot of people thought he was too small to play big-time college ball. Now here he is on the roster of the Arizona Cardinals and more than holding his own at 5-foot-7, 180 pounds.
Stephens-Howling is the Cardinals primary kickoff returner. He’s brought back 21 for 480 yards and his longest was for 53 yards. He’s listed on the depth chart as the third-team running back behind Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells. He has two carries for 1 yard. As a receiver, he’s caught four balls for 36 yards. One of those catches was for a touchdown last week in the Cardinals loss to the Carolina Panthers.
It’s to the credit of Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt that Stephens-Howling has this opportunity and to the credit of Stephens-Howling that he‘s making the most of it. With Shady McCoy as the primary Pitt running back last season, Wannstedt could easily have phased out Stephens-Howling. But he kept him in the rotation, played him on special teams and got him ready for a professional career that few could have expected.
He’s never going to be a star, but based on the kind of determination, ability and versatility he showed at Pitt, he has a chance to have a nice NFL career.
The Cardinals are sort of Pittsburgh West and Pitt West. Their head coach is former Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt. Their assistant head coach is Russ Grimm, who had the same job with the Steelers and who was an outstanding center at Pitt in his college playing days. Their defensive backfield coach is Teryl Austin, who also played at Pitt.
On the field, Larry Fitzgerald, the Pitt great, leads the team with 47 catches for 509 yards. Gerald Hayes, also from Pitt, starts at inside linebacker and is second on the team in tackles.
Wide receiver Steve Breaston, who played in high school at Woodland Hills, has 30 catches for 400 yards.
Also with the Cardinals are former Steelers Clark Haggans, who starts at outside linebacker, fullback Dan Kreider, quarterback Brian St. Pierre and receiver Sean Morey.
Posted
Nov 06 2009, 11:00 AM
by
Bob Smizik