Aaron Pitts is one of twelve Youngstown State University Seniors on the 2009 football team.  He has lettered the past two seasons and is looking forward to 2009.  The Marion Harding product is 6’3″ and weighs 195.  The thing that impressed me most about Pitts was his love of college.  If YSU Football pieced together an academic challenge team and I got to pick who would be on it, Pitts would probably be my first pick.  He is an accounting major.  In 2007, he received the Gateway Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award.  I got to talk with Pitts after a recent YSU practice.

Paneech: As a two-year letterman, you bring some experience to the team, what kind of expectations do you have for this year?

Pitts:  We had a disappointing season last year.  I got to go to the Final Four in 2006, and I want to go back and win a National Championship, definitely. 

Paneech:  Tell me what it is like to be one of only twelve seniors.

Pitts:  We are very outnumbered as far as how many of us [seniors] that there are, but sometimes they say it’s not the numbers but rather the type of people that you have who are the leaders.  I think we have a real tight-knit senior group and that we will be able to go out and surprise some people by winning games.

Paneech:  How does the enthusiasm compare from this year to other years in camp?

Pitts:  I think we’re pretty hungry this year.  We went 4-8 last year and alot of the guys were disappointed so we are out here trying to get it the best we can.

Paneech:  How excited are you guys for the Pitt game?

Pitts:  Really excited.  I was there in ’05, but I was redshirted so I didn’t get to play.  We’re trying to go in there and shock the world.

Paneech:  What other schools recruited you coming out of high school [Marion Harding]?

Pitts:  I had a few MAC schools interested, like Dayton.  When I came here on my visit, I just loved the atmosphere, I knew about the tradition that Youngstown had, and I wanted to play for a winning program.

Paneech:  What is it like playing for Coach Heacock?

Pitts:  I like it alot.  He definitely cares about his players.  Alot of coaches at other schools just see players as their guys.  Coach Heacock takes time out to meet you as a person and he definitely cares about us as people.

Paneech:  How about the rest of the staff?

Pitts:  The rest of the staff is great.  I have loved my time here and a part of that has been the coaches, they will try to help you out as much as they can.  My position coach is Coach Elliott, he is relaxed and isn’t a yeller or a screamer, but he expects us to go out there and do the best that we can.  We respect that, so we go out there and play for him.

Paneech:  In an average practice, how many times do you catch a football?

Pitts: Other when we do like perimeter and team, we do alot of ball drills as receivers.  I would say I catch anywhere between 50-100 balls a day.

Paneech:  Are you a possession type or a gamebreaker?

Pitts:  Right now I’m in the possession-type category, but if someone goes to sleep on me, I’ll definitely try to break it.  I like to run a post-corner, kind of giving a double-move, get ’em leaning one way and then go the other way.

Paneech:  Who is your best friend on this team?

Pitts:  I would have to say Donald Jones.  He is one of our other wide receivers.  We are roommates too, we have been best friends for over a year and we have been pretty close.

Paneech:  Have you ever seen the movie The Program  where a fumbler has to carry a ball everywhere, have you ever been that guy?

Pitts:  Actually, I have.  In middle school, I played QB, and every now and then when I ran the ball I would hold it like I was about to throw it, so my coach made me carry a ball around the middle school and everyone would try to knock it out of my hands.

One Word Answers

Favorite Meal?  Lunch, that’s when I eat the most.

Why Accounting As a Major?  Love numbers, it’s like a puzzle to put together.

Favorite NFL Receiver?  Chad Ochocinco

Favorite Team:  Cincinnati Bengals (and yes, he’s watching Hard Knocks on HBO)

Best Madden 2010 Secret?   Pass the ball every play

Favorite Area Restaurant?  Definitely the MVR Club, great Italian!

Scoring Avg. From High School Basketball Days?  18-20 PPG

Best Class Taken At YSU?  Advanced Acoounting

Favorite Television Show: SportsCenter

Could Keep One CD, What Would It Be?  It would be a mix of Gospel, Kanye West, John Legend

Pitts is a guy who would be tough to dislike.  He is engaging and articulate in his conversation and general demeanor.  He wants the best for his team above himself and is respectful and humble about where he is and the people that got him there.  He is the kind of athlete that people root for to do well because of his charisma and loyalty.  So when #83 pulls one in this season, clap a little louder, he deserves it.