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Thursday, November 28, 2002

By Rich Emert

Mike Booth knows all about the Backyard Brawl between Pitt and West Virginia. As a youngster growing up in the Hill District and going to Brashear High School, he watched the Panthers and Mountaineers tangle. Then he went to West Virginia and played for the Mountaineers against Pitt.

A Parade All-American at Brashear, Booth played on the defensive line and at linebacker at West Virginia and was a major contributor on the 1992 team that played in the Sugar Bowl. He spent three years as a graduate assistant under Coach Don Nehlen and then joined Coach Greg Gattuso's staff at Duquesne University for five years before moving on to become an assistant coach at Gateway High School this season. Booth, 32, is a school services coordinator for the Pittsburgh School District, working with students on anger management and coping skills. He lives in Penn Hills and is married with two children.

Q: What was it like at West Virginia the week before the Pitt game?

A: That was always a big week and everybody ... the coaches, the players, everybody turned up the intensity level a notch. Coach Nehlen always talked about taking games one at a time, but Pitt was a red-letter game for us. It was one of the ones we always had circled on the calendar. Everybody looked forward to playing in it because it was for bragging rights, recruiting purposes, a lot of things.

Q: Did you call friends you had at Pitt the week before the game and talk trash?

A: Some of that stuff went on. I knew some of the guys at Pitt because I lived on the Hill and I'd go over to Oakland in the summer and see them. Mostly it was just, 'We're having our best week of practice and we're going to beat you guys,' stuff like that.

Q: Was there a lot of trash talking that went on during the game?

A: There were some things said. [Pitt running back] Curtis Martin didn't say a whole lot on the field but Ruben Brown would say a lot of stuff, but that's what made the games fun. It was just a good, intense rivalry. The game you always looked forward to playing in.

Q: How did you end up at West Virginia?

A: Major Harris, from Brashear, was down there and they had just come off an undefeated regular season and played Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. I wanted to get away from home and it was a program on the rise, plus they have great facilities down there. It was just perfect for me. The atmosphere took some getting used to. I was used to traffic and a lot of noise, but I'd come home a lot of weekends just to get back in the city.

Q: Did it make you mad that Pitt fans would call you guys 'Hoopies'?

A: I always laughed about that because I was from the city. I was hardly a 'Hoopie.' I always thought that just came from a lack of respect for the culture and people of West Virginia.

Q: Since you're from Pittsburgh, was it more fun to play Pitt here or in Morgantown?

A: It was more fun to play them down in Morgantown because of the fans. They would usually fill the stadium and it was just a great atmosphere for us. We were more pumped up to play them in Morgantown.

Q: What are your thoughts on the fact both starting quarterbacks in this year's game are City League products?

A: I didn't realize that until the other day. I think it's great. It just shows how many good football players there are in the city and adds a little something extra to the game.

Q: Do you think players on City League teams are often overlooked?

A: There are a lot of talented players but they don't always get as much coaching as guys at the WPIAL schools. I found that out this season working over at Gateway. There is talent in the city; it's just raw talent. Fortunately there are college coaches who recognize that.

Q: Is coaching something you want to continue doing?

A: I really enjoy it and I want to keep coaching. I've been at the Division I college level at West Virginia and then a step down at Duquesne. This year, I worked at the high school level and I think I can handle just about anything. I'd like to be a head coach someday or maybe get back in the college ranks.