Home >  Sports >  U. of Pittsburgh

Friday, April 12, 2002

By Shelly Anderson, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

It's a consensus. Pitt sophomore Tyre Young wants to be a linebacker. His coaches want him to be a linebacker.

So, logically, he is a nose guard. The starting nose guard.

The Panthers are handing Young the No. 1 designation at that interior defensive line position after watching what he did there last season as an emergency reserve.

"We'd like to see him at linebacker," Coach Walt Harris said. "We recruited him at linebacker.

"But we put him at nose because we thought he could help us. Once he figured out the position, he helped us tremendously."

Young, one of four Pitt players from Woodland Hills High School, was set to redshirt last season, especially after needing shoulder surgery during training camp. Injuries at both defensive tackle spots and a losing streak prompted the Panthers to go looking for help early in the season, and Young gave up his redshirt to step in at a new position.

He first played nose guard in the fourth game, a 24-7 loss at Notre Dame. Two weeks later, he became a starter. By season's end, Young had 23 tackles. His third fumble recovery of the year came against North Carolina State in the Tangerine Bowl, and he returned it 16 yards for a touchdown to seal a 34-19 victory.

Now, on the eve of the end of spring drills, Young is even more entrenched at nose guard.

"I'm definitely adapted more to nose guard as opposed to last year," he said. "I'm starting to get the technique down more. Everything's coming around."

That does not mean he or the Pitt coaches have forgotten about Young playing linebacker.

The plan is to move him to his true position after the 2002 season, giving him two seasons at linebacker. The Panthers are stacked at linebacker this year but could still use the help on the line. Two returning starting linebackers, Gerald Hayes and Brian Beinecke, are seniors, so something could open up for Young in 2003.

Young is 6 feet and listed at 250 pounds. Even Harris laughed at that underassessed weight, but Young's size still is suited more for linebacker than lineman.

That hasn't held him back.

"I'm not worried about how tall he is," defensive tackles coach Bob Junko said. "He's strong. And he's got quickness. And he can run. And that's more important than size. But he's big enough inside that he doesn't get bounced around.

"He's improved almost like night and day from last year. He's always had that effort, but now he's got technique and understanding at that position."

Young will start at nose guard for the Blue-Gold Game tomorrow and throughout the 2002 season. If he has a gangbusters season, could he play his way into a permanent spot on the line?

"I'm not worried about that at all," he said. "As long as my playing ability and talent take over, if they want me back at linebacker, I'll go back to linebacker."

The Panthers seem serious that Young's move to the line is temporary -- if half of a college career can be considered temporary.

Over the past week or so at spring workouts, Young has practiced some at linebacker.

"We did that just to see how he could do, see how he looked behind the line," Harris said. "We're preparing for the future as well [as this season], to ascertain what our needs are next year."

Young enjoyed the change.

"That's just to keep me on my toes," he said. "Obviously, the plan is for me to go back over to linebacker. I came in here a linebacker; I want to end my career a linebacker.

"We all had a meeting before I went to nose guard. They let me know the situation-that they were going to give me an opportunity to come back. I want to go back. They know I want to go back."

He is not disappointed that his assignment extended to another season.

"The team seems like they need me more at nose now, so whatever the team needs," Young said. "Why lose a starting position?

So, for now, he will remain on loan at nose guard.

NOTES -- Pitt practiced outdoors yesterday for just the second time this spring. ... Harris has changed the format of the Blue-Gold Game. Instead of defense vs. offense, the squad will be divided into two teams and use traditional scoring.