Neither McKenzie Mathews or T.J. Porter were going to be made available for interviews after taking a practice or three off to work through some homesickness issues.
Pitt director of football operations Chris LaSala said it isn’t uncommon for young players, particularly those from out of state, to go through some rough times and the team has support systems in place to deal with such issues. He said there are people to mentor the freshmen on everything from academic issues and life skills to campus life as well as life as a football player in a major college program.
He said camp is often the toughest time for freshmen because the players come to a new environment and do nothing but football-related activities for about three weeks. Because there are few students on campus, the opportunities for social interaction and activities are limited and so some players deal with loneliness as well as homesickness while they are struggling with the pressures of trying to earn a position.
H.B. Blades, essentially speaking for the players, does not see a big issue now that they are back.
That’s why it was easy for him to understand the plight of Porter and Mathews and why he knows there isn’t anybody on the team who is looking down on them. He said every player has gone through similar struggles and the tough part is finding a way to survive them.
“[Quitting] comes up in every player’s mind when you are a freshman,” Blades said. “At some point, every player considers it, especially when you are away from home and you have no family. You are in a new atmosphere with new people. It is tough at first, but we’ve all been there and you have to grind through it.
“We need T.J. and we need McKenzie. We need them to be here and contribute if we are going to be an elite team.”
At the same time, he points out they do need to take responsibility for their actions.
“I think they owe some people apologies, as far as coaches and their families,” senior linebacker H.B. Blades said. “A lot of people made sacrifices for them to be here. I’m sure that they’re going to regret it.”
So what could have been a big deal has quickly become a minor bump.
