Bryant still not healed but will play against 'Canes
'I usually feel like rubber out there; now I feel like plastic,' Bryant said.
Loosely translated, that means Bryant is not his flexible-self, the guy who cuts on a dime and twists his body like few can. He participated in practice yesterday evening, but he could not go full throttle.
The junior from Miami moved well when he was running straight ahead, but when it came to making quick stops or shortening his stride, he lacked the burst that earned him the Biletnikoff Award last season as the nation's top pass-catcher.
Bryant, who injured the ankle in the first quarter of the season opener and did not play the following week in a loss to South Florida, said he intends to play against No. 1 Miami (2-0) in a Thursday night matchup with the Panthers (1-1) at Heinz Field.
He just doesn't know how much.
'More than likely I'll be out there,' he said. 'We'll have to see what I can do.'
Asked to evaluate how he's played at practice over the past few days, Bryant was not complimentary of himself.
'I'd say I'm two steps not myself,' he said. 'I'm not going to say I'm two steps slower, just two steps not myself. ... I'm getting better by the day, but that's not saying I'm going to be perfect or 100 percent against Miami or in any other game. I just know in time, I'll be back to myself.'
CATCHING ON
Everything's coming up roses for the kid known as 'Rosie' on the Pitt wide receiving corps.
Roosevelt Bynes made his collegiate debut in grand style in the Panthers' 35-26 loss to South Florida on Sept. 8. The freshman from Fort Lauderdale pulled in a 56-yard touchdown pass from David Priestley the very first time he stepped on the field as a collegian.
It is believed to be the first time in Pitt history a true freshman has scored a touchdown on the very first play of his career.
'My family back home saw it; they couldn't believe it,' said Bynes, 6-foot-1, 170 pounds. 'But it didn't mean anything because we lost.'
Bynes is expected to receive a fair amount of playing time against Miami, particularly if Bryant is used in a limited role. He's been getting increased repetitions at practices and he has caught the eye of coach Walt Harris.
'You can see by looking at him that he wants to better,' Harris said of Bynes, who had 28 receptions for 425 yards as a senior at Piper High in Florida. 'He's a treat. He's the only guy I can remember in my coaching career that thanked me for giving him a scholarship. I was complimenting him one day on how hard he's been working and he said, 'Coach, I want to thank you for allowing me to play here.'
'We're thrilled to have him.'
COX, LEVY STAYING PUT
For those who think Harris should move converted running backs Darcey Levy or Torrie Cox back to their original positions to help the Panthers' troubled running game, forget about it.
Harris said he has no intention of installing one or both of those players in the backfield, even though freshmen Raymond Kirkley and Mike Jemison struggled in the loss to South Florida. Pitt managed just 12 yards rushing on 29 carries against the Bulls, with Jemison finishing with 16 yards on six carries and Kirkley running for nine yards on 10 attempts.
'No. No way,' Harris said, when asked about moving Levy from his backup wide receiver spot or Cox from his starting cornerback spot. 'We wouldn't do that.'
PITT BLITZ
The Panthers have two more full practices - today and tomorrow - before Thursday night's game.
