The kid from Rumson, N.J. is greener than the Heinz Field grass, where he will be making his collegiate debut as Pitt's starting left offensive tackle Saturday against East Tennessee State.
'I hope he doesn't wet his britches out there,' said offensive line coach Tom Freeman, who appeared to be only half-kidding. 'I'm sure the nerves will be kicking in.'
They already are.
'I've been thinking about it for a while,' said Petitti, a redshirt freshman who is anything but petit at 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds. 'I won't be able to sleep Friday night.'
Petitti is being asked to play what many consider the most important position on the offensive line. His duties as a left tackle not only include run blocking, but he also is responsible for protecting a right-handed quarterback from being blindsided by those big defensive ends and linebackers.
The starting quarterback in Saturday's game is expected to be senior David Priestley, a righty. The No. 2 quarterback, Rod Rutherford, is a lefty.
The task is daunting enough for most players, let alone a 19-year-old kid who has no idea what to expect.
'We just hope he doesn't go through too much of a (negative) learning experience,' said coach Walt Harris. 'We need him to do what he's been coached to do.'
That's easy for Harris to say, but there is no telling how a young player will react to a packed stadium, a never-before-seen opponent and actual game conditions. Petitti even acknowledged that his mind will be moving a 100 miles a minute.
'It will be tough for me for the first couple of snaps,' said Petitti, who joins converted tight end and fifth-year senior Mike Bosnic as a first-year starter at offensive tackle. 'Then, hopefully, I'll settle down and do what I need to do.'
Petitti should benefit from the fact that Pitt is opening against a Division I-AA opponent in East Tennessee State, then facing an inferior opponent in South Florida the following week at home.
That's not to say those teams won't challenge Petitti, but the margin for error will be greater against them than it will be against Alabama-Birmingham in Week 3 and Miami in Week 4.
'He'll keep learning as he goes along, and we're pleased at how far he's come,' said Freeman, who converted Petitti from guard to tackle after spring drills. 'But any time you have a freshman starting on your offensive line, it's a tough situation to be in, unless that freshman happens to be (former Pitt great) Billy Fralic.'
Petitti, of course, is no Fralic, but he has proven during training camp that he has the potential to do an adequate job at left tackle. He faced defensive end Bryan Knight, an All-America candidate, every day in practice and gained valuable experience in learning how to fend off a player with Knight's speed and pass-rushing ability.
'That can only make me better, going against Bryan and going against the great linebackers that we have,' Petitti said. 'They're some of the best players around.'
Petitti was one of the better players around as a high schooler at Rumson-Fairhaven Regional, where he started three seasons and was the 31st-rated prospect in New Jersey by SuperPrep.
He had never played an organized sport before high school, but that changed when he blossomed into a 6-3, 275-pounder as a 13-year-old. From there, he kept getting bigger and better.
'I didn't have much muscle when I started high school, but I kept working out and building myself up as time went on,' said Petitti, who bench presses 335 pounds and squats 550. 'The most I ever weighed was 350, but I got some of that off and I'm comfortable with my weight now.'
The question is: Will he be comfortable Saturdayâ¢
'I'll be ready,' Petitti said. 'I have no choice. I have to be ready.'
