Darrell Strong's weight has acted like a yo-yo since he arrived at Pitt last year, but it has not hindered his chances of earning a role in the offense.
The sophomore tight end was 230 pounds when he left high school, but was tipped the scales at 260 this past July. After the first week of this preseason camp, Strong had dropped down to 250 pounds.
"During last season, I put it on just by eating," Strong said. "I lost it, then I gained it back as muscle. I'm real happy where I'm at right now."
The coaching staff is happy, too.
"Darrell continues to make plays," coach Dave Wannstedt said after Tuesday night's scrimmage. "You can see the athletic ability.
"I was very encouraged by the way he responded. He got banged up a little bit, but came back in there. It was good to see his toughness."
With his sculpted, 6-foot-5 physique, Strong is plenty tough enough to handle linebackers. Over the summer -- after he had been switched from wideout to tight end -- he refined his skills by focusing on blocking techniques.
"I'm real comfortable (with blocking) right now," Strong said. "I don't like blocking, but it's something I have to do. It's something I'll have to get used to."
Strong was recruited as a quarterback, but was switched to receiver before the 2004 season. In the spring, Wannstedt opted to move him again.
"From playing quarterback and wide receiver, I know where the holes will be," Strong said. "When I'm running my route, I can read the coverage like a quarterback."
Strong lost too much of his explosiveness when he weighed 260. He said dropping 10 pounds has made a huge difference, especially with his blocking.
"I'm so quick, so I can get off the ball real quick and get position over (defenders)," he said. "That's a big advantage."
The Panthers are deep at the tight end spot, with senior Erik Gill, junior Steve Buches and promising rookie John Pelusi. So far, though, Strong has not gotten lost in the crowd.
"I think he understands the pass game pretty well," offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh said. "He moves good for a big guy. He's going to be in our rotation. How much he gets on the field depends upon how much he can handle mentally."
