Father knows best: Former walk-on center Jimmy Morrissey earns scholarship

Everyone knew about the joke. Everyone, of course, except the victim, Pitt center Jimmy Morrissey.

It started at a practice last Wednesday when quarterback Max Browne pretended Morrissey had given him a bad snap. Coach Pat Narduzzi, the ringmaster, pretended to be mad.

Morrissey wasn't laughing. When you're a nonscholarship walk-on — at least, he thought he was at the time — you take everything that happens on the practice field seriously.

But that's what made the joke so funny. Bad snaps are big deals to Pitt's 19-year-old starting center.

"I was pretty upset about it because (the snap) felt really good to me," Morrissey said. "Usually, (Browne) is very good communicating with me and telling me if I have bad snap or it's his fault. He didn't really say anything."

So Morrissey called everyone aside to work on snaps until they got it right.

"Coach Narduzzi and (Brian) O'Neill and everyone who knew were cracking up watching me, because I thought I actually had a bad snap," he said.

Finally, Narduzzi called the team together and asked offensive coordinator Shawn Watson to preach the consequences of bad snaps.

With a straight face, Watson said, "Can't have exchange problems. Wasted plays. Killing us."

Now acting impatient, Narduzzi called Browne and Morrissey in front of the entire team to practice snaps.

By this time, Browne couldn't keep the secret. He handed Morrissey a piece of paper. On it was the news: He was awarded a scholarship.

"I'm speechless," he said before leading his teammates in a "Fight, Pitt, fight" chant.

That was only the beginning of an emotional day for Morrissey.

When he called home with the good news, his mother, Shivaun, started "yelling and dancing around the house," Morrissey said.

His father, Jim, wasn't home, but when they finally connected, "He was all choked up."

"He's the one who got me here," Morrissey said.

Two years ago, at La Salle College High School in Huntingdon Valley, Morrissey was attracting attention largely from Ivy League and Patriot League schools. He wanted to visit some of those camps, and dad was willing to make all the trips with him on one condition.

"He said, 'If I wanted to go to camp, I had to go to three schools of his choice.' "

He chose Boston College, Temple and Pitt.

Pitt wasn't recruiting Morrissey, now 6-foot-3, 295 pounds, but that turned out to be an almost-meaningless detail after he met Pitt line coach John Peterson.

"I really didn't want to waste my time. I didn't know who 'Coach P' was. I didn't know who anybody was here," he said.

Morrissey caught Peterson's eye at the camp. The two men struck up a conversation and kept in touch. Finally, Peterson invited him to join the team as a walk-on last year.

Morrissey said his family has no previous connection to Pitt, and he doesn't know why his dad pointed him in that direction.

"Smart man," he said. "I'm lucky for him."

Now, less than two years later, Morrissey has won the training camp competition with junior center Connor Dintino and something just as important: the respect of his teammates.

"He's a natural leader," Narduzzi said. "I will not be shocked if that guy is a captain some day."

Morrissey will make the first snap of the season Saturday — clean and crisp into Browne's hands, they hope.

Morrissey's season beyond Saturday isn't clear. Peterson will shuffle the line next week when Alex Bookser, who knows all five line positions, returns from his one-game suspension. Left guard Alex Officer also can play center.

None of that bothers Morrissey.

"We have a lot of depth on the offensive line," he said. "I'd rather have that than not have depth."

Whatever happens, he knows he can count on his family. Without his dad's directive, Morrissey might be on a team outside the Power 5. He had scholarship offers from Lehigh, Bucknell and Colgate but he chose to come to Pitt, play football and pay tuition.

"I have a very supportive family," he said. "They let me take the chance and supported me the whole way through.

"I'm glad I was able to pay them back."

Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib.