When cornerback Ryan Lewis saw the Pitt throwback uniforms that were unveiled Tuesday, his first thought was of Uncle Tim.
Lewis' uncle is former Green Bay Packers first-round draft choice Tim Lewis, who played his nephew's position at Pitt from 1979-82 before a long career in the NFL as an assistant coach, including a stint as Steelers defensive coordinator.
“I was just talking to Uncle Tim,” Lewis said. “He told me, ‘Good luck, keep doing you and keep the family name strong.' ”
The new uniform combination harkens back to a time when Tim Lewis was one of 18 Pitt players drafted in the first round in a 20-year period, starting with Tony Dorsett in 1977 through Ruben Brown in 1995.
The uniforms reminded offensive guard Dorian Johnson of Pitt's past.
“You look back at the national championship and Dan Marino,” he said. “It gives us something to play for.”
The uniform set's official colors, according to Nike, are Royal Blue on the jerseys and Bright Gold on the pants and long sleeves. The helmets have the blue Pitt script logo on a backdrop of gold.
Pitt will wear the uniform combination — one of many the university has designed for the football team — Oct. 8 in the homecoming game against Georgia Tech.
Narduzzi said he didn't know if the team will wear that combination in other games, but he said players “exploded” when he revealed it before practice.
“It's going to be something that our seniors, our Eagles (Unity Council leaders) are going to decide if they like the look,” he said. “I'm open to anything. I just want to coach football.”
Injury update
Although at least two players rode golf carts off the field in recent days, Narduzzi said there were “no major injuries” to report through the first nine days of practice.
“We're good,” he said.
Rare treat
Players were given a welcome supplement to their post-practice snack — ice cream from Bruster's in Hopewell.
Nutritionist Rachel Baker also served peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chocolate milk and blueberries that she said are important in “muscle recovery after intense training.”
Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib.
