On Oct. 4, 2023, Karl Ludwig posted a story on Sports Now Group Pittsburgh: “Pitt QB Phil Jurkovec makes switch to tight end.”
Mr. Ludwig began his commentary by saying: “Phil Jurkovec started the first five weeks of the season at quarterback, but if he’s going to make any sort of difference the rest of the season, it will come as a pass catcher. Jurkovec will make the switch to tight end, finishing his collegiate career as a tight end — which had been discussed at prior stops in his career. Jurkovec completed 57-of-112 pass attempts (50.9 percent) for 818 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions through four-and-a-half games this season, but that stat line doesn’t tell the full story. He made the easy look impossible, failed to connect on his deep shots and actively contributed to three losses this season.”
Mr. Ludwig continues by saying: “It’s admirable that Jurkovec is taking his demotion in stride, doing what he can to make an impact this season, but it does show the ineptitude of Pitt’s offense this season. And even at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, there isn’t a scenario where he should see the field over Bartholomew or Johnson.”
How is it admirable to fail at one job and try something different? After all, Phil Jurkovec’s quarterback performance has ruined any chance of respectability for Pitt in 2023, but now it’s acceptable to switch positions. Oftentimes, many coaches provide an aura that causes a few of these “student-athletes” to be part of a culture of entitlement that has become generational. If “Coach Prime” Sanders had started his son Shedeur at QB based solely on nepotism but not realism or talent, “Prime” would have been driven out of town on the “third rail.”
But now, it’s considered admirable that “Jurkovec is taking his demotion in stride, doing what he can to make an impact this season.” The failure and ineptitude of Phil Jurkovec has already made an impact, a lasting and dark impact on the University of Pittsburgh’s football program.
When Deion Sanders took over the head coach position at Jackson State (an HBCU), it was prophesied that he would fail the university, the team, and himself because he was compiling a roster of players that would be led by his son, a so-called prince in the court of nepotism and favoritism. “Prime” took all the haters and naysayers to task and directed them to report to the woodshed, post-haste.
When “Coach Prime” departed from the halls of Jackson State and made the trek out west, it was again prophesied and assumed that failure was looming on the horizon and waiting just around the corner preparing to launch a sneak attack on him and his current head coaching position of the men’s football program at the University of Colorado.
A few of the talking heads from “Yinzerville” began to float a homegrown theory that Pitt’s head coach, Pat Narduzzi, was a better coach than “Coach Prime” because of the experience of Narduzzi and that Narduzzi had paid his dues as well as having already won an ACC Championship. However, could it be possible that “Coach Prime” is a better coach because of his “inexperience” at being “ethnically insensitive” and balanced when it comes to completing an objective analysis and evaluation of talent?
Currently, Phil Jurkovec has completed just over 50 percent of his passes this season for 818 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions, with a QB rating of 38.1, a win-loss record of 1-4, with the possibility of competing in a bowl game in 2023 just wishful thinking. In comparison, Shedeur Sanders has passed for 2,020 yards with 12 touchdowns and just 2 picks with a QBR of 70.1. The current win-loss record of the University of Colorado is 4-2 with the possibility of Colorado having to win just two more games to become eligible for a bowl game.
Ladies and gents, would you do me a small favor? Check the history of the Pitt program over the past 15 years and explain to me why the football program has not really considered putting a Black quarterback behind center. Overall, in my opinion, as far as coaching ability is concerned, I rate Pat Narduzzi higher than Deion Sanders. However. when it comes down to providing Black quarterbacks an opportunity to compete as starters at Pitt, it appears that when they are invited to training camp, they are often just window-dressing and are never given a genuine and honest opportunity to compete for a “brand-new gig.”
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