Pitt QB Kedon Slovis Reacts to Earning Starting Job
PITTSBURGH -- Pat Narduzzi finally made public the worst-kept secret in Pittsburgh. He revealed that USC transfer Kedon Slovis, who had been battling with senior Nick Patti, would start at quarterback for the Pitt Panthers in their season opener vs. West Virginia.
Slovis said that he wasn't focused on winning the job while enduring the slog of summer training camp. He was simply trying to go about his work and hoped that would be enough to show why he was ready for the challenge of being Pitt's starter.
"Day in, day out, you're not thinking about what you need to do different to win the job," Slovis said after Narduzzi made the official announcement. "From my perspective, I just wanted to execute and do my job and things would take care of themselves. Camp is a long grind. When you're at day 10 or 12 or 14, you have to remind yourself to do what coach wants you to do."
He said he tried to keep a level head when Narduzzi anointed him as the depth chart's leading quarterback. This was what he expected to accomplish and he has tried to carry a corresponding confidence ever since arriving at Pitt.
"I'm sure Nick felt the same way. You want to have the confidence that you're going to be the guy," Slovis said. "When coach announced it, it wasn't a huge shock and surprise because you're in that position you want to have that confidence and feel that way beforehand."
That confidence and the ensuing competition didn't create any tension between he and Patti, Slovis said. Both he and Narduzzi said Patti took the news in stride and with class. Someone was going to end up disappointed and Slovis was grateful with how his counterpoint handled the announcement.
"I think Nick's a really mature guy, I'm a mature guy and we handled out business really well and with understanding," Slovis said. "Nick's been awesome the whole time to me, even since January. I know it's not the easiest thing when you bring in a transfer guy."
This news takes at least one thing off of Slovis' plate. He can strike "Win starting job" from a to-do list that also includes getting to know his teammates, learn a new offense and adjust to life at a new school. Slovis said he's tried to focus on integrating with the team on top of managing the football side of transferring.
"There's 110 dudes on the roster," Slovis said. "That was, to me, the most challenging thing. I wanted to get to know every single guy or at least give them all a chance to get to know me. ... That was the biggest thing for me because everything else is just football."
Now Slovis's attention turns to the season opener. A fierce rivalry with West Virginia awaits on the other side of this week and while the end of the competition frees him up to be the sole taker of first-team reps, Slovis said he will continue to prepare the same way he always has.
"The whole time, you're still preparing for September 1," he said. "So regardless of whether you're announced the guy or not, the mentality is the same. ... It's not like it's been this big change. I've gotten some more reps but again, I'd like to think I'll prepare the same way I have just like Nick will be preparing the same way."
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