Inside The Panthers

Pitt Football LB Marquan Pope Medically Disqualified

After suffering a spinal injury, one of the newest Pitt Panthers' career is over before it even started.
Stephen Thompson|
Pitt Football LB Marquan Pope Medically Disqualified
Pitt Football LB Marquan Pope Medically Disqualified

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Pittsburgh Panthers

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers will be down a freshman linebacker this year. Head coach Pat Narduzzi told Johnny McGonigal of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette at ACC Media Days on Thursday that Marquan Pope, a former three-star safety from the class of 2022, suffered a spinal injury in practice this spring. It was the second time that Pope has hurt his backbone and, after an evaluation from medical staff, he decided to medically retire from football. 

Pope will now serve as a coach for the Panthers. He is already at linebacker coach Ryan Manalac's right hand, according to Narduzzi. He added that Pope might consider coaching even after he leaves school. 

'Marquan will not play for us,' Narduzzi said. 'But he's doing a great job coaching for us. He's an assistant linebacker coach helping Coach Manalac and he's a super kid. ... I feel sorry for the family. They wanted to come to games to watch Marquan play and they'll now watch him coach. And I think he might get into coaching one day.'

The sting of ending his playing career so soon is made worse by the fact that Pope was, according to Narduzzi, on the inside track to playing some meaningful snaps this season. 

'Marquan came into spring ball and was spectacular,' Narduzzi said. 'He's everything we thought he was going to be from what we saw on tape to what he did in spring ball for four days. He's physical, smart, athletic and a guy that I probably thought was going to play for us this season.'

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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