Pitt LS Cal Adomitis Shares His NFL Draft Process
The Pitt Panthers All-American long snapper has high hopes for the upcoming draft. On Sunday, I interviewed him to discuss how the road to the NFL is going this offseason.
Q: You are a Pittsburgh native. You started 64 games with Pitt over your career, last season - what did it mean to you to finally win an ACC championship with the team and represent your city?
A: "I remember as a kid when Pitt football was alive and well and the coolest part this year was seeing Kenny thrive and the city of Pittsburgh really rally around us. Being a part of a championship team that brought so much joy to my hometown meant the world to me."
Q: Tell me about your experience at the Senior Bowl, when you were selected as one of two long snappers how did it feel?
A: "It was definitely an honor to go down to the Senior Bowl after missing the previous year's invite due to Covid-19. Being able to re-earn that invite was difficult yet truly awesome. Also seeing the amount of talent was incredible. Being able to compete and showcase my talents with the cream of the crop down there in Mobile, Alabama was immense."
Q: Considering that two long snappers were selected last year from the Senior Bowl in the 6th round, do you feel you have a chance to match that if not better?
A: "There are a lot of moving parts in long-snapping and it depends on year to year based on needs. A lot of times teams want to keep that continuity so it just depends on each year."
Q: What did it mean to you to be able to go to the Combine with your teammates in Kenny Pickett and Damarri Mathis? From the outside looking in it really seemed like you all were cheering each other on.
A: "It was neat to be able to cap off our Pitt careers since we started together as freshmen and took advantage of the 5th year option due to Covid-19 . A lot of freshmen started with us and seeing this through together has been an incredible experience. It was an honor to represent the Panthers in Indy for sure. I think we are more close-knit than other teammates based on that alone."
Q: Being the only long snapper at the NFL Combine, I'm sure that was a major moment for you personally. Tell me a little about how unique that was.
A: "I did drills with the punters, kickers and it was also neat to communicate what I wanted to do and make what I want to make out of it but also show off my skills with the DL as well. You get what you want to make out of it since you are essentially multidimensional. I liked the ability to be more active and I snapped a lot of footballs. I snapped a lot of footballs in just about every drill that required it."
Q: Being that core special teams players are critical to the NFL (as evidenced last year in the playoffs Packers/Niners NFCCG) when you were interviewing with teams, did you get a sense that certain teams placed more of an emphasis on it than others.
A: "I believe long-snappers are drafted/picked up more on need-based things on continuity, if the connection/chemistry is off then it normally doesn't work out. Versatility is the name of the game when it comes to our roles. I appreciated coach Narduzzi having me do different football drills, especially linebacker drills. It kept me versatile and well prepared for the Combine where sometimes they ask you to do different things."
Q: What's your biggest takeaway from the NFL Combine, any surprises?
A: "I felt prepared, hard to know what to actually expect from the experience until you are in the moment. You have to go into it and be ready, and the Senior Bowl really helped me to embrace that aspect. It's so busy and hectic experiences for both but the Senior Bowl had me ready to go in as an open book. I was ready to have the right mindset."
Q: What are your draft plans? Who are you going to be with?
A: "I am going to be with family and friends in Pittsburgh and we are going to do a little get-together. We will spend day 3 of the NFL draft to do a hangout at a local lounge and eat some good food."
Q: How are things going with the children's hospital?
A: "It's officially closed with Cal's kids for the fundraiser. It was awesome to have support from people such as Steelers scout Mark Gorscak wearing Cal's Kid's t-shirts and everyone else in the community coming together with everyone's support. Part 2 might be happening with the beard, might take a page out of Brett Kiesel's book it's getting pretty long."
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