Inside The Panthers

Pitt Announces Honorary Captain vs. Central Michigan

A former Pitt Panthers standout defender is returning to serve as the honorary captain vs. Central Michigan.
Karl Ludwig|
Nov 2, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi during the game between the Southern Methodist Mustangs and the Pittsburgh Panthers at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Nov 2, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi during the game between the Southern Methodist Mustangs and the Pittsburgh Panthers at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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Pittsburgh Panthers

Damar Hamlin returned to serve as an honorary captain for the Pitt Panthers' season opener, and now another former defensive standout will be back in town.

Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi announced that former defensive lineman Mick Williams will serve as the honorary captain for the Panthers' matchup against Central Michigan on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium.

Narduzzi outlined Williams' accomplishments on X (formerly known as Twitter): 3-year letterman, 2009 team captain, first-team All-Big East and co-Big East Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and over 30 tackles for loss and 10 sacks during his Pitt career.

Williams - a 6-foot-1 defensive tackle from Monessen, Pa. - was a WPIAL standout before committing to Pitt. He starred on both sides of the football at Monessen, earning All-State honors.

After playing sparingly as a freshman in 2006, he emerged as a key contributor during his sophomore and junior seasons - playing in 24 games and racking up 17 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. But it was his senior season that set him apart.

Williams led the Panthers with 42 tackles (28 solo), 17 tackles for loss, five sacks, three forced fumbles and a pass breakup.

Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi
Nov 9, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi observes warm ups before the game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

While Wiliiams did not make it to the NFL level, he made an impact at Monessen (where he's active today) and at Pitt. And now he's coming back to serve as a captain one more time for the Panthers.

Pitt and Central Michigan are scheduled to kick off at 12 p.m. on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium. The game, the first-ever meeting between the two programs, will also be broadcast on ESPU.

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Karl Ludwig
KARL LUDWIG

Karl Ludwig is a Pittsburgh Panthers on SI sportswriter. He has spent the past three years covering the Pitt Panthers for a couple of platforms. While he did not attend Pitt, he grew up in the Pittsburgh area, attending North Allegheny Senior High School and Slippery Rock University. As a student at SRU, he served as the sports editor of SRU’s student-run newspaper, The Rocket, and provided award-winning coverage in football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer. It was at SRU that his love for sports journalism blossomed. Karl spent three seasons as the Pitt football beat writer for Pittsburgh Sports Now, following time as an intern for the Sports Now Network. His most recent coverage of the University was for Pitt Sports News of the On3/Rivals network. He’s also contributed to Athlon Sports and SB Nation’s Behind the Steel Curtain.

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