Pitt Team Captain Previews Backyard Brawl, Reflects on College Career

On the Sept. 10 episode of the weekly Pat Narduzzi Radio Show, redshirt senior defensive back Javon McIntyre came as a special guest to discuss Pitt's recent games, their upcoming matchup with West Virginia, and his college career.

McIntyre had the honor of being named a team captain for this season. In the current college sports landscape, it's rare for a player to remain on the same team for their entire time in college. McIntyre stands out as he is currently in his fifth year as a Panther.

McIntyre and coach Narduzzi reflected on when McIntyre got recruited, which was so far back that it was on a Zoom call. McIntyre was back at his home in Delaware at the time. Despite the struggles of recruitment during the COVID-19 pandemic, McIntyre committed to Pitt and hit the ground running.

McIntyre is one of the few remaining players on the team that won the 2021 ACC Championship, beating Wake Forest 45-21. Since that season, he has played in every game available for Pitt, starting at safety in most of them.

In a game against North Carolina at Chapel Hill, McIntyre had six tackles and two pass breakups, earning himself a Pro Football Focus ACC Team of the Week spot.

Pitt football — Sep 6, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back Desmond Reid (0), head coach Pat Narduzzi, defensive back Javon McIntyre (7) and offensive lineman Lyndon Cooper (56) lead the Panthers onto the field to play the Central Michigan Chippewas at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Now, McIntyre is prepping to play in his fourth, and final, Backyard Brawl. McIntyre made it a point that he has been watching a lot of film, but the team only has what West Virginia "gives" them, as in they can only base it off of the games West Virginia has already played.

West Virginia has definitely been giving Pitt a lot of interesting footage to work with. After an upset loss to Ohio and an unfortunate injury to their star running back, Pitt will definitely look for areas to take advantage of. But, Narduzzi made sure to mention that playing in Morgantown will be no easy feat.

McIntyre has a simple philosophy about football, saying it's just all about "winning your 1-on-1". McIntyre mentioned a journal that he keeps to write in every week. This week, he only wrote one thing: "Become a legend".

McIntyre has already had legendary moments throughout his long career at Pitt. He now looks to end his college career on a high note, hopefully as high as the year he started it.

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