Pitt’s Peterman Candidate for Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award; Roster Moves Announced

PITTSBURGH – Pitt senior quarterback Nathan Peterman was named a candidate for the 2016 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

(Photo of Nathan Peterman. Photo courtesy of Pitt Athletics)

After taking over the role as Pitt’s signal-calling passer in 2015, Peterman started the final 11 contests of the season and finished with 2,287 passing yards and 20 touchdowns compared to just eight interceptions—with 15 TDs and only one INT over eight conference games. He also completed 61.5% of his passes to rank second among all ACC quarterbacks.

Peterman enters his redshirt senior season with the Panthers as one of eight returning starters on Pitt’s offense as the native of Jacksonville, Fla., completes his MBA in Pitt’s Katz Graduate School of Business.

Named after one of the great quarterbacks in the history of the game, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award annually honors college football’s top senior or fourth-year junior passer based on criteria including character, citizenship, scholastic achievement, leadership and athletic accomplishments.

Past winners of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award include Peyton Manning (Tennessee, 1997); Carson Palmer (USC, 2002); Eli Manning (Mississippi, 2003); Matt Ryan (Boston College, 2007); Andrew Luck (Stanford, 2011) and last year’s winner Connor Cook (Michigan State, 2015). This year’s recipient will be announced at a ceremony on Dec. 9 in Baltimore, Md.

Peterman earned his first watch-list selection of the 2016 preseason and became Pitt’s 15th overall candidate for several of college football’s most prestigious awards.

2016 Pitt Preseason Watch-List Selections (15 total):
Maxwell Award: RB James Conner
Chuck Bednarik Award: DE Ejuan Price, S Jordan Whitehead
Rimington Trophy: C Alex Officer
Ray Guy Award: P Ryan Winslow
Bronko Nagurski Trophy: S Jordan Whitehead
Outland Trophy: OL Adam Bisnowaty, OL Dorian Johnson
Jim Thorpe Award: S Jordan Whitehead
Wuerffel Trophy: RB James Conner, OL Adam Bisnowaty, LB Mike Caprara
Doak Walker Award: RB James Conner
Paul Hornung Award: S Jordan Whitehead
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award: QB Nathan Peterman

NARDUZZI ANNOUNCES FIVE PLAYERS WON’T BE ON ACTIVE ROSTER DUE TO MEDICAL CONDITIONS

On Friday, Pitt head football coach Pat Narduzzi announced today that five players will not be members of the active roster due to medical conditions when training camp opens on Monday, August 8. These players include:

Junior defensive lineman Justin Moody will no longer play due to a non-football related cervical spine condition. Moody, who lettered the past two years at defensive tackle, will remain with the program as a student assistant.

Incoming freshman defensive back George Hill was found to have a pre-existing cardiac condition that disqualifies him from participating. Hill will remain with the program on scholarship as a permanent medical exemption.

Incoming freshman defensive lineman Zack Gilbert will be held out this season for a cardiac condition. Gilbert will remain with the program and his opportunity for future participation will be reevaluated after the season.

Sophomore tight end Chris Clark will sit out the year after undergoing offseason knee surgery. Clark, who transferred to Pitt from UCLA this past January, will redshirt this season and have three years of eligibility remaining.

Sophomore offensive lineman Mike Grimm underwent offseason hip surgery and will be out for the year.

“Each of these young men are very passionate about the game of football and our heart goes out to them,” Narduzzi said. “Although they will not be able to play this fall, each of them will remain an active and important part of our family. They are, and will always be, Panthers. We are going to make sure they continue to benefit from a University of Pittsburgh education and being an important member of our football program.”