PITTSBURGH — It seems like yesterday that Alex Bookser was a 4-star offensive tackle coming out of Mt. Lebanon High School and giving Paul Chryst and Pitt a verbal commitment.
Time goes by quick and Bookser is a senior and entering his last season playing for his hometown team.
In the classroom, Booker has accomplished plenty as he’s already earned his bachelor’s degree in communication and is now pursuing a second major in administration of justice.
On the field, he’s been a rock for the Panthers starting 37 of a possible 39 games on the offensive line and has made himself into a legitimate prospect for the 2019 NFL Draft.
If you ask Bookser, there’s one thing left that he’s yet to accomplish with the Panthers and that’s win enough and legitimately compete for the ACC Coastal Division crown. In his three seasons in the lineup–he redshirted in 2014, his freshman year–Pitt’s win total has been eight, eight and five.
Bottom line is that isn’t good enough for the Pitt coaches and definitely isn’t enough for Bookser who realizes he only has one shot left.
Although none of the national media has picked Pitt anywhere higher than 3rd place in the division, the players and coaches inside the Pitt offices have a quiet confidence developing.
Could this be the year that Pitt wins more than eight games? Bookser sure hopes so because it’s something he’s been waiting for on for a long time.
“The biggest thing that brought me to Pitt in the recruiting process was that if I went someplace else and Pitt had success and I had somewhere else, I don’t know if I could have ever forgiven myself,” said Bookser. “We have a chance to do something special this year, in the back of my mind, this is going to be that year that everything comes to fruition and it’s going to be something special.”
If that happens, it will mean something a bit more to Bookser considering he’s a senior, he’s from the WPIAL and is a Pittsburgh guy.
“That would be a dream come true. That’s why I came here, I’m a Pittsburgh guy at heart. Anytime I can be a part of something that puts Pittsburgh up and in the light, I’m doing my job for the city.”
Hear more from Bookser in our video interview, recorded during Pitt’s Media Day on 8/9/2018.
