Pitt senior fullback George Aston has accepted and invitation to play in the 2019 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, which will be played Jan. 19 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
Aston, a fifth-year senior from Stephens City, Virginia, started at Pitt as a walk-on linebacker, but was quickly moved to the offensive side of the ball and made an impact, playing in all 13 games as a redshirt freshman and serving as the team’s starting fullback for the 2016 and 2018 seasons. He missed most of 2017 with a series of injuries.
With one game left in his collegiate career, Aston has 277 yards and eight touchdowns on 45 carries and another 85 yards and six touchdowns on 28 receptions.
As a lead blocker, Aston set the tone for record-setting performances by running backs Quadree Ollison and Darrin Hall, who became the first pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Pitt history.
The Collegiate Bowl is a college all-star game for seniors that are set to enter the professional ranks, with an emphasis on players that are expected to be taken in the later rounds of the draft. It was founded by the NFLPA in 2012.
Aston will be joined from this region at the game by Duquesne wide receiver Nehari Crawford, former Ford City quarterback Gus Frerotte, who will be the National team’s offensive coordinator, and former Steelers wide receivers Plaxico Burress (American team) and Nate Washington (National team), who are receivers coaches.
The region had three players participate in the game last season: Pitt offensive linemen Brandon Hodges and Alex Officer and Duquesne offensive linemen Ben Huss.
It would be great to see him stay in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers are one of the few teams that uses a fullback, but this was the first year of a four-year contract for Nix, so I kind of doubt it.