It wasn’t a typical senior day, as the families of the Pitt players appeared on the scoreboard instead of on the playing surface at Heinz Field before Pitt’s home finale with Virginia Tech.
But it was still an emotional day for the 10 or so Panthers that played their final collegiate game at the stadium.
“Being from Pittsburgh, playing at Heinz Field since I was a sophomore in high school, it just meant everything to know that this was my last collegiate game here,” senior safety Damar Hamlin said.
“They played a video of my family right before I walked out. That was just a special moment to see my little brother, my mother and my dad all just saying our final goodbye to Heinz Field as a Pitt Panther.”
The seniors came through on their special day, with Hamlin making a team-high 11 tackles including a crucial fourth-down, goal-line stop, Kenny Pickett throwing for over 400 yards and DJ Turner hauling in 15 of those passes in Pitt’s 47-14 shellacking of the Hokies.