On Saturday night, Pitt long snapper Cal Adomitis was selected the Patrick Mannelly award as the best long snapper in the country.
The redshirt senior one was of three finalists for the award as he beat out Damon Johnson of USC and Alex Ward of UCF.
The Mannelly award has recognized the nation’s best long snapper since 2019. Adomitis joins John Shannon and Thomas Fletcher as Mannelly award winners.
Adomitis, a Pittsburgh Central Catholic graduate, came to Pitt as a walk-on in 2017. After just one full season of appearing in 12 games, Pitt gave Adomitis a scholarship.
Over those next four years, he continued to make a name for himself while playing a position that didn’t get much attention. Adomitis was a crucial part of the Panthers special team unit, playing in 63 consecutive games. Adomitis also was named by Phil Steele as a first-team all ACC long snapper, a semifinalist for the Mannelly award, and an All American Honorable mention in 2020.
When the NCAA announced that all fall student-athletes would receive an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Adomitis returned to Pitt for one last season. Before the season began, he was named a second-team preseason All-American by Phil Steele. He was also nominated for the 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team for his work in the community.
In July, most college athletes were looking to benefit personally from the NCAA’s new NIL rules, but Adomitis wanted to give back to the community instead. In October, Adomitis Announced the “Cal’s Kids” Fundraiser with UPMC Children’s Hospital intending to raise $94,000 for UPMC Children’s Hospital. This past Friday, he didn’t just reach the goal; he passed it by raising $114,000 for UPMC Children’s Hospital.
Adomitis’ impact on the field was immense during his five years at the University of Pittsburgh, but also what he did for his hometown in the process made an even bigger one.
Kudos