In between Biletnikoff Award-winning performances by Pitt wide receivers Antonio Bryant and Larry Fitzgerald, Lamar Slade applied his trade alongside both superstar wideouts.
He was never the star himself, but Slade grew during his four years from a little-offered wide receiver out of Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, Va. into a talented wideout and the man he is today.
And Slade is back Saturday night to serve as Pitt’s honorary captain against Virginia Tech, Pat Narduzzi announced Saturday morning.
“Excited to announce that this week’s Pitt Honorary Captain is Lamar Slade,” Narduzzi wrote on Twitter. “The Virginia native will help get the Panthers ready to go tonight in Blacksburg.”
In four seasons at Pitt, Slade caught 93 passes for 1,083 yards and seven touchdowns, breaking out as a senior with 48 receptions for 649 yards and four touchdowns. And, of course, he helped bridge the gap between Bryant and Fitzgerald.
He would go on to spend a couple of years with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the CFL, catching eight passes for 128 yards in the 2004 CFL season before a knee injury ended his football career.
Pitt and Virginia Tech are scheduled to kick off at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg at 8 p.m. For those unable to be in attendance, the game will be broadcast on ACC Network.
