Pitt usually names four captains each season, and while it took a few months to find that fourth captain, he’s finally been named.
Pat Narduzzi announced Thursday night that C’Bo Flemister will serve as Pitt’s fourth captain this season — joining Matt Goncalves, David Green and Shayne Simon, who were announced as captains at the Football Kickoff Luncheon in August.
As Goncalves suffered a season-ending injury in September, it’s been Flemister who has stepped up offensively as a leading presence on and off the field.
“You see, C’Bo has been playing well the last couple weeks, and again he’s also helping to lead our football team as far as just being a leader,” Narduzzi said last month. “I think he’s stepped up with the absence of Matt Goncalves. He’s kind of got some natural leadership skills to him. Our guys have really bought into what he’s all about. He plays his tail off. I mean, he’ll be on any special teams. So he’s played hard.”
Flemister has taken on a larger and larger role in the offense since he arrived from Notre Dame last summer, and over the last few weeks, he’s emerged as the starting running back.
He ran the ball a career-high 23 times for a career-high 105 yards (4.6 yards per carry) against Wake Forest two weeks ago, and he’s carried the ball 76 times for 306 yards (4.0 yards per carry) and two touchdowns this season — adding six receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown.
In just over two and a half seasons at Pitt, Flemister has carried the ball 116 times for 527 yards (4.5 yards per carry) and four touchdowns and caught six passes for 88 yards (14.7 yards per reception) and a touchdown.
As Goncalves has been out this season, a revolving door of players like Flemister, M.J. Devonshire, Jake Kradel and Blake Zubovic have served as team captains on opening coin tosses.
Flemister, Green and Simon will likely be joined by another veteran when Pitt walks out for the opening coin toss against Florida State Saturday afternoon.
