Former Pitt LB Receiving Another Professional Football Opportunity

Former Pitt linebacker Johnny Petrishen is a busy guy these days, on and off the field.

Petrishen — a 6-foot-1, 225-pound linebacker from Lower Burrell, Pa. — is a regular on WPXI, often serving as a panelist on the popular show, the Final Word, and he’s still continuing his football career.

The St. Louis BattleHawks of the United Football League (UFL) signed Petrishen on Monday, the league announced. He spent time with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL) last year.

The #UFL has announced the following transactions for Monday, January 27 pic.twitter.com/dYFQJsOQ3d

— UFL Communications Department (@UFL_PR) January 28, 2025

Petrishen — a former WPIAL standout who starred on the Pitt ACC championship-winning squad — has spent time with the Blue Bombers and BC Lions of the CFL since his collegiate career came to an end following the 2021 season.

It’s been a long road, but the journey has continued — no matter what he’s doing. The Lower Burrell native originally committed to Penn State out of Central Catholic. It was a turbulent time, to say the least, with a season-ending injury in 2016 and a lot of special teams work during his time in State College.

Petrishen decided to come back to Pittsburgh in 2019, enrolling at Pitt and spending his first two seasons as a reserve linebacker and special teamer — having made the transition from safety to linebacker. He broke out in 2021 as a Star linebacker with 74 tackles (29 solo), 8.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, three interceptions (including one returned for a touchdown against Georgia Tech) and a pass breakup.

He went undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft, spending some time with the Buffalo Bills in the preseason, but he didn’t latch on in the NFL. He competed at two Pitt Pro Days, impressing in both instances and worked in broadcast as he’s continued to train for a professional opportunity.

At 6-foot-1, 230 pounds, Petrishen is an excellent athlete — boasting a 4.5 40-yard dash and nearly 40-inch vertical. And with his background as a safety and linebacker, he’s an intriguing piece as a weakside linebacker and special teamer at the UFL level.

The 2025 UFL season will kick off on March 28 at 8 p.m. on Fox Sports, and conveniently, the BattleHawks will open the season.