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Pitt starts to reap benefits of patience with freshman
DE Mathews moves up to second team in time for return to Syracuse
Thursday, October 05, 2006
By Paul Zeise, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pitt freshman defensive end McKenzie Mathews quit on his team in August, but his coaches and teammates never quit on him. As a result, he appears to be on his way to a promising future, both on the field and off.
"I'll never forget the support my teammates showed me when I came back," said Mathews, who left the team a week into training camp but returned four days later. "Coach [Dave] Wannstedt gave me the space and support I needed and really helped save my career," said Mathews. "He didn't judge me. He let me come back and just tried to understand what I was going through. That made me want to work extra hard and show him and my teammates that they can count on me. Now, I am ready to do my part. I've really been working to try and get their respect back, and everything has gone well."
Mathews was considered one of the top recruits in the Panthers' freshman class, not just because of his talent but also because he played a position where Pitt needed help. Even though he was wanted -- and needed -- he quit during training camp, telling teammates he was homesick. Mathews, however, never actually left campus, although he cleaned out his locker and missed practice for three days.
His mother, Sonia, and his older brother, Rick Williams, came to Pittsburgh to visit with him. He also had daily discussions with members of Pitt's coaching staff and his high school coach at Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse, N.Y., Joe Cassemento. All helped him to make the decision to give Pitt football another try.
Cassemento said Mathews had also considered giving up football as a high school freshman. The Christian Brothers coach said his advice last month was the same as in high school: "Believe in yourself, stick it out and see what happens."
The advice worked in high school as Mathews became an all-state player with scholarship offers from the likes of Miami, Florida, Michigan and Ohio State. He chose Pitt largely because he liked Wannstedt and running backs coach David Walker, a former Syracuse coach with deep ties to the Syracuse area.
"McKenzie's just never thought of himself as being a great football player," Cassemento said. "And, at Pitt, he was thrust into a new environment with a lot of great players and he didn't feel like he measured up. He wasn't sure of himself. He just needed to have his confidence built back up, that's all.
"Pitt's coaching staff was great. I could tell, and McKenzie could tell, that [Dave] Wannstedt was more concerned for him and that he'd be all right than he was about a kid missing a few practices. The way Pitt's staff handled it was a lot better than many other coaches would have. I know that from experience."
Mathews was welcomed back by the Panthers with open arms, but he had to work his way back up the depth chart -- from the bottom. He was likely headed for a redshirt year until Doug Fulmer sustained a broken ankle early in the Panthers' victory against The Citadel. He has appeared in the past two games and is a second-team defensive end.
Wannstedt said he never considered kicking Mathews off the team because he understands how difficult it can be for some kids to adjust to life as a Division I football player and all the things, including being away from home, that go with it.
"I always ask myself 'how would I want my son treated?' and act accordingly," Wannstedt said. "When I tell parents or grandparents that me and my coaching staff are going to do everything in our power to help their sons become good citizens, get a degree and develop into mature young men, I mean it because those are the things that really matter most.
"Half the freshmen have been in my office with problems, but, when we recruit them, we understand that is a part of the deal, and it is why I am doing what I am doing. I know I can help these kids, and that makes it all worth while."
Mathews is going home again tomorrow, but this time it will be with his teammates and coaches by his side. The Panthers (4-1) play at the Carrier Dome against Syracuse (3-2) Saturday, and that's less than five miles from where his family lives. "I've played at the Carrier Dome eight times, mostly state playoff games," said Mathews. "So I have a good idea of what it will be like."
