Some people say it took eight plays. Dave Wannstedt still insists it was only five. That was all the film, all the evidence he needed to know he had a legitimate college player in this high school kid who was about 180 pounds and closer to 5 feet 5 than the 5-7 listed on recruiting sites.
Once this mighty mite out of Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J., enrolled at Pitt in January 2009, it took even less time in-person. One carry, maybe two, and the coaches knew they would be just fine with a freshman in the backfield.