Andrew Johnson had narrowed his college choices to Pitt and Ohio State. North Hills High School's star running back visited Ohio State twice and met with the Buckeyes' coaches. He visited Pitt numerous times. He certainly liked both schools and their football programs.
 |
 |
|
North Hills running back Andrew Johnson and his father, Ambro, leave no doubt as to where Johnson will continue his football career in the fall of 2004 -- the University of Pittsburgh. (John Heller, Post-Gazette) |
But the deciding factor in Johnson's decision was how much Ohio State and Pitt liked him.
Johnson, who will be a senior at North Hills, announced at a news conference last night at Papparazzi restaurant on the South Side he has made an oral commitment to Pitt. What swayed him to the Panthers was the feeling of being wanted.
"After I got back from Ohio State the second time [last month], I just felt more comfortable with the way the coaches at Pitt treated me," Johnson said.
"The coaches at Pitt seemed a little more caring. They seemed more genuine and seemed to really want me. That really finalized my decision."
So give Pitt a big victory in recruiting because Johnson (5 feet 11, 195 pounds) is ranked among the top running backs in the country by some scouting services. Rivals100.com ranks him No. 8. He is considered one of the fastest halfbacks in the country, running the 40-yard dash in 4.22 seconds at a Nike camp this spring.
He also is the PIAA Class AAA 100-meter champion and said he plans to run track at Pitt as a freshman.
Maybe it wasn't vital for Ohio State to get Johnson. The Buckeyes already had a commitment from Tyrone Pittman of Akron, Ohio. Pittman is ranked the No. 13 running back in the country by Rivals100.
But getting Johnson was critical for Pitt's recruiting. The Panthers offered him a scholarship when he was a sophomore.
UCLA and Miami were among other schools that offered scholarships, and Johnson visited UCLA in the spring. Johnson said Pitt didn't become his clear-cut No. 1 choice until about a month ago.
"There were times when UCLA was No. 1 and times when Miami was No. 1," Johnson said. "Virginia Tech was up there at one point, too. I didn't think being close to home would matter to me, but I started to realize it would matter after I went on some trips. You see how long it takes to get home. It was a five-hour flight from UCLA."
High school seniors can't sign a binding letter of intent until February of their senior years, but can make an oral commitment any time. Johnson wanted to get his decision out of the way before the start of his senior season.
He played his sophomore and junior years at Central Catholic, but transferred to North Hills in November. He rushed for 1,690 yards in 13 games as a sophomore at Central Catholic. He missed some games with injuries last year and had only 704 yards on 114 carries.
In May, Johnson was concerned about Pitt because of a few teams leaving the Big East Conference. He eventually changed his mind.
"I talked with [Penn Hills quarterback] Anthony Morelli a lot about the conference thing," Johnson said. "Both of us just said we either take Pitt for Pitt, or we leave Pitt completely alone. We both said we have to take Pitt for what Pitt is."
Morelli, ranked among the top quarterbacks in the country, has narrowed his list to Pitt, Notre Dame and Florida State.
"Anthony's my No. 1 priority. I'll get him to Pitt," Johnson said. "Just leave it to me."
Woodland Hills defensive back Devon Lyons, who is being recruited by many Division I colleges, said Johnson also is trying to sway him to Pitt. Johnson said he also is trying to get Butler linebacker Tyrell Sales and Moon lineman A.Q. Shipley to come to Pitt. Shipley already has committed to Penn State.
"I don't care if he's committed. Penn State's horrible," Johnson said with a laugh. "I'll talk him out of it."
When asked if track would conflict with spring football, Johnson said, "We'll work something out."
He's Pitt's eighth football recruit from the class of 2004. He isn't sure if he will play or be redshirted as a freshman at Pitt. His main concern now, though, is his senior season at North Hills.
"I need to win a championship," he said. "I think we have a good enough team to do it."
E-mail this story 
