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Pitt junior tight end Darrell Strong finally gets it and now he wants it worse than ever.

As a result, the Panthers appear to have an outstanding player who should continue to develop.

Given Strong's obvious physical tools, the fact he is finally focused and hungry should scare anyone drawing up plans to stop him.

Strong, who is 6 feet 5, 260 pounds, is a supremely talented athlete who has yet to realize his potential. But part of his problem has centered on his lack of enthusiasm in switching positions.

When he came to Pitt, he was a quarterback, but he was shifted to wide receiver before his freshman season because he was too good of an athlete to sit on the bench.

Just about the time he had warmed to the idea of playing receiver, he was moved to tight end, a position he definitely wasn't thrilled about playing.

His main objection was that to be a complete player he'd have to be more physical and become an excellent blocker.

Strong has perhaps the best hands on the team, but he admitted he wasn't interested in becoming a good blocker last year. He didn't improve much in that area and played almost exclusively in passing situations.

In the offseason, after thinking things through, he has had a change of heart and attitude. That has left the Panthers with potentially a dominant player who can play in every situation.

"This offseason it just clicked for me. I got a lot bigger, a lot stronger and lost a lot of body weight," Strong said. "I feel like I've become a better blocker this spring and that's my number one goal. I want to be a dominant blocker. My heart is in it, I want to be a true tight end. I don't just want to be a H-back or a glorified receiver. I want to be a tight end and I feel like a true tight end.

"My days as a receiver are over and so are my days as a quarterback. I'm a tight end now and I know I can be a great blocker as well as do the things I've always done catching passes."

Strong has worked hard on his blocking and has had plenty of opportunities to test his newfound skills.

Sophomore John Pelusi injured his knee in the winter and is out for the spring. That has left the position shorthanded, so Strong and senior Steve Buches have shared most of the work load.

"It is has been a good spring for Darrell because he's been in there in every situation and he's had to work on blocking more," Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said.

"Before we used him in a lot of ways, but we've needed him to play the power schemes and stick pretty much with the meat and potatoes of the position. That's been good for him."

Strong agrees with his coach and said the best is yet to come.

"I feel bad for John that he got hurt, but in the long run it will help me," said Strong, who is from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

"I've had to play in more blocking schemes and that has helped me develop as a blocker. I'm not even worried about catching passes right now. I'm really just focused on becoming a better blocker and a more physical player."