John Pelusi

Height:
6-3
Class:
Sophomore
Hometown:
Pittsburgh, Pa.
High School:
Pittsburgh Central Catholic

2008 Scouting Report: Seasoned contributor at tight end who figures to be a prominent contributor to the Pitt offense...excellent technician who complements his strong fundamentals with smarts and toughness...hardnosed blocker who is also a viable receiving option...missed spring drills due to offseason shoulder surgery (right) but will be back at full strength for training camp...a classroom standout who earned Big East All-Academic Football Team honors last year.

2007: Played in eight games, starting three...missed four games due to injury (Grambling, right shoulder; Rutgers, USF and West Virginia, right toe)...had five catches for 46 yards on the season...had career-high three catches (for 20 yards) vs. Eastern Michigan...had career-high 26 receiving yards (on two catches) vs. Navy.

2006: Underwent left knee surgery following an offseason injury and ultimately took a redshirt.

2005: Played in all 11 games as a true freshman to letter...contributed in multiple tight end sets and on special teams.

High School: Excelled at blocking and pass catching as a tight end at nearby Pittsburgh Central Catholic...named to The Associated Press Pennsylvania Class AAAA All-State Team (first team)...was a three-year starter at tight end and defensive end for the Vikings...led Central Catholic to a 16-0 mark and the WPIAL and PIAA Class AAAA championships as a senior...the Vikings were ranked No. 6 in the country by USA Today...as a junior, team went 13-2, won the WPIAL title and finished as the state runner-up...Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 'Fabulous 22'... Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 'Terrific 25'...Pittsburgh Tribune-Review All-Class AAAA...Harrisburg Patriot-News 'Platinum 33'...All-Quad A East...had 15 receptions for 254 yards (16.9 avg.) and two touchdowns as a senior...defensively had 72 tackles and three quarterback sacks...his junior year, caught 30 passes for 549 yards (18.3 avg.)...rated the No. 12 prospect in Pennsylvania by SuperPrep...SuperPrep All-Northeast Team...PrepStar All-East Region...rated the No. 18 prospect in Pennsylvania by Scout.com and Rivals.com...rated the nation[apos]s No. 32 tight end by Rivals.com...played under Coach Art Walker Jr....selected to play in the Big 33 Football Classic...also earned letters in basketball and track... High Honors student...YMCA Scholar-Athlete honoree... KDKA Extra Effort Award recipient...senior class officer and student government member.

Personal: John Christopher Pelusi, born 2/24/86, is the son of John and Cathy Pelusi...has three sisters...has extensive family ties to Pitt...father was the starting center for Pitt[apos]s 1976 national championship team...John Sr. played for the Panthers from 1973-76 and is now a member of Pitt[apos]s Board of Trustees...sister Jamie was a goalkeeper for the Pitt women[apos]s soccer team (2002-05) and was the 2004 Big East Goalkeeper of the Year...uncles Jay and Jeff also played for the Panthers...Jay lettered at nose tackle from 1979-82, while Jeff lettered at linebacker from 1976-79... another uncle, Jim, played football at Columbia from 1974-77, while yet another uncle, Rich Thomaselli, played football at West Virginia Wesleyan (1981-83) and later with the NFL[apos]s Houston Oilers and Green Bay Packers... business-marketing major.