Growing up, Adam Howanitz heard all the stories about his father George’s athletic career at Bucknell University.
He also visited the campus as a football prospect when the Bison recruited him from Valley View High School.
On Saturday, after following his own path to the University of Pittsburgh, Howanitz will take the field, and his father’s alma mater is the opponent. The undefeated Panthers (3-0) host Bucknell (1-3) at noon in a nonconference game at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.
“That’s where the original dream of playing Division I football came from, by idolizing my father and what he accomplished at Bucknell,” Adam said. “Him playing Division I was what really drove me to work hard to play football in college.
“Bucknell was a school that I visited a bunch of times. It was one of my three offers coming out of high school. It’s going to be pretty cool. With my dad playing there, it’s a little different. We look at it as another opportunity to improve and work at getting to 4-0.”
George, the head coach at Honesdale, was an all-state player at Valley View. He led the Cougars to Big 11, Eastern Conference Class II, and PIAA Class 2A championships as a quarterback and defensive back in 1992.
A highly recruited player, George selected Bucknell University, where he was a co-captain in his senior season in 1996. He was a starting defensive back for Bucknell, which won the Patriot League title that season.
But even with all of that nostalgia, George will be outfitted in the blue and gold of the Panthers.
“I have a lot of my teammates calling me that they are going to the game,” George said. “I will be there with my Pitt No. 44 jersey on. It’s going to be neat.”
Adam is a senior who intends to attend law school. He chose Pitt, where he was a walk-on tight end.
In high school, Adam started for four seasons, playing quarterback and defensive back for his father, then the head coach at Valley View. A dual-threat quarterback, he threw for 2,241 yards and 24 touchdowns and ran for 1,226 yards and 24 touchdowns in 36 varsity games.
He suffered a torn ACL midway through his junior season. As a senior, he led the Cougars to a 10-3 season and to the District 2 Class 4A final, and the program finished 36-9 in his four seasons.
At Pitt, the 6-foot-4, 240-pound tight end did not see any playing time early in his career. Then, before the Panthers’ Game Above Sports Bowl appearance against Toledo in Detroit, Michigan, Adam tore his ACL again.
Determined to conquer adversity just as he did in high school, Adam rehabilitated for more than a year.
“It just shows that you can’t take anything for granted,” Adam said. “You don’t realize how much you miss walking until you are on crutches and with a brace on your knee. What I came to understand was that when you are hurt and can’t play, you need to create value for yourself. I had an opportunity to signal in the offense because I knew the system so well. That was a great experience and made me want to stay with the process and the team.”
Adam’s perseverance paid off when he had his first game experience as a Panther in a win over the University of Central Florida.
“It’s been pretty good,” Adam said. “I have played in two games, which for me is a big deal. Coming off the second surgery, I had some doubts. There was a mental battle on top of the physical with making cuts and everything. Coach (Brent) Davis, the tight ends coach, has been great with me. Whenever I had any issues coming back, he was understanding.
“Getting into a game felt like it was a long time coming. After I got hurt at the end of my second year, I was going into my third year, and we took things slow in getting back. Being able to play in the last two games was big. I hope I can get in a few more. I will continue to work and develop.”
Adam’s college football journey has been rewarding.
His entire family is proud each week they see him in a Pitt uniform, playing the sport he loves.
“I feel like for all the things that have happened to him in his career, he never looks back and has any regrets,” George said. “He loves Pitt, Coach (Pat) Narduzzi, and his teammates. It has been a great experience; he has made a lot of friends he will have for life. You create these great memories and lasting friendships. It is what is sometimes forgotten about the football playing experience.
“His mom (Eileen) and I are really happy for him. He doesn’t miss a practice. He puts the time in and busts his butt in the weight room. He is very good academically, and it’s nice to see him run out of the tunnel and be a part of the Pitt program.”
