Butler graduate Nick Stazer (55), making a play against Norwin last season, and former Golden Tornado teammate Jake Kradel are freshman guards at the University of Pittsburgh. Kradel signed early with the Panthers while Stazer is an invited walk-on.

PITTSBURGH — Their impact may not be felt at Heinz Field this season.

But in coming years? They only hope.

Butler graduates Jake Kradel and Nick Stazer are a pair of freshman guards on the University of Pittsburgh football team. They arrived there through radically different means.

Kradel, at 6-foot-3, 290 pounds, was heavily receruited by the Panthers and verbally committed to Pitt his junior year. He graduated from Butler early and enrolled at Pitt last winter, taking part in spring practice.

“That definitely put me ahead of the game a little bit, at least with the freshmen who came in this summer,” Kradel said. “And I was able to log a 3.2 grade point average while picking up 15 credits.”

Kradel is majoring in business.

The 6-4, 295-pound Stazer is at Pitt, well, partially because of Kradel.

“One of their coaches was at a Butler practice last year talking to Jake when I happened to walk by,” Stazer said. “He noticed my size and Jake told him about me.

“The guy came over and talked with me, said they'd keep an eye on me, and they eventually invited me to walk on.”

Stazer played only one year of varsity football — his senior season — and made a consistent impact aong the line of scrimmage for the Golden Tornado last year.

He is majoring in education.

Read the full story in Sunday's Butler Eagle.