Eye on the future
JACKSON TWP — Troy Witt has always kept his eye on the future.
It also means he can play football a little while longer.
Witt, a senior who played slot receiver this past fall at Seneca Valley, has been accepted to Carnegie Mellon University and will continue his athletic career as well.
“The No. 1 thing was academics. That’s why you go to college,” said Witt, who holds a 4.1 GPA and will major in economics. “You have your whole life after college and CMU will set you up for your future.”
Witt built up a great rapport with Tartans head coach Rich Lackner and defensive coordinator Terry Bodnar in the recruiting process.
“I felt so comfortable there and knew it would be a steppingstone to my future,” Witt said.
Witt, one of SV’s team captains, finished his senior campaign with 42 receptions for a team-leading 569 yards and added three touchdowns. He was a Northern Seven first-team selection and was named to the Butler Eagle Sweet 16 Offense team.
In three seasons with the varsity squad, Witt tallied 83 catches — third-most in school history — for 974 yards and six scores. He also had 101 carries for 463 yards and five TDs.
Witt received the team’s Leadership Award for his abilities on the field, which translated off as well.
“That’s Troy without question,” Raiders coach Don Holl said. “We say the way to do anything is the way to do everything and he’s that guy. He brings everything to the field.
“I know it’s a cliche, but if a coach had a team like Troy, he’d never lose a game,” Holl added.
Witt acknowledged he will be seeing time in the backfield as a running back in CMU’s Wing-T offense and may see some action on kick and punt returns.
“Growing up, until I was on varsity, I played running back,” Witt said. “It won’t be that hard to adjust.”
Witt had been interested in other Division III schools — Geneva, Westminster and Washington & Jefferson as well as schools like Duquesne and was accepted into the University of Pittsburgh’s business school — but jumped at the chance to play when CMU became interested.
Getting into the college is no small task. The school received 31,000 applications for 1,400 fall freshmen openings and Witt was one of them.
So Witt’s biggest hurdle as a freshman on the football team? Just squeezing everything into each day.
“While I’m down there, my parents won’t be there,” Witt said. “I’ll have to manage my time. I have to go to practice and my classes.”
Holl is certainly optimistic Witt can make that transition.
“If you go someplace (known for academics), sometimes it’s a challenge to stay on top of your academic load. But, at the end of the day, he’s such a great player,” Holl said.
“It’s a heck of a program. In their offense, I’m sure there are some things he can do in the backfield. He can catch the ball in the box. I think he can make a difference.”
