120 Players You Need To
Know
Pitt DE Greg Romeus
By
Richard Cirminiello
Who is Greg Romeus?
…
Three years ago, Dave Wannstedt plucked Romeus out of Florida
without too much of a fight. Today, he’d likely be fending off Urban
Meyer, Bobby Bowden, and Randy Shannon. Actually, it’s tough to
blame the Big 3 for missing the boat on the skinny kid from Coral
Springs. Romeus was a basketball player until his senior year, when
he was convinced to try out for the football team. After one year,
he was getting offers from the likes of Akron and UCF, but the
Pittsburgh program and coaching staff just felt right. Under the
watchful eye of defensive line coach Greg Gattuso, he’s blossomed
from a 220-pound athlete to a 260-pound all-leaguer coming off the
edge. A good-hearted gentleman away from the field, he’s all
business on Saturdays. And if he keeps fine-tuning his footwork and
overall technique, NFL scouts will be sniffing around Heinz Field
before very long.
Greg Romeus’ best game so far was … Oregon State in last
year’s Sun Bowl. Although Pittsburgh came up short in El Paso, it
wasn’t the fault of Romeus or any of his defensive teammates. The
Panthers held the Beavers to just a field goal, getting four tackles
and the first two-sack game of Romeus’ brief college career.
Why you should
care about Greg Romeus? … Not only is Romeus one of the top
young pass rushers in the country, but he hasn’t even begun to
approach his full potential. Still growing literally and as a
football player, there’s no telling how disruptive he can be once
the game starts to slow down. While South Florida’s George Selvie is
widely considered the Big East’s foremost defensive end, Romeus is
closing the gap in a hurry.
Positives about Romeus …
At 6-4 and 260 pounds, he’s a terrific all-around athlete and one of
the Big East’s best pass rushers. He’s got the long arms, quick
first step, and leaping ability to be a real handful for opposing
offensive tackles. Although he’s added 40 pounds since arriving at
220 pounds, he’s actually improved his burst and speed through
better technique and strength training.
Negatives about Romeus …
Having only played football for a few years, he needs to get at
better at the little things and the overall feel of the game.
There’s room for growth in terms of football knowledge, breaking
down film, and reading what the opposing offense is doing.
Fortunately for the Panthers, his biggest limitations are the kinds
of things that can be corrected with more reps and more time with
the staff.
A cool thing about Greg
Romeus you probably didn’t know … He’s a person of deep
religious faith, who attributes all of his blessings to God. He
visits the chapel to pray before each game, and participates in the
team bible study every week.
Career Statistics
2007: 41 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 4 sacks
2008: 51
tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and three blocked kicks
Statistics, information and photo provided by the
Pitt sports information department