Inside The Panthers

Pitt Announces Honorary Captain vs. Virginia

Pitt Panthers announce honorary captain vs. Virginia Cavaliers.

Dominic Campbell

Sep 16, 2006; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh running back (34) LaRod Stephens-Howling scores a touchdown in the first half against Michigan State at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-Imagn Images
Sep 16, 2006; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh running back (34) LaRod Stephens-Howling scores a touchdown in the first half against Michigan State at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-Imagn Images / Jason Bridge-Imagn Images
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PITTSBURGH -- The No. 18 Pitt Panthers will face off against the Virginia Cavaliers in their Week 11 matchup at Acrisure Stadium, where they'll honor a former player.

Pitt announced that former running back LaRod Stephens-Howling will serve as the honorary captain for the team vs. Virginia. He'll come out at midfield for the coin toss, along with the other Pitt captains, and meet the other Virginia captains.

Stephens-Howling hails from Johnstown, Pa., about 70 miles east of Pittsburgh. He played for Greater Johnstown High school, and set a record of 4,597 rushing yards, 8.9 yards per carry, and also ran for 57 touchdowns in his career.

He committed to Pitt in the Class of 2005, with Rivals ranking him as a three-star, No. 22 recruit in Pennsylvania and No. 58 running back in the country.

Stephens-Howling played in nine games and made three starts as a true freshman, leading the Panthers with 434 rushing yards on 96 carries, 4.5 yards per carry. Also served as a kick returner and took the opening kickoff back vs. Ohio in a Week 2 loss for a 95-yard touchdown.

He led Pitt with 178 carries for 893 rushing yards, 5.0 yards per carry, scoring nine rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown, starting 11 games as a sophomore in 2006. He ranked fourth in the Big East with 81.2 rushing yards per game and 105.0 all-purpose yards per game.

Stephens-Howling saw a diminished role as a junior, as star freshman LeSean McCoy took over the running back duties. He had 78 carries for 320 yards and one touchdown in 2007.

He would serve as the main kick returner as a senior, with 23 returns for 493 yards, 21.4 yards per return. He also played in all 13 games, making 77 carries for 312 yards and five touchdowns, along with 11 receptions for 109 yards.

The Arizona Cardinals selected Stephens-Howling with the No. 240 overall pick in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft.

He spent four seasons with the Cardinals, serving mostly as a kickoff returner, with 163 returns for 4,097 yards and three touchdowns, 25.0 yards per return. He also had 182 carries for 651 yards and five touchdowns.

Stephens-Howling would play start the 2013 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but suffered an ACL tear in the season opener and didn't play in the NFL ever again.

He worked as a graduate assistant for Pitt and as running backs coach for Robert Morris for two seasons in 2017 and 2018.

The Panthers will face off against the Cavaliers at 8:00 p.m. on the ACC Network at Acrisure Stadium. This is their second straight game with that kickoff time and television channel. It is also the second primetime game at home and first on a Saturday in 2024 for Pitt.

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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