Inside The Panthers

The Story Behind Pitt's Pregame Flag Salute to Virginia Football

The Pitt Panthers paid tribute to the Virginia football players killed last week.

Stephen Thompson

The Story Behind Pitt's Pregame Flag Salute to Virginia Football
The Story Behind Pitt's Pregame Flag Salute to Virginia Football /
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PITTSBURGH -- When the Pitt Panthers took the field this week right before kick off of their final home game against Duke, they carried with them heavy hearts and a demonstration of solidarity with Virginia Football, who had lost three players to an on-campus shooting less than a day after the Panthers and Cavaliers had wrapped up a football game at Scott Stadium. 

Senior defensive back Marquis Williams carried a Virginia flag onto the field, a new addition to the American and Pitt banners the team typically carries with them during pregame introductions. 

The Panthers also wore shirts honoring the victims, Lavel Davis Jr., D'Sean Perry and Devin Chandler, that read "UVA STRONG" with the numbers of all three players across the chest. 

While Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi couldn't fill in the background on how the flag gesture came to be, athletic Director Heather Lyke did during the postgame press conference. She said associate athletic director Amy Anderson came up with the idea and Patty Irrgang, assistant to the Pitt Provost for space management, was able to make the flag in a single day. 

Narduzzi said he and his team will continue to keep the Cavaliers - their program, the school and the Virginia community in their thoughts as they try to heal. 

"We got the shirts, remembering those three young men who didn’t deserve what they got last Sunday, and it's a shame," Narduzzi said. "But we stick with our brothers in Charlottesville. I couldn't tell you whose idea was the flag. ... Marquis took it out and again, I cannot imagine what they are going through down there. Prayers continue to go out because it's not easy and it's not over."

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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