From Deseret News archives:
Cougar adjusts to new position
That all changed during the second half, when the unsung freshman became a household name among BYU fans. And he probably won't be soon forgotten by the Falcon faithful, much to their dismay.
Pitta, a 6-foot-4, 210-pounder from Moorpark, Calif., caught an 11-yard screen pass for a touchdown — the first of his career — midway through the third quarter, giving the Cougars a 17-10 lead they would not relinquish. It was the first touchdown caught by a BYU tight end this season.
Two minutes later, Pitta blocked a punt that resulted in another TD — the first time the Cougars had scored off of a blocked punt since 1992.
If that weren't enough, he registered the game's final score with three minutes remaining in the contest. His one-yard touchdown catch slammed the door on the Falcons and sealed a 41-24 win.
"I'm just happy to contribute to the team in that way," Pitta said.
Not bad for a guy who came to Provo as a walk-on wide receiver.
Though Pitta enjoyed a solid career at Moorpark High School, where he caught 64 passes for 1,150 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior, no Division I schools offered him a scholarship. Having grown up as a Cougar fan, he chose to attend BYU.
After joining the team last spring as a walk-on, he was switched to tight end and impressed coaches enough to earn a scholarship.
"It was difficult to make the adjustment (to tight end)," said Pitta, who is about 40 pounds lighter than fellow BYU tight end Daniel Coats. "It's a lot more physical playing tight end, having to be a part of the offensive line and having to block. It's a part of the game I had to develop, and I'm still working hard to try to get better in that area."
"He was a receiver in high school. That's a whole different animal than being a tight end in college," said tight ends coach Mike Empey. "We liked him. But we didn't really consider him as a tight end until spring ball started. He had put on a little bit of weight and we started to work with him. Everything he had ever done had been as a wide receiver. He made huge strides because of his athletic ability. He's got like a 36-, 38-inch vertical (leap). He's such a good athlete, he caught on real quickly. He's worked hard at it."
