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Kenny Pickett was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers and was the first quarterback off the board in this year's NFL draft. Much is expected of him as the Steelers begin life without Ben Roethlisberger. Pickett is expected to challenge Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph for the starting job.
While what comes up in the future will play out right before our eyes, there are plenty of interesting factoids from his past. Here are some interesting tidbits that may pique one's interest.
#1 - Athleticism is in his genes
Kenny Pickett played three sports in high school before focussing on football. He used to play basketball and baseball in addition to football. He dropped baseball in junior high. It is not a surprise since he comes from an athletic family.
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His father, Ken Pikett, was an all-American linebacker at Shippenburg University in Pennsylvania. Both his mother and sister played soccer and the latter is currently a soccer coach not far from the Steelers' training ground.
His mother, Kasey Pickett, played for Division II Kutztown University. His sister, Alex Pickett, played with East Stroudsburg University and now coaches at Seton Hill.
That might be one of the other reasons why he was chosen higher up than any other quarterback, because he already knows the sacrifices that an athlete must make.
#2 - Inspired an NCAA Rule change
Kenny Pickett gave a lot of joy to Pitt's fans and we will have a look at his records later. But if asked to pick a moment that remains etched in the memory of onlookers, most would probably pick his 'fake slide'.
The setting was the ACC Championship and Pittsburgh were looking for their first title against Wake Forest. The teams were still scoreless in the first quarter when Kenny Pickett received the ball in a 3rd-and-5 situation. He took off on a run and got the first down.
Thereafter, he pretended to slide, which made the defenders back off. But before his knee could touch the ground to rule the play dead, he straightened up and continued his run all the way to the endzone to open the scoring in the game.
His cheekiness in that game inspired the NCAA to ban fake slides in college football. There are not many players who can say that a rule has been changed because of them.
#3 - Broke Dan Marino's records
Kenny Pickett had big shoes to fill in Pittsburgh. The records for passing yards and touchdowns were held by the great Dan Marino. We are talking here of one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever have played the sport and one who is in the Hall of Fame.
But Kenny Pickett took that challenge in his stride. Now, none of this is telling that he is going to be the next Dan Marino. The game has changed in favor of passing exponentially. But beating Dan Marino in anything is still a great achievement.
He finished his college career with 12,303 yards and 81 touchdowns, both of which are new records. He also set the record for passing yards and total yards in the 2021 season for Pittsburgh when he had 4,319 and 233 yards, respectively.
#4 - His hands have a special characteristic
By now, unless you have been living under a rock, chances are you have heard that Kenny Pickett has a small hand size. His hand span came in at 8-1/2", which is below average among quarterbacks.
But he has an advantage in his throwing right hand that many people often forget to mention. He has a double-jointed thumb, which allows him to get a better grip on the football.
#5 - Long association with Matt Canada
Matt Canada is currently the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers. But Canada and Pickett had a long relationship even before they met up with the Steelers. In fact, there is a good chance that it was Matt Canada who recruited Kenny Pickett to the Steelers.
When Kenny was scouted for Pitt, Canada was the offensive coach of the program. Though he would leave for LSU before Pickett could start, the trust between the quarterback and the coach was established. That is something that the Steelers will try to exploit this season.
With a good family background; previous coach relations; ability to establish himself at the very top of the college game; intelligence that led to rules being tailored; and a hand that is special; there is a good chance that we might be talking about Pickett for years to come. He has done everything right so far, and now, it will depend on the work he puts inside the Steelers' facility.
