There’s a lot of Miami in Pitt’s Blades

By Darrell Laurant  |   Thursday, June 15, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Pittsburgh Panthers
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The University of Miami is gone from the Big East -- but maybe not completely.

Although Floridian H.B. Blades is a three-year starter at linebacker for Pitt, there's still a lot of Miami in his play. And that's no accident -- his father Bennie and uncles Brian and Al were all Hurricane defensive backs who went on to the NFL, and Bennie was recently named to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Needless to say, there was some consternation among the Blades clan when H.B. (short for Horatio Benedict) decided to take his talents north. Named the No. 35 linebacking prospect in the country by Super Prep, he could have had his pick of Sunshine State schools.

Only uncle Al supported him in his college choice, Blades said recently, but he was killed in a car accident in 2003.

"That was tough," he told the Syracuse Daily Orange. "Real tough. I got a lot of my style of play from him. He's the one who taught me how to trash talk. When people are tired and beat up, I'm still talking."

Pure Miami. In his earlier playing days, however, Blades also demonstrated the downside of the famous Miami attitude, costing Pitt a couple of close games with overeager penalties. Since then, he's learned to channel his 4.63 speed and feistiness into controlled aggressiveness.

Last season, the 6-0, 245-pounder rang up 121 tackles (20 against Louisville) to lead Pitt and the Big East, and has 246 for his career. He's so quick to the ball that he intercepted a screen pass against Syracuse in 2004 and scored on a 37-yard return.

Named to the pre-season Nagurski, Lott and Butkus award watch lists, Blades also made Playboy's advance team for 2006. He's expected to go in the first round of the 2007 draft to some team impressed with his speed, ferocity and durability.

Interestingly, although H.B. Blades was recruited by Walt Harris, current coach Dave Wannstedt once coached Bennie at Miami.

Asked recently to name the best athlete to emerge from the Blades family, Bennie replied without hesitation: "My son, H.B."

All may not be lost, however. H.B. could still be drafted by the Miami Dolphins.

Get more Pittsburgh Panthers insight at Realfootball365.com
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