Seeing as Pitt's training facility is called the Aaron Donald Performance Center – you know, named after the NFL's best defensive player and maybe the league's best player, period – it is no coincidence that Pitt has become a mecca for talented defensive lineman.
So even though Jaylen Twyman, Patrick Jones and Rashard Weaver are the latest to graduate into the NFL, the Panthers still have plenty of talent in the pipeline. In fact, DL coach Charlie Partridge (who is equally responsible for attracting those prospects) says he has no fewer than 12 players – 6 at DT and 6 at DE – who are capable to being part of his 2021 rotation.
The veteran of the group is tackle Keyshon Camp who has slated to become a big part of that rotation for a number of years now only to fall victim to injury and unfortunate circumstance.
The affable Camp, now at 6-4 290 pounds, is a 6th-year senior who redshirted in 2016 before starting 8 games the next season, flashing tremendous potential and then getting hurt, missing the final two games.
The bad luck just wouldn't go away. After a promising start to the 2018 season and working his way into the starting line-up, three games later Camp was hurt against Notre Dame at the end of October ending that season.
The following year the hex didn't waste any time. Camp was hurt against Virginia in the opener and that was that for 2019. Then came Covid in 2020. Like a lot of others, Camp was affected and he missed several games.
Now, also like a lot of others, Camp is taking advantage of the extra season of eligibility. He has worked hard to do his best to make sure that, finally, he might have some decent luck. Yet, he says he never really got discouraged.
"It's just a lot of adversity," Camp shrugs, "nothing really stopped me. You're going to have bumps in the road but it's just how you keep going through that path. I feel good, I feel 100 percent right now."
Camp attributes that to simply being smarter. "Prehab and rehab, that's all I've been worried about," he explains. "Make sure when I come off the field take care of my body, make sure I'm eating the right things, change my diet up."
His position coach has noticed. "I'm really excited to see if he can remain healthy, knock on wood, he's talented, he's working hard," Partridge says. He's a great kid and he's had a really, really good fall camp. He's been able to stay out of the training room other than 'taking care of his body' type things."
Beyond keeping himself healthy, the veteran has to make sure his younger teammates live up to the challenge of being a Pitt defensive lineman. "I feel a lot of responsibility," camp says. "The young guys look at me so I just try to keep myself at a high standard so that they can follow; bringing guys under our wing, getting them into the film room, try to stay with them after (on the field) just teach them certain things so they can elevate their game."
By helping them, Camp agrees that it helps himself by making sure that he, too, takes care of the details. He's still huge, but he might even be a little quicker. "I feel like I definitely am," he smiles. "Just being healthy, if I'm on the field I feel like I can produce."
The first chance is Saturday at Heinz Field against Massachusetts. 4PM kick on 93.7 The Fan.
