PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It was so comfortable for Tampa Bay linebacker SirVocea Dennis that he was told he had to leave and go to the other side Thursday at Acrisure Stadium. The four-year Pitt linebacker tried to go out the home tunnel during the Bucs joint practice with the Steelers.
“That was a big changeup for me,” Dennis said. “I was expecting the Pitt locker room, I’m not going to lie.”
Dennis was First-Team All-ACC his final season at Pitt, had a Pick 6 against Clemson at the stadium the Panthers share with the Steelers. He led Pitt in tackles for two straight seasons. He would finish his career with 36 tackles for loss and 15 sacks.
“Those two guys, (Pitt head coach Pat) Narduzzi and (Tampa Bay head coach) Todd Bowles, are very different when it comes to defenses, but they love to blitz,” Dennis said. “It prepared me a lot, definitely on the blitzing side and communication as well.”
Dennis is working his way back after missing 13 games last season due to a shoulder injury. Defensive lineman and 2023 Tampa Bay first-round pick Calijah Kancey missed five games last year with a calf issue, but returned to finish with a career-high 7.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss.
“Pitt put me ready to be in a great position to be ready off-the-field at this level, on-the-field and even media,” Kancey said. “They helped me with a lot. Pitt is a great program.”
When he got on the field for the joint practice on Thursday, Kancey said he thought back to running onto the field while in college and hyping up the student section.
“I was just reflecting on plays that I made here,” Kancey said. “It felt good to think about. I was actually trying to count up the amount of sacks I made that this stadium and it was kind of hard. That’s a good thing. That’s a good problem to have.”
In 11 games his last season at Pitt he had 14.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks and became the Panthers’ first Unanimous All-American since defensive tackle Aaron Donald in 2013. Kancey said he loves that his defense at Tampa Bay is as aggressive as it was at Pitt.
Two years removed, Kancey was excited to be able to go over to the Panthers facility and just see the guys. He loved being back and for both to be able to return as NFL players.
A linebacker and someone this current Pitt group looked up to, Dennis enjoyed watching last year’s Panthers linebacker corps. They called themselves ‘sharks’ and Dennis is all for that name.
“I recruited most of those guys,” Dennis said. “I took a lot them on their official visits. Kyle (Louis) was with me my senior year, when he was a freshman. To see those guys grow up and perform the way they did, it makes me excited and happy for those guys. They should have a career in the NFL soon.”
“Just to see those guys play and to see those guys have fun and do things I couldn’t do or couldn’t accomplish. It just makes me happier just because those are just like my little brothers.”
“The sharks, oh man, if I have a big play (Saturday night), I will throw it up (the hand over the forehead resembling a shark fin) for those guys for sure.”