Pitt's Addison remains humble in adjusting to Biletnikoff status

Jordan Addison went from a freshman standout to a nationally recognized superstar wide receiver in 2021. His 17 touchdown receptions was the most in the country and helped seal his case to be the 2021 recipient of the Biletnikoff Award for the country's most outstanding receiver in college football. He played a major role in the Panthers winning their first ever ACC Championship and is now one of the biggest players on the team heading into the 2022 season.

After the team's second spring practice of the season Wednesday, Pat Narduzzi revealed that Addison would soon receive the physical trophy for winning the Biletnikoff Award this weekend. While Addison didn't know much about how Biletnikoff used stick'em back during his playing days in the 1970s, he did acknowledge he was looking forward to finally holding the award. Each day walking into Pitt's training facility he's passed the Biletnikoff Award trophy permanently displayed outside Pitt football's cafeteria from the years Antonio Bryant and Larry Fitzgerald won the award.

"I tried to lift it," Addison said jokingly of the Biletnikoff Award on display. "It's pretty heavy. I'm going to go and do my curls with it this weekend to get in shape. I'm excited to go down there and see it with my own two eyes. That's a big deal for me, and I can't wait. "

Addison winning the award and making several big plays throughout the year made him a bigger name across the country, and especially on campus. He made several big plays, including the game-clinching 62-yard touchdown pass to beat Virginia and clinch the ACC Coastal division. It was the play Addison felt was his best moment of the season:

But if you asked Addison about all the new attention, he's not putting much emphasis on being a more popular player, even though he does notice a difference.

"It changed a lot," Addison said. "When I walk on campus, a lot more people know my face now. I see (people wearing his jersey) a lot and it amazes me sometimes that I'm actually living in that moment."

Some of the biggest aspects Addison has to focus on revolves around change to Pitt's offense. New offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. has been installing new packages along with some of Pitt's play sets from last season.

"It's a lot of good stuff," Narduzzi said about how Pitt's players have begun to adjust to Cignetti's offense. "Obviously there are some things that are the same from last year, but it's like a different offense every week anyway. That's what we do. Every week is a different offense, different alignments to face different skillsets that defenses have. Our kids adjust to it. We tell them, after two days they better have it down and know what we're trying to do. The interesting thing about spring ball is that every day is a new install and it's like a new team. There's more stuff installed on offense and defense. Every day is like the first day of the week."

"I've learned a lot," Addison said of his initial experience with Cignetti. "He has a lot of knowledge and knows the game, that's why he's here. Everything has been pretty laid out. He's a very detailed guy."

In addition to Cignetti, Addison has also now adjusted to his third receiver coach in as many years, with Tiquan Underwood taking over for Brennan Marion, who took over for Chris Beatty going into last season. Addison found a way to spin that fact of his career into a positive.

"I try not to think about it," Addison said of having multiple coaches. "It's not a negative thing. I look at it like I've had three great coaches I could learn from and keep looking at my time with a positive mindset. "The relationship we're all building with (Underwood) is pretty good. He's a players person and understands how to play the position in the NFL. I feel like he was a pretty good pickup."

And maybe the most important adjustment for Addison is transitioning from his two years catching passes from Kenny Pickett to new Pitt quarterback Kedon Slovis, who's been taking first team reps in spring practices and developing chemistry with Addison.

"We've been pretty smooth since we got back," Addison said when asked about how he's worked with Slovis. "We're excited to be back, but we've got a lot to clean up. It's only day two, so we'll keep taking it day by day. We're working routes on air and then taking time after practice to get our timing down. We put in a lot of work during the offseason and now we just keep taking it step by step." 

After finishing as one of the top offenses in the country, Pitt has a high bar to live up to, including its receiver group. That unit now has Konata Mumpfield in addition to Jared Wayne and Jaylon Barden, and looks to improve from the insanely impressive numbers posted last year.

"We're staying focused," Addison said of Pitt's receivers. "We're working together to be better than last season. The goal here is always to be better than we were yesterday. We have to rise to our expectations. We're all looking forward to this season to go out there and do if not the same thing, be better for the season coming up. We're ready to work."

That step by step approach mentioned is what Addison mentions a lot when you talk to him, whether that's this year in spring practice or last year during the season. It's a healthy approach, and one that he recognizes has helped him over the past two years become a prolific receiver. But whether he's working with the team, studying in the classroom, or just talking to his family, he's doing his best to keep his focus in the right direction for his growing career.

"Just have to put in the work," Addison said. "I take everything day-by-day. I know God has something planned for me, so I stay humble and make sure I do everything right off the field. I stay in school, get my work together and take everything one step at a time. It'll all fall in place. I just see everyone in my family looking up to me a little bit more. I just have to keep my head on my shoulders and stay focused. "