Tim Salem discovered a 6-foot-2, 195-pound Kenny Pickett while he was playing as a three-star recruit at Ocean Township High School in Oakhurst, N.J.
It was through Pitt's current tight ends coach and the help of then-offensive coordinator Matt Canada which brought that quarterback to the Pitt program, where he would go on to have a legendary career with records shattered, a program revived, and an ACC Championship delivered.
Six years later, the now-Steelers' offensive coordinator Canada and Pickett are officially running it back.
Mike Tomlin went to the bullpen for his rookie on Sunday against the Jets, and on Tuesday, the Steelers' head coach made it official by naming Pickett the starting quarterback for Sunday's game at Buffalo, supplanting Mitch Trubisky and officially ushering in a new era for Pittsburgh football.
"In regards to the quarterback position, we made a change in-game, and Kenny will start this week," Tomlin declared on Tuesday on the South Side.
"In an effort to score more points and in an effort to move the ball more fluidly, we decided to go to Kenny in the hopes that he would provide a spark for us," Tomlin continued. "We felt that, not only in terms of our ability to move the ball, but just in terms of energy, and hopefully that's a catalyst for us as we try to move forward and change the outcome of some of these games."
If energy is what Tomlin wants, then energy is exactly what Pickett will give him.
And more. Just as he did for five years as Pitt's quarterback.
Pickett was originally committed to Temple out of high school, and then later decommitted to join forces with Canada and head coach Pat Narduzzi at Pitt.
As he told NJ.com in May of 2016: "I didn't think it was right to be communicating with other coaches and visiting schools while being committed to Temple, and I need time to see all of my options."
He decommitted from Temple on May 16, 2016, and declared his commitment to Pitt 19 days later.
The rest was history.
"I went to go watch him, and he was your size. He wasn't very tall," Salem said on Tuesday while pointing to a reporter. "But I liked all of his mannerisms, and I liked what he would do, and I went back a couple months later, and he grew three inches.... And then watching him play baseball, watching him throw passes, he back then had the 'it' factor. He had quarterback mentality, quarterback demeanor, anticipation, moxie -- all those words you want to hear -- he had it.
"We're able to land him, and from the day he showed up here he's been a player."
Pickett was the player for Pitt, having set a school record with 12,303 passing yards while completing 62.4% of his passes with 81 touchdowns and a 136.3 rating in his career. He led the Panthers to an ACC Championship game appearance against Clemson in 2018 and later captured the title in 2021 as the Panthers rocked Wake Forest. He was drafted by Pittsburgh as the first quarterback off the board in the 2022 draft, at pick No. 20 overall.
Pickett had his best season as a Panther in his final one, when he completed 67.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards, 42 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. His touchdown totals -- with 47 in all -- and 334 completions, along with his yards and passing touchdowns set new single-season marks in Pitt program history. His 42 TD passes set a record within the ACC, breaking DeShaun Watson's mark at Clemson in 2016. He was named as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, Pitt's first since Larry Fitzgerald in 2003.
But, Pickett had to earn his keep at Pitt. He did so by bringing the same fire and energy that Tomlin and the Steelers are looking for.
"His competitive nature going against our scout team," Panthers defensive line coach and associate head coach Charlie Partridge noted as a standout quality. "We aren't afraid to hit the quarterback on the scout team, because we're training our guys on how to turn corners and reach for arms, and Kenny almost loved it. It's like he thrived on the contact. You guys all saw the clip of him getting hit on Sunday and he got up laughing, talking at the guy. That actually brought me back to some of those moments. Our guys would get after him, because there's a mismatch on the 'Rock' O-line, scout O-line, compared to the starting D-line. We'd get after Kenny, and he absolutely loved it every time, and you guys are seeing it now at the highest level."
In his first taste of NFL action on Sunday against the Jets, Pickett completed 10 of 13 passes for 120 yards and three interceptions, with two TD runs. His insertion to begin the second half added swagger, confidence, and a much-needed jolt into the Steelers' offense -- and into the Acrisure Stadium crowd -- and provided the "aggressor" mentality that was sought from the position for three-plus weeks.
"I think you always want to continue to take shots and try to be the aggressor," Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth said on Monday. "And I think with Kenny in there, we were able to be the aggressor. Obviously some mistakes are going to happen, and some tipped balls and all that kind of stuff. But we have to continue to work past that and be there for Kenny, especially since he's a young guy."
Pickett also got his in-game Pitt career going in a similar manner he is getting his Steelers career going. In 2017, Pickett replaced Ben DiNucci at quarterback to begin the second quarter against Virginia Tech. Six days later, Pickett earned the starting nod for the Panthers against No. 2 Miami -- a game which the 4-7 Panthers won 24-14.
Now, he gets to make his first career NFL start in Buffalo, against the team which is the odds-on favorite to win the Super Bowl this year.
Is it coincidence? Is it fate?
"I'm putting money on Kenny," Salem said. "You got back to his freshman year when he got his really true first start, when he came in and played the Virginia Tech game prior to Miami -- I guess playing the Jets the other day -- come in, now it's your first start. Kenny went up against the undefeated, number-two ranked Miami Hurricanes.
"Now he's going against the pre(-season) Super Bowl favorites, so Kenny's done that. Kenny's experienced that. That's who Kenny is. So you can trust Kenny's preparation because Kenny just knows what to do, how to do, when to do, and that's why the Steelers picked him first, I'm assuming. Kenny's a player. He's proven that since the day I saw him back in Ocean Township, New Jersey, and I guess maybe I'll have my yellow towel waving up there on Sunday when he's playing the Bills. I'm cheering for Kenny. Kenny will do good."
