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We learned something about Dennis Pitta during Super Bowl Media Day that we didn't know when he played at BYU.
He's moderately ticklish.
What we did know while he was at BYU is Pitta was a special football player.
He started his time at BYU as a walk-on and left as the school record holder for career receptions with 221 which was an NCAA record for a tight end. That says a lot about Dennis considering BYU has produced several NFL tight end's over the years.
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"I was a skinny wide receiver coming out of high school and didn't get a whole lot of interest for whatever reason from Division I schools," he recalls. "BYU was always kind of on my radar. They showed some interest but didn't have any available scholarships, they invited me to walk on. I kind of had to work my way up from the bottom and had a successful career there."
He had to do the same in the NFL as a 4th round draft pick. He caught just one pass as a rookie and was a backup to a player taken ahead of him in the same 2010 draft, Ed Dickson. Now in his 3rd year Pitta has developed into the player we all thought he would be. He caught 61 passes for 669 yards and 7 touchdowns during the regular season and has been even better in the playoffs catching 10 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns.
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"Opportunity, I think that's what this league is about," he said at Wednesday's Super Bowl Media Day. "You have to be confident in the player that you are and the talents that you have. I think, finally, last year and this year, I've been getting a lot of opportunities to make plays. You have to make the most of them when you get them."
Dennis has now become so reliable that teammate Terrell Suggs has given Pitta the nickname "American Express" because he's everywhere you want him to be.
The best example of his play took place in the 3rd quarter of the Ravens win over New England in the AFC Championship game. Pitta caught a Joe Flacco pass over the middle and paid the price. He was crushed by Patriots linebacker Jarod Mayo. He was hit so hard it was stunning to see him get up. On the very next play Pitta caught a 5-yard touchdown pass giving the Ravens a 14-13 lead. They would never trail again.
We also knew of Paul Kruger's potential at the next level after watching him dominate offensive lineman and crush quarterbacks during his time at Utah.
His athleticism at the defensive end position caught the eye of the Baltimore Ravens who selected Paul in the 2nd round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
Like Dennis, it also took him time to emerge and reach his potential.
Kruger made just 11 tackles as a rookie but showed flashes of his potential with a key interception in a win over rival Pittsburgh.
His second season was a disappointment as he made just one tackle, a sack, in 11 games played.
He broke out in year three with 5.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries in a backup role.
This year injuries to teammates gave Paul a chance to become a starter and he made the most of it.
He led the team in sacks with 9, forced a fumble, intercepted a pass and made a career high 42 tackles.
Now he finds himself playing on the NFL's biggest stage.
"It's been something I've looked forward to for a really long time," Paul says about playing in the Super Bowl. "I can't wait to get out there on the field and start experiencing the flow of the game. It's going to be just like any other game, but there's a little more hype and attention around it, so I'm pretty excited."
Reaching this stage has even more meaning for Paul after what he has been through.
There was the four-wheeling accident as a teenager that cost him his kidney and spleen.
He had another brush with death before his sophomore season at Utah when he was stabbed after leaving a friends house. He suffered a punctured lung and spent four hours in surgery.
Facing adversity is nothing new for Paul which has helped prepare him for the challenges of life in the NFL.
"It's been a roller coaster to say the least," Paul says about the Ravens journey to the Super Bowl. "We've had times in the season when it seems like people were losing hope, and even us as players were doubting ourselves. And then we've had good times when we've won big games and had players come up and make huge plays to change our season. The fact that we're ending here in New Orleans is just a perfect scenario for us and we couldn't ask for a better situation."
Kruger and Pitta couldn't have asked for a better situation to reach their potential and fulfill their dreams. Now they both get a chance to show the world what we knew about them all along.
