Last night, Pittsburgh Panthers superstar quarterback Kenny Pickett was honored with the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award in Baltimore, Maryland. Since 1987, Pickett has been the first Pitt Panther to earn the accolade. The honor is given to the finest upperclassman quarterback who will graduate with the rest of his class.

Unitas was a Pittsburgh native and widely recognized as one of the finest quarterbacks in history. From 1956 through 1972, Unitas was a member of the Baltimore Colts, then the San Diego Chargers from 1973 to 1974.

Kenny Pickett on winning the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm

“It’s special knowing it hasn’t been done at Pitt and all the great quarterbacks that have come through our university, it’s very special,” he said.

Pickett will continue his trophy journey North to New York as he stands as one of the four finalists for the Heisman Trophy. The other three are Bryce Young, Aidan Hutchinson, and C.J. Stroud.

“Win or lose, I’m just extremely grateful to be there, so thank you to all my coaches and teammates who helped me get there,” he said.

Pickett also stated that he hasn’t made up his mind about participating in the Peach Bowl. He intends to discuss it with his family and head coach Pat Narduzzi before deciding next week.

Head coach Narduzzi on Pickett

“It is a proud moment. That’s kinda what you do, is develop these guys as players, as people and try to get to these moments,” Narduzzi said of Pickett winning the Golden Arm Award and being recognized as a Heisman finalist. “Forget winning the Heisman, to be in that moment, in that building — I mean, I’ve been coaching 32 years and I’ve never been on a staff that we’ve gone to that. … It’s amazing.”

Pickett, of course, wants to win the Heisman Trophy. He’s been labeled as an “extremely competitive man” for years. He isn’t a big fan of losing. Regardless of what happens, Pickett sees this weekend as a significant achievement worth remembering.

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