Fans throughout the country will soon visit movie theaters to watch the third installment of the X-Men movie series, X-Men: The Last Stand. What are the X-Men? The X-Men are a group of mutants with special powers like shape shifting, telekinesis and the manipulation of fire and ice. What does the X-Men movie have to do with University of Pittsburgh football? It appears the Panthers have offered a scholarship another “X-Man” with special powers. His name is Xavier Stinson (5-foot-9 inches, 215 pounds) and his special power happens to be running the football.
The PantherDigest.com recently spoke with Chaminade-Madonna High School Head Football Coach Mark Guandolo and he was able to confirm Stinson’s shape shifting capabilities.
“I have offers from Pitt, Auburn, Ole Miss, Iowa, Florida International and Tennessee,” stated Stinson. “You could say that I’m open right now, but I would be lying if I didn’t’ tell you I have a lot of interest in the Panthers.”
Stinson was named the Broward County’s Defensive Player of the Year as a junior. He rushed for over 500 yards on offense. The Panthers previously tapped into Chaminade Madonna High School to land standout defensive lineman Gus Mustakas.
“I want to go to a school that’s going to run the ball. That’s very important to me. Facilities and education is up there as well. I’m learning more about the Panthers and I know they want to run the ball. It’s important to me to go to a school that’s going to feature the running back.”
Xavier is capable of running for the forty-yard dash in 4.6 seconds. He is primarily being recruited by Panthers’ assistant Charlie Partridge. Stinson will visit the Panthers over the summer with his teammate Akeem Auguste. He has been a three-year starter on both sides of the ball.
“Our team runs the I-formation quite a bit. I hit the hole hard, I’m strong and I have great vision. I feel that I can contribute quickly as a freshman.”
“We have heard good things about the Pittsburgh program and I know Gus (Mustakas) is doing pretty well there. I’m learning more about the program and I like it the more I hear about it.”
Harry G. Psaros can be contacted at harrypsaros@msn.com.