Sep 13, 2015 5 min read

It started like any other play for Scott Orndoff. Pitt’s junior tight end ran a deep slant down the field while wide receiver Elijah Zeise crossed Orndoff near the 10-yard line. One player was going to be open.

Quarterback Chad Voytik threw a desperation pass for Zeise, but he was tackled by the safety, leaving Orndoff open to pluck the ball, hurdle two players on the ground and run the rest of the way for a 55-yard touchdown against Youngstown State Sept. 5 at Heinz Field.

It required Orndoff, a Waynesburg native and Seton-La Salle graduate, to make an adjustment on the fly – something that isn’t new to the 21-year-old. His entire football career has required that same resiliency, and it all began with a phone call.

Former Seton-La Salle head coach Greg Perry’s phone rang in the summer of 2009 and on the other end was Scott Orndoff – Scott’s father, a West Greene graduate who played football at California University and coached at Waynesburg High School. The call was for his son, who was entering ninth grade and was interested in becoming a Rebel.

The younger Orndoff was a 6-3, 195-pound option quarterback who wanted to make the 47-mile commute from his home in Waynesburg to the private school in Mt. Lebanon.

“My first questions were do you know where we are and do you know where we live?” Perry, now the head coach at Keystone Oaks, recalled. “To their credit, once he made the decision to go there, he never missed a workout and I can say that through his four years there. They stuck to it and that’s where he gets his work ethic – from his parents.”

When Perry saw Orndoff practice for the first time, he didn’t think the freshman’s future was at quarterback. He was big, fast and naturally athletic.

What defensive back could cover a kid that big who had deceptive speed?

Orndoff made friends and found his niche, but every day was difficult. To catch a ride with a teacher who lived nearby, he woke up at 4:30 a.m. and would not return home until late in the evening. After his freshman year, he switched to wide receiver and the long car rides stopped.

“Even on defense, I was at a different position every year,” Orndoff joked. “I just kept growing. Going from quarterback to receiver was fun. You still get to make plays and catch passes, but your whole world changes when you switch from receiver to tight end.”

With his class schedule becoming more demanding, commuting was no longer feasible. Scott and his father lived in temporary apartments in Mt. Lebanon and Bethel Park. He didn’t see his mother, Beverly, or his four sisters, all week.

When his father returned to Greene County, Orndoff stayed by himself, cooking his own meals and doing his own laundry.

“It became a part of our life,” Orndoff said. “It became normal for us after a certain point. It was worth it. When my dad wasn’t there, I did a lot of stuff on my own. It made transitioning to college much easier.”

Major college football coaches called after Orndoff’s junior season, which ended with an all-state selection. He could make difficult catches and was athletic for his size. Between his sophomore and junior seasons, he gained 30 pounds and stood 6-5.

Those coaches included Paul Chryst, who was then the offensive coordinator at Wisconsin and wanted that size at tight end. Orndoff committed to Wisconsin before Chryst went to Pitt to be head coach. Then, Orndoff became a Panther. Meanwhile, he was dominant as a tight end and was the Rebels’ top passing target, plus he graduated early with a 3.84 grade-point average.

“He had to learn how to block,” Perry said. “That’s not easy for kids who played wideout to have to put their hand in the dirt, but he adapted well and he had leverage with his frame. Once he got locked on you, he was pretty much moving you wherever he wanted to take you. He was a big target across the middle.”

Transitioning to Division I football wasn’t as easy. Orndoff had to learn a complex offense and the business-like nature of the sport.

Regardless, he was starting as a freshman in 2013 – catching touchdown passes in his first two home games – but his season ended in November after a minor knee injury against Notre Dame. Orndoff returned as a sophomore last fall to play in 10 games as a reserve, catching one touchdown.

Under first-year head coach Pat Narduzzi this season, Orndoff is learning a new playbook and the responsibilities of two tight end positions as he pursues his goal of becoming a dominant player, like he was in high school.

It’s an adjustment, but that’s nothing new. He didn’t balk at a challenge as an eighth grader and he doesn’t plan on doing so anytime soon.

“When I was in high school, I didn’t block anyone until my senior year,” Orndoff said with a laugh. “I had no idea how to block. I’ve obviously grown a lot, but I still have way more room to grow as a blocker and a receiver. Even since my first game at Pitt, I see a big difference. Now, I’m playing with confidence. It’s a big difference.”