Football on March 2nd might not get everyone’s juices flowing, but there was one player on the Pitt football team who may have been more excited than the rest.

Rashad Weaver was on the practice field for the team’s inaugural spring practice on Monday after missing the 2019 season with a torn ACL.

The 6’5” and 270-pound senior defensive end was set to be a team leader in 2019. During the 2018 season, Weaver posted team high’s in tackles for loss (14) and sacks (6.5), and 2019 was supposed to be his breakout season, but an injury during fall camp derailed those hopes.

On Monday, the Florida native suited up and joined his teammates on the practice field for the first time in almost seven months.

“It was good just to be back and strap the helmet on,” Weaver told reporters after practice. “The helmet was tight, it hasn’t been worn for a while, but it was fun to be back out there.”

Pitt’s practice on Monday was helmets only, and the team will move into more contact in the next few days. Weaver may be limited going forward this spring, and he’s fine with that. Both he and Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi know it’s only March, and Pitt’s season does not begin until September 5th when Miami (Oh.) comes to Heinz Field.

“We kind of know what he’s got so we’re not going to mess it up and we’re not beating anybody up, there’s no pressure in March,” Narduzzi said about not pushing his senior defensive end.

Weaver agreed.

“I don’t need to be ready this spring; I need to be ready in the fall and we’ll just take it day by day with how I feel.”

Weaver’s injury was a significant one and sent shockwaves around the Pitt program in August. Many believed him to be the team’s top player, and his injury figured to take a toll on the defensive production.

Only it didn’t.

Pitt’s defense had a breakthrough year as the Panthers finished No. 15 in total defense and were third nationally with 52 sacks overall as a team. Pitt had other players emerge, like Jaylen Twyman and Patrick Jones, who put in all-conference performers while Weaver had to sit back and watch.

Even younger players like Habakkuk Baldonado, John Morgan and Desline Alexandre all had big moments throughout the 2019 season, and it did not go unnoticed to Weaver.

"First, you just have to give credit where it’s due,” the Pitt senior said. “They did a good job at certain times and stepping up with younger guys all over the field, especially at D-End with Deslin and Haba and John, those guys really made an impact.”

Weaver thinks he can pick up where he left off and he believes his teammates know that as well.

“Everybody knows that was at camp and everybody on the team knows where I was at before I got hurt and they know where I'm at now and in the end I didn’t really lose a step and it’s just going to keep getting better until August when I need to be ready.”

Weaver has a positive outlook now, but he did acknowledge it was frustrating at times during last year. He said that first 'Panther Walk' into Heinz Field was tough, and not playing in the Penn State game also was difficult to watch as well. He did stay upbeat and tried to coach or cheer on the sideline, whatever the moment called for at the time.

“When you get out on the sideline and the game is going, you still get the blood flowing and I’m in the zone like I’m playing almost and I’m helping those guys and watching the game and wanting to see us win and those guys do the same, so I’m focused on that.”

The Pitt senior won’t push it this spring. He’s still not 100% now, but is working to get back to that point all the time.

“Sometimes you are humbled when you try to do things that you could do before naturally and it’s a little harder and you have to think about it and it’s not comfortable,” Weaver explained.

Maybe it won’t be a big spring camp for Weaver, but come August?

“I know I’ll be full go in August,” he said with a smile. “That’s not a question.”