May 2, 2017 By Eleanor Bailey 3 min read

Greg Perry remembers meeting Scott Orndoff’s father for the first time. He had been recently fired as the Waynesburg Central High School football coach and was looking for a place for his namesake to play football. The young Orndoff was an eighth-grade student in the Red Raiders’ district, but needed a high school nonetheless.

“Mr. Orndoff came up to me and said, ‘I want my son to play for you. You’re the quarterback guy’ and I thought, ‘Holy-moly. This guy is going to drive his son all the way from Waynesburg to play here?’ But you know what? Young Scott never missed a workout. It was amazing the dedication of the family because we’ve had kids that lived a half-mile away from school and you would hear the craziest excuses why they missed a practice. Scott was here day in and day out, even in the summer. He had such a great work ethic.”

Though Orndoff grew out of the quarterback position, the Seton-La Salle graduate and Pitt product developed into a tight end that would attract the Steelers. Pittsburgh signed him as a free agent on April 29 after the NFL Draft finished. He will report to rookie mini camp next week.

“Beyond blessed for this opportunity I’ve been given,” Orndoff posted on his Twitter account. “Now the real work begins. #HereWeGo.”

When Orndoff was going to SLS, he immediately gained attention. As a 6-4, 240-pound sophomore he was already attracting college recruiters but as a tight end. Wisconsin offered first. Michigan State and other schools followed.

“He was still catching passes as a flanker and a slot receiver but he couldn’t stay at the position or quarterback because Luke (Brumbaugh) had come over from South Fayette and Scott had grown into a tight end,” explained Perry.

Orndoff eventually ended up playing at Pitt. Serving mainly as a blocker, he had 10 receptions in his first two seasons with the Panthers. In his final two years, he amassed 48 receptions. He had 35 grabs for 579 yards and five touchdowns last fall, ranking second on the team in each category.

“I know my role is going to be as a blocker in the NFL and I’m OK with that,” Orndoff said. “Special teams are going to be a must, too. That’s fine. I did both a lot at Pitt.”

Orndoff’s flexibility does not surprise Perry.

“He’s dedicated and he possesses a great work ethic. You need those to be successful. His heart and his work ethic are what are going to help him get a helmet. Scott’s a talent.”

Orndoff is the third potential NFL player Perry has coached from SLS. Bruce Gradkowski played quarterback for several clubs, including the Steelers, before being released last October. His brother, Gino, already has a Super Bowl ring having played for the Baltimore Ravens before continuing his career with the Carolina Panthers.

“It’s been exciting,” Perry said. “Bruce drops out and Scott slips in there. All of them were great kids and they came from good families. And the thing they all had was the work ethic. Hard work really does pay off.”