Dennis Pitta: Making the Grade in the NFL

He’s the all-time leading receiver in BYU football history. That’s saying something coming from the school that all but invented the forward pass.

After a record-setting college career, former Cougar tight end Dennis Pitta is now looking to make a name for himself in the NFL.

As a fourth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in April’s NFL Draft, Pitta is already showcasing the talents that caused Cougar opponents to pull their hair out when trying to defend him.

Pitta shone during summer mini-camps in Baltimore, drawing comparisons to current Ravens' star Todd Heap and causing offensive coordinator Cam Cameron to speculate that Pitta may see the field as early as Baltimore’s first game of the season, a Monday night contest at the New York Jets on September 13th.

On June 21st, Pitta signed a three-year deal with the Ravens worth just under $1.6 million, including a $371,000 signing bonus.  Pitta must still make the Ravens' roster to claim the lion’s share of the contract, but that seems like a forgone conclusion at this point.

We caught up with Pitta recently and talked with him about his efforts to carve out a niche for himself in the NFL.