The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Calvin Pitcher Embracing New School, New Position
6/4/2025 2:18:00 PM | Football
BIRMINGHAM – You would think traveling 2,000 miles, making the jump to FBS and playing a new position would be an overwhelming process, but that is not the case for redshirt senior Calvin Pitcher.
Why not? Because amongst all the change is a sense of familiarity for the fifth-year player.
Pitcher was a four-year starting safety, team captain and leading tackler at Idaho State, but comes to UAB for his final season turning heads at the linebacker position.
"I've played safety since seventh grade so that has always been my position, but I have always been a bigger body at safety and my role at Idaho State was a very run heavy safety, basically a linebacker at 10 yards. So it was almost a natural transition."
Pitcher was an under-recruited talent out of Corona, California, and Idaho State was his only offer coming out of Centennial High School. Although grateful for his opportunity, there has always been a piece of him that wanted more.
"Coming out of high school you see guys with big offers to FBS schools, that dream. I am grateful for Idaho State. I am an alum, I received my education, but there is a little part of me that wanted that. No one recruited me out of high school. They didn't see what I knew. To be here now, that dream to be an FBS football player is here."
Pitcher played in four games last year at ISU but suffered an MCL injury, which granted him a redshirt year. He totaled 185 career tackles for the Bengals, highlighted by leading the team with 87 in 2023. Due to the connections through UAB's new defensive staff, led by Defensive Coordinator Steve Russ and Secondary Coach Brent Vieselmeyer, Pitcher was on their radar as soon as his name hit the portal.
Russ knew of Pitcher through Pitcher's position coach at ISU Scott Thiessen, who was the head coach of Air Force Academy Prep during the time Russ was the Defensive Coordinator at Air Force. Vieselmeyer knew of Pitcher from his days of coaching high school in the area where Pitcher grew up.
Both Russ and Vieselmeyer immediately knew that his skillset of a run heavy safety would fit perfectly into the defense they are building here at UAB, and that he would be able to transition to linebacker without missing a beat.
"I see potential and a lot of ability, but what he is doing now is just a couple of yards closer to the box with what he was doing at Idaho State," Russ said. "In this day in age, linebackers need to be able to function in space against modern offenses. So being able to have linebackers, and you have seen this trend in the National Football League, a lot of those linebackers have not been linebackers for that long. They have taken corners, safeties, receivers, running backs, everyone, and try to make them linebackers."
Vieselmeyer echoed Russ' sentiment of having versatile linebackers and looking at Pitcher as an example of what he coached in the NFL.
"He goes up to Idaho State and the way they utilized him there, he was like a hybrid linebacker kind of player. You saw elements of when the Seattle Seahawks were really rolling, Kam Chancellor, the safety dropping in and making linebacker plays – blitzing, covering. Just from my background of guys I worked with in the NFL, a lot of those guys were safety type of bodies that evolved into really good linebackers because you have to run a little bit more. He can cover space and strike people. It is just a little bit different being in the box."
Pitcher is excited for his opportunity and is embracing his new role without hesitation. For someone who has played in 34 career collegiate games, football is football, regardless of position.
"There has been a slight learning curve because being in a new position there is an adjustment, especially with Coach Russ' defense because it is high level with a lot of moving parts. But for the most part I have been playing football since the second grade so you ride a bike once, you ride a bike twice. It is all football at the end of the day."
2025 SEASON TICKET INFORMATION
Season ticket packages for the 2025 UAB Football season are on sale now. Season ticket packages will feature all six home games during the 2025 football season and provide access to the best available seating at Protective Stadium. Click here to purchase new 2025 season tickets, or fans may also request more information here.
Why not? Because amongst all the change is a sense of familiarity for the fifth-year player.
Pitcher was a four-year starting safety, team captain and leading tackler at Idaho State, but comes to UAB for his final season turning heads at the linebacker position.
"I've played safety since seventh grade so that has always been my position, but I have always been a bigger body at safety and my role at Idaho State was a very run heavy safety, basically a linebacker at 10 yards. So it was almost a natural transition."
Pitcher was an under-recruited talent out of Corona, California, and Idaho State was his only offer coming out of Centennial High School. Although grateful for his opportunity, there has always been a piece of him that wanted more.
"Coming out of high school you see guys with big offers to FBS schools, that dream. I am grateful for Idaho State. I am an alum, I received my education, but there is a little part of me that wanted that. No one recruited me out of high school. They didn't see what I knew. To be here now, that dream to be an FBS football player is here."
Pitcher played in four games last year at ISU but suffered an MCL injury, which granted him a redshirt year. He totaled 185 career tackles for the Bengals, highlighted by leading the team with 87 in 2023. Due to the connections through UAB's new defensive staff, led by Defensive Coordinator Steve Russ and Secondary Coach Brent Vieselmeyer, Pitcher was on their radar as soon as his name hit the portal.
Russ knew of Pitcher through Pitcher's position coach at ISU Scott Thiessen, who was the head coach of Air Force Academy Prep during the time Russ was the Defensive Coordinator at Air Force. Vieselmeyer knew of Pitcher from his days of coaching high school in the area where Pitcher grew up.
Both Russ and Vieselmeyer immediately knew that his skillset of a run heavy safety would fit perfectly into the defense they are building here at UAB, and that he would be able to transition to linebacker without missing a beat.
"I see potential and a lot of ability, but what he is doing now is just a couple of yards closer to the box with what he was doing at Idaho State," Russ said. "In this day in age, linebackers need to be able to function in space against modern offenses. So being able to have linebackers, and you have seen this trend in the National Football League, a lot of those linebackers have not been linebackers for that long. They have taken corners, safeties, receivers, running backs, everyone, and try to make them linebackers."
Vieselmeyer echoed Russ' sentiment of having versatile linebackers and looking at Pitcher as an example of what he coached in the NFL.
"He goes up to Idaho State and the way they utilized him there, he was like a hybrid linebacker kind of player. You saw elements of when the Seattle Seahawks were really rolling, Kam Chancellor, the safety dropping in and making linebacker plays – blitzing, covering. Just from my background of guys I worked with in the NFL, a lot of those guys were safety type of bodies that evolved into really good linebackers because you have to run a little bit more. He can cover space and strike people. It is just a little bit different being in the box."
Pitcher is excited for his opportunity and is embracing his new role without hesitation. For someone who has played in 34 career collegiate games, football is football, regardless of position.
"There has been a slight learning curve because being in a new position there is an adjustment, especially with Coach Russ' defense because it is high level with a lot of moving parts. But for the most part I have been playing football since the second grade so you ride a bike once, you ride a bike twice. It is all football at the end of the day."
2025 SEASON TICKET INFORMATION
Season ticket packages for the 2025 UAB Football season are on sale now. Season ticket packages will feature all six home games during the 2025 football season and provide access to the best available seating at Protective Stadium. Click here to purchase new 2025 season tickets, or fans may also request more information here.
Players Mentioned
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