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Andrew Taglianetti Is Probably Better Than Your Kid

By PittScript Bryan
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Andrew Talianetti is a pretty impressive guy. In fact, he's probably better than your kid. He's also probably better than you. He's definitely better than me. Yesterday was a banner day for me because I ran 30 minutes on the treadmill and held the elevator for an old lady. I deserve a beer. And a cake. And maybe a parade.

Andrew Taglianetti, on the other hand, is only a Big East Academic All-American who spent his summer at an orphanage in Haiti, is in NCAA record books for blocked punts and is competing for a starting position as a scholarship athlete at a BCS-level program.

Ho-hum.

Tags is in a heated battle for starting safety with Jarred Holley, Jason Hendricks and Ray Vinopal. All four men can play, but only two can star. Hendricks missed some camp, so it wouldn't shock me to see him come off the bench with

And to top it off, he was recently selected for quite the national honor:

A redshirt senior defensive back, Taglianetti was recently nominated for the 2012 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. The honor takes into account not only a student-athlete's football exploits, but more importantly their activeness in the community and abilities in the classroom.

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"Obviously, it's a big honor," Taglianetti said. "There are a lot of kids from across the country who try to make a difference in the community. It means something to be thrown in a group of them. It's definitely something I'm proud of."

The most recognizable example of his generosity was his trip to Haiti this summer, but that''s certainly not his only achievement:

As the son of former Pittsburgh Penguin Peter Taglianetti, Andrew gives back to the area he grew up in by volunteering with the Muscular Dystrophy Association and regularly visiting the Mel Blount Youth Home, which helps young males who were victims of child abuse and neglect.

This past May, his community service reached well beyond his hometown when Taglianetti, redshirt sophomore fullback Mark Giubilato and redshirt senior tight end Hubie Graham traveled to an orphanage in Haiti along with more than a dozen other Pitt student-athletes.

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After returning from Haiti, Taglianetti said the trip changed the way he looks at life.

“The impact we can have on their lives is kind of minuscule. The impact on us will last a lifetime,” he said. “It was tremendously eye-opening.”

Oh yeah, he also already graduated with a degree and is working on his MBA.

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