Ex-Michigan State DT Mark Scarpinato returning to football at Pitt

After a year at medical school, Mark Scarpinato is returning to the field.

Scarpinato, the former Michigan State defensive tackle, announced on Twitter Wednesday that he plans to finish out his playing career at Pittsburgh.

At Pitt, Scarpinato will reunite with new Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi, who was the defensive coordinator at MSU during Scarpinato’s time with the program. Scarpinato originally stepped away from the game after Michigan State won the Rose Bowl in 2013 to pursue his goal of becoming a doctor at the Medical School of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, his hometown.

However, Scarpinato told Panther-Lair.com that he wanted to finish out his final season of eligibility while pursuing a master’s degree in Health Administration (MHA), which makes him eligible to play immediately as a graduate transfer.

“I left Michigan State feeling like I had done it; I felt like I walked out on top and I was able to go to med school, which was something I always wanted to do,” Scarpinato said. “But it was tough. I didn’t have a full understanding of how much I would regret not playing football. There’s a honeymoon when you first get away from football for a while, and it’s kind of nice to have a normal life. But then you start to miss it.”

Scarpinato said that Pitt was an attractive destination due to its highly ranked MHA program and his connection with Narduzzi and several of his staff members. Plus, after his time at Pitt comes to an end, Scarpinato can return to med school in Milwaukee.

Though Scarpinato redshirted in 2011 and did not see the field in 2012, he worked his way into the defensive line rotation on the Spartans’ top-ranked defense in 2013. He played in all 14 games and made two starts, one of which was the Big Ten title game, and registered 15 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack and two pass break-ups.

For more Pittsburgh news, visit Panther-lair.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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