Worst nightmare as Cal Adomitis Announced his departure Today from the Cincinnati Bengals Today….

CINCINNATI, Ohio — Cal Adomitis’ trip to Pittsburgh on Sunday won’t be an unfamiliar one.

The rookie long snapper grew up in the Steel City and went to high school at famed powerhouse Central Catholic. He attended the University of Pittsburgh as a walk-on and quickly became a starter in his true freshman season.

He played five years for the Panthers and, in his final one, earned the Patrick Mannelly Award for the nation’s best long snapper in the FBS. The Bengals signed Adomitis as an undrafted free agent as a result and, after a training camp battle with veteran Clark Harris, stashed him on the practice squad

But in the Bengals’ first game of the season, Harris suffered a season-ending injury, which brought Adomitis into a starting role sooner than many imagined. And now eight games into his rookie year, he’ll head to his home state, and his former home stadium, for the first time in his life as a visitor.

“Obviously there’s a little extra juice in the tank this week for that,” Adomitis said. “But I think it was good having the bye week. I had a chance to go home and see everybody. Have it so that heading back to the game isn’t the first time I’ve been there in a couple of months, make things a little easier and a little smoother to just kind of keep things in perspective. It’s just the next game.”

The 24-year-old said his immediate family would be decked out in black and orange for Sunday’s AFC North tilt, cheering him on like they have for his entire football career.

But in the AFC North, especially in Pittsburgh, roots don’t die easily.

He laughed when adding that his friends would be rooting for him, though he couldn’t account for everyone to do so.