Pitt: Sophomore linebacker Matt Galambos goes from broken home to success story

As John Margist takes his seat at Heinz Field, he enjoys the sensations associated with a college football Saturday.

The smell of the grass, the taste of tailgate food, the sound of the marching band playing Pitt's fight song.

Margist settles in and pulls out his portable radio to hear the Panthers' pregame show. He listens as the announcers break down that day's opponent.

Eventually, the moment comes that Margist has been waiting for. His younger half-brother, Pitt linebacker Matt Galambos, sprints out of the tunnel in the south corner of the stadium.

Margist, though, has never actually seen Galambos take that field. He has retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease that has progressively damaged his retinas and left him legally blind.

When Galambos was in high school, Margist relied on friends and family members sitting near him to keep him updated on what was happening on the field. Now, with the help of his radio, he can keep up just as well as everyone else -- sometimes even better.

"I have the earbuds in my ear the whole game so I'm literally telling people [what just happened] sometimes," Margist said. "They're going, 'Is that Matt?' and I'm like, 'Yeah,' because I'm hearing 'Galambos on the tackle' in my ear."

After the games -- Margist only missed a couple of home games last year and plans to be at every one this season -- Galambos and his brother will join their grandmother and any other family members in town for a bite to eat. Galambos fills everyone in on his view of things from down on the field, where he projects to be the Panthers' starting middle linebacker this season.

"I've got a huge supporting cast in my family," Galambos said.

Margist's vision may have left him, but Galambos has been through enough with his older brother to know he will always be watching his back.

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Pitt: Sophomore linebacker Matt Galambos goes from broken home to success story