MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Ryan Switzer, a former standout at George Washington High School, has been traded from the Oakland Raiders to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jordan Schultz of Yahoo! Sports first reported the trade, which sends the wide receiver to Pittsburgh before ever playing a regular season game for Oakland.
It marks the second time Switzer, also a kick and punt returner, has been traded this offseason after he was moved to Oakland by the Dallas Cowboys in April. That trade came soon after Dallas acquired Tavon Austin, the all-time leader in receptions and receiving yardage at West Virginia University.
As a rookie last season in Dallas, Switzer caught six passes for 41 yards, returned 24 kickoffs for an average of 25 yards and brought back 29 punts for an average of 8.8 yards and one touchdown.
Switzer enjoyed a stellar four-year career at the University of North Carolina, before being drafted in the fourth round by the Cowboys in 2017. He is the Tar Heels’ all-time leader in receptions (244) and receiving yardage (2,907). Switzer also returned seven punts for touchdowns at UNC, including five as a freshman.
During his time at GW, Switzer won the Kennedy Award, presented annually to the top high school football player in West Virginia, in 2011 and 2012. He became the first player since Martinsburg’s Brandon Barrett in 2003 to win the award in consecutive seasons.