I’ve been given a few nicknames throughout my life.

Growing up, a family friend used to call me “the Noahlator,” due to my tenacity during post-church backyard football games. In college, while pledging a fraternity, I was known as “Cobro.” I’m not sure the Post-Gazette would appreciate me sharing how that title came to be.

Today, my colleague Joe Starkey often refers to me as the “Noah Constrictor,” something a handful of Pittsburgh sports fans have started to echo.

My favorite among the bunch, however, dates back to my first ever job at a newspaper, a part-time role with the Beaver County Times. There, I was known as “the barnacle.” Why? Because more than anyone else on the sports staff, I was willing to embrace “bottom of the barrel” assignments.

While writing features on youth pow

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