Back surgery for Romeus

Pitt senior defensive end Greg Romeus, pictured, will undergo surgery on a disc in his lower back, Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt announced Tuesday.

Romeus is scheduled for surgery on Thursday.

"Our top priority is doing what is best for Greg,” Wannstedt said. “After consulting with him, his family and our medical staff, it was determined that immediate surgery is the best option for Greg both personally and athletically. We expect him to have a full recovery and return for the conclusion of the season.”

An All-America candidate and the reigning Big East Defensive Player of the Year, Romeus started the season opener at Utah and had four tackles and a pass deflection. He did not play in the Panthers’ game Saturday against New Hampshire.

As a junior, Romeus made 11.5 tackles for loss and a team-high eight sacks.

Romeus was named a finalist for the 2009 Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award and was selected to three different All-America teams, including CollegeFootballNews.com (second team), Sporting News (third team) and Rivals (third team).