#12 Kevin Tang

Nickname: Tang
Height: 5′ 8″
Weight: 145
Position: Handler
Years w/ESN: A 2013-2017
Major: Neuroscience and Philosophy
Hometown: Radnor, PA
Former Teams:

  • Radnor High School (2009-2012, Captain 2011-2012)
  • DEVYL (2011-2013, Captain 2013)
  • Temper (2014)
  • Slag Dump (2015)

E-mail: kmt55 AT pitt.edu

Biographies
2016-2017
Kevin “The player formally know as: Pootie Tang” Tang hails from the ‘small’ area known as ‘Outside of Philly,’ specifically Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. After a brief one semester hiatus, Kevin is back for his fifth year to “chase nostalgia”. If you asked Kevin why he decided to come back, he’d say something along the lines of, “I did it for the younger ones on the team. I feel like they still have more to learn, and I have more to teach.” But Tangerang isn’t fooling anyone; the real reasons Kevin decided to come back for a fifth year are: One, to prove to everyone that he is the best Pitt player to come out of Radnor. “Trent who?” Tang asks. And two, to pursue a .400 National Championship win average during his tenure at Pitt.

On the real, Kevin may be one of the most interesting guys on the team. Though quiet and reserved, Kevin has several interests that he rarely talks about because of his humble character. His interests include, but are certainly not limited to: painting, playing piano, the NBA, listening to CHVRCHES, and practicing philosophy.

Kevin is an impressive person for several reasons; here are my personal top three. First and foremost, he never stops putting others before himself. Such a rare quality to find in people nowadays, watching Kevin exhibit this trait is very mesmerizing because you just don’t see people help others the way that Kevin does. Kevin is drawn to a quote from one of his favorite musicals, “An American in Paris,” as to why he acts this way. “Life is already so dark. If you’ve got the talent to make it brighter, give people hope or joy, why would you withhold that?” Second, he’s very personable, genuine, knowledgeable, and humorous. You’ll never run out of things to talk about with him. Whether it’s cracking jokes or heart to heart conversations, the topics are never dry. And third, he is incredibly observant and analytical. Though Kevin can sometimes be shy, when he opens his mouth to speak, everyone shuts their mouths so that they can listen to the wisdom that is about to be dropped on them. Tanger proves to be a crucial resource on the team when it comes to watching film, for example. He’s able to critique very small aspects of a teammate’s play, which is able to yield extraordinary results.

All in all, Kevin (Insert Middle Name) Tang is an incredible teammate, brother, friend, and person. To have him back for one last year is an honor and we couldn’t be more stoked.

2013-2014
Quietly, Kevin Tang may be the most interesting man on the Pitt Ultimate roster.

Tang, who joined the team last year after following in fellow Radnor-alum Trent Dillon’s shoes and coming to Pitt, shares some qualities with Dillon. He’s a hard worker, not noticeably vocal, fundamentally sound and continuously hungry.

Just as he followed Trent’s shoes when he came to Pitt, since he has arrived he has continued to look up to Dillon and found he can learn from others as well.

“At times, I’ll feel that Trent is the only one that believes in me on the team,” Kevin said. “I’ve probably learned the most from ZK…since coming to Pitt, I think the most film I’ve watched would be ZK playing dump defense; he is someone I try to emulate.”

Although, the parallels between ZK, Trent and Kevin probably stop there.

Here at Pitt, Kevin is pursuing neuroscience and on the pre-med track. He has the hope of attending medical school after graduation. He’s very interested in art – specifically painting – and has been taking art lessons since he was five years old. Kevin thinks of himself as a loyal person and I’ve never seen him act in a way to contradict this. He’s a big believer in horoscopes and zodiacs, mostly because he sees the traits of Cancer and Dog as a spot on description of himself. If you’re looking for someone to talk NBA basketball with, Kevin is your guy.

But if you want to find out about any of these qualities, you better ask Tang in private.

“I’m a very shy person and I’m not going to open up to anyone about anything deep or important pertaining to myself,” he added. “I’m very observant and critical.”