Dan Priatko’s inspirational story shared in ‘Noble Knight’

By ERIC SEIVERLING

eseiverling@yourmvi.com

As the coronavirus pandemic and business shutdowns drag on, people are looking for inspiration to get through the tough days and weeks that may lay ahead.

Greensburg resident Scott Brown has provided an uplifting story that hits close to home in his latest book, “A Noble Knight.”

Telling the story of Norwin High School graduate and North Huntingdon resident Dan Priatko, the book is a heart-warming tale of perseverance, faith and never losing an appreciation for life.

In March 1985, after graduating from West Point Academy and just two weeks shy of his 23rd birthday, Priatko was involved in a car accident that left him in a coma for seven months and a semi-coma for another five months.

The head injuries he suffered now force him to walk with a quad cane or use a wheelchair. Speaking is difficult for Priatko, although he can communicate by email.

“My reaction was positive and I was receptive to the idea,” Priatko said of being asked to discuss his life story for the book. “Actually, the concept of ‘being the center of attention,’ which does include disclosing some personal information, never crossed my mind. Using my trials in life to glorify Jesus Christ and help convey positive ideas, including trying to maintain a positive attitude, far outweighs revealing any non-incriminating personal information.”

Brown, who covered the Pittsburgh Steelers for local news outlets for more than a decade, said the idea to share Priatko’s story came to him after meeting Priatko’s father, Bill, a former player for the Steelers and a good friend of former defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and legendary Duke University men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, who combined to write the forward for “A Noble Knight.”

“We would have a lunch to catch up,” Brown said. “He told me about Coach K and how the friendship began. When Bill told Coach K about Dan, Coach K said ‘I want to meet him … let’s go now,’ I thought, wow, that is an unbelievable story.”

Brown initially wrote a 3,000-word profile on Priatko in early 2019 for the Duke Basketball Report, but realized there was more to the story.

“I felt that I barely scratched the surface,” Brown said.

To read the rest of this story, please see a copy of Saturday’s Mon Valley Independent, call 724-314-0035 to subscribe or subscribe to our online edition at https://e.monvalleyindependent.com.