Past Panthers finding glory in professional leagues

Budding stars like LeSean McCoy and Sam Young will showcase their talents in the upcoming year… Budding stars like LeSean McCoy and Sam Young will showcase their talents in the upcoming year for Pitt’s sports teams.

In the seasons to come, Panther fans might follow their progress in the professional realm and watch them excel at the highest level possible.

But McCoy and Young won’t stand alone. Pitt develops some of the finest athletes in the country year after year, with the NFL standing out as the primary residence for professional Panthers.

Here are some of the Pitt alums who currently collect their paychecks in the ranks of the elite.

Larry Fitzgerald (Wide Receiver, Arizona Cardinals)

Topping the list as the premier Pitt Panther in professional sports, Fitzgerald delivered an esteemed college career in only two seasons in Pittsburgh.

After a year at prep school, Fitzgerald enrolled at Pitt in 2002 and paid immediate dividends in the squad’s passing game.

In only two seasons, Fitzgerald caught 161 passes for 2,677 yards and 34 touchdowns.

All of his numbers rank near the top of Pitt’s all-time list, and had he remained in school, most of the receiving records would have fallen.

Fitzgerald finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2003 and was drafted by the Cardinals with the third pick in the 2004 NFL Draft.

The 6-foot-3-inch wideout played his way into two Pro Bowls in his four-year career and has twice eclipsed the 100-catch mark.

This past season, Fitzgerald tallied 100 receptions for 1,409 yards and 10 touchdowns.

At only 24 years of age, Fitzgerald’s star continues to rise and, if he keeps up the torrid pace of his early years, he might have a Hall of Fame career ahead of him.

Darrelle Revis (Cornerback, New York Jets)

The first-round selection of the New York Jets in the 2007 NFL Draft, Revis enjoyed a productive rookie season in New York’s secondary.

Revis totaled 87 tackles while forcing one fumble and grabbing three interceptions. He also recorded 17 passes defended.

NFL analysts love Revis’ potential and believe he could wind up in a Pro Bowl in the near future.

At 5-foot-11 and a shade more than 200 pounds, Revis has exemplary cover skills on the outside.

After attending nearby Aliquippa High School, Revis lasted three years at Pitt before turning pro. He went on to be an All-Big East selection as a sophomore in 2005 and a Rivals.com third-team All-American as a junior.

Gerald Hayes (Linebacker, Arizona Cardinals)

Hayes emerged as a productive starting linebacker for Arizona the past two seasons after sitting out in 2005 with a knee injury.

A third-round draft choice in 2003, Hayes joined his former college teammate Fitzgerald in the southwest.

While starting his career on special teams and as a primary backup, Hayes broke out in 2006 with 93 tackles and three interceptions.

Hayes built on that season with an improved 2007 campaign that featured 98 tackles and four sacks.

Andy Lee (Punter, San Francisco 49ers)

Punters usually don’t gain much recognition, but Lee stood out in a huge way last season.

Lee punted a whopping 105 times in 2007 and averaged 47.3 yards per punt. He booted 42 of those kicks inside the 20-yard line, and his net average stood at 41 yards a punt.

That performance earned Lee a bid to his first Pro Bowl in the NFC. San Francisco picked Lee in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL Draft, and he has held the starting position since his rookie year.

Aaron Gray (Center, Chicago Bulls)

A prestigious career at Pitt helped Gray become a second-round draft pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

The primary backup at center behind Ben Wallace and then Joakim Noah, Gray gained experience from the many veterans on the Bulls such as Wallace, Luol Deng, Ben Gordon and Drew Gooden.

In his rookie season, Gray averaged 4.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 61 contests. He shot 50.5 percent from the field.

The Bulls disappointed this year, failing to make the playoffs even though they were expected to be one of the top teams in the East. Gray looks to take an active part in the team’s turnaround, combining with the young talent of Noah, Tyrus Thomas, Kirk Hinrich, Deng and Gordon.

In the final game of the season against the Toronto Raptors, Gray achieved his only start and delivered a phenomenal outing. He set career-highs with 19 points and 22 rebounds in 35 minutes.

Gray scored 1,109 points and pulled down 790 rebounds during his tenure at Pitt. He was named to the All-Big East team as a junior and senior and also earned Third-Team All-America honors in his final season.

Mark Blount (Center, Miami Heat)

Aside from Gray, Blount is the only other Pitt alum currently playing in the NBA. A second-round selection in 1997, Blount has forged an eight-year career with four teams.

He was drafted by the Seattle Sonics but never played a game for them. He first surfaced with the Boston Celtics in 2000, the place he would make his home for most of his first six seasons in the league.

Blount currently plays for the Miami Heat. He also spent time with the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves. He averages 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for his career, while starting 393 out of his 585 games.

Jim Negrych (Second Baseman, Pittsburgh Pirates Minors)

Although not reaching the major leagues just yet, Negrych is turning heads for the Pirates’ Single-A affiliate, the Lynchburg Hillcats.

The fourth-round selection for the Pirates in the 2006 MLB Draft out of Pitt, Negrych is off to a rocket start this season. Through 29 games, Negrych is batting .414 with 22 RBIs in 111 at-bats.

At only 23 years old and in Single-A, Negrych probably has a few years left until sniffing the majors. But if he continues to smack the ball, he might be the first Pitt product to reach the majors since Jason Conti last played in 2004.

Marcedes Walker (Center, Houston Comets)

Walker wasn’t chosen in April’s WNBA Draft, but landed in the women’s professional league anyway.

The former Pitt center latched on to the Houston Comets and hopes to make an impression in the preseason.

Walker has produced so far in preseason contests. She’s scored 18 points in her first two games.