Pitt to honor Mark May, football team of 1980

Not only will Pitt crown a homecoming king and queen at this weekend’s football game against… Not only will Pitt crown a homecoming king and queen at this weekend’s football game against Syracuse at Heinz Field, but the Panthers will also honor a team that has been considered one of the greatest teams in college football history to never earn the national championship crown.

That Panther team 25 years ago was one of the best teams to not win a national title. Pitt finished 11-1 and was ranked No. 2 in the national polls. This was before the Bowl Championship Series and the national champion were crowned through voting.

The 1980 Pitt football team is only one of 12 teams nationally to have four or more members inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame. Rounding out the group are quarterback Dan Marino, offensive tackle Jimbo Covert, defensive end Hugh Green and offensive tackle Mark May.

May will be honored this weekend when Pitt takes on the Orange to commemorate this year’s induction and to celebrate the silver anniversary of his teammates’ impressive season.

The current ESPN analyst played for Pitt from 1977-1980 and became the 23rd Pitt player to be inducted into the Hall. Nicknamed “May Day” for his devastating ability to block his opponents, May won the 1980 Outland Trophy as the nation’s top interior lineman – the only Panther to earn the honor. He went on to lead Pitt to a 39-8-1 record in his four years at Pitt, which included four bowl game appearances and three top-10 rankings.

After leaving Pitt, May was drafted in the first round by the Washington Redskins and went on to play in the NFL for three different teams until 1993. In his career, May played in three Super Bowls and earned two rings with the Redskins in 1982 and 1987.

“There were games where my uniform never got dirty,” Marino said about May and his offensive line teammates in Pitt’s media guide. “There were games where I never hit the ground. That’s incredible.”

Added Joe Moore, May’s offensive line coach at Pitt, “His size, speed, agility and intelligence are unbelievable. Add to that his desire to excel, and you understand why he’s a great one.”

After his career, May has become a highly successful broadcaster. He got his start by joining Bill Hillgrove on the radio calling Pitt football games in 1994. He then worked with CBS and TNT before settling in with ESPN as one of their primary college football analysts.

Pitt’s contest with Syracuse is slated to begin at noon Saturday and will be an ESPN regional broadcast.