Nationally known athletes nothing new for Pitt athletics

Year after year, game after game, Pitt sporting events are filled with alumni, parents and… Year after year, game after game, Pitt sporting events are filled with alumni, parents and somewhat drunk and rowdy students.

It is rather typical for students, not only of Pitt, but of any college, to throw back a few beers, stumble past the gate attendant, sit in the student section and yell obnoxious comments throughout college football and basketball games.

In the past, students often misunderstood the benefits of going to a large Division I school and experiencing the high quality of our sports teams. In addition to getting drunk and having a blast while cheering on their teams, students are privileged to be a part of a university that has produced a respectable history of great athletes and sports teams.

Before joining the crowd and getting your buzz going for Pitt sporting events, it is important to know the history of Pitt sports, where some of the finest athletes in the nation began their careers.

Arguably the proudest moment for Pitt sports was in an international competition. In the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin, Pitt runner John Woodruff won a gold medal in the 800 meters.

Aside from the unimaginable triumph of a black athlete succeeding in the WWII-era Olympics, Woodruff added his own drama, coming to a complete stop at one point before moving outside other runners and retaking the lead. His time of 1:52.9 gave the United States its first 800-meter gold medal in 24 years. His medal hangs in Hillman Library.

Pitt Football

For years, the Panthers continuously produced winning records and appeared in bowl games. Some of the most sensational football players to ever play the game wore Pitt uniforms, and the Panthers’ football program has always ranked among the best in the nation.

So much talent has come through this university that some students might not even know that their favorite football players were Panthers.

Many freshmen will spend their first year in Sutherland Hall, one of the nicer dorms on campus, located across from the Petersen Events Center. The dorm, in addition to being a homey place to crash after a frat party, is named after one of Pitt’s finest football players of all time, Dr. John Bain “Jock” Sutherland.

Sutherland was an All-American guard for the Panthers and played from 1914 to 1917. The team lost only one game during his playing career. He went on to become Pitt’s head football coach in 1924, before becoming the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Another familiar name, with Pitt roots, is Mike Ditka.

A standout as a receiver for the Panthers, Ditka also spent time on Pitt’s basketball and baseball teams. In 1961, he was the first-round draft choice of the Chicago Bears, the team he represented in four Pro Bowls. Ditka was inducted into both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.

Pitt also has a Heisman Trophy winner in its mix of sensational athletes. Tony Dorsett, a four-time All-American for the Panthers, was the first player in NCAA history to reach 6,000 yards in a career.

After being selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 1977 National Football League draft, Dorsett went on to lead his team to two Super Bowls and is currently fifth on the all-time NFL rushing list.

Those who follow college football on ESPN have likely witnessed critiques from Mark May. “May Day,” as they called him in college, was an All-American tackle for the Panthers.

After winning the Outland Trophy, May went on to join the Washington Redskins, where he played in three Super Bowls and one Pro Bowl.

Perhaps the most famous player to wear a Pitt jersey is Dan Marino. After being named an All-American in 1981 and finishing fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting, Marino was selected by the Miami Dolphins. He performed brilliantly for the Dolphins, setting various NFL records as a quarterback and appearing in eight Pro Bowls.

In 2002, Marino became the 21st Pitt football player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Most recently added to Panther football history books was wideout Larry Fitzgerald. This year, Fitzgerald was selected third overall in the NFL draft after finishing second in Heisman Trophy voting — an incredible achievement for a pure wide receiver in his second year. He owns the NCAA records for consecutive games with a touchdown reception (18), touchdown catches as a freshman and sophomore (34) and receiving yards as a sophomore (1,672), and he shares with Randy Moss the record for most games with a touchdown reception in one season (12). He set eight Big East receiving records, including single-season receptions (92) and touchdown receptions (22), and he was the first sophomore ever to win the Walter Camp Player of the Year award. He also was a unanimous All-American and the winner of the Biletnikoff award, given annually to the best receiver in the nation. Yeah, he was good.

But more important about Fitzgerald was the way he played the game: with grace and humility. His demeanor and discipline were consistently among his finest qualities. The young man, who made it a point to always hand the ball to the referee after a touchdown, will be a feather in Pitt’s cap for quite some time. He will play next year for the Arizona Cardinals, where he will team up with Bryant Johnson and Anquan Boldin in a high-flying Dennis Green offense.

The Panthers’ past includes 68 first-team All-Americans and a number of players who moved on to play professionally. Most recently, seven Panthers were selected in the 2004 NFL draft, and three more have signed on with NFL teams.

Pitt Basketball

For the past three seasons, the quality of the Pitt basketball program has caused many fans to say, “Pitt basketball is back.”

Pitt basketball is back, and it is better than ever. But before you run around like animals and join the Oakland Zoo at the Petersen Events Center, you might want to know where it all began.

Pitt basketball became big in the early 1970s, when All-American guard Billy Knight joined the program. One of few Panthers to have his jersey retired, Knight averaged 22 points per game at Pitt, totaling 1,731 career points. He went on to play 11 years of professional basketball in both the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association.

The latter half of the 1970s brought the Panthers’ all-time leading rebounder to the court. Sam Clancy, the only Pitt player to put together 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in his career, brought down a total of 1,342 rebounds as a Panther.

Though a standout on the court, Clancy’s massive body and pure athleticism took him to the NFL, where he spent 11 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.

Around the time this year’s incoming freshmen were born, Pitt’s all-time leading scorer became a Panther.

Charles Smith, who totaled more than 2,000 points in his career, was a two-time All-American at Pitt, played on the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team and spent 10 seasons in the NBA. Smith is the most recent Panther to have had his jersey retired.

Orlando Antigua is the director of operations for the Pitt basketball program. Antigua was a star guard for the Panthers in the early 1990s.

After making the Big East All-Rookie team as a freshman, Antigua became a standout for Pitt and went on to play for the Harlem Globe Trotters.

The most notable player to have joined the Panthers in recent years is Brandin Knight.

Knight finished his college career at Pitt the season before last, but he is most remembered, perhaps, for helping to turn the program around. He shined as a point guard, taking his team to two straight Sweet Sixteens and leading the Panthers to their first Big East Championship.

Though the two are not related, Billy and Brandin Knight, along with a list of all-time greats, have put together endless memories for Pitt basketball. Because of them, the future of the program looks promising.