Pitt has four players named to All-Big East team

The Tangerine Bowl-bound Pitt Panthers received some more good news this week as four players… The Tangerine Bowl-bound Pitt Panthers received some more good news this week as four players landed on the 2001 All-Big East Conference team.

Three Pitt players earned first-team honors. The list includes junior wide receiver Antonio Bryant, junior linebacker Gerald Hayes and junior free safety Ramon Walker. Earning second-team honors was senior defensive end Bryan Knight.

Walker was named to the All-Big East team for the third consecutive season. The hard-hitting defensive back led the team with 120 tackles, of which 74 were solo.

Hayes earned his second All-Big East accolade. The middle linebacker wrapped up 104 ball carriers this season, taking down 62 by himself. He was second on the team with 6 1/2 quarterback sacks and 15 total tackles for losses.

Bryant was a first-team pick for the second straight year. Despite being hampered throughout the season with ankle injuries, Bryant finished with a team-high 42 receptions, taking nine of them into the end zone for touchdowns. Bryant racked up 659 receiving yards, averaging 15.7 yards per catch.

Knight, who also struggled with injuries early in the season, bounced back strongly as he totaled a team-high 8 1/2 sacks and 18 tackles for losses. Knight had 52 tackles, with 33 coming in the solo variety. This is his second straight All-Big East honor.

By winning its last five games, Pitt (6-5, 4-3 in the Big East) had its strongest close to a regular season since the 1983 Panthers went 6-0-1 down the stretch. The New York Times ranked Pitt 25th in its computer poll this week.

The Panthers travel to Orlando for the Tangerine Bowl on Dec. 20, when they take on N.C. State (7-4, 4-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference).

The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and will be nationally televised on ESPN.