University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Mark May Joins Retired Number Honorees
10/2/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Mark May Joins Retired Number Honorees
10/2/2001
This is only the eighth time that Pittsburgh has honored one of its football players in this manner. |
Honoring 'May Day'
Mark May Joins List of Panther Immortals with Jersey Retirement
By Sam Sciullo, Jr.
Mark May's playing style matched his current broadcast persona - smooth and eloquent. He never attracted the type of attention that seemed to follow some of his more colorful, outrageous contemporaries on the University of Pittsburgh's football scene during those glorious years of the late 1970s and early '80s.
May never made bear calls on the line of scrimmage the way defensive teammates Greg Meisner and Jerry Boyarsky did, nor did he pump his fast in the air in an attempt to rouse the crowd a la linebacker Sal Sunseri. In fact, he never possessed the type of rock?solid, chiseled look that made Bill Fralic one of the game's most intimidating tackles.
He looked more like an, uh, investment banker, or perhaps a Wall Street broker. During his college years, May dazzled friends and admirers on the banquet circle with his eloquence. He's parlayed that grasp of both football and the English language into a successful broadcasting career. Following a highly successful 13?year career in the National Football League, including stops with the Washington Redskins, San Diego Chargers and Arizona Cardinals, May broke into the broadcast business as a color analyst to Bill Hillgrove on Panther radio broadcasts in 1994. He then graduated to the pro game, serving CBS as a color commentator. He also worked for TNT, and is now an in?studio host and color analyst for college football on ESPN.
You could say it all started for May when he came to Pittsburgh as a freshman in the fall of 1977, on the heels of the Panthers' 1976 national championship season. Twenty?four years later, a remarkable football career is honored tonight when May's jersey No. 73 is officially retired by his alma mater. The announcement came this past June 14 during a press conference at nearby PNC Park, an occasion that left May somewhat overwhelmed. He had to compose himself for a minute before he began to speak.
"I told myself that I wouldn't get emotional," May told the gathering of media and friends. "I guess I lied."
This is only the eighth time that Pittsburgh has honored one of its football players in this manner. The others are Dan Marino (13), Tony Dorsett (33), Marshall Goldberg (42), Joe Schmidt (65), Bill Fralic (79), Mike Ditka (89) and Hugh Green (99). "
Mark May was one of the greatest offensive linemen of all time," Pittsburgh athletic director Steve Pederson said. "The retirement of his jersey is an occasion to celebrate not only the Panther football tradition, but also our history of outstanding offensive linemen.
"When you think of the most dominant players in recent college football history, Mark May is at the top of the list. It is an honor for me to preside over this well?deserved honor for Mark and place his jersey among the names of Goldberg, Schmidt, Ditka, Dorsett, Marino, Green and Fralic."
"Without a doubt, this is one of the highest athletic achievements of my career, and I've been to three Super Bowls, played in the Pro Bowl and was on some great teams at the University of Pittsburgh," May said. "It is even more of an honor to have your number retired at a school with the football tradition of Pittsburgh."
May remembered back to how and where it began. He was attracted to Pittsburgh, in part, by the direct recruiting style of Head Coach Jackie Sherrill, who had replaced Johnny Majors after the national championship season.
"He (Sherrill) told us up front what to expect," May said. "He explained to us that Pittsburgh wasn't some quaint, little college town, that there would be a lot of diversions and social opportunities. But he talked to us and told us that he expected us to behave like men.
"I remember being in our locker room as a collegiate player and seeing Tony Dorsett's glass?encased locker. There have been so many great players here, and to have your name added to the list of retired jerseys is a tremendous thrill. I still think it hasn't hit me yet." Throughout his career, May hit opposing defensive ends as well as anybody. The crowning achievement of his playing career came after his senior season, 1980, when he was named a consensus All?American and was awarded the prestigious Outland Trophy.
"As an athlete, when you're playing, you take a lot of that in stride," May explained. "That's just part of your job. But as you get older, you savor it more. You enjoy it more." A member of Pittsburgh's star?laden senior class of 1981, May was one of 12 Panthers taken in the 1981 NFL Draft. He, along with fullback Randy McMillan and defensive end Hugh Green, were all first?round selections.
May now resides in Edgewater, Md., with his wife Kathy and daughters Bryce and Abra.
