University of Pittsburgh Athletics
May Shined as Stars Aligned at Pitt
8/7/2019 3:19:00 PM | General
#PittHOF Class of 2019
Growing up, Mark May was just a big kid living in upstate New York playing football. Because the sport was not as popular there as it was in Western Pennsylvania, Ohio or Texas, he did not think much would come out of it. He certainly never thought he would end up where he is today.
Then he found out there might be a chance he could travel across the country for free to play football. He decided he would give it a shot.
"I got into it," May said. "I never thought in my wildest dreams or imagination that I would do the things I have. Luckily enough, I had some great coaches and some great teammates to help me accomplish those things."
Some of those accomplishments include helping lead Pitt to a combined four-year record of 39-8-1, including four bowl games and three top 10 finishes. During his junior and senior seasons, May did not allow a single sack. He got the recognition he deserved his final year, earning unanimous All-America status and the Outland Trophy, presented to the nation's top interior lineman.
After his career at Pitt ended, May was selected in the first round of the 1981 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins where he went on to win two Super Bowl Championships (1982 and 1987).
May was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005 and had his No. 73 jersey retired by Pitt in 2001. Most recently, May became a member of Pitt's 2019 Hall of Fame class.
"First I had to take a second to realize how important it was and I was very excited about it," May said. "Obviously it's only the second year for the hall of fame at the University of Pittsburgh, so it means quite a bit. I've made accomplishments in life... and this is one is right at the top."
Surprisingly enough, if it were not for a former Penn State player, there is a possibility none of May's accomplishments would have happened, at least not at Pitt.
Before visiting Pitt, May went on a visit to Penn State. While he was there, he talked to different football players. During one of their conversations, one of the players told May he did not want to go to Penn State, but his parents made him.
"I was like, ok I'm not falling for that trap," May said. "I think coming to Pitt was absolutely the right decision, the best decision I could make."
When May went to visit Pitt, the Panthers were just coming off a National Championship. He had a different conversation with the Pitt players. On his visit, Cecil Johnson and Tony Dorsett went up to May, Rickey Jackson and Hugh Green and said, "We don't take recruits, so you guys better come here."
That is what May did.
After enrolling at Pitt, May realized there was a lot more to the University than just football. In fact, one of his favorite memories comes from the classroom. May was taking an economics 101 class, when he failed to show up to two of the classes, his professor called one of his football coaches to tell him.
"That's one of my fond memories from the University of Pittsburgh," May said. "It was just a great experience. And for any young person out there, academically or athletically, especially if you're a football player, there's no finer University."
His time at Pitt led May to a decorated NFL career and set him up to be success as a broadcaster, radio personality and speaker after retiring from football.
It was while he was traveling to go deliver a speech that May found out he was going to be inducted into Pitt's Hall of Fame. He was around the North Carolina area getting ready to deliver a speech when Pitt Director of Athletics Heather Lyke called him.
While he did not mention the honor in his speech that night, May announced the news the next day when doing radio interviews.
"I do two local radios in the Phoenix area and I do some national radio. [That day], I did a bunch in Little Rock," May said. "I was telling those guys and I let it out there…they were very excited about it."
May knows none of what he has accomplished had to happen. In fact, he knows luck plays a large role in his success. The stars aligned for May, but he helped that happened. And, he knows he deserves this honor and the ones that have come before.
"If I didn't make the correct decisions to go to the University of Pittsburgh and I would have gone somewhere else things probably wouldn't have happened the way they happened," May said. "So it's almost timing is part of it and a lot of luck is part of it but it's a lot of hard work and determination and not being denied and that's the attitude I've always had. If they said I couldn't do it I found a way to figure out how to do it no matter how hard it was or how difficult it was, I was always trying to find a way to get the job done."
Then he found out there might be a chance he could travel across the country for free to play football. He decided he would give it a shot.
"I got into it," May said. "I never thought in my wildest dreams or imagination that I would do the things I have. Luckily enough, I had some great coaches and some great teammates to help me accomplish those things."
Some of those accomplishments include helping lead Pitt to a combined four-year record of 39-8-1, including four bowl games and three top 10 finishes. During his junior and senior seasons, May did not allow a single sack. He got the recognition he deserved his final year, earning unanimous All-America status and the Outland Trophy, presented to the nation's top interior lineman.
After his career at Pitt ended, May was selected in the first round of the 1981 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins where he went on to win two Super Bowl Championships (1982 and 1987).
May was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005 and had his No. 73 jersey retired by Pitt in 2001. Most recently, May became a member of Pitt's 2019 Hall of Fame class.
"First I had to take a second to realize how important it was and I was very excited about it," May said. "Obviously it's only the second year for the hall of fame at the University of Pittsburgh, so it means quite a bit. I've made accomplishments in life... and this is one is right at the top."
Surprisingly enough, if it were not for a former Penn State player, there is a possibility none of May's accomplishments would have happened, at least not at Pitt.
Before visiting Pitt, May went on a visit to Penn State. While he was there, he talked to different football players. During one of their conversations, one of the players told May he did not want to go to Penn State, but his parents made him.
"I was like, ok I'm not falling for that trap," May said. "I think coming to Pitt was absolutely the right decision, the best decision I could make."
When May went to visit Pitt, the Panthers were just coming off a National Championship. He had a different conversation with the Pitt players. On his visit, Cecil Johnson and Tony Dorsett went up to May, Rickey Jackson and Hugh Green and said, "We don't take recruits, so you guys better come here."
That is what May did.
After enrolling at Pitt, May realized there was a lot more to the University than just football. In fact, one of his favorite memories comes from the classroom. May was taking an economics 101 class, when he failed to show up to two of the classes, his professor called one of his football coaches to tell him.
"That's one of my fond memories from the University of Pittsburgh," May said. "It was just a great experience. And for any young person out there, academically or athletically, especially if you're a football player, there's no finer University."
His time at Pitt led May to a decorated NFL career and set him up to be success as a broadcaster, radio personality and speaker after retiring from football.
It was while he was traveling to go deliver a speech that May found out he was going to be inducted into Pitt's Hall of Fame. He was around the North Carolina area getting ready to deliver a speech when Pitt Director of Athletics Heather Lyke called him.
While he did not mention the honor in his speech that night, May announced the news the next day when doing radio interviews.
"I do two local radios in the Phoenix area and I do some national radio. [That day], I did a bunch in Little Rock," May said. "I was telling those guys and I let it out there…they were very excited about it."
May knows none of what he has accomplished had to happen. In fact, he knows luck plays a large role in his success. The stars aligned for May, but he helped that happened. And, he knows he deserves this honor and the ones that have come before.
"If I didn't make the correct decisions to go to the University of Pittsburgh and I would have gone somewhere else things probably wouldn't have happened the way they happened," May said. "So it's almost timing is part of it and a lot of luck is part of it but it's a lot of hard work and determination and not being denied and that's the attitude I've always had. If they said I couldn't do it I found a way to figure out how to do it no matter how hard it was or how difficult it was, I was always trying to find a way to get the job done."
2019 PITT HALL OF FAME
The 2019 Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame Class was unveiled June 13, 2019 by Pitt's Director of Athletics Heather Lyke. The 12-member group is composed of All-Pros, All-Americans and legendary all-time greats.
The 2019 class will receive induction at the Pitt Hall of Fame Dinner on Friday, Sept. 20, at the Petersen Events Center. On Saturday, Sept. 21, the inductees will be introduced at Heinz Field when the Panthers host UCF. For Hall of Fame Dinner ticket information, contact Executive Director for Signature Events and Donor Experience Allison Rubin by phone (412-648-0345) or email (arubin@athletics.pitt.edu).
For more information of the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame, visit pittsburghpanthers.com/halloffame.
#H2P | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
The 2019 Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame Class was unveiled June 13, 2019 by Pitt's Director of Athletics Heather Lyke. The 12-member group is composed of All-Pros, All-Americans and legendary all-time greats.
The 2019 class will receive induction at the Pitt Hall of Fame Dinner on Friday, Sept. 20, at the Petersen Events Center. On Saturday, Sept. 21, the inductees will be introduced at Heinz Field when the Panthers host UCF. For Hall of Fame Dinner ticket information, contact Executive Director for Signature Events and Donor Experience Allison Rubin by phone (412-648-0345) or email (arubin@athletics.pitt.edu).
For more information of the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame, visit pittsburghpanthers.com/halloffame.
#H2P | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
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