Jimbo Covert Adds to Pitt's Pro Football Hall of Fame Legacy
8/7/2021 9:00:00 AM | Football
Jimbo Covert's Canton call is official.
The legendary Pitt offensive tackle who spearheaded the Chicago Bears' vaunted rushing attack in the 1980s, Covert received induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame during enshrinement weekend, Aug. 6-7, in Canton, Ohio. He took part in the Hall of Fame's "Gold Jacket Ceremony" on Friday. He will present his induction speech with the rest of his 2020 Centennial Class on Saturday evening on the NFL Network.
He is the ninth former Panther to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He joins defensive end/linebacker Chris Doleman (2012), tight end Mike Ditka (1988), running back Tony Dorsett (1994), offensive lineman Russ Grimm (2010), linebacker Rickey Jackson (2010), quarterback Dan Marino (2005), running back Curtis Martin (2012) and linebacker Joe Schmidt (1973).
Pitt's nine Pro Hall of Famers rank fifth among all colleges.
Raised in the steel-making town of Conway, Pa., Covert arrived as a freshman at Pitt in 1978 following a decorated career at Freedom High School. He actually began his collegiate career on the defensive line. A shoulder injury sidelined him for the 1979 season and he was redshirted. At the urging of famed offensive line coach Joe Moore, he switched to offensive tackle in the spring of 1980. It was a decision that would lead Covert to both the Pro and College Football Hall of Fame.
Covert was a fixture on Pitt's punishing offensive front his final three seasons, surrendering just three sacks during that span. As a consensus All-American his senior year, he did not give up a single sack.
Not coincidentally, Pitt went 31-5 during Covert's three years as a starter, finishing in the nation's Top 10 each season. The 1980 and 1981 teams each went 11-1 and finished as high as No. 2 in the national polls.
His junior year, Covert was named a first team All-American by Football News and the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA). As a senior, he earned consensus status by being named an All-American by no fewer than six different national selectors. Following his final Pitt season, he played in the prestigious Hula Bowl and Senior Bowl all-star games.
Covert was chosen in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft (sixth overall) by the Chicago Bears and head coach Mike Ditka, himself a former Pitt All-American from Western Pennsylvania. Covert quickly established himself as one of pro football's top offensive tackles and was a consensus All-Rookie pick.
With Covert as a spearhead, the Bears led the NFL in rushing four consecutive seasons from 1983-86. His teammate, Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, called him "the best offensive tackle in the NFL."
Covert was a vital part of Chicago's famed 1985 team—considered one of the finest in NFL history—that went 15-1 and demolished the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX, 46-10.
Despite facing chronic back problems later in his pro career, Covert would play eight decorated seasons in Chicago (1983-90) and was named to the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1980s. He is also a member of the Chicago Bears All-Time Team.
In 1985, he was selected as the NFLPA Offensive Lineman of the Year. In 1986, he was selected Miller Lite Offensive Lineman of the Year. He was a four-time All-Pro honoree, two-time consensus first-team All-Pro selection and two-time Pro Bowl invitee.
Covert's influence on one of the most dominant teams of the 1980s went beyond the playing field. In just his second NFL season, he was selected by his teammates to serve as one of the Bears' captains. "Jimbo had the respect of all his teammates and all his coaches," Ditka said.
Covert's No. 75 was retired by Pitt in 2015. He is also a member of the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame and WPIAL Hall of Fame.
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The legendary Pitt offensive tackle who spearheaded the Chicago Bears' vaunted rushing attack in the 1980s, Covert received induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame during enshrinement weekend, Aug. 6-7, in Canton, Ohio. He took part in the Hall of Fame's "Gold Jacket Ceremony" on Friday. He will present his induction speech with the rest of his 2020 Centennial Class on Saturday evening on the NFL Network.
He is the ninth former Panther to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He joins defensive end/linebacker Chris Doleman (2012), tight end Mike Ditka (1988), running back Tony Dorsett (1994), offensive lineman Russ Grimm (2010), linebacker Rickey Jackson (2010), quarterback Dan Marino (2005), running back Curtis Martin (2012) and linebacker Joe Schmidt (1973).
Pitt's nine Pro Hall of Famers rank fifth among all colleges.
Raised in the steel-making town of Conway, Pa., Covert arrived as a freshman at Pitt in 1978 following a decorated career at Freedom High School. He actually began his collegiate career on the defensive line. A shoulder injury sidelined him for the 1979 season and he was redshirted. At the urging of famed offensive line coach Joe Moore, he switched to offensive tackle in the spring of 1980. It was a decision that would lead Covert to both the Pro and College Football Hall of Fame.
Covert was a fixture on Pitt's punishing offensive front his final three seasons, surrendering just three sacks during that span. As a consensus All-American his senior year, he did not give up a single sack.
Not coincidentally, Pitt went 31-5 during Covert's three years as a starter, finishing in the nation's Top 10 each season. The 1980 and 1981 teams each went 11-1 and finished as high as No. 2 in the national polls.
His junior year, Covert was named a first team All-American by Football News and the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA). As a senior, he earned consensus status by being named an All-American by no fewer than six different national selectors. Following his final Pitt season, he played in the prestigious Hula Bowl and Senior Bowl all-star games.
Covert was chosen in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft (sixth overall) by the Chicago Bears and head coach Mike Ditka, himself a former Pitt All-American from Western Pennsylvania. Covert quickly established himself as one of pro football's top offensive tackles and was a consensus All-Rookie pick.
With Covert as a spearhead, the Bears led the NFL in rushing four consecutive seasons from 1983-86. His teammate, Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, called him "the best offensive tackle in the NFL."
Covert was a vital part of Chicago's famed 1985 team—considered one of the finest in NFL history—that went 15-1 and demolished the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX, 46-10.
Despite facing chronic back problems later in his pro career, Covert would play eight decorated seasons in Chicago (1983-90) and was named to the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1980s. He is also a member of the Chicago Bears All-Time Team.
In 1985, he was selected as the NFLPA Offensive Lineman of the Year. In 1986, he was selected Miller Lite Offensive Lineman of the Year. He was a four-time All-Pro honoree, two-time consensus first-team All-Pro selection and two-time Pro Bowl invitee.
Covert's influence on one of the most dominant teams of the 1980s went beyond the playing field. In just his second NFL season, he was selected by his teammates to serve as one of the Bears' captains. "Jimbo had the respect of all his teammates and all his coaches," Ditka said.
Covert's No. 75 was retired by Pitt in 2015. He is also a member of the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame and WPIAL Hall of Fame.
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