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Pitt Football
| The 10 Greatest Freshman Seasons in Pitt History |  |
This week's Top 10 list focuses on the greatest freshman seasons in Pitt history. Over the years, the Panthers have had many instant impact freshmen on both sides of the ball. But which "frosh phenoms" have been the very best?
Our opinions on the topic are listed below but we want to hear from you. Which freshmen would make your Top 10 list? Share them with us on the Pitt Facebook page or @GoPittFootball on Twitter!
| #10 DT Marc Spindler (1987) |
As a 17-year-old freshman in 1987, Marc Spindler had arguably the most impactful defensive debut at Pitt since Hugh Green a decade prior. A starter from the opening game, Spindler went on to finish second on the team with 106 tackles, a Pitt freshman record. He had his most productive games against the Panthers' biggest rivals, twice notching 14 tackles in victories over Penn State (10-0) and West Virginia (6-3). Spindler's fourth-down sack preserved a shutout (34-0) against NC State. He was a vital part of a Pitt defense that yielded only 12.2 points per game that season.
| #9 QB Alex Van Pelt (1989) |
In 1989, Alex Van Pelt went from untested redshirt freshman to one of the most productive quarterbacks in the country. Van Pelt threw for 2,881 yards, breaking Pitt's single-season passing yardage record of 2,876 set by Dan Marino as a junior. Van Pelt threw for more than 300 yards on four separate occasions. (Marino had only three 300-yard games his entire career.) He finished his debut season with an MVP performance in the John Hancock Bowl, delivering a clutch 44-yard touchdown pass with 2:19 left to lift Pitt past Texas A&M, 31-28.
| #8 QB Dan Marino (1979) |
In Pitt's 1979 season opener against Kansas, Dan Marino's first career pass was intercepted. His second pass was nearly intercepted. His third pass was a 23-yard touchdown bullet to--trivia enthusiasts take note--wideout Ralph Still. The Central Catholic product had arrived at Pitt with tremendous fanfare but did not gain the starting job until the season's eighth game, replacing injured starter Rick Trocano. Marino would still set a Pitt freshman record with 1,680 passing yards and was the NCAA's 10th ranked passer. He also led the Panthers to difficult road victories against rivals West Virginia (24-7) and Penn State (29-14), and a 16-10 win against Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl as Pitt finished 11-1.
| #7 WR Larry Fitzgerald (2002) |
Larry Fitzgerald had barely finished his debut season at Pitt in 2002 when ESPN broadcaster Dave Sims made a bold prediction. "Larry Fitzgerald is going to be an All-Pro someday," Sims said. "He attacks every football in the air." Sims' forecast for the 19-year-old came after Fitzgerald compiled 69 receptions for 1,005 yards and 12 touchdowns, all Pitt freshman records. He was the first freshman in both Pitt and Big East history to go over 1,000 receiving yards. In a season full of highlight-film catches, his best was a diving touchdown effort in Pitt's 38-13 victory over Oregon State in the Insight Bowl. Fitzgerald took off from the five-yard line, fully extending his body to grab a 40-yard pass by his fingertips. In another bit of clairvoyance, ESPN analyst Bill Curry declared, "That looks like Jerry Rice reincarnated!"
| #6 OT Bill Fralic (1981) |
One of Pitt's biggest questions entering the 1981 season was who would replace Mark May, Outland Trophy winner and Washington Redskins' top draft pick, at right offensive tackle. The answer came in the form of mammoth Bill Fralic, who immediately stepped into the role and helped Pitt produce a 1,000-yard rusher, nearly 3,000 passing yards and an 11-1 record. Fralic became the first freshman to start a season-opening game since Tony Dorsett. The reviews were unanimous by season's end: Fralic was destined for greatness. "He played his position better than any freshman I've ever seen play any position," said famed Pitt offensive line coach Joe Moore.
| #5 RB LeSean McCoy (2007) |
Following LeSean McCoy's freshman season, he received the greatest compliment a Pitt running back, or any running back for that matter, can get. The legendary Tony Dorsett said of McCoy, "This is the first player who has come along who truly reminds me of me." McCoy eclipsed two of Dorsett's longstanding Pitt freshman marks--rushing touchdowns (14) and total points (90)--and was personally presented with a commemorative football by the Hall of Famer. McCoy rushed for 1,328 yards and topped the nation's freshmen by averaging 110.7 yards per game. He closed his debut season by churning out 148 yards on 38 carries in Pitt's monumental 13-9 victory at West Virginia.
| #4 WR Tyler Boyd (2013) |
Tyler Boyd was Pitt's most thrilling freshman receiver since Larry Fitzgerald. From a statistical standpoint, Boyd actually surpassed Larry Fitz. Boyd set Pitt freshman records with 85 catches for 1,174 yards, eclipsing marks previously held by Fitzgerald (who had 69 catches for 1,005 yards in 2002). Boyd also set the ACC record for freshman receptions, topping the mark held by Clemson's Sammy Watkins (82 catches in 2011). Boyd's dangerous versatility was evident in his nine total touchdowns. He scored seven on receptions, one on a rush and one on a punt return.
| #3 RB Dion Lewis (2009) |
From unknown to unstoppable: that aptly describes Dion Lewis' 2009 freshman season at Pitt. Lewis joined the Panthers with a lower recruiting profile despite putting up impressive numbers as a prep back. He immediately stepped into LeSean McCoy's vacated tailback spot and rushed for a Pitt freshman-record 1,799 yards. Lewis' rushing yardage was second at Pitt only to Tony Dorsett's 2,150 gained as a senior Heisman winner in 1976. Lewis piled up 108 points on 18 touchdowns to break McCoy's school freshman scoring mark (90 in 2007). Lewis finished 2009 with near unanimous acclaim as college football's freshman of the year.
| #2 DE Hugh Green (1977) |
Hugh Green arrived at Pitt the way a hurricane hits land--wreaking devastation. In his college debut, against eventual national champ Notre Dame, Green racked up 11 tackles, two sacks and a blocked punt. He kept that pace up the rest of the season, leading the Panthers with 12 sacks and finishing second on the team with 88 total stops. Said then Pitt defensive coordinator Jimmy Johnson, "I didn't see a better defensive end [than Green] all season." Nor would college football see a defensive end quite like Green the next three years.
| #1 RB Tony Dorsett (1973) |
After the first day of scrimmaging at 1973 training camp, new Pitt head coach John Majors knew who his top ball carrier would be. Barely 175 pounds, Tony Dorsett seized the starting tailback job in August and then turned college football on its collective ear with a fabulous debut season. Dorsett became the first freshman to earn consensus All-America honors in 29 years after rushing for 1,686 yards and leading Pitt to a Cinderella Fiesta Bowl season. The '73 campaign, sparked by Dorsett's greatness, ushered in a Pitt football renaissance. It would be a springboard that four years later would produce a national championship for Pitt and a Heisman Trophy for Dorsett.
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