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Pitt Football
| The 10 Most Underrated Players in Pitt History |  |
The list of all-time Pitt greats easily rolls off the tongue. Names like Ditka, Dorsett, Marino, Green and Fitzgerald are well known to not only Panther fans but football aficionados everywhere. But which players from Pitt lore deserve a brighter spotlight for their careers and accomplishments? To start that discussion--or debate--we proudly present "The 10 Most Underrated Players in Pitt History."
We're certain you have your own opinions and we want to hear them. Which underrated Pitt players would make your Top 10 list? Share them with us on the Pitt Facebook page or @GoPittFootball on Twitter!
| #10 RB Bryan Thomas (1978-82) |
The Pitt teams of the late 1970s and early 1980s are remembered for destructive defenses and punishing offensive lines--and quarterback Dan Marino. Conversations about tailbacks from those two decades usually start with Tony Dorsett and fast-forward to Craig "Ironhead" Heyward. That wrongly discounts the versatile talents of Bryan Thomas, who led Pitt in rushing in 1981 and 1982. As a junior in '81, Thomas rushed for 1,132 yards, at the time the highest total by a Pitt player not named Dorsett. In the famed 1982 Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia, Thomas out-rushed Herschel Walker 129 yards to 84. His senior year in `82, Thomas led the Panthers in both rushing (955) and receptions (54). He finished his career as Pitt's third all-time leading rusher with 2,141 yards.
| #9 PK Conor Lee (2004-08) |
There aren't many barroom debates about placekickers so we'll turn the discussion up a notch. We'll contend that Conor Lee is not only one of the greatest kickers in Pitt history but also one of the most underrated offensive weapons to ever suit up for the Panthers. Let's state our case. In three seasons as Pitt's kicker, Lee accounted for 263 points, the third highest scoring total in school history. He holds Pitt career records for field goals (50) and field goal percentage (83%). Lee never missed an extra point, putting each of his 113 PATs through the uprights. Closing argument: his 48-yard field goal at West Virginia in 2007 and school-record five field goals at Notre Dame in 2008 keyed two of Pitt's most memorable wins ever. `Nuff said.
| #8 DB Ramon Walker (1998-2001) |
Despite a slighter frame, safety Ramon Walker was one of the most explosive hitters in Pitt history. The coaching staff limited Walker's contact during the week to save him for Saturdays. In three active seasons at Pitt, he was selected All-Big East each year and compiled 328 tackles, a total that still ranks 12th all-time. Perhaps his greatest performance came in the 1999 Pitt Stadium finale against Notre Dame when he made a pair of game-changing plays. Late in the third quarter, Walker ripped the ball from an Irish running back and returned it into Notre Dame territory, setting up a touchdown and 27-17 lead. In the fourth period, Walker put a jarring hit on a receiver, popping the ball into teammate Scott McCurley's hands. Pitt parlayed the INT into the game-clinching TD in a 37-27 win.
| #7 WR Dietrich Jells (1991-95) |
Names like Fitzgerald, Bryant and Grim raised the profile of the receiver position at Pitt in the early 2000s. Before those players arrived on campus, there was a speedy receiver from Erie named Dietrich Jells who finished his career as the Panthers' all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards. Possessing sprinters' speed--he ran a 4.43 40-yard dash--Jells was a dangerous deep threat. His 91-yard touchdown reception against Rutgers in 1992 still stands as Pitt's longest pass play ever and is tied for the longest play from scrimmage (equaling George McLaren's 91-yard run in 1917). As a sophomore in `92, Jells became the first player in Pitt history to achieve a 1,000-yard receiving season, setting school records with 55 catches for 1,091 yards (19.8 avg.). He finished his career atop the Panthers' lists for all-time catches (160) and receiving yards (3,003). While not part of the "Wide Receiver U." era at Pitt, Jells should still be considered one of the Panthers' finest to play the position.
| #6 DT Mick Williams (2005-09) |
Before Aaron Donald there was Mick Williams. A 6-foot powder keg weighing nearly 300 pounds, Williams belied his fire hydrant build with quick feet and athleticism. As a high school basketball player at Monessen, he shattered a backboard on a dunk. His exceptional production as an interior defensive lineman foreshadowed the type of numbers Donald would achieve a few years later. In Williams' senior season, he had 17 tackles for loss, five sacks and three forced fumbles, sharing the 2009 Big East Defensive Player of the Year honor with Pitt end Greg Romeus. Williams also ranks among the fiercest competitors in recent Pitt lore. When West Virginia quarterback Pat White left the 2007 Backyard Brawl with a hand injury, Williams shouted to the Mountaineer sideline, "Bring him back out here!" White returned. Pitt won anyway, 13-9.
| #5 QB Rod Rutherford (1999-2003) |
When Rod Rutherford completed his senior season in 2003, he ranked first at Pitt in single-season passing yards (3,679), first in single-season touchdown passes (37, tied with Dan Marino), third in career passing yards (6,724) and third in career total offense (7,609). He reached those marks despite only being a two-year starter. Some are quick to underrate his production because he had Larry Fitzgerald at his disposal those two seasons. But close observers of Rutherford's career, especially his final season, will recall how truly effective a field general he was. Evolving from a `Slash' role as a freshman to a skilled and confident passer as a senior, Rutherford had an underappreciated knack for putting the ball where only his receivers could get it. In addition to Fitzgerald's out-of-this world stats in 2003, Kris Wilson set a Pitt record for TD catches by a tight end with nine. Rod could effectively spread the wealth among his targets.
| #4 LB Arnie Weatherington (1973-76) |
The case for Arnie Weatherington being on this list is simple: for 38 years he has remained atop Pitt's all-time tackle list with an astonishing 477 stops. It is a vastly underappreciated feat, especially for a school that has produced some prolific tacklers. Weatherington played at the heart of Pitt's 1976 defense, a unit that surrendered only 225 yards and 11 points per game as the Panthers charged toward a 12-0 record and national title. Weatherington and the rest of his defensive mates, however, were overshadowed by Tony Dorsett and an explosive offense. Nevertheless, the production of Weatherington stands the test of time.
| #3 OL Jim Sweeney (1980-83) |
In Pitt's pantheon of great offensive linemen, Jim Sweeney's name should be indelibly etched. Playing alongside more celebrated linemen like Jim Covert, Bill Fralic and Mark May, Sweeney proved invaluable on the Panthers' offensive front by being able to play all five positions. A starter at center his final two years, Sweeney was a second-round pick of the New York Jets in 1984 and played an incredible 16 NFL seasons (his final four with the Steelers). He was named to the Jets' All-Time Four Decade Team. As a collegian and pro, Sweeney ranks among Pitt's finest.
| #2 RB Elliott Walker (1974-77) |
Elliott Walker had the benefit and disadvantage of playing during the Tony Dorsett era at Pitt. Overshadowed his first three years by Dorsett's rushing theatrics, Walker nonetheless should be remembered as one of the best running backs in Pitt history. The numbers prove it as he remains one of the Panthers' top 8 all-time rushers with nearly 2,800 yards. In 1977, his first and only year without Dorsett, Walker rushed for more than 1,000 yards, becoming only the second Pitt back to accomplish the feat, and had a team-high 15 touchdowns. He closed his career with a three-touchdown performance--each on receptions--in the Panthers' 34-3 dismantling of Clemson in the 1977 Gator Bowl. Walker left Pitt as the second-leading ground gainer in school history (2,748)--trailing only Dorsett.
| #1 LB Jerry Olsavsky (1985-88) |
Twenty-six years following his final college season, Jerry "O" still personifies what a Pitt middle linebacker should be: tough, tenacious, instinctive and intelligent. Lacking the prototypical measurables--Olsavsky was listed at 6-foot-2 and 218 pounds--he produced three consecutive 100-tackle seasons from 1986-88. He spearheaded a Pitt defense that ranked among the nation's top 10 in each of those seasons (ninth in 1986 and fourth in both 1987 and '88). A first team All-American as a senior, the NFL still wasn't convinced. He lasted until the 10th round of the 1989 draft when the Steelers selected him 258th overall. Defying his draft status, Olsavsky played a decade in the NFL, including nine seasons with Pittsburgh (1989-97) and his final year with the Baltimore Ravens (1998). He tenaciously overcame a severe knee injury to become a starter at inside linebacker for the Steelers in Super Bowl XXX. (He remains with the Steelers organization on the defensive staff.) When discussions arise about Pitt's greatest defenders and competitors, Olsavsky should always be prominently mentioned.
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