10 Best Pittsburgh Panthers Football Players

The Pittsburgh Panthers have won nine national championships, the most recent coming in 1976. 

Today, you can bet on the Panthers college football odds at a BetMGM online sportsbook. 

Before you weigh in on their weekly football odds, check out my list of the top 10 players in program history below. 

10 Best Pittsburgh Panthers Football Players

1. Tony Dorsett

Dorsett played for Pitt from 1973 to 1976 and was part of the 1976 national championship team. 

Not only that, he’s Pitt’s all-time leader in rushing yards (6,526), single-season rushing yards (2,150 in 1976), and rushing touchdowns (58).

He also ranks seventh in total yards and sixth in total touchdowns.

In addition to the 1976 national title win, he won the Heisman Trophy.

He also won other accolades, including the Maxwell Award, Sporting News Player of the Year, Walter Camp Award, and Chic Harley Award. He was a unanimous All-American, two-time first-team All-American, second-team All-American, and four-time first-team All-East.

Today, he’s enshrined in the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame, and his No. 33 was retired by the Panthers.

2. Larry Fitzgerald

After transferring from the Valley Forge Military Academy, Fitzgerald only played two seasons at Pitt, but his presence was immediately felt. 

In two seasons, he racked up 161 catches (fifth), 2,677 receiving yards (sixth), and 34 touchdowns (first). 

His 1,672 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2003 was a single-season record. 

He won the Biletnikoff Award, Walter Camp Award, Chic Harley Award, and Paul Warfield Trophy, was the Big East Offensive Player of the Year, was a unanimous All-American and first-team All-Big East, and was part of the 2002 team that won the Insight Bowl. 

The school retired his No. 1, and he’s enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. 

3. Hugh Green

While at Pitt from 1977 to 1980, Green had 441 tackles (second) and 49 sacks (first), 15.5 more than second-place holder Randy Holloway. 

He won the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Lombardi Award, UPI Lineman of the Year, UPI Player of the Year, and the Sporting News Player of the Year. 

He was also a two-time unanimous All-American, a second-team All-American, and a four-time first-team All-Big East, and the school retired his No. 99.

Like Fitzgerald and Dorsett mentioned before him, he’s enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. 

4. Dan Marino

Marino played for Pitt from 1979 to 1982. During that time, he was first-team All-American and first-team All-East, and Pitt retired his No. 13. 

While there, he threw for 8,597 yards (third), 79 touchdowns (second), 8,320 total yards (fifth), and 82 total touchdowns (second).  

He led Pitt to a 1982 Sugar Bowl win over the Georgia Bulldogs and was 33-3 as a starter there. 

Marino is enshrined in the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

5. Bill Fralic

An offensive lineman for Pitt, Fralic played there from 1981 to 1984 and was named UPI Lineman of the Year.

He was also a two-time unanimous All-American, first-team All-American, three-time first-team All-East, and second-team All-East, and the school retired his No. 79. 

He’s enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. 

6. Mike Ditka

Dikta played tight end at Pitt from 1958 to 1960. He was a unanimous All-American and two-time first-team All-Eastern, and his No. 89 was retired. 

He had 45 catches for 730 yards and seven touchdowns. 

In addition to tight end, he also played linebacker, defensive end, and punter. 

He’s enshrined in the Pro and College Football Hall of Fame. 

7. Mark May

May played guard at Pitt from 1977 to 1980. While there, he won the Outland Trophy, was a unanimous All-American, and was a two-time first-team All-East. The school retired his No. 73. 

H2 8. Aaron Donald

Donald had 29.5 sacks during his playing days at Pitt from 2010 to 2013. He had 11 sacks as a defensive tackle in two separate seasons.

He won the Bronko Nagurksi Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award, Outland Trophy, and Bill Willis Trophy, was a unanimous All-American, won ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2013, was first-team All-ACC, first-team All-Big East, and second-team All-Big East. 

9. Kenny Pickett

Pickett is Pitt’s all-time leader in passing yards (12,303), passing touchdowns (81), total yards (13,104), and total touchdowns (101).

He also holds the following single-season records: 

• Passing yards: 4,319 in 2021
• Passing touchdowns: 42 in 2021
• Total yards: 4,552 in 2021

Furthermore, he holds the single-game record for passing yards with 519 against Miami in 2021.

He was a first-team All-American, won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, was ACC Athlete, Player, and Offensive Player of the Year, and was first-team All-ACC. 

10. LeSean McCoy

McCoy played two seasons at Pitt from 2007 to 2008 and had 2,816 rushing yards (eighth), 35 rushing touchdowns (third), scored 216 points (eighth), and had 36 total touchdowns (tied for third). 

He was a second-team All-American, the Big East Rookie of the Year, and two-time first-team All-Big East. 

He has two of the top 10 single-season records in rushing yards and is second in single-season rushing touchdowns (21 in 2008).