Pitt football's four statue-worthy greats

[cbpitt2]

At PNC Park, there's a statue of a Pirate great at each of the four gates. If Pitt had their own stadium, who should be the four statues of Pitt Panther football greats?

Pitt football’s four statues

At each of PNC Park’s gates, there’s a statue of a Pirate great: Bill Mazeroski, Honus Wagner, Willie Stargell and Roberto Clemente. Allow me to have a Nostradamus moment and look into the future. …

johnbaranowski.wordpress.com

 

[Pitt2009]

Fun question. So many good options.

Mine:

Tony Dorsett - Only Heisman Trophy winner and won a National Championship.

Jock Sutherland - Won 7 National Championships (2 as a player and 5 as a coach). All-American as a player.

Hugh Green - Best player on the best team. Won every defensive award and should’ve won the Heisman. Arguably the greatest defensive player in college football history.

Dan Marino - It’s Dan Marino.

 

[S.R.M.]

At PNC Park, there's a statue of a Pirate great at each of the four gates. If Pitt had their own stadium, who should be the four statues of Pitt Panther football greats?

Pitt football’s four statues

At each of PNC Park’s gates, there’s a statue of a Pirate great: Bill Mazeroski, Honus Wagner, Willie Stargell and Roberto Clemente. Allow me to have a Nostradamus moment and look into the future. …

johnbaranowski.wordpress.com

2 non negotiables in my mind are

Tony Dorsett - Heisman winner who led team to a national title

Larry Fitzgerald - best college football player I've ever seen Heisman runner up who should have won the Heisman and is arguably the second best receiver in history

Now it gets tricky for me

3. Hugh Green - before my time but the old timers all say he was the best defensive player in Pitt history

4. Toss up between Dan Marino and Aaron Donald. Aaron Donald is in the conversation for best defensive player ever. He was an unstoppable force at Pitt, won 3 NFL DPOYs and made the play of the game to win his team a Superbowl. Dan Marino is an all time great born and raised in the shadows of the cathedral of learning but the knock on him is he never won the big won in either college or the pros and that is a big deal for QB

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Pitt has already told you who the four are.

 

[cbpitt2]

Pitt has already told you who the four are.

Was that made before Aaron Donald and Pickett?

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Was that made before Aaron Donald and Pickett?

Definitely before Pickett. Maybe before Donald, I don't remember what year they gave them out off the top of my head.

 

[HailtoPitt]

Pitt has had too many great players to choose from.

 

[Pittgolf1971]

Definitely before Pickett. Maybe before Donald, I don't remember what year they gave them out off the top of my head.

It was sent out to season ticket holders maybe 2/3 years ago.

 

[HailtoPitt]

Only if they use the same sculpture who made the Ronaldo bust.

 

[pittmeister]

Too many to name. What would be more interesting is if Pitt had a Mount Rushmore of failures installed in the bathroom so you can piss on them when nature calls. My picks:

Ed Bozik
Steve Pederson
Todd Graham
Scott Barnes

 

[Franb]

Pitt has already told you who the four are.

Hugh Green certainly had a better Pitt career than anyone other than Dorsett.

 

[Las Panteras]

Too many to name. What would be more interesting is if Pitt had a Mount Rushmore of failures installed in the bathroom so you can piss on them when nature calls. My picks:

Ed Bozik
Steve Pederson
Todd Graham
Scott Barnes

The Pitt brass would screw up mount rushmore and place 5 busts instead of four.

Thus opening the door for Kevin Stallings.......

 

[wbrpanther]

Too many to name. What would be more interesting is if Pitt had a Mount Rushmore of failures installed in the bathroom so you can piss on them when nature calls. My picks:

Ed Bozik
Steve Pederson
Todd Graham
Scott Barnes

Mount Flushmore

 

[wbrpanther]

Fun question. So many good options.

Mine:

Tony Dorsett - Only Heisman Trophy winner and won a National Championship.

Jock Sutherland - Won 7 National Championships (2 as a player and 5 as a coach). All-American as a player.

Hugh Green - Best player on the best team. Won every defensive award and should’ve won the Heisman. Arguably the greatest defensive player in college football history.

Dan Marino - It’s Dan Marino.

I think I would go with these 4.

 

[hoclaw]

Mike Ditka? and for those who don't know it; up until about 1980; Joe Schmidt was widely recognized as the greatest MLB of all time...

 

[pittdan77]

Beano Cook gets one. Don’t at me.

 

[cbpitt2]

Beano Cook gets one. Don’t at me.

The Press Box is named the Beano Cook/EJ Borghetti Press Box.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

At PNC Park, there's a statue of a Pirate great at each of the four gates. If Pitt had their own stadium, who should be the four statues of Pitt Panther football greats?

Pitt football’s four statues

At each of PNC Park’s gates, there’s a statue of a Pirate great: Bill Mazeroski, Honus Wagner, Willie Stargell and Roberto Clemente. Allow me to have a Nostradamus moment and look into the future. …

johnbaranowski.wordpress.com

Marino
Dorsett
Green
Patti

Fitz and Donald's teams didnt win enough

 

[Kenwins]

They could carve 4 busts into the side of Mt. Washington and change the name to Mt. Pittmore. I also agree with Dorsett, Ditka, Marino and Fitz. These four are just so incredibly iconic.

 

[CrazyPaco]

Joe Thompson
Pop Warner
Jock Sutherland
Johnny Majors

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

It was sent out to season ticket holders maybe 2/3 years ago.

They gave them away at a game, and it was certainly before covid so it was more than 2 or 3 years ago.

 

[HailtoPitt]

Pitt should do a Pitt Mount Rushmore promotion, except instead of one game, they do it for multiple games. They could easily have three Rushmores or players.

 

[Ski11585]

Joe Thompson
Pop Warner
Jock Sutherland
Johnny Majors

10/10 for an on brand response.

 

[vikings1980]

Dorsett, Green, Fralic, Donald

 

[Parkview57]

Hugh Green certainly had a better Pitt career than anyone other than Dorsett.

Except for Marshall Goldberg...source is wikipedia for convenience.

At the University of Pittsburgh, under coach Jock Sutherland, he led the Pitt Panthers to back-to-back national championships in 1936 and 1937. Goldberg's 1936 team won the 1937 Rose Bowl. He finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1937 and was runner-up for the Heisman in 1938. He was also an All-American in both 1937 and 1938, first as a halfback and then as a fullback. During his Pitt career he amassed 1,957 rushing yards, a school record that stood until 1974 when Tony Dorsett surpassed it. Goldberg was part of Pitt's legendary Dream Backfield along with Dick Cassiano, John 'Chick' Chickerneo, & Curly Stebbins. Some experts consider Pitt's Dream Backfield superior to the more famous Four Horsemen of Notre Dame.

 

[Panther Holla]

Mount Pittmore is muddled by recency bias and the fact that Pitt has fallen into the rabbit hole of retiring too many numbers. Personally I’d prefer a legacy number system where the CFB hall of fame numbers are assigned on merit to showcase the greats actively. We could always have a ring of honor. How much does team succes factor in? As an Indy for so many years, it was Lambert or bust for Pitt. We sure didn’t set the Big East on fire. NFL success should not be weighed heavier than college success, IMO, but that is my very subjective take. With Pitt’s wealth of greats, this is a good discussion to have. We have been blessed.

 

[steelcurtain55.]

Purely on Pitt Accolades?

Dorsett
Green
Donald
Fralic or Fitz - you pick - University of Pittsburgh or University of Phoenix?

 

[upj87]

2 non negotiables in my mind are

Tony Dorsett - Heisman winner who led team to a national title

Larry Fitzgerald - best college football player I've ever seen Heisman runner up who should have won the Heisman and is arguably the second best receiver in history

Now it gets tricky for me

3. Hugh Green - before my time but the old timers all say he was the best defensive player in Pitt history

4. Toss up between Dan Marino and Aaron Donald. Aaron Donald is in the conversation for best defensive player ever. He was an unstoppable force at Pitt, won 3 NFL DPOYs and made the play of the game to win his team a Superbowl. Dan Marino is an all time great born and raised in the shadows of the cathedral of learning but the knock on him is he never won the big won in either college or the pros and that is a big deal for QB

Larry Fitzgerald...left early, maybe sponge worthy but not Pitt statue worthy...

 

[steelcurtain55.]

Mike Ditka? and for those who don't know it; up until about 1980; Joe Schmidt was widely recognized as the greatest MLB of all time...

Ditka's teammate was considered the greatest LB of that era.

 

[jivecat]

Hugh Green was also before my time but I think we need to make the argument that Aaron Donald is the greatest defensive player in PITT history. He is arguably the greatest DL in NFL history.

 

[upj87]

Hugh Green was also before my time but I think we need to make the argument that Aaron Donald is the greatest defensive player in PITT history. He is arguably the greatest DL in NFL history.

Hugh Green was not before my time so that gives me the gravitas to say you are incorrect. He is arguably the greatest DL in NFL history... True, but irrelevant to the discussion at hand..

 

[wbrpanther]

Hugh Green was also before my time but I think we need to make the argument that Aaron Donald is the greatest defensive player in PITT history. He is arguably the greatest DL in NFL history.

AD had an awesome senior year here. Hugh Green was awesome from his first snap thru his last. Best football player I ever saw and I saw plenty.

 

[Las Panteras]

My take.

Pitt has been blessed not only with great, great players but guys that DOMINATED while at Pitt.

Seriously,

AD was the best in the country

Hugh was the best in the country

Ditto Fitzgerald, Fralic and Dorsett.

I know this is sacrilegious, but Marino was not a dominating....team on my shoulders kind of player. And admittedly i can only assume Goldberg was terrific but part of a terrific backfield.

I go with Fralic, AD, Hugh and Dorsett. I would pick Fitz but only here two years.

And.....in terms of who is first, give me Bill Fralic. No one came anywhere close to his greatness which was kind of overlooked due to his position as well as some pretty average teams.

 

[JS School]

1. Dorsett = Clemente

2. Goldberg = Honus Wagner

3. I guess Marino equates with Stargell fame-wise. Career-wise, Pitt/Dolphins vs Pirates/Giants makes him seem more like Barry Bonds.

4. Having seen him play, I'd love to say Green. But his lack of an NFL Hall of Fame career and the fact that he seems to be a pretty private person might make him sort of a mystery to younger fans.

Hard to elevate a great player on a mediocre team. Donald and Fitzgerald seem kind of Ralph Kinerish.

Ditka/Schmidt = Pie Traynor/Paul Waner

Reavis/Martin = Arky Vaughn/Kiki Cuyler (lol)

You erect statues to honor championships, so despite his second act, I'm going to say Johnny Majors for #4. Technically it should be Sutherland, but Goldberg got the historical vote. And winning a National Championship at Pitt in the 70s might be a greater achievement than winning them in the early 1900s.

 

[TheSpecialSauce]

My take.

Pitt has been blessed not only with great, great players but guys that DOMINATED while at Pitt.

Seriously,

AD was the best in the country

Hugh was the best in the country

Ditto Fitzgerald, Fralic and Dorsett.

I know this is sacrilegious, but Marino was not a dominating....team on my shoulders kind of player. And admittedly i can only assume Goldberg was terrific but part of a terrific backfield.

I go with Fralic, AD, Hugh and Dorsett. I would pick Fitz but only here two years.

And.....in terms of who is first, give me Bill Fralic. No one came anywhere close to his greatness which was kind of overlooked due to his position as well as some pretty average teams.

If we are basing it solely on their Pitt career, then you hit the nail on the head.

Dorsett
Green
Fralic
AD

5th would be Larry

 

[PittMBA]

At PNC Park, there's a statue of a Pirate great at each of the four gates. If Pitt had their own stadium, who should be the four statues of Pitt Panther football greats?

Pitt football’s four statues

At each of PNC Park’s gates, there’s a statue of a Pirate great: Bill Mazeroski, Honus Wagner, Willie Stargell and Roberto Clemente. Allow me to have a Nostradamus moment and look into the future. …

johnbaranowski.wordpress.com

Always a fun topic

The 2 givens in my mind are Sutherland and Dorsett.

The next 2 is certainly a debate —
I lean toward Hugh Green and Fitz

But , any of Majors, Marino , Goldberg, Donald, Revis , Ditka, make a strong case. Maybe Pickett.

Any list without Sutherland and Dorsett is invalid .

 

[JS School]

If we are basing it solely on their Pitt career, then you hit the nail on the head.

Dorsett
Green
Fralic
AD

5th would be Larry

This would be my list of best players, but not necessarily who I would build statues for.

 

[HailtoPitt]

Again, the only way to do it would be to break up the eras and have three Rushmores. One for the older stars like Ditka and Goldberg. One for the golden era of the late 70s and early 80s where you would have TD and HG and Marino. And then one for the very modern era would you would have AD, Revis and Fitz. Not sure where Curtis Maris would fall. Maybe you could even have a 4th era. You could market it as "Pitt has 4 Mt Rushmore's" and then do one for each game where fans get them or can buy them. Or 1 per season.

 

[upj87]

Again, the only way to do it would be to break up the eras and have three Rushmores. One for the older stars like Ditka and Goldberg. One for the golden era of the late 70s and early 80s where you would have TD and HG and Marino. And then one for the very modern era would you would have AD, Revis and Fitz. Not sure where Curtis Maris would fall. Maybe you could even have a 4th era. You could market it as "Pitt has 4 Mt Rushmore's" and then do one for each game where fans get them or can buy them. Or 1 per season.

nope, you only get four....no changing the parameters of the OP...

 

[pittmeister]

If we are basing it solely on their Pitt career, then you hit the nail on the head.

Dorsett
Green
Fralic
AD

5th would be Larry

If you forced me to pick four, this would be it.