CANTON, Ohio -- Pitt placed its 19th member into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday night as former All-America offensive tackle Jimbo Covert became the latest Panthers' star to be inducted as part of the NFL's Centennial Class.
It took an extra year for it to happen, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it apparently allowed Covert to work on his abilities as a standup comedian.
His first shot came at the expense of presenter former Bears fullback Matt Suhey, who played collegiately at Penn State before going on to room with Covert on the road during their days with the Bears.
"Matt, I'm proud to have you as my presenter, even though you went to Penn State," Covert said, also (semi)joking that his favorite weekends involve "when Penn State, Notre Dame and Green Bay all lose in the same weekend."
It was that kind of speech for Covert, a native of Conway, Pa., and graduate of Freedom High School. Along with former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher, Covert marked two men with WPIAL ties who were among the 20 inducted into the Hall of Fame Saturday night.
Covert arrived at Pitt in 1978 as a defensive player, but was moved to offensive tackle early in his career under the tutelage of legendary offensive line coach Joe Moore, whom Covert said was the greatest offensive line coach in history.
"He told me I was going to be an All-American offensive lineman," said Covert, who saw Pitt go 31-5 in his three seasons as a starter.
Moore was right. Covert was named to the All-America team in 1982 and was the sixth-overall pick in the NFL Draft by the Bears the following spring, where he went to play for another former Pitt star and fellow member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Mike Ditka.
"We weren't very good that season and Coach Ditka said, 'We're going to win a Super Bowl. But most of you won't be here when we do," Covert recalled.
Covert, however, was. The Bears went 15-1 in 1985 in one of the greatest seasons in NFL history, whipping the Patriots in the Super Bowl that season.
The team was loaded with big personalities and a number of Hall of Fame players, most notably Walter Payton, whom some consider the greatest running back to play the game.
Covert shared a story about the soft-spoken Payton.
"Back in the day no one had single rooms," Covert said "Everybody had to room together but Walter had a single room, of course. He was the only one. Matt and I roomed together. And (Payton's) room was always next to ours.
"And when it was a big game, every once in a while that door would fly open and he would run in there and jump right on top of me and he would lean down. You know, he had that (high-pitched) voice like Michael Jackson, you know? And he said, 'Good morning sunshine. Time to kick some ass.' He was the best. I wish he was here with us tonight."
Payton died in 1999.
Covert spent eight seasons in the NFL, all with Chicago at left tackle, earning Pro Bowl honors twice and being named first-team All-Pro twice, as well. He was named to the NFL's All-Decade team for the 1980s, with his career ending in 1990.
"He's a kind, sweet guy, but you put a football helmet on him and look out: He'd block his mother," Suhey said in his introduction.
