Nov. 06--PITTSBURGH -- Thirty-three years after playing his last game for the University of Pittsburgh, Jimbo Covert will return Saturday to give another halftime speech.
Or perhaps he'll say just a few words when the school retires his No. 75 in a ceremony during the Notre Dame-Pitt game at Heinz Field.
The former Bears offensive tackle is among a who's who of special guests that includes Dan Marino, Mike Ditka and Tony Dorsett.
Covert was a two-time Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selection during his eight-year career with the Bears, who picked him sixth in the 1983 draft. Covert, a first-team All-American for the Panthers in 1982, said he was humbled by the honor.
"Everything I was able to accomplish as a player, and most importantly as a person, is a credit to my parents and the people who taught and coached me at the University of Pittsburgh," Covert said.
Walter Payton once called Covert, who was selected to the NFL's All-Decade team in the 1980s, "the best offensive tackle in the NFL."
Pitt was 31-5 during Covert's three years as a starter and finished in the top 10 each of those seasons. Covert, who was brought up in the steel town of Conway, Pa., was a vital part of the Ditka-coached Bears' last title in Super Bowl XX. He also helped the Bears lead the NFL in rushing yards from 1983 to '86.
A College Football Hall of Famer, Covert will be the 10th Pitt player to have his number retired, joining Ditka, Marino and Dorsett among others.
"He was a tremendous player who has gone on to great personal and professional success after football," Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said. "He embodies what we want our current players to aspire to be."
These days, Covert is the president and CEO of the Institute for Transfusion Medicine.
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