The 1980 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...
as an
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
during the
1980 NCAA Division I-A football season. Despite losing one game, the Panthers were named national champion by NCAA-designated major selectors
DeVold System
A national championship in the highest level of college football in the United States, currently the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), is a designation awarded annually by various organizations to their selection of the best coll ...
,
Football Research, and ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', while also named co-national champion by
Rothman (FACT)
David Rothman (August 9, 1935 – June 12, 2004) was an American statistician, public policy advisor, and the creator of a computerized college football ranking system.
Rothman was the founder and executive director of the Foundation for the An ...
and
Sagarin.
The university does not claim a national championship for this season, nor are the Panthers popularly recognized for winning that year's national championship. Pitt was awarded the
Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy
The Lambert Trophy is an annual award given to the best team in the East in Division I FBS (formerly I-A) college football.
In affiliation with the Metropolitan New York Football Writers (founded 1935), the Lambert Trophy was established by brother ...
as the champion of the
East
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...
.
The team is noteworthy for featuring four future members of the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...
: Linebacker
Rickey Jackson
Rickey Anderson Jackson (born March 20, 1958) is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints (1981–1993) and the San Francisco 49ers (1994–1995). He led the team's Dome P ...
, Center
Russ Grimm
Russell Scott Grimm (born May 2, 1959) is an American former professional football player who was a guard for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He has also served as an assistant coach for the Redskins, Pittsburgh St ...
, Tackle
Jimbo Covert
James Paul "Jimbo" Covert (born March 22, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons during the 1980s and early 1990s. Covert played college foot ...
, and quarterback
Dan Marino. Several other players on the team, including
Mark May
Mark Eric May (born November 2, 1959) is a former American college and professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. May played college football for the University ...
and
Hugh Green, would go on to be
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
NFL stars.
Championship selections
Selectors that named Pitt the 1980 national champion:
*1st-N-Goal
*Angelo Louisa
*ARGH Power Ratings
*
College Football Researchers Association The College Football Researchers Association (CFRA) was founded in 1982 by Anthony Cusher of Reeder, North Dakota, and Robert Kirlin of Spokane, Washington. The CFRA took a vote of its members from 1982 to 1992 to select an annual college football n ...
*Foundation for the Analysis of Competitions and Tournaments
*Harry DeVold
*James Howell
*Jeff Self
*''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
''
*Quality Champions
*Sagarin Ratings
*Steve Eck
*The Fleming System
Schedule
Roster
Coaching staff
Season summary
Boston College
at Kansas
Temple
Maryland
at #11 Florida State
West Virginia
Starting free safety Rick Trocano moved over to offense in the second quarter to replace the injured Dan Marino. Previously the starter at QB in 1978, Trocano led Pitt to four second-quarter touchdowns during the Panthers' win at Pitt Stadium.
at Tennessee
at Syracuse
Louisville
at Army
at #5 Penn State
vs. #18 South Carolina (Gator Bowl)
Team players drafted into the NFL
Awards and honors
*Hugh Green, Walter Camp Award
*Hugh Green, Lombardi Award
*Hugh Green, Maxwell Award
*Mark May, Outland Trophy
Media
Radio
References
{{Pittsburgh Panthers football navbox
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
Pittsburgh Panthers football seasons
Gator Bowl champion seasons
Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy seasons
Pittsburgh Panthers football
The Pittsburgh Panthers football program is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has ...
1980s in Pittsburgh