Former Pitt star Jimbo Covert selected to Pro Football Hall of Fame

Jimbo Covert was in San Francisco on business Wednesday, so he set his alarm for 4 a.m. He didn’t want to sleep through one of the greatest moments of his life.

The former Pitt and Chicago Bears offensive lineman had known for a week he was one of the finalists for the Centennial Slate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “I was on pins and needles,” he said.

NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” show was set to air at 7 a.m. (EST) when the remaining members of the Class of 2020, following earlier announcements for coaches Bill Cowher and Jimmy Johnson, would be revealed.

After sitting through some interviews on the show, Covert finally heard the news:

The Freedom High School graduate is one of 10 senior candidates selected for induction this year. Then, when Pro Football Hall of Fame President Dave Baker called to make it official, that’s when the big man got a little emotional.

“You always think about how you would react when you get that call,” he said, “and I always said, ‘I can handle it.’

“But it seemed like everything flashed in front of me in one second, my family, my dad, my mother, all the guys I played with from Pop Warner to the Bears. (Baker’s call) was pretty emotional. Now, I’m on cloud nine.”

Covert said he didn’t want to think about the Hall of Fame before it became real for him, so he hasn’t chosen his presenter for the induction ceremony in August in Canton, Ohio.

But it’s not lost on Covert that the Hall of Fame weekend could have a strong Pittsburgh flavor with Cowher and former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Donnie Shell also chosen. Former Steelers Troy Polamalu and Alan Faneca also are finalists for the regular class of inductees that will be revealed Feb. 1.

“We played against him in ’86,” Covert said of Shell. “He was still knocking people around. He was one of my heroes because I grew up in Pittsburgh.”

Covert is the ninth former Pitt player elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, joining his quarterback at Pitt, Dan Marino, plus Chris Doleman, Mike Ditka, Tony Dorsett, Russ Grimm, Rickey Jackson, Curtis Martin and Joe Schmidt. Pitt is tied with Michigan for fourth place among schools that produced Hall of Famers.

Exclusive Look: HOF President David Baker calls Jim Covert to inform him that he has been elected to the Hall of Fame moments ago. #PFHOF20 | @ChicagoBears pic.twitter.com/scCHZzaffz

— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) January 15, 2020

Covert, 59, spent nine seasons on the line for the Bears. He was drafted No. 6 overall in 1983 by Ditka, the Bears’ coach at the time and — like Covert — a Pitt first-team All-American.

Covert went on to become a two-time first-team All-Pro selection and two-time Pro Bowl pick and helped the Bears win the Super Bowl after the 1985 season.

The Pitt wing in the Pro Football Hall of Fame grows larger!

Congratulations, Jimbo, on your Canton Call! #H2P pic.twitter.com/eMdoq6ZVz6

— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) January 15, 2020

Ditka said there was no war room debate on how the Bears would use their first-round pick in that draft.

“Jimbo’s the guy we wanted. From Day 1. We put him at left tackle and moved on,” Ditka said. “You don’t get too many people who come along who can make that impact. He had the respect of all his teammates and all his coaches.”

Ditka said Covert earned respect “by kicking (butt). But that’s how we did it back then.”

Covert was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003 and is a member of Pitt’s all-time football team as chosen by the Tribune-Review in 2018. His No. 75 jersey was retired Nov. 7, 2015, at halftime of the Pitt/Notre Dame game. He is one of 10 former Pitt greats to have his uniform retired by the university.

Former Pitt offensive line coach Joe Moore once said of Covert: “Jimbo is so good, it’s like watching a clinic film. After a play, I’m never surprised to see Jimbo and his man 10 or 15 yards downfield.”

Covert, who went on to a successful business career after football, is a member of Pitt’s Board of Trustees, the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame and the WPIAL Hall of Fame.

“The Panthers are roaring with pride today with the announcement that Jimbo Covert will be enshrined in Canton,” Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke said in a statement. “Jimbo truly represents the very best of the University of Pittsburgh. His legendary accomplishments in football are well known, but his impact after football, and certainly on our university, are in many ways even greater. Jimbo is an extraordinary person and we are thrilled that he is receiving this richly deserved honor.”

Coach Pat Narduzzi added a personal note about Covert.

“He has been a Hall of Famer in every aspect of his life,” Narduzzi said in a statement. “Jimbo sets a tremendous example for our current players. On a personal note, I have greatly appreciated his support and guidance during my time at Pitt. On behalf of Panthers everywhere, congratulations, Jimbo.”

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