Former Pitt cornerback Darrelle Revis solidified his status as an NFL first-round draft choice at Pitt’s Pro Day last Friday when he answered any questions regarding his speed.
Revis reportedly ran the 40-yard dash in the 4.36- to 4.41-second range and recorded a 4.08 short shuttle (20 yards), a 6.56-second three-cone drill, a 38-inch vertical and 10-foot, 5-inch broad jump.
To see a photo slideshow accompanied by audio interviews with Pitt’s NFL prospects, click here. function PopMedia_slideshow(res, mid) { window.open(‘/images/video/multimedia_slideshow.php?res=’+ res +’&v=’+ mid +’&1=1′,’multimediapop’, ‘width=810,height=653,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,resizable=no,top=200,left=200′); }
Revis is poised to join a prestigious club on April 28, as the 22nd Panthers player to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Here is a look at Pitt’s NFL Draft first-round choices:
| Year | Player | Position | Team | Pick |
| 1961 | Mike Ditka | TE | Chicago | 5th |
| 1964 | Paul Martha | S | Steelers | 7th |
| 1977 | Tony Dorsett | RB | Dallas | 2nd |
| 1978 | Randy Holloway | DE | Minnesota | 21st |
| 1981 | Randy McMillan | RB | Baltimore | 12th |
| 1981 | Mark May | T | Washington | 20th |
| 1981 | Hugh Green | LB | Tampa Bay | 7th |
| 1983 | Jimbo Covert | OT | Chicago | 6th |
| 1983 | Tim Lewis | CB | Green Bay | 11th |
| 1983 | Dan Marino | QB | Miami | 27th |
| 1984 | Bill Maas | NT | Kansas City | 5th |
| 1985 | Chris Doleman | LB | Minnesota | 4th |
| 1985 | Bill Fralic | T | Atlanta | 2nd |
| 1986 | Bob Buczkowski | DT | L.A. Raiders | 24th |
| 1987 | Tony Woods | LB | Seattle | 18th |
| 1988 | Craig Heyward | RB | New Orleans | 24th |
| 1989 | Burt Grossman | DE | San Diego | 8th |
| 1989 | Tom Ricketts | T | Steelers | 24th |
| 1992 | Sean Gilbert | DT | L.A. Rams | 3rd |
| 1995 | Ruben Brown | OG | Buffalo Bills | 14th |
| 2004 | Larry Fitzgerald | WR | Arizona | 3rd |
Revis, of Aliquippa, also is set to become only the fourth WPIAL product to be selected in the NFL Draft’s first round since his uncle, Sean Gilbert (Aliquippa), in 1992. The others were Aliquippa cornerback Ty Law (Michigan), by the New England Patriots in 1995 and North Hills linebacker LaVar Arrington (Penn State) by the Washington Redskins in 2000. So, three of the last four WPIAL players to go in the NFL’s first round hail from Aliquippa.
That number could grow if Penn State linebacker Paul Posluszny, a Hopewell graduate who has an Aliquippa mailing address, also is chosen in the first round. If that happens, it will mark the first time two WPIAL players were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft in the same year since 1983, when Freedom’s Covert and Central Catholic’s Marino were picked (along with another Western Pennsylvania product, Jim Kelly of East Brady, which was in District 9, not the WPIAL).
And you wonder why “Quiptown” is a mandatory stop on the recruiting trail? Or why every school in the country is hot after Aliquippa junior Jonathan Baldwin, a 6-6, 215-pound receiver prospect?
On a side note, this NFL Draft could also mark the selections of four former Pittsburgh Tribune-Review High School Football Players of the Year: Pitt quarterback Tyler Palko of West Allegheny (1999-2001); Michigan receiver-returner Steve Breaston of Woodland Hills (’01); Posluszny (’02) and Revis (’03).
