Three Pitt Legends Receive Quarter-Century Honors

Pitt football has a tradition of producing all-time great players, including 10 Pro Football Hall of Famers — tied for fourth-most of any college program.

That success has continued into the 21st century and a trio of Pitt players are being recognized amongst the best players in football over the past 25 years.

Bruce Feldman of The Athletic ranked the top 25 college football players of the past quarter-century and two Pitt legends — Aaron Donald and Larry Fitzgerald — were honored on the list.

Donald was ranked as the No. 20 player on the list. The Penn Hills native was recently announced to the Pitt Hall of Fame Class of 2025 and is expected to be a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer after a Super Bowl title and three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards with the Los Angeles Rams.

In his senior season at Pitt, Donald totaled 59 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, which led the country, 11 sacks, four forced fumbles and three pass breakups. He earned unanimous First Team All-American honors and held four major individual trophies in the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award, Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award. His 67 career tackles for loss are the most of all defensive tackles during this century.

Fitzgerald spent just two seasons at Pitt but will go down as one of the best receivers in program history and one of the most consistent pass catchers in the NFL. He was ranked as the 11th-best player in the past 25 years.

Who is the best college player in the last 25 years?

Over the past few weeks, @BruceFeldmanCFB reached out to around three dozen coaches, TV analysts and NFL scouts. pic.twitter.com/JOWSBF134E

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) May 20, 2025

Fitzgerald owns Pitt records for most receiving yards in a single season (1,672), career receiving touchdowns (34) and single season touchdowns (22). In 2003, his 92 receptions, 1,672 yards and 22 touchdowns earned him the Biletnikoff Award, a unanimous First Team All-American selection and the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy.

Selected with the third-overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, Fitzgerald went on to a lenghty career with the Arizona Cardinals. He was named a First-Team All-Pro in 2008, an 11-time Pro Bowler, two-time NFL receptions and receiving touchdowns leader and appeared in one Super Bowl. Fitzgerald sits second in NFL history in all-time receiving yards (17,492) and receptions (1,432).

Fitzgerald was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2024 and is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the 2026 class.

Pro Football Focus (PFF) started releasing its quarter-century honors starting with the All-PFF Defense listing the best NFL defensive players in the past 25 years. Out of the 11 players named, it included two Panthers with Donald at interior defender and Darrelle Revis at cornerback.

The best players at every defensive position since 2000 🐐 pic.twitter.com/erzC37Eekd

— PFF (@PFF) May 19, 2025

Revis, an Aliquippa native, spent three seasons at Pitt earning back-to-back First Team All-Big East selections. As a junior, Revis recorded 39 tackles, four tackles for loss, four pass breakups, two interceptions returned for touchdowns and took back a 73-yard punt against West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl.

A first-round pick in 2007, Revis spent the first portion of his career with the New York Jets before playing one season each with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. He won a Super Bowl title during the 2014 season with the Patriots.

Revis was a four-time First-Team All-Pro, seven-time Pro Bowler and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.