Nicholas Bolkovac played football for the Pitt Panthers from 1948-50 and provided one of the greatest plays in team history against hated rival Penn State in one of the great upsets in that series history.

Powerhouse Penn State came into the 1948 game at Pitt Stadium on a 17-game unbeaten streak and as 19-point favorites, but Pitt won, 7-0, thanks to a 23-yard interception return by Mr. Bolkovac, a defensive lineman, who also kicked the extra point.

Unfortunately, Mr. Bolkovac played in the era when the Panthers de-emphasized funding for the football program so those kinds of highlight games for him and his teammates didn’t happen often.

That’s why Mr. Bolkovac, who died Oct. 29 at age 87 of complications with his lungs, founded the “Pitt Rocks.” That is a group of Pitt players from that era of football de-emphasis that gets together annually to renew ties and raise money for the athletic department.

“After the Sutherland era, which Pitt was dominant in, there was a de-emphasis on football and Nick would always say ‘the road became very rocky,’ ” said Alex Kramer, who was a manager for the Panthers from 1948-52 and a member of the group.

“That’s why he came up with the name Rocks and because that group, from say 1939 until 1955, of players held together the program during those rocky times.

“He really left his mark on Pitt football, he was always very active in his support of Pitt football and he had a very outgoing personality and he was well liked and that’s how he was able to keep that group together for so long because we had some tough personalities.”

Mr. Kramer said Mr. Bolkovac would hand out rocks each year at the get-together with a little metal plaque attached to recognize members for their contributions, beyond financial, to the Pitt football program.

In a tribute to the Pitt Rocks, Mr. Bolkovac wrote “… Our time at Pitt was a period of obstacles and adversities. Support for the program was almost nonexistent. But from each other we drew strength and support. … We were overachievers, rich in courage and tenacity.”

Mr. Bolkovac was born in McKees Rocks but grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, and was a star football player at Woodrow Wilson High School from 1944-46, helping the team win the 1946 City Championship.

He was named to the All-City team in 1946 and had an offer to go to Ohio State, but, according to Mr. Kramer, said he always wanted to play for the Panthers so he signed with Pitt.

The Washington Redskins drafted Mr. Bolkovac in the 30th round of the 1951 NFL draft, but went to serve in the Korean War and then was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, for whom he played in 1953 and 1954.

His NFL highlight came in 1953 when he kicked a game-winning field goal to lift the Steelers to a 31-28 win over the Chicago Cardinals. He kicked four field goals in 1953 and three in 1954.

Mr. Bolkovac, who graduated from Pitt in 1951 with a degree in geology, enjoyed a successful career in the insurance business. He lived in Youngstown most of his life until moving into hospice in the North Hills a few months ago.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary, and survived by a daughter, Pamela. Funeral services were last week.

Paul Zeise: pzeise@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1720.

First Published: November 6, 2015, 5:00 a.m.