Darrelle Revis got the call from the Hall. But this one came from Western Pennsylvania and not Canton, Ohio.
Revis, a celebrated former two-sport athlete at Aliquippa High School, might be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday. But first, he will go into the Western chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. Induction ceremonies for Revis and 10 others will be April 13 at a sold-out banquet at the Sheraton Station Square.
Before he became a star defensive back at Pitt and spent 11 years in the NFL, Revis left an unforgettable mark in football and basketball at Aliquippa. He did many wonderful things in both sports for the Quips, but Revis might be remembered most for what he did over a surreal three-day period 16 years ago.
On Dec. 9, 2003, Revis had one of the greatest performances in PIAA football championship history when he scored five touchdowns three different ways in an Aliquippa victory. Only two days later, Revis scored 35 points in Aliquippa’s overtime basketball victory against rival Beaver Falls.
By the way, that memorable state championship performance in football included: 91 yards rushing on 13 attempts and three touchdowns; a kickoff return 89 yards for a TD; a blocked field-goal return of 69 yards for a TD; a pass interception; a 39-yard pass completion; one pass reception for 6 yards; five solo tackles.
After only one day of basketball practice, Revis made 11 of 19 shots against Beaver Falls and scored nine points in overtime.
Besides the WPIAL and PIAA titles in football, Revis also won two WPIAL basketball titles as a junior and senior and made the Post-Gazette Fabulous 5 twice. He led the WPIAL in scoring as a junior at 25.4, averaged 22.5 as a senior and finished his career with 1,722 career points.
After Pitt, Revis made first-team NFL All Pro four times and was selected to the Pro Bowl seven times. He had 29 career interceptions.
Here are the other members of the class of 2019:
RUSS CERNY — One of the most successful track and cross country coaches in the history of Pennsylvania. Between coaching boys and girls in the two sports at North Allegheny High School, Cerny won 32 WPIAL titles and 13 PIAA championships. He coached from the 1960s to the early 1990s and retired as coach and athletic director in 1993.
LEIGH CURL — Maybe you have seen Curl on NFL fields. She has been the Baltimore Ravens team orthopedic doctor for more than 20 years. But she is one of the best two-sport athletes in WPIAL history. A 1981 graduate of North Hills, Curl is the only girl to ever make the Post-Gazette Fabulous 5 in basketball and the 10-player All-Area team in softball. She went on to score more than 1,000 points in basketball at the University of Connecticut.
ARMAND DELLOVADE — Dellovade made the Hall under the “sports personality” category. A graduate of Avella and the University of Pittsburgh, Dellovade was a longtime booster of Pitt athletics.
JOHN HUFNAGEL — A standout quarterback at Montour in the mid 1960s, Hufnagel went on to become an All-American at Penn State and was the first Nittany Lion quarterback to throw for 2,000 yards in a season. Played in the NFL for a few years and then had a long career in the Canadian Football League. Has been an assistant coach in the NFL and also a head coach in the CFL. Currently, the president and general manager of the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL.
SEAN KNAPP — With a long list of accomplishments on his resume, Knapp is one of the greatest amateur golfers in Pennsylvania history. Winner of Western Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania championships, Knapp won the U.S. Senior Amateur in 2017. A graduate of Plum High, Knapp made it to the round of 16 in the 1995 U.S Amateur, only to lose to eventual winner Tiger Woods.
LEN KOMOROSKI — Many years ago, Komoroski started his career in the sports business world with the Penguins and the Pittsburgh Spirit indoor soccer team. Today, he is the CEO of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena. Komoroski is a graduate of North Catholic who played tennis at Duquesne University.
RYAN MALONE — A former student at Upper St. Clair High School, Malone went on to have a long career in the NHL. He scored 87 goals in four seasons with the Penguins and 27 in the 2007-08 season. Went on to play six more years with the Tampa Bay Lightning and won a silver medal with the U.S. Olympic team in 2010.
TOM NOLA — As football coach at Clairton High, his teams had the best run of any team in Pa. high school history, winning a state-record 66 consecutive games at one point. He won six WPIAL championships and four PIAA titles in 12 years at Clairton. Also coached at Serra and Gateway and retired in 2015 with a 160-64 record.
MICHAEL ROGAL — Rogal makes the Hall under the “sports personality” category. Has been team orthopedic doctor at Penn Hills High School for 37 years and Riverview for 20.
JACK TEITZ — A graduate of old St. Mary of the Mount High School in Mount Washington, Teitz went on to become a longtime NCAA football official. He worked 21 years in the Big Ten Conference and also officiated numerous bowl games, including the 2001 Orange Bowl that served as the national championship game between Oklahoma and Florida State.
Mike White: mwhite@post-gazette.com and Twitter @mwhiteburgh
First Published: April 3, 2019, 12:15 p.m.
