Pitt went 31-5 during Covert’s three years as a starter, finishing in the nation’s Top 10 each season. The 1980 and 1981 teams each went 11-1 and finished as high as No. 2 in the national polls. In 1980, Covert played for an elite Pitt team that included future NFL stars Russ Grimm and Mark May as teammates on the offensive line, along with future Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino. "There were games when my uniform never got dirty," recalled Marino. "There were games when I never hit the ground. That's incredible."