Oct 30, 2024 By Rob Burchianti 4 min read

GREENSBORO – George Messich owns a national championship ring from his two years he spent playing football at the University of Pittsburgh.

Before his glorious time with the Panthers, where he was a starting offensive tackle on the undefeated 1976 team led by Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett, he made an impact as a junior college football player.

Messich spent two productive years (1973-74) at Potomac State where he was a two-time NJCAA All-American. The Catamounts recognized Messich for his contributions to the sports program this year.

Messich and cross country runner Jared Hallow were part of the Potomac State Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024 and were honored during the school’s homecoming weekend on Saturday, Sept. 28 in the Davis Conference Center on campus.

“”These two individuals excelled in their career as Catamounts and then continued to find success in their sport and careers,” said Potomac State Director of Athletics Mandi Larkin in a statement about the two inductees.

Messich, who just recently wrapped up his 42nd year as head coach of Mapletown’s football team, was thankful for the honor.

“I was very fortunate. I had two really good years there,” Messich said. “To be put in their Hall of Fame was a great honor.”

In addition to being twice selected as an All-American at Potomac State, Messich also was named to the NJCAA Region All-Conference and All-Region Teams and was selected as a team captain as a sophomore.

Messich was caught off guard when he was informed of his impending induction.

“I was really surprised and thrilled to be picked for such an honor,” Messich said. “I had a couple friends who were already in there. Jerry Mahoney is one, a baseball player who went on to play third base at WVU. It’s nice to be chosen to be put in with the guys that were great athletes from up there.”

Messich enjoyed his reception at the Hall of Fame presentation.

“It was great. It was a big low key. We had a great meal,” Messich said. “The speaker was nice. When we got our award we went up and got to give about a three-minute speech. I was just really impressed with the whole thing.

“I just want to say Potomac State is a great place if you’re looking to go to a junior college. I loved it up there.”

Messich couldn’t help but jest about his decision to attend Pitt when he left the Catamounts.

“Potomac State is a branch of West Virginia University and I was jagging them up there all the time,” Messich said with a laugh. “I told their athletic director (Larkin), who is a very nice lady, that I know why I’m the last speaker tonight … because I went to Pitt instead of West Virginia. They all laughed about that.

“But in all seriousness, I was just blessed. Things worked out for me. There had to be a reason behind it from upstairs and it wasn’t from what I did.”

Messich was recruited to Pitt by head coach Johnny Majors who guided the team to their perfect 1976 national championship season, capped by an emphatic 27-3 win over Georgia in the Super Bowl on Jan. 1, 1977.

Messich was named offensive lineman of the week three times while at Pitt and selected as the captain for, ironically, the Pitt-West Virginia game that season.

Messich, whose wife Linda Messich is Mapletown’s athletic director, is a three-time Tri-County South Conference Coach of the Year and is also a member of the Tri-County Football Coaches Hall of Fame, the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and the Greene County Hall of Fame.

Messich taught at the Southeastern Greene School District for 31 years. Two years ago he led the Maples to a 10-0 regular season, a Tri-County South championship and the program’s first WPIAL playoff win.