Aaron Donald, Sam Young headline 2025 Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame class

Aaron Donald’s final game ended with confetti falling all around him as he celebrated a Super Bowl championship as a member of the Los Angeles Rams in 2024.

Soon after, he announced his retirement following 10 seasons in the NFL, where he was one of the most dominant defensive players of all time.

The Penn Hills product honed those elite talents as a member of the Pitt Panthers, and the university will honor the all-time great as a member of its 2025 Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame class.

Donald will be joined in the class by Sam Young, one of the best scorers in Pitt men’s basketball history, as well as six others who left a lasting legacy in the university’s athletic program.

The eight-member group announced Wednesday also includes Jerry DeMuro (men’s swimming), Jessica Dignon (softball), Bob Jury (football), Wanda Randolph (women’s basketball), Amanda Walker (women’s track and field) and Jack Anderson (contributor: Pitt band).

“Upon arriving at Pitt, I knew we had an incredibly rich athletics history,” Pitt athletic director Allen Greene said in a statement. “Over these past six months, I’ve gained an even deeper appreciation for that longstanding tradition of Panther excellence.

“Our newly elected Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame class really captures that richness.”

The class will be enshrined Sept. 26 at Petersen Events Center and also recognized Sept. 27 at Acrisure Stadium during the Panthers’ football game against Louisville.

Here’s a look at the class:

Jerry DeMuro, men’s swimming (1973-77)

Over his final three seasons, DeMuro went undefeated in intercollegiate competition and was named Pitt’s Most Valuable Swimmer each of those years. He won six individual Eastern Intercollegiate titles. As a senior, he achieved All-America status in the 1,650-yard freestyle. DeMuro also participated in the 1976 U.S. Olympic team trials. As a U.S. Masters swimmer, he won three 1,650 free national championships.

Jessica Dignon, softball (2005-08)

Dignon finished her career holding Pitt records for career RBIs (113) and doubles (45) and season marks for doubles (17), runs scored (43) and RBIs (44). As a sophomore in 2006, she had a school-record 22-game hitting streak. Dignon was a three-time All-Big East honoree. She also became the Panthers’ first professional softball player, suiting up for the Washington Glory and USSSA Pride of National Pro Fastpitch (NPF).

Aaron Donald, football (2010-13)

At Pitt, Donald compiled 66 tackles for loss, the most by an FBS interior defensive lineman since the NCAA began tracking that statistic. As a senior in 2013, Donald led the nation with 281/2 tackles for loss and added 11 sacks, four forced fumbles and a blocked extra point, was named a unanimous first-team All-American and won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award, Outland Trophy and Rotary Lombardi Award. After being selected by the Rams 13th overall in the 2014 NFL Draft, he went on to earn three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards.

Bob Jury, football (1974-77)

Jury still holds Pitt records for career interceptions (21), career interception return yards (266) and single-season interceptions (10). He set his season interceptions mark during the Panthers’ undefeated 1976 national championship campaign. He earned consensus All-America honors in 1977 after intercepting eight passes. He was a third-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 1978.

Wanda Randolph, women’s basketball (1976-79)

Randolph was the first dominant post player in the history of Pitt women’s basketball. The 6-foot-3 center was the first Pitt player — male or female — to score 1,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds. She totaled 1,479 points and 1,107 rebounds, averaging 19 points and 14.2 rebounds. She owns three of the top four season rebounding averages in school history, including a record 15.5 in 1976-77. She also holds Pitt records for blocks in a season (93) and game (11).

Sam Young, men’s basketball (2006-09)

Young totaled 1,884 points, which ranks fourth all-time at Pitt. He averaged a career-high 19.2 points as a senior in 2009, when he earned Wooden All-America team honors and was named a finalist for the Naismith and Wooden player of the year awards. Young was a two-time first-team All-Big East performer. A member of the winningest class in program history (112 victories from 2006-09), Young helped lead Pitt to four NCAA Tournaments, including the 2009 Elite Eight. Young was a 2009 NBA Draft second-round selection by the Memphis Grizzlies, playing four NBA seasons.

Amanda Walker, women’s track and field (2001-05)

Walker is considered the greatest shot putter in Pitt history. As a senior in 2005, she earned shot put All-America honors at the indoor and outdoor NCAA Championships. At the conference level, she was a six-time Big East champion (in the shot put and weight throw) and six-time Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) champion (shot put and discus). Walker still holds Pitt’s outdoor shot put record with a throw of 16.80 meters.

Jack Anderson, band (1986-2013)

Anderson has enjoyed a lifelong association with the Pitt band, including time as director, assistant director and member. Anderson played in the Pitt band as an undergraduate, making his debut as a freshman in 1965. He served as assistant director from 1986-95 and ascended to director in 1995, a post he held until his 2013 retirement. Since his retirement, he has served as Pitt marching band director emeritus.