Steve Petro


Stephen Lawrence Petro was an American football guard who played two seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the ninth round of the 1939 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Pittsburgh and attended Greater Johnstown High School in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
Steve played football for the Pittsburgh Panthers under head coach Jock Sutherland and later was an assistant football coach for the Panthers from 1950 to 1972. He was also the Assistant to the Athletic Director from 1973 to 1984. Steve's Pitt nickname was "The Rock," based on Petro, a derivation of the Greek word petros, which means rock. The Pitt Panther mascot's nickname is ROC, in Steve's honor.