Mark Schubert made a name for himself as a clutch kicker on some outstanding Pitt football teams in the late 1970s.
After his playing days, Schubert turned to coaching as a way of passing along his kicking knowledge to “any kid who needed it.”
One of his pupils has gone on to have a pretty good career, both on and off the football field.
“Maybe the last kid I coached was Pat McAfee when he was at Plum,” the 69-year-old Schubert said. “Pat was interesting. He had the same energy that he has now.”
McAfee kicked at West Virginia before becoming an All-Pro punter with the Indianapolis Colts. Today, he’s one of the most popular personalities in sports media, hosting “The Pat McAfee Show” and serving as a football analyst on ESPN’s “College GameDay.”
“What Pat has done doesn’t surprise me at all,” Schubert said. “He always had the drive and intensity.”
A 1974 Springdale graduate, Schubert will stake his own claim to fame May 17. He’ll be inducted into the Alle-Kiski Sports Hall of Fame during its 54th awards ceremony beginning at 7 p.m. at the Pittsburgh Shriners Center in Harmar.
“Growing up in the Valley, there was just a great legacy of sports and football,” he said. “I had relatives who worked in the steel mills. You respected the work ethic and how important sports was to the communities.”
At Springdale, Schubert said he began kicking in the ninth or 10th grade.
“I think it came naturally, and I liked doing something that you could keep getting better at with repetition,” he said. “I was a straight-on kicker, which was the norm back then. At the time, I wasn’t aware of how it would become a dying breed.”
Besides handling the kicking duties, Schubert played offensive and defensive line for the Dynamos.
Springdale opened Schubert’s senior year with a loss to Richland before winning the rest of its regular-season games to capture the Allegheny Interscholastic Conference title.
The Dynamos opened the WPIAL playoffs with a 22-12 victory over Burgettstown at Kittanning. After a semifinal bye, Springdale beat Union Area, 20-14, to capture the 1973 Class AA championship.
“We had a close team with great players,” he said. “Most of them were better athletes than me. I knew if I were going to play Division I, it would be as a kicker.”
At first, Schubert was scheduled to kick at Division II Millersville. However, the Marauder coaches suggested he sit out a year of school to get surgery on an injured knee.
During his recovery, Schubert began training with then-Pitt kicker Carson Long.
“Carson was kind enough to work with me,” he said. “During the winter, we’d be out there at Pitt Stadium shoveling the snow off the field.”
Schubert began writing letters to major colleges, looking for an opportunity to walk on as a kicker.
“I remember receiving a letter back from (Alabama coach) Bear Bryant,” he said. “Some letters said come and try out, and others said they weren’t interested. I ultimately settled on going to Tennessee.”
Pitt coach Johnny Majors had been an All-American running back at Tennessee. Schubert asked Long if Majors would provide a letter of recommendation. Instead, Long suggested that he show off his leg for Majors.
“After I was done kicking, they offered me a scholarship to come to Pitt,” Schubert said.
Schubert redshirted during Pitt’s 1976 national championship season.
“I was in awe to just be in the locker room and see great players like Tony Dorsett,” said Schubert, referring to the eventual Heisman Trophy winner.
During Schubert’s Pitt days, the nationally ranked Panthers boasted star-studded rosters featuring future Pro Football Hall of Famers Dorsett, Dan Marino, Russ Grimm, Jimbo Covert and Ricky Jackson.
“There’s a special spark in those players, an extra gear that makes them exceptional,” he said. “Danny had that presence from the beginning.”
Schubert served as the Panthers’ main placekicker from 1977-79. For his career, he converted on 93 of 98 extra points and made 30 of 40 field goal attempts. He also came through in the clutch, delivering victories with late field goals against Syracuse and Temple.
As a senior, Schubert led Pitt with 71 points during the 1979 season.
The Panthers closed out that year by playing Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl on Christmas day. Schubert booted three field goals and one extra point in a 16-10 victory.
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“I was surprised that we didn’t dominate the game,” he said. “I thought I’d be kicking extra points. Instead, I was kicking field goals the way the game played out. My third field goal from 47 yards hit the top of the upright and slid in. It was my last kick in college.”
For his efforts, Schubert received the Fiesta Bowl Offensive MVP award.
“A kicker doesn’t win an MVP award very often,” he said. “I think it’s only happened two or three times in a major bowl.”
After college, Schubert received tryouts with multiple NFL teams but never made a roster.
“For the tryouts, they had kickoffs first,” he said. “If you weren’t putting your kicks into the end zone, you had a tough time getting to the field goal session. As a straight-on kicker, that was an obstacle for me.”
To Schubert, the power generated by soccer-style kickers has revolutionized the game of football.
“Kickers are a lot better today,” he said. “We have the best of the best athletes coming out of soccer ecosystem. They are like pro golfers. We’re seeing some extraordinary performances.”
Schubert retired as an executive for Mastech Digital after a long career with the IT services company. He now does consulting work.
A Verona resident, Schubert and his wife, Christine, have three adult children.
Tickets
Tickets are $40 and can be purchased from the hall’s website: akhof.com. Ticket sales will end Wednesday (May 7). No tickets will be sold at the door.