Wolf Pack alums Marshall, Bitonio join elite Nevada list
Two Wolf Pack alums had breakout seasons in the NFL this year, and each was rewarded, in a small way, Friday when Joel Bitonio and Brandon Marshall both received one vote in the AP All-Pro balloting.
Neither Bitonio nor Marshall, who both ranked among the top-five players at their position, according to the metrics, made the Pro Bowl or All-Pro team, but both showed they were high-end starters in 2014.
Bitonio, a rookie on the Cleveland Browns, was one of the best offensive guards in the league. Marshall, in his third season, finally got the chance to start and had 113 tackles, nine pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two sacks in 14 games as one of the top defensive players on the Denver Broncos.
Prior to Bitonio and Marshall, the last Wolf Pack player to earn a vote on the AP All-Pro ballot was offensive guard Harvey Dahl, an ex-Fallon High standout who got a vote in 2008 while on the Falcons. Safety Brock Marion also garnered votes during his playing career in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The only Wolf Pack alums to make the AP All-Pro team are RB Marion Motley (first team in 1950), DE Charles Mann (second team in 1987 and 1991) and DE Doug Betters (first team in 1983).