82 Anthony Becht

Hometown: Drexel Hill, PA

Career: 1996-1999

Record: 27-20, Bowl Record: 0-3

One of the most well-known tight ends in West Virginia football history is Anthony Becht. He joined the Mountaineers in 1996 and quickly became a big, reliable target for Marc Bulger and the Mountaineers offense. Becht was the go to player in short yardage situations while speedy receivers like Khori Ivy and David Saunders stretched the field. When Becht graduated, he was second amongst tight ends for career receptions (behind Bischoff). Becht caught 83 passes for 1,178 yards and 11 touchdowns. Following a successful career in Morgantown, Becht would go on to be drafted by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft. Becht is still playing in the NFL, currently he plays for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Memorable Game: The Mountaineers started the 1998 season with a 2-1 record and a 16^th ranking heading into the road game at Navy. WVU was seeking a tough road win in Annapolis. Becht would provide a solid performance, blocking for Amos Zeroue and providing Marc Bulger with a big target in the red zone. For the day, he would snag 3 passes for 37 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His performance would help WVU overcome an early 17-3 deficit. The Mountaineers rallied to a 45-24 win over the Midshipmen.

Competition: This was another tough choice. There were many solid receivers that were in contention for this selection, but in the end, I could not see anyone but Anthony Becht at this spot. He had terrific statistics as a tight end and is one of the more notable players from the 1990s. Also considered were Rayshawn Bolden and Alric Arnett.

Teaser: The selection at #81 is a player who was a solid pass catcher for the Mountaineers. He went on to have a successful pro football career as a player and then later as a player executive. He is probably most well remembered at the Atlanta Falcons GM that traded Brett Favre to the Green Bay packers for a pack of gum (really a first round pick used on Tony Smith who was worth about as much as a pack of Big Red). But let’s face it, this was not the last time someone would pick a nobody over Brett Favre.