Syracuse Football Top 25 Players of All-Time: No. 22 Justin Pugh

Syracuse Football has had a long history of success. We look back at some of the best players to play at Syracuse University. Up next: No. 22 Justin Pugh.

Syracuse Football has had multiple outstanding offensive linemen. Most don’t get the recognition they deserve as they are just blockers who hold down the line. However, every once in a while there is an athlete that comes along and does more than what is required.

That type of offensive lineman makes it his mission to make sure defenders never reach the quarterback for a sack or hard hit, and that his running back always has a lane to run through. One of the best to ever do that to great success for Syracuse Football was Justin Pugh, who sits at No. 22 on our list of the Top 25 Syracuse Football Players of All-Time.

Some may argue that Pugh’s selection on this list is just recency bias (he last played for Syracuse Football in 2012), but hear me out. In his four years on the Hill, he started three of those seasons, and the only year he did not start was his freshman year when he made no appearances in any games.

In his three years as a starter, his work at offensive tackle and guard created huge holes for rushers to gash the defense. The result: three straight 1,000+ yard rushers for Syracuse: Delone Carter, Antwon Bailey, and Jerome Smith, according to Cuse.com. In addition, he earned All-Big East Second Team honors his sophomore season, and All-Big East First Team honors in his junior and senior seasons.

As a senior, he helped the offense hum to the tune of multiple school records: total offense (6,188 yards), touchdown passes (26), passing yards (3,757), passing yards per game (289.0), total offense per game (476.0), most plays (1,028), and completions (295). I can understand one or two of those records, but seven is flat out ridiculous!

Sure, one could argue Pugh did not achieve those offensive numbers by himself, but he played a significant role in helping those records to be set. Pugh put everything out there when he lined up at guard and tackle for the Orange and it showed in how well Syracuse played.

His work in the trenches made him a household name at Syracuse, and every game fans knew the running backs and quarterback would have good protection because Pugh would keep the defense at bay as best he could.

His hard work paid off, and he would be selected in the First Round of the 2013 NFL draft with the 19th overall pick by the NY Giants, according to AZCardinals.com. He would be a stabilizing force for the Giants offensive line for several years, before signing with the Arizona Cardinals in 2018. As of this writing, he is still active and is their starting offensive guard.

Pugh’s accomplishments both at Syracuse and after in the pros make him one of the best (if not the best) and most consistent offensive lineman Syracuse Football has ever had. Though his career still has some ways to go, it seems his spot on this list of the Top 25 Syracuse Football Players of All-Time is all but secured for the foreseeable future.