First, there were the photo shoots, then a television interview and finally another round of interviews with print reporters. By the time their media obligations were finished late morning had turned to early afternoon, but LeSean McCoy and DeJuan Blair seemed to be reveling in their new-found celebrity.

The Pitt media relations staff has been busy touting the exploits of their young superstars and a media blitz yesterday was done in part to showcase two of the school's emerging stars. Both athletes, who are just as comfortable in front of a microphone as they are on the athletic fields, are embracing the pressure that comes along with star status.

"You know me," said Blair, a Hill District resident and former star at Schenley High School. "I love the media. It's excellent to get into the limelight."

"When you have success, this comes with it," McCoy said matter-of-factly.

It has been 30 years since two freshmen have made such a big impact on Pitt athletics.

In 1977, Jackie Sherrill's first season, he recruited what is regarded as the greatest recruiting class in the history of the Pitt football program. Among the players in that class were Hugh Green, Mark May, Russ Grimm and Ricky Jackson.

Green was a starter as a true freshman, led the team with 12 sacks, was second on the team in tackles with 88 and was named a freshman All-American.

Also in the fall of 1977, Sam Clancy made his Pitt basketball debut. Clancy averaged 14 points and 12.1 rebounds per game during his freshman season, which ranks among the best inaugural campaigns for any Pitt rookie. Clancy holds the school freshman records for rebounds (327) and rebounding average.

McCoy and Blair are rivaling what Green and Clancy accomplished.

McCoy burst onto the scene in the fall and was named Big East Conference rookie of the year and first-team all-Big East. McCoy set the Big East record for single-season rushing yards by a freshman with 1,328 yards, and he set a Pitt record for most touchdowns by a freshman with 14, besting the old mark set by Tony Dorsett.

"I feel pretty good about it, especially being in the same company with guys like Dorsett," McCoy said. "Anytime you accomplish something like that you should be proud and happy. But I'm not satisfied. I'm still going to stay hungry. There are a lot of other things left out there for me to accomplish personally and for my team. We have tradition here. We're trying to bring that back."

It didn't take Blair long to etch his name in the Pitt record books, either. When he pulled down 10 offensive rebounds in the season opener against Houston Baptist he broke the freshman record for offensive rebounds in a game that was held by Ricardo Greer.

A month later when Pitt beat Duke at Madison Square Garden in New York, Blair came within one rebound of tying the freshman record for total rebounds in a game when he had 20 against the Blue Devils. Mel Bennett, who played for the Panthers in 1974-75, had 21 rebounds in a game at West Virginia.

Blair keeps close tabs on the company he keeps. He grew up in the same neighborhood as Clancy and has a friendship with him.

"Sam Bam, that's my man," Blair said. "I talk to him every chance I get. We're doing the same things as freshmen."

Blair and McCoy want more, though. With another season like the one he had last year, McCoy could be in the running for the Heisman Trophy next season. If Blair can win Big East rookie of the year like McCoy, Pitt will be the first school to produce the top two rookies in the conference in the same season.

But above and beyond the individual accolades, Blair and McCoy want team success as their first priority.

Both are playing on young teams. Blair is one of four freshmen in an eight-man rotation that includes six underclassmen.

McCoy is one of 17 returning starters for the football team that is still basking in the glow of knocking out West Virginia from the national championship game with that stunning victory in Morgantown Dec. 1.

"I want a couple of Big East championships, a Final Four," Blair said. "I think they're going to get to some major bowl games. We both have the talent to do it. Why not? If we're here, why not go for it all? I think we both can do that. We both have young teams. We have great recruiting classes coming. It's only going to get better."