[2] He excelled in both football and wrestling at Freedom Area High School in Beaver County, west of Pittsburgh.

[3] In football, Covert led the 1977 Freedom Bulldogs, with an undefeated 11–0 record, to the Midwestern Athletic Conference (MAC) Championship as a senior.

[4] Although the Bulldogs eventually lost to Laurel High School in the second round of the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) playoffs, Covert earned UPI First-team All-State honors and became a highly recruited player.

He began his collegiate career on the defensive line and played in every game as a freshman, especially in goal-line or short-yardage situations.

[6] Covert was a starter on Pitt's offensive front his final three seasons, surrendering just three sacks during that span.

"[9] His junior year, Covert was named a first-team All-American by Football News and the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA).

[citation needed] As a senior, he earned consensus status by being named an All-American by no fewer than six different national selectors.

[12] Covert was chosen in the first round of the 1983 NFL draft with the sixth overall pick by the Chicago Bears and head coach Mike Ditka, himself a former Pitt All-American from Western Pennsylvania.

[16] Although the Bears were 22nd in total offense in 1982,[17] the team steadily improved with Covert as a starter over the next few season peaking at second in the league in 1985.

[27] In 1990, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors selected Covert to the NFL All-Decade Team.

[28] With Covert on the team, the Bears won six NFL Central Division titles and played in three NFC Championship games, along with the Super Bowl win.

[30] Covert's career after retiring from the NFL has been focused on healthcare sales, marketing, and acquisition initiatives.

His healthcare career began at Baxter International in their Physical Therapy Division, where he served as Director of Sales and Development.

Covert expanded Caremark's Physical Therapy presence from 50 to 127 sites in 14 states increasing revenue to more than $120 million.

Covert led the growth effort for the Physical Therapy Division as they rapidly grew from 20 to more than 200 sites in a 16-month time frame.