Antonio Pittman facts for kids
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Pittman in 2008
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| No. 30, 33 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | December 19, 1985 Akron, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 207 lb (94 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Buchtel (Akron, Ohio) | ||||||||
| College: | Ohio State | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2007 / Round: 4 / Pick: 107 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Antonio Pittman (born December 19, 1985) is an American football player who used to play professionally. He was a running back for the St. Louis Rams in the National Football League (NFL). Before that, he played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes team. After his football career, he became a firefighter.
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Early Life and Family
Antonio Pittman grew up in Akron, Ohio. He went to Buchtel High School there. In his last year of high school, he was recognized as one of the best players in Ohio.
While in high school, Antonio lived with his sister. At Ohio State University, he studied African American and African history and culture. Antonio has a tattoo on his left arm that honors his brother, Anthony, who passed away at 23. He also has a daughter named Keilyn.
College Football Career
Antonio Pittman played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was a very important player for their team.
2005 Season Highlights
In 2005, Antonio had a great season. He ran for 1,331 yards and scored seven touchdowns. This was the 10th best rushing season in Ohio State history. Only Archie Griffin, another famous player, had more yards as a sophomore. Antonio's rushing total was among the top players in the NCAA and the Big Ten Conference that year. He also caught 17 passes for 161 yards.
- In his first game, he ran for 100 yards against Miami University.
- He set a personal best by running for 186 yards against the University of Minnesota. He also scored his first touchdown of the season in that game.
- Antonio scored the winning touchdown against the Michigan Wolverines in 2005. His three-yard run happened with only 24 seconds left in the game.
- In the next game, he helped Ohio State win the 2006 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He had an amazing 60-yard touchdown run with less than two minutes left, even though he had a leg injury.
- He was only the fourth sophomore at Ohio State to run for over 1,000 yards in a season.
2006 Season and NFL Draft
In 2006, Ohio State's quarterback, Troy Smith, said that Antonio Pittman was one of the top three running backs in the country. Antonio played in 35 games during his three seasons. He averaged more than five yards per carry and about 84 rushing yards per game. He is currently 8th on Ohio State's all-time rushing list.
At the start of the 2006 season, some people thought Antonio might share playing time with a new freshman player, Chris Wells. However, Antonio's strong performance in 2005 and his early success in 2006 kept him as the main starting running back.
Antonio continued to have impressive games in 2006. He ran for over 100 yards and scored touchdowns against teams like Northern Illinois, Cincinnati, Penn State, and Iowa. He also scored a touchdown against the #2 ranked Texas Longhorns. In the BCS National Championship game against the Florida Gators, Antonio ran for 62 yards and scored one of Ohio State's two touchdowns.
On January 15, 2007, Antonio decided to leave college early and enter the NFL draft.
College Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Attempts | Yards | Average | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 10 | 72 | 381 | 5.3 | 1 |
| 2005 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 12 | 243 | 1,331 | 5.5 | 7 |
| 2006 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 13 | 242 | 1,275 | 5.3 | 14 |
| Total | 35 | 557 | 2,945 | 5.3 | 22 |
Professional Football Career
Antonio Pittman was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the 4th round of the 2007 NFL draft.
New Orleans Saints
Antonio Pittman was chosen by the New Orleans Saints in the 2007 NFL draft. However, he was released by the Saints on September 1, 2007, to make space for another player, Pierre Thomas.
St. Louis Rams
The day after he was released by the Saints, Antonio was picked up by the St. Louis Rams. He played in 11 games for the Rams in 2007. He was a backup running back and also played on special teams. That season, he ran the ball 38 times for 139 yards and caught three passes for 15 yards.
In 2008, Antonio played in 12 games and started five of them when the main running back, Steven Jackson, was out. He carried the ball 79 times for 296 yards. He also caught 18 passes for 132 yards. Antonio was released by the Rams on September 5, 2009.
Omaha Nighthawks
Antonio Pittman played for the Omaha Nighthawks team in 2012.
Life After Football
After his football career, Antonio Pittman decided to become a firefighter. On September 4, 2015, he graduated from the Ohio Fire Academy. He joined the Middletown Division of Fire on December 14, 2017. Later, in 2020, he joined the Columbus Division of Fire.
