Michael Pittman Sr. facts for kids
| No. 28, 32, 22 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | August 14, 1975 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 225 lb (102 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Mira Mesa (San Diego, California) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Fresno State | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1998 / Round: 4 / Pick: 95 | ||||||||||||
| 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 | |||||||||||||
Michael K. Pittman Sr. (born August 14, 1975) is a former professional football player. He was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Fresno State Bulldogs. The Arizona Cardinals selected him in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL draft.
Pittman also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos in the NFL. He later played for the Florida Tuskers in the United Football League (UFL). He won a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII. Michael Pittman Sr. is the father of Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr..
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Michael Pittman Sr. grew up in San Diego, California. He went to Mira Mesa Senior High School. He graduated from high school in 1993. During his time there, he was a first-team All-Eastern League player. He played football alongside his older brother, Wayne.
College Football Career
Pittman attended Fresno State. He was a star player for the Fresno State Bulldogs. During his college career, he ran for a total of 3,017 yards.
He was recognized for his skills in college. In 1996, he was named second-team All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Pacific Division. The next year, in 1997, he earned first-team All-WAC Pacific Division honors. Pittman was also a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He played with quarterback Billy Volek at Fresno State.
Here are his rushing and receiving stats from college:
- 1995: 127 carries for 561 yards with 7 touchdowns. He also had 15 catches for 111 yards.
- 1996: 214 carries for 1,132 yards with 13 touchdowns. He caught 15 passes for 109 yards.
- 1997: 238 carries for 1,057 yards with 8 touchdowns. He also had 32 catches for 255 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Professional Football Journey
Playing for the Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals drafted Michael Pittman in 1998. He was the 95th player chosen overall in the 1998 NFL draft. He played for the Cardinals from 1998 to 2001.
Time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pittman joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002. He had some of his best seasons with this team. In 2004, he rushed for 926 yards, which was his career high. His best receiving year was 2003, with 75 catches for 597 yards.
A major highlight of his career was winning Super Bowl XXXVII. On January 26, 2003, Pittman helped the Buccaneers win 48–21. They defeated the Oakland Raiders in the championship game. He rushed for 124 yards on 29 carries in that Super Bowl.
On November 7, 2004, Pittman made a memorable play. He scored a touchdown on a 78-yard run against the Kansas City Chiefs. This was once the longest run in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history. He became a free agent after the 2007 season.
Joining the Denver Broncos
On May 27, 2008, Pittman signed with the Denver Broncos. He continued to play as a running back for the team. He wore jersey number 28 for the Broncos.
During the 2008 season, Pittman played in eight games. He rushed 76 times for 320 yards. He also scored four touchdowns for the Broncos. His season ended early due to a neck injury.
Playing for the Florida Tuskers
After his time in the NFL, Pittman continued his career. On August 12, 2009, he signed with the Florida Tuskers. This team was part of the United Football League (UFL).
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular Season Performance
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1998 | ARI | 15 | 0 | 29 | 91 | 3.1 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | ARI | 10 | 2 | 64 | 289 | 4.5 | 58 | 2 | 16 | 196 | 12.3 | 46 | 0 |
| 2000 | ARI | 16 | 12 | 184 | 719 | 3.9 | 29 | 4 | 73 | 579 | 7.9 | 36 | 2 |
| 2001 | ARI | 15 | 14 | 241 | 846 | 3.5 | 42 | 5 | 42 | 264 | 6.3 | 27 | 0 |
| 2002 | TAM | 16 | 15 | 204 | 718 | 3.5 | 21 | 1 | 59 | 477 | 8.1 | 64 | 0 |
| 2003 | TAM | 16 | 13 | 187 | 751 | 4.0 | 17 | 0 | 75 | 597 | 8.0 | 68 | 2 |
| 2004 | TAM | 13 | 13 | 219 | 926 | 4.2 | 78 | 7 | 41 | 391 | 9.5 | 68 | 3 |
| 2005 | TAM | 16 | 4 | 70 | 436 | 6.2 | 64 | 1 | 36 | 300 | 8.3 | 41 | 1 |
| 2006 | TAM | 16 | 3 | 50 | 245 | 4.9 | 32 | 1 | 47 | 405 | 8.6 | 25 | 0 |
| 2007 | TAM | 10 | 3 | 68 | 286 | 4.2 | 29 | 0 | 26 | 191 | 7.3 | 16 | 0 |
| 2008 | DEN | 8 | 3 | 76 | 320 | 4.2 | 20 | 4 | 10 | 112 | 11.2 | 40 | 0 |
| Career Total | 151 | 82 | 1,392 | 5,627 | 4.0 | 78 | 25 | 425 | 3,512 | 8.3 | 68 | 8 | |
Playoff Performance
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1998 | ARI | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | TAM | 3 | 3 | 54 | 182 | 3.4 | 24 | 0 | 6 | 63 | 10.5 | 31 | 0 |
| 2005 | TAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 10.0 | 22 | 0 |
| 2007 | TAM | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 62 | 12.4 | 26 | 0 |
| Career Total | 7 | 3 | 55 | 187 | 3.4 | 24 | 0 | 14 | 155 | 11.1 | 31 | 0 | |
Family Life
Michael Pittman Sr. has two sons who also play football. His oldest son, Michael Pittman Jr., is a wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. His younger son, Mycah Pittman, plays wide receiver for Utah.
