Pepe Pearson facts for kids

Pepe Pearson (born December 11, 1975) is a well-known figure in American football. He used to be a tailback for the Ohio State Buckeyes in college. Today, he helps coach the running backs for the Tarleton State Texans.

Pepe Pearson's Football Journey

Pepe Pearson has had an exciting career in football, first as a talented player and now as a successful coach. He is known for his strong running skills and his ability to help other players improve.

Playing Days

Pepe Pearson played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was a key player for four years. He is the ninth best rusher in Ohio State history. He gained 3,121 yards during his college career.

As a junior, Pearson had an amazing season. He rushed for 1,484 yards, which is the tenth highest in team history. He also scored 17 touchdowns that year. One of his most memorable games was in 1996. He rushed for 173 yards in Ohio State's big win against Notre Dame.

During his time at Ohio State, Pearson helped his team reach four bowl games. They even won the Rose Bowl in 1997. For his great performance as a junior, he was named All-Big Ten. He was also chosen as the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP).

After college, Pearson played in the National Football League (NFL). He spent time with teams like the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers. He also played in NFL Europe. There, he helped the Rhein Fire win the World Bowl Championship in 2000. He even scored the winning touchdown in that game!

Coaching Career

After his playing career, Pepe Pearson started coaching. He became a running backs coach at Ohio Dominican University from 2004 to 2015. He helped many players become better. For example, he guided Brandon Schoen to become the school's all-time leading rusher. In 2013, two of his running backs each gained over 1,000 yards. This was a first for the school.

Pearson also had a chance to be a head coach in indoor football. He led the Daytona Beach Hawgs and the Marion Mayhem.

In 2015, he joined Youngstown State as their running backs coach. His team rushed for over 2,000 yards in his first year. The next year, in 2016, he moved to Marshall University. He coached there for five seasons.

At Marshall, Pearson helped many running backs shine. In 2019, Brenden Knox was named Conference USA's Most Valuable Player. He rushed for 1,387 yards and 11 touchdowns. Keion Davis also earned Gasparilla Bowl MVP honors in 2018.

Pearson helped Marshall win bowl games in 2017 and 2018. He also helped them win the 2020 Conference USA East Division Championship. This led them to the championship game.

In May 2021, Pearson became the running backs coach at Tennessee State University. He worked there until 2022. Now, he is the associate head coach and running backs coach for the Tarleton State Texans.