Antonio Pierce
Encyclopedia
Antonio Durran Pierce is a former American football
linebacker
. He was signed by the Washington Redskins
as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He played college football
at Arizona
.
Pierce also played for the New York Giants
.
at Paramount High School
in Paramount, California
. He played two years of football at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, California
, before transferring to the University of Arizona
. As a senior at Arizona, he had three sacks, 77 tackles (ten for losses), two forced fumbles, one interception, and one blocked kick.
Pierce was not taken in the 2001 NFL Draft
after his senior year at Arizona because many NFL scouts considered him too undersized to play linebacker in the NFL.
The Washington Redskins
signed him as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2001. He played in all 16 games as a rookie, with only eight starts. He recorded 52 tackles, one sack, and one interception during his rookie campaign. The interception came against Jake Plummer
. Over the next two seasons, Pierce played sporadically, recording only 18 and 15 tackles respectively, during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. It was not until the 2004 season, his fourth in the league, that he played a full season replacing the injured Micheal Barrow
. That season Pierce logged a career high 114 tackles, 95 of them solo. He also had one forced fumble, one sack and two interceptions, including a pick off Ken Dorsey
returned 76 yards for a touchdown
.
signed Pierce on March 3, 2005 to start at middle linebacker. He became the captain of the defense, and in 13 games, Pierce notched 100 tackles, 80 of them solo, two interceptions and one forced fumble returned for a touchdown. His 2005 season ended early as he suffered a leg injury, against the Philadelphia Eagles
, and missed the final three regular season games and the Giants' only postseason game, a 23-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers
.
In 2006, Pierce recorded a career-high 138 tackles (109 solo), a sack, an interception, and defended eight passes. Pierce was named as a first alternate for the Pro Bowl
. He was invited to play in Hawaii after Brian Urlacher
suffered a toe injury in Super Bowl XLI
, and withdrew from the Pro Bowl.
Pierce was released on February 11, 2010.
.
Inspired by his own experiences growing up in Compton, it has become his mission to improve the quality of life for the youth in the Long Beach/Compton area. For several years, Pierce has offered a free football camp for underprivileged youths.
In 2006, Pierce became the spokesperson for Giants Academy—a program for inner city youth geared toward helping these children succeed despite obstacles in their life. He is also involved in the "Read Across America" program where he reads to children whose parents are undergoing treatment for chemical dependency at the Odyssey House in Harlem.
In 2007, Pierce received the "United Way Man of the Year" award and was honored by the Catholic Diocese for his support of the community.
Pierce was honored at the 2008 ESPY awards along with the Giants.
accidentally shot himself in the thigh at the Latin Quarter Night Club
in New York City
on November 28, 2008. Police say that Pierce drove Burress to the hospital and then returned home with the gun in his glove compartment. The police impounded Pierce's SUV to search for blood and gunpowder residue. Burress has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon; however Pierce was not indicted on any charges. On August 3, 2009, Antonio Pierce was cleared of all criminal charges stemming from Plaxico Buress weapons charge.
on May 7, 2008. He stated he would like to pursue a career in broadcasting after his NFL career. Near the end of the day's show he asked to stay for the remainder of the week and Howard agreed.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
. He was signed by the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Arizona
Arizona Wildcats football
The Arizona Wildcats football team is the football team of the University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level.-Early years:...
.
Pierce also played for the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
Pierce played high school footballHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Paramount High School
Paramount High School
Paramount High School is a comprehensive public high school in Paramount, California. The school serves students in grades 9-12 on two campuses, West Campus for 9th grade students and Senior Campus for grades 10-12...
in Paramount, California
Paramount, California
Paramount is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. According to the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 54,098 down from 55,266 at the 2000 census...
. He played two years of football at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, California
Walnut, California
Walnut is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 29,172 at the 2010 census and its current mayor is Tom King, a former Detective from the Los Angeles Police Department....
, before transferring to the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
. As a senior at Arizona, he had three sacks, 77 tackles (ten for losses), two forced fumbles, one interception, and one blocked kick.
Pierce was not taken in the 2001 NFL Draft
2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
after his senior year at Arizona because many NFL scouts considered him too undersized to play linebacker in the NFL.
Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
signed him as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2001. He played in all 16 games as a rookie, with only eight starts. He recorded 52 tackles, one sack, and one interception during his rookie campaign. The interception came against Jake Plummer
Jake Plummer
Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State....
. Over the next two seasons, Pierce played sporadically, recording only 18 and 15 tackles respectively, during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. It was not until the 2004 season, his fourth in the league, that he played a full season replacing the injured Micheal Barrow
Micheal Barrow
Micheal Christian Barrow is a former American football linebacker of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the second round of the 1993 NFL Draft...
. That season Pierce logged a career high 114 tackles, 95 of them solo. He also had one forced fumble, one sack and two interceptions, including a pick off Ken Dorsey
Ken Dorsey
Kenneth Simon "Ken" Dorsey is a former football quarterback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami. A two-time Heisman Trophy finalist at Miami, Dorsey played for the Cleveland Browns from 2006–2008...
returned 76 yards for a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
.
New York Giants
The New York GiantsNew York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
signed Pierce on March 3, 2005 to start at middle linebacker. He became the captain of the defense, and in 13 games, Pierce notched 100 tackles, 80 of them solo, two interceptions and one forced fumble returned for a touchdown. His 2005 season ended early as he suffered a leg injury, against the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and missed the final three regular season games and the Giants' only postseason game, a 23-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
.
In 2006, Pierce recorded a career-high 138 tackles (109 solo), a sack, an interception, and defended eight passes. Pierce was named as a first alternate for the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
. He was invited to play in Hawaii after Brian Urlacher
Brian Urlacher
Brian Keith Urlacher is an American football player for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League . He attended the University of New Mexico, where he was one of the school's most decorated athletes. In addition to setting multiple university records, Urlacher earned consideration for the...
suffered a toe injury in Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
, and withdrew from the Pro Bowl.
Pierce was released on February 11, 2010.
Retirement
Following his release, Pierce announced his retirement from football on July 8, 2010. He also stated that he would then begin his career as an NFL analyst for ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.
Personal
Pierce is married to Jocelyn and the father of four. He currently resides in Monroe Township, NJ.Inspired by his own experiences growing up in Compton, it has become his mission to improve the quality of life for the youth in the Long Beach/Compton area. For several years, Pierce has offered a free football camp for underprivileged youths.
In 2006, Pierce became the spokesperson for Giants Academy—a program for inner city youth geared toward helping these children succeed despite obstacles in their life. He is also involved in the "Read Across America" program where he reads to children whose parents are undergoing treatment for chemical dependency at the Odyssey House in Harlem.
In 2007, Pierce received the "United Way Man of the Year" award and was honored by the Catholic Diocese for his support of the community.
Pierce was honored at the 2008 ESPY awards along with the Giants.
Legal troubles
Pierce was present when teammate Plaxico BurressPlaxico Burress
Plaxico Antonio Burress is an American football wide receiver who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
accidentally shot himself in the thigh at the Latin Quarter Night Club
Latin Quarter (nightclub)
Latin Quarter is a nightclub in New York City.The Club which originally opened in 1942 featured big name acts. In recent years it has been a focus of hip hop, reggaeton, and salsa music....
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on November 28, 2008. Police say that Pierce drove Burress to the hospital and then returned home with the gun in his glove compartment. The police impounded Pierce's SUV to search for blood and gunpowder residue. Burress has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon; however Pierce was not indicted on any charges. On August 3, 2009, Antonio Pierce was cleared of all criminal charges stemming from Plaxico Buress weapons charge.
Broadcasting
Pierce served as a communications intern on the Howard Stern ShowHoward Stern Show
The Howard Stern Show is an American radio show hosted by its namesake Howard Stern. It gained wide recognition in the 1990s when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from 1986 to 2005...
on May 7, 2008. He stated he would like to pursue a career in broadcasting after his NFL career. Near the end of the day's show he asked to stay for the remainder of the week and Howard agreed.