Antonio Pierce
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| Antonio Pierce | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | October 26, 1978 |
| Place of birth | Ontario, California |
| Position(s) | Linebacker |
| College | University of Arizona |
| Team(s) | |
| 2001-2004 2005-current |
Washington Redskins New York Giants |
Antonio Pierce (born October 26, 1978 in Ontario, California) is a middle linebacker on the NFL's New York Giants. Pierce stands 6'1" and weighs 240 lb. He was signed as a unrestricted free agent in the 2005 NFL offseason from the Washington Redskins. He played his high school football at Paramount High School in Paramount,California. As a senior at the University of Arizona, he had 3 sacks, 77 tackles (10 for losses), 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception,and 1 blocked kick. He played two years of football at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, California, before transferring to the University of Arizona. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Washington Redskins in 2001 and played in all 16 games as a rookie, with 7 starts. He recorded 52 tackles and one interception during his rookie campaign.
Over the next two seasons, Pierce played sporadically, recording only 18 and 15 tackles respectively, during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. It wasn't until the 2004 season, his fourth in the league, that Pierce's talent became evident and he established himself as one of the premiere playmaking linebackers in the game. In his breakout 2004 season, Pierce logged a career high 114 tackles, 95 of them solo. He also had two interceptions, one of which was a pick off Ken Dorsey that he returned 76 yards for a touchdown, and a forced fumble.
His stellar 2004 campaign made him a popular target for teams needing to upgrade their defense, especially at the linebacker position, through free agency during the 2005 offseason. The New York Giants made him their top defensive addition in years when they signed him on March 3,2005.
Pierce did not disappoint, he continued his stellar play and showed that his breakout season was not a fluke. In 13 games, Pierce notched 100 tackles, 80 of them solo, two interceptions and one forced fumble returned for a touchdown. His outstanding 2005 season ended on an unfortunate note as he suffered a leg injury and missed the final three regular season games and the Giants only postseason game, a 23-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
[edit] The List
Pierce was an undrafted rookie when he signed with the Washington Redskins. After not being drafted in the 2001 NFL draft Pierce was shaken, feeling insulted he made a list of every linebacker selected during the draft. After every season Antonio takes the list from his locker and crosses out the players that are no longer in the NFL. "The List" shows the players who all 32 NFL teams thought would be better suited in the league than Pierce. Playing with a chip on his shoulder is one of the main reasons he has had so much success in the NFL. Pierce's deep motivation and effort also have helped him earn the respect of all those around him and have lead to him exceeding all expectations every year. His next ambition is to make the Pro-Bowl to further help his presence be felt by everyone. "My goal at the end of the day is to be recognized as one of the elite linebackers. Until I get there, that's what I'm going to fight for." Pierce takes great pride in showing that only 13 of the 30 players remain on "The List." He feels that someday they will all be gone, and he is certain he will outlast them all. "Oh, I'm definitely going to be the last guy standing on the list," he said. "I'm going to make sure that I prove that point to everybody that doubted me."
