Mike Alstott
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mike Alstott | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | December 21, 1973 |
| Place of birth | Joliet, Illinois |
| Position(s) | Full back |
| College | Purdue |
| NFL Draft | 1996 / Round 2/ Pick 35 |
| Pro Bowls | 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997 |
| Honors | 1 Super Bowl ring |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 1996-present | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
Mike Joseph Alstott (born December 21, 1973, Joliet, Illinois) is an American football player who currently plays fullback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL.
[edit] High school career
Mike Alstott lettered in both football and baseball at Joliet Catholic High School in Joliet, Illinois. As a junior, his football team won the state championship with a 14-0 record. Mike also threw the winning two point conversion in the championship game. He was a Parade football All-American and was recognized as Player of the Year by the Chicago Sun Times.
[edit] College career
During his 42-game career at Purdue, Alstott rushed 644 times for 3635 yards (5.6 per carry average) with 39 touchdowns, and had 93 receptions for 1075 yards (11.2 per reception average) with 3 touchdowns. He was Purdue's Most Valuable Player in each of last three seasons, the only player ever to accomplish that feat for Boilermakers. He's also the school's all-time leader in rushing TDs, total TDs and points. He left Purdue as the school's all-time leading rusher, breaking the record which had previously been held by Otis Armstrong.
As a senior, he finished 11th in Heisman Trophy balloting, was a Gannett All-America and was either a first or second-team All-Big 10 choice by all selectors. He rushed for a school-record 1,436 yards on 243 attempts (5.9 avg.) with 11 TDs. Altott established school records with eight straight 100-yard performances and nine overall for season and caught 25 passes for 162 yards. In his junior year, he ran for 1,188 yards on 202 carries (5.9 avg.) with career-best 14 touchdowns, and had 23 receptions for 298 yards. He was the first Purdue player in 18 years to rush for over 1,000 yards, averaging 108 yards per contest. His 14 TDs tied school record set by Tony Butkovich (1943) and Leroy Keyes (1967). In his sophomore season, he was credited with 816 rushing yards on 153 attempts (5.3 avg.) with 12 touchdowns. He also had a career-best 30 catches for 407 yards with a pair of scores. He was first Boilermaker sophomore in 48 years to be named team MVP. As a freshman, he ran for 195 yards on 46 carries (4.2 avg.) with two TDs while also catching 15 passes for 208 yards with one score. Alstott missed most of his final two games after fracturing his fibula versus Michigan State. He holds a B.S. in business.
[edit] NFL career
Drafted in the second round (35th overall) of the NFL's Entry Draft in 1996 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Alstott became one of the best power runners in the NFL, and is known for running over defenders and breaking tackles. He is one of the few fullbacks in the league who still carries the ball on a regular basis. Alstott is the leading scorer among non kickers of the Buccaneers and he leads his team in touchdowns as well. One of his most famous touchdowns came against the Minnesota Vikings in 1997 when he carried six defenders into the endzone with him. Alstott holds the Tampa Bay Buccaneers team record for touchdowns scored with 68. His nickname is "the A-Train". However, during the 2005 season this nickname developed into “the A-plane” after he started leaping into the air on some runs to try and fight for extra yardage. However, the name the "A-Train" is still the one Mike Alstott prefers. Alstott is well know as a team player and is arguably the most popular man to ever play for the Buccaneers.
He was a member of the Buccaneers when they won Super Bowl XXXVII, which was played at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA. Alstott had an impressive performance in the game, rushing for 15 yards and a touchdown, the first one in that game, and the first touchdown in the Super Bowl in Tampa Buccaneers history. He also caught 5 passes for 43 yards. He recently signed a one year deal to stay in Tampa Bay.
