Todd Pinkston
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| Todd Pinkston | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | April 23, 1977 (age 29) |
| Place of birth | Forest, Mississippi |
| Position(s) | Wide Receiver |
| College | Southern Miss |
| NFL Draft | 2000 / Round 2 |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 2000-2005 | Philadelphia Eagles |
Todd Pinkston (born April 23, 1977) is an American professional football player who is currently a free agent after being released from the Minnesota Vikings on September 9, 2006 [1]. He played five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles where he caught 184 passes for 2,816 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Eagles went to the playoffs every year that he started, including an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIX.
Despite an ability for making big plays, Pinkston often faced harsh criticism from fans for a perceived aversion to physical play.
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[edit] College career
At the University of Southern Mississippi, he graduated as the school's second all-time leading receiver with 149 catches for 2,366 yards and 22 touchdowns, including 48 receptions for 977 yards and 11 TDs as a senior. Despite his success, Pinkston's selection in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Eagles raised some eyebrows due to his slight build. At 6 feet 2 inches tall, Pinkston reportedly weighed only 167 pounds at the time of the draft.
[edit] NFL career
After seeing only slight action in 2000, Pinkston took over as a starter in 2001 following the release of Charles Johnson and Torrance Small. Partnering with James Thrash, Pinkston caught 42 balls for 586 yards and four touchdowns. In 2002, Pinkston enjoyed his most best year. He hauled in 60 receptions for 798 yards and seven touchdowns. His performance that season earned him a five-year contract extension with the Eagles, which included a large signing bonus.[2]
Pinkston's numbers dipped slightly in 2003, but he was productive down the stretch and registered a key touchdown in a playoff game against the Green Bay Packers. Unfortunately, the next week, Pinkston was mandhandled and held catchless by Carolina Panthers cornerback, Ricky Manning Jr., who at 5'8" was six inches shorter than Pinkston. Manning snagged three interceptions, and the Eagles lost the 2003 NFC Championship 14-3, the third consecutive defeat suffered by the team in the conference title game.
Criticism of Pinkston turned particularly harsh after a game against the Washington Redskins on December 12, 2004, when Pinkston was accused of giving up on a catchable pass across the middle. ESPN analyst Joe Theismann commented "That's the way you lose your job as a receiver in the National Football League." However, later that half Pinkston was the recipient of an 80-yard bomb from Donovan McNabb, furthering the paradox between his big play potential and his reluctance to run routes in traffic.
This negative publicity notwithstanding, Pinkston's 18.8 yards-per-catch average for the 2004 regular season was exceeded by only one other NFL receiver with as many or more receptions than the 36 he recorded (Ashley Lelie of the Denver Broncos averaged 20.1), and his six catches gaining 40 or more yards was topped by only three other receivers (teammate Terrell Owens, who had nine, and Javon Walker of the Green Bay Packers and Dennis Northcutt of the Cleveland Browns with seven each).
Pinkston again came under fire later that season after Super Bowl XXXIX when he left the biggest game of his career with leg cramps after having made four receptions for 82 yards.
On August 5, 2005, Pinkston sustained a torn Achilles tendon in training camp practice, putting him out for the 2005 season.
During the 2006 pre-season, he was still hobbled from his Achilles injury, only catching one pass for four yards. On August 29, 2006, Pinkston was released by the Eagles following the acquisition of Donte Stallworth. After Pinkston was cut from the Eagles, a Philadelphia football writer offered this explanation: "Toughness has never been Pinky's forte. Two years ago, he sat out the second half of a Super Bowl that was played in 60-degree Jacksonville temps with cramps. That same season he was involved in three memorable plays in which he basically backed off passes from Donovan McNabb because he was afraid of a pending hit from the safety."
On September 3, 2006, Pinkston signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings, whose head coach, Brad Childress, was the former Eagles offensive coordinator. Pinkston was cut six days later.
Pinkston filed a grievance in late September 2006 against the Eagles claiming he is owed money by the team. [4]
[edit] Notes and References
- ^ Madden Strength Ratings. Madden strength ratings
- ^ Star Tribune Article Star Tribune article about Pinkston signing with MN.
