Mike Alstott

Mike Alstott

Alstott in February 2010.
No. 40
Position: Fullback / Halfback
Personal information
Date of birth: December 21, 1973
Place of birth: Joliet, Illinois
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight: 248 lb (112 kg)
Career information
High school: Joliet (IL) Catholic
College: Purdue
NFL draft: 1996 / Round: 2 / Pick: 35
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rushing attempts: 1,359
Rushing yards: 5,088
Average: 3.7
Rushing touchdowns: 58
Stats at NFL.com

Michael Joseph Alstott (born December 21, 1973), nicknamed "A-Train", is a former American football fullback in the National Football League. He spent his entire 12-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Purdue. During his career, Alstott was selected to six Pro Bowls and was the starting fullback/running back with the Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII.

College career

Alstott attended Purdue University for four years, where he became the first player in school history named MVP in three consecutive seasons. Alstott scored 12 touchdowns as a sophomore, 14 as a junior and 11 as a senior, and held the Purdue rushing touchdown record with 39 until Kory Sheets broke it in 2008. He averaged 5.6 yards per attempt during his Purdue career before graduating in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in business. He finished as Purdue's all-time leading rusher with 3,635 yards, including a school-best 1,436 yards in 1995.[2]

Professional career

Alstott signing autographs in 2006.

Alstott was selected in the second round (35th overall) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers utilized Alstott primarily as a running fullback as opposed to a blocking fullback that teams were starting to switch to at the time. He was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that won Super Bowl XXXVII (2002), played at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. Alstott rushed for 15 yards and the first Super Bowl touchdown in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history. He also caught five passes for 43 yards.

Alstott signed a one-year contract to stay in Tampa Bay for the 2005 season, and signed a similar contract at the conclusion of the 2006 season after contemplating retirement. However, he spent all of the 2007 season on injured reserve because of neck problems, leading to his retirement on January 24, 2008.

In the summer of 2007, shortly before he suffered his season-ending and ultimately career-ending neck injury, Alstott appeared in a television commercial for ESPN Fantasy Football along with former teammate Warrick Dunn, who was later signed by the Falcons.

He was ranked #10 on the NFL Network's "Top Ten Power Backs".[3]

Career Stats

Rushing Stats

Year Team Games Attempts Yards Average Yards per Carry Longest Carry Touchdowns First Downs Fumbles Fumbles Lost
1996 TB 16 96 377 3.9 39 3 21 2 1
1997 TB 15 176 665 3.8 47 7 34 4 3
1998 TB 16 215 846 3.9 37 8 49 4 4
1999 TB 16 242 949 3.9 30 7 47 6 6
2000 TB 13 131 465 3.6 20 5 37 3 2
2001 TB 16 165 680 4.1 39 10 40 0 0
2002 TB 16 146 548 3.8 32 5 37 2 1
2003 TB 4 27 77 2.9 29 2 10 0 0
2004 TB 14 67 230 3.4 32 2 20 1 1
2005 TB 16 34 80 2.4 9 6 12 0 0
2006 TB 16 60 171 2.9 17 3 17 1 1
Total Total 158 1,359 5,088 3.7 47 58 324 23 19

[4]

Receiving Stats

Year Team Games Receptions Yards Average Yards per Reception Longest Reception Touchdowns First Downs Fumbles Fumbles Lost
1996 TB 16 65 557 8.6 29 3 28 2 1
1997 TB 15 23 178 7.7 26 3 13 1 0
1998 TB 16 22 152 6.9 26 1 7 1 1
1999 TB 16 27 239 8.9 24 2 11 0 0
2000 TB 13 13 93 7.2 21 0 3 0 0
2001 TB 16 35 231 6.6 19 1 9 2 2
2002 TB 16 35 242 6.9 44 2 11 2 1
2003 TB 4 10 83 8.3 17 0 3 0 0
2004 TB 14 29 202 7.0 20 0 11 1 1
2005 TB 16 25 222 8.9 24 1 11 0 0
2006 TB 16 21 85 4.0 18 0 6 0 0
Total Total 158 305 2,284 7.5 44 13 113 9 6

[4]

Personal life

Alstott is married to Nicole Alstott. They have three children;[5] daughters Hannah and Lexie and son Griffin. Their family currently resides in St. Petersburg, Florida. Along with his wife Nicole they formed the Mike Alstott Family Foundation. Alstott also owns Island Way Grill, a restaurant in Clearwater, Florida along with former teammate tight end Dave Moore. Alstott also hosts an annual football camp. He was given the key to St. Petersburg on February 13, 2003. He makes an annual visit to St. Petersburg All Children's Hospital to attempt to make the holidays more cheerful and to take photos with all the children.

Alstott also coaches youth football for the Seminole Chiefs and is head coach for the Northside Christian High School Mustangs in St. Petersburg, Florida.

References

External links

Media related to Mike Alstott at Wikimedia Commons