Kyle Pitts
![]() Pitts in 2021 | |||||||
No. 8 – Atlanta Falcons | |||||||
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Position: | Tight end | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | October 6, 2000||||||
Height: | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 245 lb (111 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pennsylvania) | ||||||
College: | Florida (2018–2020) | ||||||
NFL Draft: | 2021 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
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Roster status: | Active | ||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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Career NFL statistics as of Week 16, 2021 | |||||||
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Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
Kyle Anthony Pitts (born October 6, 2000) is an American football tight end for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida, where he was named a unanimous All-American and won the John Mackey Award in 2020. Pitts was selected fourth overall by the Falcons in the 2021 NFL Draft, making him the highest drafted tight end in NFL history. Pitts was selected to the Pro Bowl in his rookie year.[1]
Early years[]
Pitts originally attended Abington Senior High School in Abington, Pennsylvania before transferring to Archbishop Wood Catholic High School in Warminster, Pennsylvania in 2016.[2] He played tight end and defensive end on the football team. Pitts played in the 2018 Under Armour All-America Game.[3] He committed to the University of Florida to play college football.[4][5]
College career[]
Pitts played in 11 games as a backup his true freshman season at Florida in 2018. He finished the year with three receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown.[6] In 2019, he took over as the starting tight end. Pitts played in all 13 games his sophomore season at Florida in 2019. He finished the year with 54 receptions for 649 yards and 5 touchdowns. Pitts earned First Team All-SEC for the season.[7][8][9]
During the 2020 season, curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Pitts scored 12 touchdowns in eight games while gaining 770 yards on 43 receptions.[10] He was named a unanimous All-American and won the John Mackey Award as the most outstanding tight end in college football for the season.[11]
Statistics[]
Year | Receiving | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | |
2018 | 11 | 3 | 73 | 24.3 | 1 |
2019 | 13 | 54 | 649 | 12.0 | 5 |
2020 | 8 | 43 | 770 | 17.9 | 12 |
Career[12] | 32 | 100 | 1,492 | 14.9 | 18 |
Professional career[]
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 5+5⁄8 in (1.97 m) |
245 lb (111 kg) |
33+1⁄2 in (0.85 m) |
10+5⁄8 in (0.27 m) |
4.44 s | 1.55 s | 2.59 s | 4.35 s | 7.12 s | 33.5 in (0.85 m) |
10 ft 9 in (3.28 m) |
22 reps | |
All values from Pro Day[13][14] |
Pitts was selected in the first round with the fourth overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2021 NFL Draft, making him the highest drafted tight end in NFL history.[15] He signed his four-year rookie contract, worth $32.9 million, on June 29, 2021.[16]
2021 season[]
In his NFL debut, Pitts had four receptions for 31 yards in a 6–32 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1.[17] In Week 2, Pitts had five catches for 79 yards in a 25–48 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[18] In Week 5 against the New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Pitts caught nine passes for 119 yards and his first NFL touchdown in the 27–20 win.[19] In Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins, Pitts finished with 163 receiving yards as the Falcons won 30–28. His 163 receiving yards set the Falcons franchise record for receiving yards in a single game by a tight end.[20]
On December 22, Pitts was selected to his first Pro Bowl, becoming the first rookie tight end to make the Pro Bowl since Jeremy Shockey in 2002.[21] In Week 16 against the Detroit Lions, Pitts had 6 receptions for 102 yards in the 20–16 win. In that game, Pitts surpassed Tony Gonzalez for the Falcon franchise record for the most receiving yards in a single season by a tight end.[22]
NFL career statistics[]
Year | Team | Games | Receiving | ||||||
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GP | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
2021 | ATL | 15 | 14 | 101 | 64 | 949 | 14.8 | 49 | 1 |
Total | 15 | 14 | 101 | 64 | 949 | 14.8 | 49 | 1 |
References[]
- ^ "Atlanta Falcons' Kyle Pitts first rookie Pro Bowl tight end in almost two decades". ESPN.com. December 23, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- ^ Young, Ryan. "Once miscast at QB, 2018 signee Kyle Pitts found a home at TE and eventually at Florida". The Palm Beach Post.
- ^ "Archbishop Wood TE Kyle Pitts starts, makes catch to set up touchdown in Under Armour All-America Game". pennlive. January 4, 2018.
- ^ Lourim, Jake. "Archbishop Wood's Kyle Pitts commits to Florida". inquirer.com.
- ^ "Archbishop Wood tight end Kyle Pitts commits to Florida over Georgia, Virginia Tech". pennlive. July 20, 2017.
- ^ Sammon, Will. "How Florida is developing Kyle Pitts into a hybrid 'mismatch nightmare'". The Athletic.
- ^ Andreu, Robbie. "Pitts having breakout season for Florida". Gainesville Sun.
- ^ HallCorrespondent, Graham. "Kyle Pitts emerges in UF's passing game". Ocala.com.
- ^ Thompson, Edgar (October 17, 2019). "UF tight end Kyle Pitts rapidly making his name as a key weapon for Gators". orlandosentinel.com. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
- ^ Schlabach, Mark (December 20, 2020). "Florida Gators TE Kyle Pitts says he will enter NFL draft, won't play in bowl game". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
- ^ Harvey, Demetrius (January 7, 2021). "Gators TE Kyle Pitts Wins Mackey Award, Named Unanimous All-American". si.com. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
- ^ "Kyle Pitts College Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- ^ "Kyle Pitts Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
- ^ "Kyle Pitts, Florida, TE, 2021 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
- ^ Rothstein, Michael. "Kyle Pitts to Atlanta Falcons with No. 4 overall pick in NFL draft, highest-selected TE in history". ESPN. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ Patra, Kevin. "Falcons sign No. 4 pick Kyle Pitts to $32.9M rookie contract". NFL.com. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
- ^ "Eagles vs. Falcons - Game Recap - September 12, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
- ^ "Falcons vs. Buccaneers - Game Recap - September 19, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
- ^ "Jets vs. Falcons - Game Summary - October 10, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
- ^ "Kyle Pitts breaks franchise record, has huge game for Atlanta Falcons". Saturday Down South. October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
- ^ "Atlanta Falcons' Kyle Pitts first rookie Pro Bowl tight end in almost two decades". ESPN.com. December 23, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- ^ "'He's different': Kyle Pitts sets franchise record in win over Lions". www.atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
External links[]
- Kyle Pitts on Twitter
- Atlanta Falcons bio
- Florida Gators bio
- 2000 births
- Living people
- People from Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
- Sportspeople from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
- Players of American football from Philadelphia
- American football tight ends
- Florida Gators football players
- All-American college football players
- Atlanta Falcons players