Todd Pinkston (born April 23, 1977) is an American football coach and former professional player who is the running backs coach for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played five seasons professionally as a wide receiver 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. He also is the cousin of former offensive lineman Jason Pinkston. He was inducted to the Southern Miss Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.[1] Todd Pinkston was inducted into the Scott County Sports Hall of Fame in his hometown of Forest, Miss., in 2015.
| Kansas City Chiefs | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Running backs coach | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | April 23, 1977 Forest, Mississippi, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 180 lb (82 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Forest | ||||||||
| College: | Southern Miss | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2000 / round: 2 / pick: 36 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| As a player: | |||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| As a coach: | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Playing career
editCollege career
editAt the University of Southern Mississippi, where he joined the Theta Eta chapter of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, 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 touchdowns as a senior.
Professional career
editPhiladelphia Eagles
editDespite his success in college, Pinkston's selection in the second round of the 2000 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles raised some eyebrows due to his slight build.[2] At 6 feet 3 inches tall[citation needed], Pinkston reportedly weighed only 167 pounds at the time of the draft.[citation needed]
After seeing only slight action in 2000,[3] 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.[4] In 2002, Pinkston enjoyed his best year. He hauled in 60 receptions for 798 yards and seven touchdowns.[5] His performance that season earned him a five-year contract extension with the Eagles, which included a large signing bonus.[6]
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 held catchless by Carolina Panthers cornerback, Ricky Manning Jr. 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 "...this is a great way to lose your job as a receiver in the National Football League." However, later that half Pinkston was the recipient of an 80-yard pass 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).
After having made four receptions for 82 yards in Super Bowl XXXIX, Pinkston was forced to leave the game with leg cramps.[7]
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 Donté Stallworth.
Minnesota Vikings
editOn September 3, 2006, Pinkston signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings, whose head coach, Brad Childress, was the former Eagles offensive coordinator.[8] Pinkston was cut six days later on September 9.[9]
Washington Redskins
editOn August 13, 2007, Pinkston, recovered from his Achilles injury, signed with the Washington Redskins, but failed to make the team's final roster.
NFL statistics
edit| Year | Team | GP | Receiving | Rushing | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FD | |||
| 2000 | PHI | 16 | 10 | 181 | 18.1 | 45 | 0 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2001 | PHI | 15 | 42 | 586 | 14.0 | 62 | 4 | 23 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | PHI | 15 | 60 | 798 | 13.3 | 42 | 7 | 40 | 1 | -15 | -15.0 | -15 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | PHI | 16 | 36 | 575 | 16.0 | 59 | 2 | 22 | 1 | -11 | -11.0 | -11 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | PHI | 16 | 36 | 676 | 18.8 | 80 | 1 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career[10] | 78 | 184 | 2,816 | 15.3 | 80 | 14 | 116 | 3 | -21 | -7.0 | 5 | 9 | 0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FD | |||
| 2000 | PHI | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 2001 | PHI | 3 | 8 | 93 | 11.6 | 41 | 1 | 4 |
| 2002 | PHI | 2 | 8 | 99 | 12.4 | 24 | 0 | 5 |
| 2003 | PHI | 2 | 7 | 95 | 13.6 | 45 | 1 | 5 |
| 2004 | PHI | 3 | 8 | 141 | 17.6 | 40 | 0 | 7 |
| Career | 12 | 32 | 433 | 13.5 | 45 | 2 | 22 | |
Coaching career
editPinkston was hired by his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles, as a coaching intern during training camp and the preseason in 2009. He assisted wide receivers coach David Culley in coaching his unit.[11] He also served as the receivers' coach at Petal High School located in Petal, Mississippi, just across the Leaf River from Hattiesburg. He was the wide receiver's coach for Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee from 2016 to 2021.[12]
On March 17, 2023, Pinkston was hired as the running backs coach for the Kansas City Chiefs.[13] Pinkston became a Super Bowl champion when the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25–22 in Super Bowl LVIII.[14]
References
edit- ^ "M-Club to Induct 2011 Sports Hall of Fame Class". southernmiss.com. September 12, 2001.
- ^ "2000 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
- ^ "Todd Pinkston 2000 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
- ^ "Todd Pinkston 2001 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
- ^ "Todd Pinkston 2002 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
- ^ Pasquarelli, Len (August 15, 2003). "Extension locks up wide receiver through 2008". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
- ^ "Super Bowl XXXIX - New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles - February 6th, 2005". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
- ^ Pasquarelli, Len (September 2, 2006). "Pinkston agrees to deal with receiver-needy Vikings". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
- ^ Pasquarelli, Len (September 9, 2006). "Can't catch on: Vikes release Pinkston". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
- ^ "Todd Pinkston Stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
- ^ Kent, Bob (November 14, 2009). "Where Are They Now: WR Todd Pinkston". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
- ^ Allison, Autumn (March 23, 2016). "Ex-Eagles WR expected to join APSU football staff". The Leaf Chronicle. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
- ^ "Chiefs' coaching staff additions include Todd Pinkston and Andy Reid's son Spencer". ProFootballTalk. March 17, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
- ^ Maaddi, Rob (February 12, 2024). "Patrick Mahomes rallies the Chiefs to second straight Super Bowl title, 25-22 over 49ers in overtime". AP News. Retrieved February 14, 2024.