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Revision as of 16:19, 3 September 2006 by 24.89.235.25 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff){{NFL.com player}} template missing ID and not present in Wikidata. Todd Pinkston (born April 23, 1977) is a American professional football player who is currently playing for the Minnesota Vikings. He is often called Stinkston or Pinky, both of which are derogatory references to his perceived timid, "soft" play.
Pinkston has drawn broad criticism for his mediocre tenure as an Eagles receiver. When he does play, he regularly has difficulty getting off the line of scrimmage against defensive opponents and is often very timid in his attempts to catch passes, apparently fearful of tackles. Pinkston's timid approach to the game has made him an object of great scorn among Philadelphia fans, who commonly appreciate tougher and more aggressive play.
On August 29th, 2006, Todd Pinkston was released by the Philadelphia Eagles due to the acquisition of Donte Stallworth, formerly of the New Orleans Saints.
College career
After attending the University of Southern Mississippi, Pinkston was selected in the second round of the 2000 draft by the Eagles. Despite a successful career at Southern Mississippi, where 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 and catching at least one pass in his last 41 college games, some observers questioned the wisdom of selecting Pinkston that early in the draft, mainly due to his thin, angular body build.
At 6 feet 2 inches tall, Pinkston reportedly weighed only 167 pounds at the time of the draft, with minimal muscle mass and a lax approach to his play. His weight is about 35 pounds lighter than what a typical NFL player at his position weighs at the same height. Pinkston's regular and sometimes questionable injuries from "bruises" and "strains", in addition to his routinely timid play, have only reinforced the impression among Eagles' fans that he was a very poor draft selection.
NFL career
2003: Contributing to Eagles' playoff loss
In the 2003 NFC Championship game against the Carolina Panthers (actually played on January 18, 2004), for example, Pinkston failed to catch a pass the entire game despite being covered by a Panthers cornerback, Ricky Manning Jr., who at 5'8" is six inches shorter than Pinkston. In covering Pinkston, Manning also had three interceptions in the game as the Eagles, favored and playing at home, lost 14-3, the third consecutive defeat suffered by the team in the conference title game.
2004: Giving up on catchable passes
Criticism of Pinkston turned particularly harsh after a game against the Redskins in Washington, D.C. on December 12, 2004, when, with a couple Washington defenders in the area, Pinkston completely gave up on a seemingly catchable pass across the middle. However, later that half Pinkston was the recipient of an 80-yard bomb from Donovan McNabb, furthering the paradox between his apparent receiving cowardice and his big-play potential. The Eagles did go on to win the game, 17-14.
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).
2004: Leaves Super Bowl
Pinkston came under fire again on February 6, 2005 at Super Bowl XXXIX when, he left the biggest game of his career with "leg cramps" after having made four receptions for 82 yards, leading to further questions about his physical and/or mental capability to play in the NFL. The Eagles lost the game, 24-21.
2005: Early Injuries
On August 5, 2005, Pinkston sustained a torn Achilles tendon in training camp practice, which ended his 2005 season before the Eagles had even played their first pre-season game.
2006: Minnesota Vikings
On September 1, 2006, Pinkston signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings, who offered him at least $585,000.
External links
- "Pass To Pinky": The Video Game.
- December 23, 2004 news story, ABC.com.
- Video of Pinkston giving up on a catchable pass due to fear of getting hit