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Todd Pinkston (born April 23, 1977) is a American professional football player who is currently playing for the Minnesota Vikings. He first played with the Philadelphia Eagles where he caught 184 passes for 2,816 yards and 14 touchdowns in five seasons. Four of the seasons he started the Eagles went to the playoffs, and one of the seasons he played 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. The criticism culminated in an internet video gate called "Pass to Pinky" which showed Pinkston dropping passes using absurd excuses for the drop.
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. On September 3rd, 2006, Todd Pinkston was signed by the Minnesota Vikings, whose new head coach is former Philadelphia Offensive coordinator Brad Childress.
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 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.
NFL career
2002 - 2003 Season
His most productive year year in Philadelphia was 2002 when he hauled in 60 receptions for 798 yards and seven touchdowns. His performance that year earned him a five-year contract extension with the Eagles which included a large signing bonus. ]
2003 - 2004 Season
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 - 2005 Season
Criticism of Pinkston turned particularly harsh after a game against the Redskins in Washington, D.C. 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 get cut from a football team." 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 came under fire later that year at Super Bowl XXXIX when, he left the biggest game of his career with leg cramps after having made four receptions for 82 yards.
2005 - 2006 Season
On August 5, 2005, Pinkston sustained a torn Achilles tendon in training camp practice, putting him out for the 2005 season.
2006 - 2007 Season
During the 2006 pre-season he was still hobbled from his Achilles injury, only catching one pass for four yards. When he was cut from the Eagles, a Philadelphia football writer offered this explaination: "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 1, 2006, Pinkston signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings, who offered him at least $585,000. The Vikings new head coach is former Philadelphia Offensive coordinator Brad Childress.
Notes and References
- Madden Strength Ratings. Madden strength ratings
- Star Tribune Article Star Tribune article about Pinkston signing with MN.
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
- Pinkston signed by Vikings