University Southern California Trojans
Pittman Returns
January 22, 2019 | Football, USC Ripsit Blog, Features
The USC record for receiving yards in a single season is 1,721.But Michael Pittman Jr. wants to change that.
It's one of the many reasons he decided to return for his senior season at USC rather than leave early for the NFL.
Pittman led the Trojans with 758 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2018, but he wasn't satisfied with the NFL evaluation he received, which projected that he'd go in the third round if he entered the NFL Draft.
"I think I'm capable of better than what my projection was," the 6-foot-4, 215-lb. wideout said. "I wanted to come back because I feel like there's so much more left that I can do. And I can really raise my stock higher."
Pittman knew in his gut that he wanted to return to USC, but he consulted with his father, Michael Sr., to make sure he was making the right choice. Michael Sr. spent five years as a running back at Fresno State before being selected in the fourth round (95th overall) of the 1998 NFL Draft. He went on to have an 11-year NFL career, winning a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Michael Jr. has always let his father's experience and advice guide him.
"I don't know how he does it, but he's never been wrong," the younger Pittman said. "When I was in high school, I wanted to play running back and I wanted to be on defense, and he said, 'No, son, you're going to play wideout and you're going to be really good at it.' ... And then when I was struggling my freshman year at USC, he told me, 'Don't take it personal, take it like you need more work, they're just coaching you up.' I did that, I got better, I made some changes, and then halfway through my sophomore year I got the starting job ... So yeah, whatever he says goes."
Once Pittman decided to return for his senior season, he started to dream of what he could accomplish. He quickly set his sights on earning All-American status and being voted a team captain at USC.
"Being a captain is such a prestigious accomplishment," he said. "There aren't many people who can say they were USC football captains. I feel like once you're that, you're that forever."
Pittman knows he has to earn the respect of his coaches and teammates to be voted a captain. He's always led by example, but heading into his senior season, he hopes to overcome his struggle with stuttering to become a better public speaker and vocal leader to his teammates. He and the rest of the signing class of 2016 — all of whom chose to remain at USC over bolting early for the NFL — will be the veterans of a team hoping to improve on last year's 5-7 record. Pittman is confident that with those veterans returning and with USC's young QB JT Daniels getting an offseason under his belt, the Trojans will be in much better shape in 2019.
For now, Pittman is finishing up his sociology degree and wondering how the years at USC went by so fast.
"My senior year came so quickly — it feels like yesterday I came in with JuJu [Smith-Schuster] and Darreus Rogers in front of me and now I am them." he said. "I still feel like I have so much to prove."
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