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{{Short description|American football player (born 1979)}}
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{{Infobox NFLactive
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
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|currentteam=Houston Texans
{{Use American English|date=June 2024}}
|currentnumber=69
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{{Infobox NFL biography
|currentpositionplain=[[Offensive guard]]
| image =
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|birthdate={{birth date and age|1979|6|26}}
| number = 69
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|birthplace=Inglewood, California
| position = [[Offensive guard|Guard]] <br> [[Tackle (gridiron football position)|Tackle]]
|heightft=6
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1979|6|26}}
|heightin=4
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| birth_place = [[Inglewood, California]], U.S.
|weight=322
| height_ft = 6
|debutyear=2002
| height_in = 5
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|debutteam=Houston Texans
| weight_lbs = 295
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|college=[[San Diego State University|San Diego State]]
| high_school = [[California Academy of Mathematics and Science]] {{nowrap|([[Carson, California]])}}
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|draftyear=2002
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| college = [[San Diego State Aztecs football|San Diego State]]
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|draftround=2
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| draftyear = 2002
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|draftpick=50
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| draftround = 2
|pastteams=<nowiki></nowiki>
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| draftpick = 50
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* [[Houston Texans]] (2002-present)
| pastteams =
|nfl=PIT260860
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* [[Houston Texans]] ({{NFL Year|2002}}–{{NFL Year|2009}})
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}}'''Chester Morise Pitts II''' (born [[June 26]], [[1979]] in [[Inglewood, California]]) is an [[American football]] [[offensive lineman]] in the [[National Football League|NFL]] for the [[Houston Texans]]. He played [[college football]] at [[San Diego State University]]. Pitts was the focus the NFL SuperAd commercial shown during [[Super Bowl XLII]] relating the story of how his career began.
* [[Seattle Seahawks]] ({{NFL Year|2010}})
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 121
| statlabel2 = Games started
| statvalue2 = 119
| statlabel3 = [[Fumble|Fumble recoveries]]
| statvalue3 = 6
|pfr=PittCh20
}}
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'''Chester Morise Pitts II''' (born June 26, 1979) is an American former professional [[American football|football]] player who was an [[offensive guard]] in the [[National Football League]] (NFL). He played [[college football]] for the [[San Diego State Aztecs football|San Diego State Aztecs]] and was selected by the [[Houston Texans]] in the second round of the [[2002 NFL draft]]. He played in the NFL from 2002 through 2011. Pitts was the focus of the NFL SuperAd commercial shown during [[Super Bowl XLII]] relating the story of how his career began.


==High School Years==
==Early life==
Pitts attended the [[California Academy of Mathematics and Science]] in [[Carson, California]]. His school did not have a football program, so he threw the [[shot put]] and the [[discus]] on the [[track and field]] team and won All-League honors and set several school records. He plays the [[oboe]].<ref>{{citation | title=Chester Pitts bio and stats | publisher=nflplayers.com | url=http://www.nflplayers.com/players/player.aspx?id=33026 | accessdate=[[2008-02-07]] }}</ref>
Pitts attended the [[California Academy of Mathematics and Science]] in [[Carson, California]]. His school did not have a football program, so he competed in [[shot put]] and [[discus]] on the [[track and field]] team and won All-League honors and set several school records.<ref>{{citation|title=Chester Pitts bio and stats |publisher=nflplayers.com |url=http://www.nflplayers.com/players/player.aspx?id=33026 |access-date=2008-02-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629060316/http://www.nflplayers.com/players/player.aspx?ID=33026 |archive-date=June 29, 2007 }}</ref>


==College career==
==College career==


Pitts attended [[San Diego State University]], where he was an accomplished oboe player and worked bagging groceries at a [[Ralph's]] [[supermarket]]. After a chance encounter with [[Ephraim Salaam]], Pitts joined the university football team as a freshman [[walk-on]]. As a sophomore, he saw action in nine games and graded out at 83% for blocking consistency, made 60 knockdown blocks, and allowed only 1 sack throughout his sophomore season. He started for three seasons before being drafted by the [[Houston Texans]] in the second round. This story was publicized by a NFL commercial during [[Super Bowl XLII]] (the music during the commercial, [[Bach]]'s [[Brandenburg concertos|Brandenburg Concerto No. 2]], was played by Pitts).<ref>{{citation | last=Markazi | first=Arash | title=Story time: Pair of Texans reminisce at filming of Super Bowl ad | publisher=Sports Illustrated | date=[[2008-01-28]] | url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/arash_markazi/01/28/on.scene/ | accessdate=[[2008-02-03]] }}</ref>
Pitts attended [[San Diego State University]], and he worked bagging groceries at a [[Ralphs]] [[supermarket]]. After a chance encounter with [[Ephraim Salaam]], Pitts joined the [[San Diego State Aztecs football|Aztecs]] as a freshman [[walk-on (sports)|walk-on]]. Upon dominating future Pro-Bowler [[Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila]] in practice he was awarded a scholarship. As a sophomore, he saw action in nine games and graded out at 97% for blocking consistency, made 60 knockdown blocks, and allowed only 1 sack throughout his sophomore season. He started for two seasons before being drafted by the [[Houston Texans]] in the second round, 50th overall pick.


==Professional career==
==Arrest==
⚫
===Houston Texans===
In January 2008, a grand jury declined to indict Pitts on allegations stemming from his November 2007 arrest after a traffic stop in southwest Houston. Prosecutors gave grand jurors two options to indict the 28-year-old professional football player: a felony charge of evading arrest or a misdemeanor charge of fleeing. Pitts was arrested after driving away from a traffic stop Nov. 29, 2007. He was pursued and stopped about a half-mile away but later called the incident a "huge misunderstanding." A police officer involved in the incident said that Pitts was uncooperative and initially refused to step out of his BMW after police chased him. Officers were targeting drivers making illegal left turns off Kirby onto West Bellfort and had stopped four other motorists besides Pitts when the incident occurred. Pitts, who lives in Pearland, pulled over as instructed and waited a minute or two before driving away, police said. Officers then chased him down the block, where he pulled over again, but initially refused an officer's order to step out of his car. Pitts was the only one among the five motorists stopped by police who drove away. The son of a police officer, Pitts apologized for his actions afterward and said he did not intend to defy the officers' orders.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/5463982.html |title=Police said Pitts tried to evade arrest |author=Rogers, Brian |publisher=[[Houston Chronicle]] |date=2008-01-18 |accessdate=2008-02-04}}</ref>
Pitts was selected in the second round of the [[2002 NFL draft]] by the [[Houston Texans]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2002 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2002/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> He started every game during his first eight seasons with the Texans, either at left guard or left tackle. During his last season with the team in 2009, Pitts only played in two games, both of which he started. In his last game that season, Pitts injured his right knee, ending his season and later requiring microfracture surgery.

===Seattle Seahawks===
Pitts signed with the [[Seattle Seahawks]] as a free agent before the start of the 2010 NFL season, but was not able to recover enough from his off-season surgery to play in the season opener. Pitts appeared in 7 games, starting 5 of them and made the playoffs for the first time. He became a free agent after the 2010 season.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/p/pitt01030.html | title=Chester Pitts | publisher=Pro Football Archives | accessdate=June 8, 2024}}</ref>

On April 27, 2021, Pitts signed a one-day contract with Houston, officially retiring with the franchise after over a decade.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://texanswire.usatoday.com/2021/04/28/achester-pitts-retires-houston-texanschester-pitts-signs-one-day-contract-retires-houston-texans/|title=Chester Pitts officially retires with Houston Texans|publisher=[[USA Today]]|date=April 28, 2021|accessdate=April 28, 2021}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
During [[Super Bowl XLII]], the NFL aired a commercial starring Pitts and Texans teammate [[Ephraim Salaam]]. In it, Pitts and Salaam reminisce about Salaam discovering Pitts, "this big guy," bagging groceries at a store near [[San Diego State University]], which they both attended. Pitts, a devoted [[oboe|oboist]] who had never played organized football, was convinced by Salaam to join the [[San Diego State Aztecs football|school's football team]] and performed so well that he would be drafted by the [[Houston Texans]] in the second round of the [[2002 NFL draft]], while Salaam was drafted by the [[Atlanta Falcons]] in the seventh round in the [[1998 NFL draft]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-super-bowl/09000d5d806750c7/SB-XLII-ad-NFL-SuperAd?r_src=ramp|title = NFL Football Highlights, Clips & Analysis| website=[[NFL.com]] }}</ref> The music during the commercial, featuring the oboe, of [[Bach]]'s [[Brandenburg concertos|Brandenburg Concerto No. 2]], was played by Pitts.<ref>{{citation | last=Markazi | first=Arash | title=Story time: Pair of Texans reminisce at filming of Super Bowl ad | publisher=Sports Illustrated | date=2008-01-28 | url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/arash_markazi/01/28/on.scene/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080204014716/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/arash_markazi/01/28/on.scene/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 4, 2008 | access-date=2008-02-03 }}</ref>

==Television career==
In November 2012, Pitts began a role as a sportscaster for KPRC, News 2 Houston in [[Houston, Texas]]. In 2013, Pitts participated in the [[The Amazing Race 23|23rd season]] of ''[[The Amazing Race (American TV series)|The Amazing Race]]'' with former teammate [[Ephraim Salaam]]. After encountering several travel delays on their way from [[Santiago]] to [[Lisbon]], they finished in 9th Place out of 11 teams and were the third team eliminated from the race upon arrival when host [[Phil Keoghan]] arrived at Lisbon Airport, as all of the other teams in the race had already finished all of the tasks and then checked in at the Pit Stop before they even made it to Portugal. Moreover, they become the first team ever in ''Amazing Race'' history to be eliminated at the airport.


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/306284 Profile at ESPN]
*[http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/306284 Profile at ESPN]
*[http://superad.nfl.com Super Bowl 42-era "SuperAd"]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080206135101/http://superad.nfl.com/ Super Bowl 42-era "SuperAd"]
*[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PittCh20.htm Profile at Pro Football Reference]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20101004055341/http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Seahawks-could-no-longer-wait-on-Chester-Pitts.html National Football Post about Pitts' release from the Seattle Seahawks]
*[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/fb/texansfront/6633724.html Houston Chronicle story about Pitts' season ending knee injury in 2009]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130921060308/http://www.seahawks.com/news/press/article-1/Seahawks-Re-Sign-Chester-Pitts/f9cc5d94-e529-4229-ada9-dd216bd9706c Seahawks announce re-signing of Pitts]

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{{2002 Houston Texans}}
{{Texans2002DraftPicks}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Pitts, Chester}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pitts, Chester}}
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[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Houston Texans players]]
[[Category:Houston Texans players]]
[[Category:21st-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:Seattle Seahawks players]]
[[Category:American football offensive guards]]
[[Category:American football offensive guards]]
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[[Category:American football offensive linemen]]
[[Category:San Diego State Aztecs football players]]
[[Category:San Diego State Aztecs football players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Carson, California]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Los Angeles County, California]]
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[[Category:Players of American football from Inglewood, California]]
[[Category:Participants in American reality television series]]

Latest revision as of 11:42, 30 December 2024

Chester Pitts
No. 69
Position:Guard
Tackle
Personal information
Born: (1979-06-26) June 26, 1979 (age 45)
Inglewood, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:295 lb (134 kg)
Career information
High school:California Academy of Mathematics and Science (Carson, California)
College:San Diego State
NFL draft:2002 / round: 2 / pick: 50
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Games played:121
Games started:119
Fumble recoveries:6
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Chester Morise Pitts II (born June 26, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive guard in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the San Diego State Aztecs and was selected by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2002 NFL draft. He played in the NFL from 2002 through 2011. Pitts was the focus of the NFL SuperAd commercial shown during Super Bowl XLII relating the story of how his career began.

Early life

[edit]

Pitts attended the California Academy of Mathematics and Science in Carson, California. His school did not have a football program, so he competed in shot put and discus on the track and field team and won All-League honors and set several school records.[1]

College career

[edit]

Pitts attended San Diego State University, and he worked bagging groceries at a Ralphs supermarket. After a chance encounter with Ephraim Salaam, Pitts joined the Aztecs as a freshman walk-on. Upon dominating future Pro-Bowler Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila in practice he was awarded a scholarship. As a sophomore, he saw action in nine games and graded out at 97% for blocking consistency, made 60 knockdown blocks, and allowed only 1 sack throughout his sophomore season. He started for two seasons before being drafted by the Houston Texans in the second round, 50th overall pick.

Professional career

[edit]

Houston Texans

[edit]

Pitts was selected in the second round of the 2002 NFL draft by the Houston Texans.[2] He started every game during his first eight seasons with the Texans, either at left guard or left tackle. During his last season with the team in 2009, Pitts only played in two games, both of which he started. In his last game that season, Pitts injured his right knee, ending his season and later requiring microfracture surgery.

Seattle Seahawks

[edit]

Pitts signed with the Seattle Seahawks as a free agent before the start of the 2010 NFL season, but was not able to recover enough from his off-season surgery to play in the season opener. Pitts appeared in 7 games, starting 5 of them and made the playoffs for the first time. He became a free agent after the 2010 season.[3]

On April 27, 2021, Pitts signed a one-day contract with Houston, officially retiring with the franchise after over a decade.[4]

[edit]

During Super Bowl XLII, the NFL aired a commercial starring Pitts and Texans teammate Ephraim Salaam. In it, Pitts and Salaam reminisce about Salaam discovering Pitts, "this big guy," bagging groceries at a store near San Diego State University, which they both attended. Pitts, a devoted oboist who had never played organized football, was convinced by Salaam to join the school's football team and performed so well that he would be drafted by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2002 NFL draft, while Salaam was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the seventh round in the 1998 NFL draft.[5] The music during the commercial, featuring the oboe, of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, was played by Pitts.[6]

Television career

[edit]

In November 2012, Pitts began a role as a sportscaster for KPRC, News 2 Houston in Houston, Texas. In 2013, Pitts participated in the 23rd season of The Amazing Race with former teammate Ephraim Salaam. After encountering several travel delays on their way from Santiago to Lisbon, they finished in 9th Place out of 11 teams and were the third team eliminated from the race upon arrival when host Phil Keoghan arrived at Lisbon Airport, as all of the other teams in the race had already finished all of the tasks and then checked in at the Pit Stop before they even made it to Portugal. Moreover, they become the first team ever in Amazing Race history to be eliminated at the airport.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Chester Pitts bio and stats, nflplayers.com, archived from the original on June 29, 2007, retrieved February 7, 2008
  2. ^ "2002 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  3. ^ "Chester Pitts". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  4. ^ "Chester Pitts officially retires with Houston Texans". USA Today. April 28, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  5. ^ "NFL Football Highlights, Clips & Analysis". NFL.com.
  6. ^ Markazi, Arash (January 28, 2008), Story time: Pair of Texans reminisce at filming of Super Bowl ad, Sports Illustrated, archived from the original on February 4, 2008, retrieved February 3, 2008
[edit]
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