Cameronbystander
10-12-2005, 08:51 AM
http://www.statesman.com/horns/content/sports/stories/longhorns/10/12texfoot.html
A Overcoming health problems, Pittman has used his speed to help UT offense take flight.
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By Cedric Golden
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Gwen Kelley won $1.5 million in the Texas Two-Step lottery drawing three years ago, but that luck did not immediately spread to her grandson.
Billy Pittman, one of Kelley's 21 grandchildren, was one of the best football players to come out of Yoe High School in Cameron, but his career at the University of Texas nearly ended before it started.
First it was a quadriceps injury and a bout with Bell's palsy in his freshman year. Then he hurt his other quadricep and injured his shoulder in a scrimmage as a redshirt freshman.
"I told him we don't quit in this family,'' said Kelley, who lives in Cameron and watches Texas' games on television. "I told him education was the number one priority and that quitting something he loved would just hurt him later."
Long before his 63-yard catch-and-run at Ohio State or his two touchdown grabs against Oklahoma last week, Pittman was seriously considering leaving the game he had played for as long as he could remember.
"It was one thing after another. It would have been easy for me to quit," said Pittman, who was hotly pursued by Nebraska as an option quarterback after an all-state senior season at Yoe. "I'm glad I didn't. It feels good to be out there because it was really tough to watch last year.''
"I told him to hang in there,'' said Texas wide receiver Ramonce Taylor, Pittman's former youth league basketball teammate in Temple. "You could tell he was frustrated.''
The biggest frustration for Pittman came one morning when his eye began twitching uncontrollably. A doctor later told him he had developed Bell's palsy, a non-fatal condition that results in weakness or paralysis on one side of the face.
"She told me I may not ever be able to move one side of my face,'' he said. "That was pretty scary.''
Pittman said the condition lasted about a month, and he resolved to enter his sophomore season with a clean mind. He got the early attention of quarterback Vince Young in June during voluntary workouts, and the latter spoke with Coach Mack Brown and offensive coordinator Greg Davis about Pittman's performances in the 7-on-7 passing scrimmages.
"I didn't know he was that fast at first,'' Young said. "After watching him move around against our defense, I called Coach Davis and told him, 'Billy P. is going to be good.' "
Davis calls Pittman one of the team's most precise route runners and believes the time Pittman spent in practice — the former high school quarterback served as the Longhorns' scout team QB his freshman year — has helped him mature into a good football player.
After a solid summer that saw him emerge as one of six receivers on Davis' potential list of starters, Pittman did not catch a pass in the opener against Louisiana-Lafayette, but he made a huge impression at Ohio State with five catches for 130 yards and his first touchdown.
Last week before a national television audience, he erased any chance of sneaking up on future opponents with four catches for 100 yards, including a 64-yard scoring reception in the final minute of the first half. He also made a one-handed, 27-yard TD grab in the third quarter despite being held by an OU defender.
"He was cheating," Pittman said, smiling.
Pittman's speed has helped the Texas offense take flight during the first half the season. He's second on the team with 13 receptions and is tops in receiving yardage (311 yards) and yards per catch (23.4). And his emancipation from the injury bug has admittedly left him with thicker skin.
And his teammates have tested that thicker skin.
He was teased for being run down by Ohio State's Tyler Everett on the aforementioned 63-yard pass. Then two weeks ago, he lost his balance inside the Missouri 5-yard line after hauling in a 41-yard pass from Young.
Longhorns free safety Michael Griffin said Monday that Pittman has the unique ability to trip over a blade of grass. Minutes later, Tarell Brown's cell phone rang and it was Pittman, who playfully hung up after Brown told him Griffin was having fun at his expense.
Pittman is finally able to smile after a tumultuous start to his college career. "After all I've been through, it's good to know the hard work is finally starting to pay off,'' he said.
And Grandma is already making plans for the New Year.
"I've never seen him play a college game in person,'' she said. "I would love to see him play in the Rose Bowl.''
A Overcoming health problems, Pittman has used his speed to help UT offense take flight.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Cedric Golden
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Gwen Kelley won $1.5 million in the Texas Two-Step lottery drawing three years ago, but that luck did not immediately spread to her grandson.
Billy Pittman, one of Kelley's 21 grandchildren, was one of the best football players to come out of Yoe High School in Cameron, but his career at the University of Texas nearly ended before it started.
First it was a quadriceps injury and a bout with Bell's palsy in his freshman year. Then he hurt his other quadricep and injured his shoulder in a scrimmage as a redshirt freshman.
"I told him we don't quit in this family,'' said Kelley, who lives in Cameron and watches Texas' games on television. "I told him education was the number one priority and that quitting something he loved would just hurt him later."
Long before his 63-yard catch-and-run at Ohio State or his two touchdown grabs against Oklahoma last week, Pittman was seriously considering leaving the game he had played for as long as he could remember.
"It was one thing after another. It would have been easy for me to quit," said Pittman, who was hotly pursued by Nebraska as an option quarterback after an all-state senior season at Yoe. "I'm glad I didn't. It feels good to be out there because it was really tough to watch last year.''
"I told him to hang in there,'' said Texas wide receiver Ramonce Taylor, Pittman's former youth league basketball teammate in Temple. "You could tell he was frustrated.''
The biggest frustration for Pittman came one morning when his eye began twitching uncontrollably. A doctor later told him he had developed Bell's palsy, a non-fatal condition that results in weakness or paralysis on one side of the face.
"She told me I may not ever be able to move one side of my face,'' he said. "That was pretty scary.''
Pittman said the condition lasted about a month, and he resolved to enter his sophomore season with a clean mind. He got the early attention of quarterback Vince Young in June during voluntary workouts, and the latter spoke with Coach Mack Brown and offensive coordinator Greg Davis about Pittman's performances in the 7-on-7 passing scrimmages.
"I didn't know he was that fast at first,'' Young said. "After watching him move around against our defense, I called Coach Davis and told him, 'Billy P. is going to be good.' "
Davis calls Pittman one of the team's most precise route runners and believes the time Pittman spent in practice — the former high school quarterback served as the Longhorns' scout team QB his freshman year — has helped him mature into a good football player.
After a solid summer that saw him emerge as one of six receivers on Davis' potential list of starters, Pittman did not catch a pass in the opener against Louisiana-Lafayette, but he made a huge impression at Ohio State with five catches for 130 yards and his first touchdown.
Last week before a national television audience, he erased any chance of sneaking up on future opponents with four catches for 100 yards, including a 64-yard scoring reception in the final minute of the first half. He also made a one-handed, 27-yard TD grab in the third quarter despite being held by an OU defender.
"He was cheating," Pittman said, smiling.
Pittman's speed has helped the Texas offense take flight during the first half the season. He's second on the team with 13 receptions and is tops in receiving yardage (311 yards) and yards per catch (23.4). And his emancipation from the injury bug has admittedly left him with thicker skin.
And his teammates have tested that thicker skin.
He was teased for being run down by Ohio State's Tyler Everett on the aforementioned 63-yard pass. Then two weeks ago, he lost his balance inside the Missouri 5-yard line after hauling in a 41-yard pass from Young.
Longhorns free safety Michael Griffin said Monday that Pittman has the unique ability to trip over a blade of grass. Minutes later, Tarell Brown's cell phone rang and it was Pittman, who playfully hung up after Brown told him Griffin was having fun at his expense.
Pittman is finally able to smile after a tumultuous start to his college career. "After all I've been through, it's good to know the hard work is finally starting to pay off,'' he said.
And Grandma is already making plans for the New Year.
"I've never seen him play a college game in person,'' she said. "I would love to see him play in the Rose Bowl.''