Antonio Pierce

Antonio Durran Pierce (born October 26, 1978 in Ontario, California) is a former American football linebacker. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He played college football at Arizona.

Pierce also played for the New York Giants.

Early years
Pierce played high school football at Paramount High School in Paramount, California. He played two years of football at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, California, before transferring to the University of Arizona. As a senior at Arizona, he had three sacks, 77 tackles (ten for losses), two forced fumbles, one interception, and one blocked kick.

Pierce was not taken in the 2001 NFL Draft after his senior year at Arizona because many NFL scouts considered him too undersized to play linebacker in the NFL.

Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins signed him as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2001. He played in all 16 games as a rookie, with only eight starts. He recorded 52 tackles, one sack, and one interception during his rookie campaign. The interception came against Jake Plummer. Over the next two seasons, Pierce played sporadically, recording only 18 and 15 tackles respectively, during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. It was not until the 2004 season, his fourth in the league, that he played a full season replacing the injured Micheal Barrow. That season Pierce logged a career high 114 tackles, 95 of them solo. He also had one forced fumble, one sack and two interceptions, including a pick off Ken Dorsey returned 76 yards for a touchdown.

New York Giants
The New York Giants signed Pierce on March 3, 2005 to start at middle linebacker. He became the captain of the defense, and in 13 games, Pierce notched 100 tackles, 80 of them solo, two interceptions and one forced fumble returned for a touchdown. His 2005 season ended early as he suffered a leg injury, against the Philadelphia Eagles, and missed the final three regular season games and the Giants' only postseason game, a 23-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

In 2006, Pierce recorded a career-high 138 tackles (109 solo), a sack, an interception, and defended eight passes. Pierce was named as a first alternate for the Pro Bowl. He was invited to play in Hawaii after Brian Urlacher suffered a toe injury in Super Bowl XLI, and withdrew from the Pro Bowl.

Pierce was released on February 11, 2010.

Retirement
Following his release, Pierce announced his retirement from football on July 8, 2010. He also stated that he would then begin his career as an NFL analyst for ESPN.

Personal
Pierce is married to Jocelyn and the father of four. He currently resides in Palos Verdes Estates, California.

Inspired by his own experiences growing up in Compton, it has become his mission to improve the quality of life for the youth in the Long Beach/Compton area. For several years, Pierce has offered a free football camp for underprivileged youths.

In 2006, Pierce became the spokesperson for Giants Academy—a program for inner city youth geared toward helping these children succeed despite obstacles in their life. He is also involved in the "Read Across America" program where he reads to children whose parents are undergoing treatment for chemical dependency at the Odyssey House in Harlem.

In 2007, Pierce received the "United Way Man of the Year" award and was honored by the Catholic Diocese for his support of the community.

Pierce was honored at the 2008 ESPY awards along with the Giants.

Legal troubles
Pierce was present when teammate Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the thigh at the Latin Quarter Night Club in New York City on November 28, 2008. Police say that Pierce drove Burress to the hospital and then returned home with the gun in his glove compartment. The police impounded Pierce's SUV to search for blood and gunpowder residue. Burress has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon; however Pierce was not indicted on any charges. On August 3, 2009, Antonio Pierce was cleared of all criminal charges stemming from Plaxico Buress weapons charge.

Broadcasting
Pierce served as a communications intern on the Howard Stern Show on May 7, 2008. He stated he would like to pursue a career in broadcasting after his NFL career. Near the end of the day's show he asked to stay for the remainder of the week and Howard agreed.