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Fitzgerald D'Andre Toussaint (born May 4, 1990) is a former
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Ther ...
. He played college football at
Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
and signed with the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
as an undrafted free agent in 2014. He has also been a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers for a good portion of his 4 year NFL career. He spent 2 years on the Pittsburgh Steelers.


Early years

Toussaint grew up in
Youngstown, Ohio Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio, and the largest city and county seat of Mahoning County. At the 2020 census, Youngstown had a city population of 60,068. It is a principal city of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area, whi ...
, to a Haitian father and to an
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
mother. He graduated from Liberty High School, where as a senior in 2008, he rushed for 2,229 yards (10.4 per carry) and 28 touchdowns and was named Ohio's co-offensive player of the year in Division III. Toussaint committed to the
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
after his senior year and was considered one of the five impact players in Michigan's recruiting class for 2009. After committing to Michigan, Toussaint donned the scarlet uniform of the Ohio high school all-star team for the annual
Big 33 Football Classic The Big 33 Football Classic is an all-star American football game featuring the top high-school football players in Pennsylvania. Played since 1957, the game is often described as the "Super Bowl of High School Football." Contests currently pit ...
against the Pennsylvania high school all-star team. Toussaint was also on the school's
track & field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...
team, where he competed as a sprinter. At the 2007 OHSAA Regional Track and Field Championships, he won the
100 meters The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contes ...
by running a personal-best time of 10.74 seconds. He also won the
60 meters 60 metres, or 60-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior ath ...
at the 2009 Kent State HS Open, recording a career-best time of 6.89 seconds. On September 23, 2022, Toussaint was inducted into the Liberty High School Hall of Fame.


College career

Toussaint enrolled at the
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
on a football scholarship in 2009. He was redshirted during the 2009 season. Toussaint missed the first three games of the 2010 season with a knee injury. In his first appearance for the Wolverines, Toussaint rushed for 129 yards on six carries, including a 61-yard gain in the fourth quarter, against
Bowling Green A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls. Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep ...
. He suffered a shoulder injury in October 2010.


2011 season

After spending the 2010 season as a back-up to Michael Shaw, Toussaint challenged Shaw for the starting running back position during 2011 summer practice. In the end, head coach
Brady Hoke Brady Patrick Hoke (; born November 3, 1958) is an American football coach in his second stint as the head coach at San Diego State University. He was previously the head coach at the University of Michigan from 2011 to 2014. Hoke grew up in O ...
named Toussaint as the Wolverines' No. 1 running back at the start of the 2011 season. After gaining 80 yards on 11 carries (7.3 yards per carry) and scoring two touchdowns in Michigan's 2011 season opener against
Western Michigan West Michigan and Western Michigan are terms for an arbitrary region in the U.S. state of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Most narrowly it refers to the Grand Rapids- Muskegon-Holland area, and more broadly to most of the region along the Lower Pen ...
, Hoke confirmed that Toussaint remained the team's No. 1 running back. After suffering a shoulder injury, he did not play against Notre Dame in the second week of the season. He returned to the lineup the following week and went on to record his second 100-yard rushing game in the Battle for the Little Brown Jug against
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
in the fifth game of the season, totaling 108 yards on 11 carries for an average of 9.8 yards per carry. On October 29, Toussaint ran for 170 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries in a 36–14 victory over Purdue. He had career highs in both yards gained and carries. On November 12, Toussaint set new career highs with 27 carries, a 65-yard run, and 192 rushing yards against
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
. In the subsequent two weeks, he followed up with 138 rushing yards against
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
on November 19, 2011, and 120 yards rushing against
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
on November 26, in " The Game". Toussaint rushed for 1,041 yards in the 2011 season. With quarterback
Denard Robinson Denard Xavier Robinson (born September 22, 1990) is currently the Assistant Director of Player Personnel for the University of Michigan football program. Robinson is also a former American football running back who played for four seasons in th ...
also rushing for over 1,000 yards, the Wolverines had a tandem of 1,000-yard rushers for the first time since
1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
. Toussaint averaged 5.6 yards per carry during the season. He ranked second in the
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
in yards per carry behind Wisconsin running back
Montee Ball Montee Ball Jr. (born December 5, 1990) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin, where he was twice recognized as the be ...
. He earned All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention recognition from both the coaches and the media. At the end of the regular season, Michigan offensive coordinator
Al Borges Alan Anthony Borges (born October 8, 1955) is an American football coach. Borges is known for quarterback development having mentored Cade McNown and Jason Campbell, both first round NFL draft picks. Borges has been described as "one of the best o ...
praised Toussaint's late season performance (100-plus rushing yards in four of the last five games) and compared him to USC Heisman Trophy winner Charles White: "You put the (USC) jersey on him, you would hardly be able to tell the difference. That's who he reminds me of."


2012 season

At the time of Michigan's spring practice in April 2012, Borges said there was no running back controversy for the 2012 team: "Fitz is our tailback. If he isn't, I'm not very smart." On July 21, 2012, Toussaint was arrested in Ann Arbor after running a red light and charged with driving under the influence. On July 23, he was suspended from the team. In late August, Toussaint pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle while visibly impaired, after telling the court that he had been drinking brandy before driving. On October 23, he was sentenced to 10 months probation and ordered by the Court to attend 10 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, pay $1,500 in fees and fines, and undergo random drug and alcohol tests. Toussaint remained suspended from the team for the opening game of the 2012 season, but returned to the lineup as Michigan's lead running back in the second week of the season against Air Force. Through the tenth game of the 2012 season, Toussaint had gained 483 yards and scored five touchdown on 127 carries, an average of 3.8 yards per carry. On November 17, 2012, during a first quarter run in the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes, Toussaint sustained a broken leg, ending his season.


2013 season

After successful rehabilitation on his leg injury, Toussaint returned as the starting running back for the 2013 Michigan Wolverines football team. Through the first two games of the season, he had 128 rushing yards on 36 carries, including 71 rushing yards on 22 carries in Michigan's 41–30 victory over Notre Dame on September 7, 2013. On October 19, against Indiana, he had 32 carries for 151 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. He finished his final season with the Wolverines with 185 carries for 648 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns.


Professional career


Pre-draft


Baltimore Ravens


2014

On May 29, 2014, Toussaint was signed as an undrafted free agent by the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
. Toussaint rushed for 20 yards on four attempts during the Ravens' first preseason game against the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
. He did not play again until the fourth preseason game against the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
, where he rushed for a game-high 103 yards on 17 carries and caught his only targeted pass for another nine yards. Despite his successful play in the final game of the preseason, Toussaint was released by the Ravens on August 30, 2014 in the final round of cuts before the regular season. Toussaint was re-signed to the Ravens practice squad on August 31, 2014. Toussaint was promoted to the Ravens roster on September 6, 2014 after fellow
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Ther ...
Lorenzo Taliaferro Lorenzo Taliaferro (December 23, 1991December 16, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Lackawanna College and Coastal Carolina and was dr ...
was placed on injured reserve. On September 21, 2014, he made his professional regular season debut during the
Ravens Ravens may refer to: * Raven, a species of the genus ''Corvus'' Sports * Anderson Ravens, the intercollegiate athletic program of Anderson University in Indiana * Baltimore Ravens, a professional American football franchise * Benedictine Ravens, ...
' 23-21 victory over the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...
. On December 21, 2014, Toussiant had his first career carry for a two-yard gain and had his first career reception on a five-yard pass from Joe Flacco. He finished the 25-13 loss to the Houston Texans with a total of four carries for 11-yards and two receptions for 20-yards. He finished his rookie season with six carries for 12 rushing yards and three receptions for 27 receiving yards in four games. Throughout his rookie campaign, Toussaint was the Baltimore Raven's fourth-string running back, behind
Justin Forsett Justin Forsett (born October 14, 1985) is an American former football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at California and was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft ...
, Lorenzo Taliaferro, and Bernard Pierce. On January 3, 2015, Toussaint appeared in his first career postseason game after the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
finished the season with a 10-6 record. Although he appeared exclusively on special teams, the Ravens defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-17 in the AFC Wild Card Round. The following game, he had two carries for five rushing yards and one reception or -7 receiving yards as the Ravens lost to the New England Patriots 31-35.


2015

He entered training camp competing with
Javorius Allen Javorius "Buck" Allen (born August 27, 1991) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played college football at USC. Early years Allen attended Lincoln Hi ...
and Terrence Magee to be the
Ravens Ravens may refer to: * Raven, a species of the genus ''Corvus'' Sports * Anderson Ravens, the intercollegiate athletic program of Anderson University in Indiana * Baltimore Ravens, a professional American football franchise * Benedictine Ravens, ...
' third running back. On September 5, 2015, he was released by the Ravens after losing the third string running back position to Javorius Allen.


Pittsburgh Steelers

On September 7, 2015, Toussaint was signed to the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad. On November 27, 2015, Toussaint was promoted to the active roster. He earned the Steelers' second-string running back position from
Jordan Todman Jordan Todman (born February 24, 1990) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Connecticut. Todman has also played for the Minne ...
as the regular season came to a close. Toussaint caught the Steelers' eighth
two-point conversion In gridiron football, a two-point conversion or two-point convert is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point conversion immediately after it scores a touchdown. In a two-point conversion attempt, the team that just scored must run ...
of the season against the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...
in Week 17, setting the NFL record for most successful two-point conversion attempts by a team in a season. On January 8, 2016, Toussaint was announced as the starter for Steelers' wild card playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals due to an injury to
DeAngelo Williams DeAngelo Chondon Williams (born April 25, 1983) is a former American football running back and professional wrestler. He played college football at Memphis, and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He s ...
. Toussaint and Todman combined for 123 rushing yards, and Toussaint added four receptions for 60 yards. In the second round of the playoffs, on January 17, Toussaint scored his first touchdown as a professional but also had a fumble late in the 4th quarter which eventually resulted in the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
' game-winning drive.


2016

Toussaint competed with Brandon Brown-Dukes,
Daryl Richardson Daryl Lashay Richardson (born April 12, 1990) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He played college football at Abilene Christian. College career Richar ...
, Cameron Stingily, and Brandon Johnson for the third string backup running back position. He was named the Pittsburgh Steelers third running back on their depth chart to begin the regular season. He finished the season with 14 carries for 58 rushing yards and three receptions for 33 receiving yards while appearing in all 16 regular season games.


2017

Toussaint signed a one-year deal to remain with the Steelers on January 31, 2017. Toussaint competed with Terrell Watson,
Knile Davis Knile Rashaad Davis (born October 5, 1991) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Arkansas and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He has also had brief stints with ...
, Brandon Brown-Dukes, and Trey Williams to be the third running back on the depth chart. On September 2, 2017, Toussaint was waived by the Steelers, and was then signed to the practice squad the next day. He was promoted to the active roster on November 25, 2017. In the 2017 season, he had six carries for 25 rushing yards in six games.


2018

On September 1, 2018, Toussaint was released by the Steelers.


References


External links


Official bio at Michigan

Toussaint
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CBS Sports CBS Sports is the sports division of the American television network CBS. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on W 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on W ...

Toussaint
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Toussaint
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NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Toussaint, Fitzgerald 1990 births Living people American football running backs American sportspeople of Haitian descent Michigan Wolverines football players Players of American football from Ohio Baltimore Ravens players Pittsburgh Steelers players