Kavika Charles Pittman (born October 9, 1974) 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 with ...
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
in 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 ...
for the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
,
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 headquart ...
, and
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
McNeese State University
McNeese State University is a public university in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Founded in 1939 as Lake Charles Junior College, it was renamed McNeese Junior College after John McNeese, an early local educator. The present name was adopted in 1970. ...
.
Early years
Pittman was born in
Frankfurt, Germany
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
, where his father was stationed with the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
. After five moves, his family settled in
Leesville, Louisiana
Leesville is a city in, and the parish seat of, Vernon Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 6,612 at the 2010 United States Census. It is part of the Fort Polk South Micropolitan Statistical Area and is additionally served by th ...
, where as a senior at
Leesville High School
Leesville High School is a school located in Leesville, Louisiana, United States. The 9-12 school is a part of the Vernon Parish School Board.
School uniforms
This means that students can wear clothing that conforms to the Vernon Parish Dress ...
he was an All-State selection and the district Most Valuable Player, after finishing with 94 tackles and 12 sacks.
In
track and 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 events ...
, he won the district championship in the
high jump
The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...
,
long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...
and the
triple jump
The triple jump, sometimes referred to as the hop, step and jump or the hop, skip and jump, is a track and field event, similar to the long jump. As a group, the two events are referred to as the "horizontal jumps". The competitor runs down th ...
as a senior. In
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
, he helped his AAU All-star team win a national championship.
College career
Pittman accepted a football scholarship from
McNeese State University
McNeese State University is a public university in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Founded in 1939 as Lake Charles Junior College, it was renamed McNeese Junior College after John McNeese, an early local educator. The present name was adopted in 1970. ...
. After sitting out his freshman season, he played in 5 games as a sophomore, tallying 8 tackles (6 solo) and 2 quarterback pressures, before suffering a deep left thigh bruise that forced him to miss the remainder of the season.
As a junior, he was named a starter on a defense that was ranked sixth in
Division I-AA
The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the Football Bowl Subdivision. Sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic ...
. He earned
All-Southland Conference honors, recording 59 tackles (4 for loss), 4 sacks, 11 quarterback pressures, one fumble recovery and a blocked kick.
As a senior, he helped his team reach the school's first ever semifinal appearance in the
Division I-AA
The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the Football Bowl Subdivision. Sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic ...
playoffs, while registering 57 tackles (7 for loss), 13 sacks, 18 quarterback pressures, 11 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles and a blocked kick. Against
James Madison University
James Madison University (JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the institution was renamed Madison Coll ...
, he had 3 sacks, 8 tackles (one for loss), 2 passes defensed, 3 quarterback pressures and a blocked punt. Against
Youngstown State University
Youngstown State University (YSU or Youngstown State) is a public university in Youngstown, Ohio. It was founded in 1908 and is the easternmost member of the University System of Ohio.
The university is composed of six undergraduate colleges an ...
, he made 3 sacks, 7 tackles, 2 quarterback pressures and one pass defensed.
For his efforts, he was named first-team
Division I-AA
The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the Football Bowl Subdivision. Sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic ...
All-American, Louisiana Defensive Player of the Year and the
Southland Conference
The Southland Conference, abbreviated as SLC, is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the South Central United States (specifically Texas and Louisiana). It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it pa ...
Defensive Player of the Year. In the postseason he had 10 tackles (2 for losses), one and a half sacks and 4 quarterback pressures. He finished as the school's career All-time sack leader (22.5).
In 2014, he was inducted into the McNeese State Hall of Fame, besides being named to the 1990s and the All-time Southland Conference football teams.
Professional career
Dallas Cowboys
The
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
traded down their first-round draft choice in the
1996 NFL Draft
The 1996 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 20–21, 1996, at the Paramount ...
, sending to the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
the 30th (
Andre Johnson
Andre Lamont Johnson (born July 11, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver who played most of his 14-year career with the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Miami, and was drafted by ...
) and 250th (DeAndre Maxwell) picks, in exchange for their 37th and 67th draft choices. The team gambled that they could move down into the second round and still select
Tony Brackens
Tony Lynn Brackens, Jr. (born December 26, 1974) is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the University of Tex ...
, while changing a seventh-round selection into a third (#67-
Clay Shiver
Spencer Clay Shiver (born December 7, 1972) is a former American football center in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers. He played college football at Florida State University, where he was a member o ...
). The
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
ended up selecting Brackens and the Cowboys still needing a
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
, drafted Pittman in the second round (37th overall). He was originally seen as a project, with the plan of eventually replacing
Shante Carver
Shante Carver (born February 12, 1971) is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Memphis Maniax and Dallas Desperados. He played college football at Arizo ...
.
As a rookie, he contributed on
special teams
In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
with 17 tackles (tied for third on the team). He also had 5 defensive tackles and 5 quarterback pressures. The next year, he registered 6 tackles (2 for loss), one sack, one quarterback pressure and 3
special teams
In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
tackles.
He was a backup
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
behind
Charles Haley
Charles Lewis Haley (born January 6, 1964) is a former American football outside linebacker and defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers (1986–1991, 1999) and the Dallas Cowboys (1992–1996). ...
and
Tony Tolbert, until earning a starter position in
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
, playing opposite to rookie
Greg Ellis and finishing with 6 sacks (led the team), 16 quarterback pressures (third on the team), 59 tackles (3 for loss), 7 passes defensed, 2 fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. He had a sack in four consecutive games. In the fifteenth game against the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
, he made 5 tackles before straining his right hamstring in the third quarter, which forced him to miss the last game and the playoff loss against the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
.
The next year, he started all 16 games and posted a career-high 74 tackles, 3 sacks, 21 quarterback pressures (second on the team) and 10 pass defensed (led the team). After his rookie contract ended, the team didn't re-sign him because of
salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap (or wage cap) is an agreement or rule that places a limit on the amount of money that a team can spend on players' salaries. It exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both. Sever ...
constraints.
Denver Broncos
Pittman signed as a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
with 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 headquart ...
in
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
and as the starter at
right defensive end (15 starts), he proceeded to collect a career-high 7 sacks, 39 tackles (33 solo), one pass defensed, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
In
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
, he started 14 games at
left defensive end, totaling 50 tackles
(43 solo), one sack, one pass defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He suffered a left calf tear in the 14th game of the season against the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
and was placed on the
injured reserve list
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
.
He was released during the
2003 offseason, because of the salary cap and a decrease in production.
Carolina Panthers
On May 23,
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
, he was signed as
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
by the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
. However, in only his second game, he suffered a torn
anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are also called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formation ...
after being chop-blocked by the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
'
Keenan McCardell
Keenan Wayne McCardell (; born January 6, 1970) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the wide receivers c ...
. He re-injured the knee in the
2004 training camp, was placed on injured reserve and was not re-signed at the end of the season.
References
External links
McNeese State Hall of Fame bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pittman, Kavika
1974 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Frankfurt
People from Leesville, Louisiana
Players of American football from Louisiana
American football defensive ends
German players of American football
McNeese Cowboys football players
Carolina Panthers players
Dallas Cowboys players
Denver Broncos players