First-round talent

He was right. Pittman Jr. in 2019 was a finalist for the Fred Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the top receiver in college, after finishing with 101 catches for 1,275 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was one of only four receivers in the FBS to have at least 100 receptions last season.

“He constantly reminds me of it,” Pittman Jr. said laughing. “He’ll bring it up an

y time we’re talking about old stories. But it’s really from his playing experience. It really didn’t become a big deal until I was in high school, and then it really hit me that my dad played 11 years as an NFL running back, which is almost unheard of.”

Pittman Sr. was a fourth-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 1998. He rushed for 5,627 yards and 25 touchdowns during his 11-year career that also featured stops in Tampa and Denver. He won a Super Bowl with the Bucs — rushing for 124 yards in the victory over the Raiders — and played on teams that featured some of the best coaches and future coaches in the NFL, such as Jon Gruden, Sean McVay and Mike and Kyle Shanahan.

Pittman Jr. had an eye-opening experience when he arrived at USC. He had only six catches for 82 yards and no touchdowns as a freshman in 2016 while playing behind Smith-Schuster, now a star with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittman got more snaps his sophomore season, but it didn’t come without his father getting involved.

Pittman Sr. went to Twitter to voice his displeasure over his son’s lack of playing time following an embarrassing 49-14 loss to Notre Dame in October 2017. His son was playing special teams, but not much receiver.

“I’m not asking for anybody to be fired. I’m just asking for them to give my kid the same opportunity. Me and his mother’s patience have ran out,” Pittman Sr. wrote in one tweet.

“Just in case somebody over there at #USC forgot what they had in my son,” he wrote in another tweet.

“I handled it the best way that I possibly could, but I felt like in the beginning I didn’t feel like they were utilizing Michael’s talent to the fullest,” Pittman Sr. said. “I’ve been around football for a long time and when you see something that’s not working — and I’m not here to talk about anybody else’s job — I support everybody on USC. USC was getting beat really bad and they’re rotating in every receiver, but not Michael Jr.

“I was watching on TV and wondering why they weren’t using his ability. It boiled over with the frustration. I knew if they used him, he would have performed. I didn’t ask anybody to get fired or anything. I have respect for them. There’s no way I would go to the NFL and do that now.”

Plenty of fish

Pittman Jr.’s numbers improved to 41 receptions for 758 yards and six touchdowns during his junior season.

It was just a start, Helton said.

“He asked me what he had to do better for senior year and I told him he was 6-4, 220 pounds — anytime we have a one-on-one matchup, the ball was going up to him and he had to make a play,” Helton said. “You have to live with the thought in your mind. If you ask him, if we say, ‘We touch it,’ he’ll follow with, ‘We catch it.’ He worked tirelessly on the deep ball and rising up and getting it. He worked pre-practice and post-practice, creating one-on-one situations and going up and having natural-catch ability. Playing up by the rim.”

Pittman Jr. brought a 50-gallon fish tank into the receiver’s room last season, and they added fish every time they got the upper hand on defensive backs, including the ones on their own team in practice.

Pittman Jr. added plenty of fish to that tank. He had four games of at least 146 yards receiving, including a 10-catch, 232-yard performance against Utah last season.

But you won’t see him enjoying it too much, at least not outwardly.