New Orleans Saints sign former Demon David Pittman
NATCHITOCHES, La. ? The Northwestern State alumni chapter active in the NFL grew to eight Wednesday when the New Orleans Saints signed third-year cornerback David Pittman, a 2005 All-American for the Demons.
Pittman played his first two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens but agreed to an injury settlement at the end of the 2008 preseason. In his last game last season, he had two interceptions in a win over Pittsburgh. Pittman is a Gramercy native who played at Lutcher High School and graduated from Northwestern with a business degree shortly after being chosen in the 2005 NFL Draft. He was the only FCS-level player selected to play in the 2005 Senior Bowl.
With last week’s signing of record-shattering 2001 NSU quarterback Craig Nall, Pittman’s return to active NFL duty means five former Demons are playing and three more are coaching in the NFL.
Nine-year veteran safety Mike Green, a two-time All-American for Northwestern in 1998-99, joined the Washington Redskins at midseason. Nall was picked up early last week by the Houston Texans, giving him seven seasons of NFL activity, most with the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills.
The Bills have two former Demons on their roster, veteran cornerback Terrence McGee and rookie offensive tackle Demetrius Bell. McGee had been sidelined for nearly a month with a sprained knee, but showed he has returned to his early season form with his performance last week, holding New England Patriots receiver Randy Moss to five catches for 53 yards. Last year in two games, Moss had 15 catches for 243 yards and six touchdowns in two contests against the Bills.
“(Terrence) really was playing at a high level before the injury and he’s come back,” Bills head coach Dick Jauron told the Buffalo News. “He’s been better every week since he’s got back in the lineup. We have a lot of confidence in Terrence McGee. I think he’s a terrific football player.”
McGee tied the school record with 45 pass breakups and set NCAA career punt return records while earning All-America honors for the Demons, playing from 1999-2002. He made the 2004 Pro Bowl as a kick returner.
Former Demon players and assistant coaches Bill Johnson, Barry Rubin and Ed Orgeron are on NFL coaching staffs. Johnson is in his second year as the defensive line coach at Denver, while Orgeron is in his first season in the same capacity with New Orleans. Rubin returned to the NFL this season as assistant strength coach with the Philadelphia Eagles after a long stint as assistant and then head strength coach in Green Bay.
Eight of the nine Demons in the NFL earned undergraduate degrees from Northwestern. Bell graduated last spring shortly after being drafted. Nall completed his degree work online during his rookie season with the Packers in 2002.