Official Website: Be sure to visit Antonio's Official Website....www.antoniopierce58.com 

TRANSACTIONS:

-           Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Washington Redskins on April 22, 2001.
-           Signed by the Giants as an unrestricted free agent on March 3, 2005.

GIANTS NOTES:

-           In 2006, Pierce became the 1st Giants linebacker to play in the Pro Bowl since Jessie Armstead made a 5th consecutive appearance in 2001. Pierce and Armstead were once teammates on the Redskins and remain close friends.
-         Pierce was the Giants’ leading tackler in each of the last two seasons.
-         Scored touchdowns on an interception return with Washington in 2004 and on a fumble recovery with the Giants in 2005.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

-           Pierce has played in 100 regular season games with 69 starts for the Redskins and Giants. In his first 3 seasons with the Giants, he started all 49 games in which he played…Pierce also started all 5 playoff games in which he played.
-           Has career totals of 619 tackles (411 solo), 6.5 sacks, 7 interceptions, 7 forced fumbles and 9 fumble recoveries. With the Giants he has 373 tackles (237 solo), 4.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries and 4 interceptions…Pierce has 37 postseason tackles (24 solo).
-           In 2007, Pierce started all 16 regular season and 4 postseason games…He led the Giants with 116 tackles (66 solo) for a defense that ranked 4th in the NFL in rushing yardage with 134.3 yards a game…Also had 1 sack, 1 interception, 10 passes defensed, 1 forced fumble and 2 fumble recoveries.
-           Was one of the Giants’ team captains for the 2007 season, with Eli Manning, Shaun O’Hara, Michael Strahan and Jeff Feagles.
Opened the season with 11 tackles (5 solo) at Dallas (9/9)…Had a season-high 13 tackles (11 solo) vs. Green Bay (9/16)…Finished with a team-high 8 tackles (7 solo), 1 sack and 1 pass defensed at Atlanta (10/15). Recorded his only sack of the season when he dropped Joey Harrington for a 10-yard loss in the 2nd quarter.
-           Had 8 tackles (5 solo) and an interception vs. San Francisco (10/21). Picked off a Trent Dilfer pass and it returned 25 yards to set up Eli Manning’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Shockey.
-           Pierce finished with 9 tackles (8 solo) in a victory at Detroit (11/18).
-           Finished with a team-high 10 tackles (7 solo) in the Giants’ Super Bowl XLII victory vs. New England (2/3). Was a key figure on a Giants defense that held the Patriots far below their season averages in several categories, including points (the Patriots averaged almost 37 a game in the regular season, but scored 14 in the Super Bowl); yards (New England averaged 411.3 yards a game, but totaled only 274 in the Super Bowl); rushing yards (the Pats averaged 115.6 in the regular season and 147 in their first 2 postseason games, but settled for only 45 against the Giants and did not have a run longer than 9 yards).
-          In 2006, Pierce started all 16 regular season games and the NFC Wild Card Game at middle linebacker…He led the Giants with 159 tackles (93 solo), 1 tackle shy of the career-high he set with Washington in 2004…Pierce also had 1 sack, 1 interception, 11 passes defensed, 1 forced fumble and 2 fumble recoveries.
-           Pierce played in his 1st Pro Bowl after Chicago’s Brian Urlacher was unable to play because of an injury. He had 3 solo tackles and intercepted a Vince Young pass in the Pro Bowl.
-           Contributed a team-high 12 tackles (8 solo) and 1 pass defensed vs. New Orleans (12/24).
-           Finished with 10 tackles (5 solo) and a fumble recovery vs. Philadelphia (12/17)…Recovered a Jeff Garcia fumble in the 4th quarter.
-           Had a team-high 9 tackles (5 solo) and a sack at Tennessee (11/26)…Recorded his 1st sack of the season when he dropped Vince Young for a 5-yard loss in the 1st quarter.
-           Registered 13 tackles (7 solo), 1 quarterback hurry and 2 passes defensed vs. Chicago (11/12).
-           Finished with 5 tackles (4 solo), an interception and 2 passes defensed at Dallas (10/23)…Recorded his 1st interception of the season when he picked off Tony Romo’s 1st attempt of the game after the ball was deflected by Michael Strahan. The interception gave the Giants the ball on Dallas’ 14-yard line and 3 plays later, Shockey caught a 13-yard touchdown pass to give the Giants a 19-7 lead early in the 3rd quarter.
-           In 2005, started all 13 games in which he played at middle linebacker and was voted a 1st alternate to the Pro Bowl.
-           Before suffering a season-ending ankle injury at Philadelphia on Dec. 11, Pierce led the Giants with 98 tackles (78 solo) and had 2.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, a forced fumble and 2 fumble recoveries, 1 of which he returned for a touchdown.
-           Did not play in the final 3 regular season games or the NFC Wild Card Playoff Game vs. Carolina (1/8), yet was second on the team to Gibril Wilson in tackles.
-           Finished with a team-high 7 tackles (5 solo), 1 pass defensed and a fumble recovery vs. Dallas (12/4). Scored the Giants 1st defensive touchdown of the season when he recovered a Drew Bledsoe fumble and returned it 12 yards for the score on the 1st play from scrimmage in the 3rd quarter.
-           Recorded a team-high 11 tackles, 1 interception and 2 passes defensed vs. Washington (10/30). Intercepted his 2nd pass of the season when he picked off a Mark Brunell attempt for David Patten in the 2nd quarter. Broke up a Patrick Ramsey pass to Robert Royal in the end zone in the 4th quarter to preserve the Giants 36-0 shutout.
-           In 2004, started all 16 games at middle linebacker for Washington.
-           Finished with a career-high 160 tackles (109 solo), 1 sack, 2 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.
-           Had 9 tackles (7 solo) and scored his 1st career touchdown on a 78-yard return after intercepting a Ken Dorsey pass at San Francisco (12/18).
-           Recorded a season-high 15 tackles (9 solo) and had a 4-yard sack of Kyle Boller vs. Baltimore (12/12).
-           In 2003, played in 15 games with 1 start…Most of his action was on special teams.
-           Finished 3rd on the team in special teams tackles with 18, 13 on kickoff coverage and 5 on punt coverage.
-           In 2002, played in 8 games with 1 start and finished with 13 tackles (11 solo).
-           As a rookie in 2001, played in all 16 games with 7 starts and had 64 tackles (48 solo), 1 interception, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery.
-           Picked off a Jake Plummer pass vs. Arizona (1/6/02) for 1st career interception.

COLLEGE:

-           Played in 23 games in 2 seasons at Arizona, where he had 152 tackles, 20 tackles for losses and 7 sacks…Started all 12 games as a junior and ended the season with 75 tackles (27 solo), 10 tackles for losses and 4 sacks…Played in all 11 games as a senior and had 77 tackles, 10 for losses of 22 yards, 3 sacks, 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles and 1 blocked kick.
-           Played at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif. before being recruited by Arizona.

OFF-THE-FIELD ACTIVITY:

-           In 2006, Antonio Pierce started “Antonio’s A-List” at Giants Academy, the Giants charter academic program located in the Louise A. Spencer School in Newark, N.J. Antonio’s A-List is a motivational incentive program that will reward Giants Academy Students that reach certain academic standards each semester and for the entire school year.  Antonio visits the school, and accompanies the kids on service trips, preparing meals for the community.
-           Hosted his 4th annual football camp for youth in his hometown of Compton, Calif., completely free of charge.
-           Hosted the Giants annual “Jingle Jam” holiday party for 750 New Jersey foster children.
-           Honored as the 2007 “Hometown Hero” during the United Way of NYC’s “Gridiron Gala” fundraiser dinner for his dedication to community service.       
-           Visited Cedarbridge Academy and Berkeley Academy in Bermuda on March 20, 2008.
-           Honored at his alma mater of Paramount High School by Mayor Gene Daniels with “Antonio Pierce Day” in the city of Paramount, Calif., following the Giants’ Super Bowl victory.
-           Honored by Minority Athletes Networking Inc. (M.A.N) as their 2008 “MAN of the Year,” for his excellence in the community.
-           Served as a guest speaker at Mayor Corey Booker’s “Mayor’s Achievement Challenge” in Newark, N.J.  The event is a celebration for highly performing students in the city.
-           Made a Giants’ “What Moves U” visit to the #6 School in Cliffside Park, N.J., to speak to students about the importance of physical activity during the week of Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play.
-           Entertained kids from Hackensack University Medical Center at Coach Coughlin’s Jay Fund Foundation Ice Cream Social, held at Giants Stadium.
-           Participated in the 2007 Giants Foundation Golf Outing.
-           Attended the Giants’ annual fundraiser dinner benefitting The Ronald McDonald House of NYC.
-           Signed autographs and greeted fans at Big Blue Travel’s “Giants Wrap-Up Breakfast.”

PERSONAL:

-           Married (Jocelyn)
-           Majored in communications.
-           Attended Paramount (Calif.) High School.
-           Hobbies are working with cars and breeding pit bulls.
-           Hometown is Long Beach, Calif.
-           Born Oct. 26, 1978.