James Pierre

Last updated

James Pierre
James Pierre Commanders.jpg
Pierre with the Washington Commanders in 2024
No. 42 – Pittsburgh Steelers
Position Cornerback
Roster statusActive
Personal information
Born (1996-09-16) September 16, 1996 (age 28)
Deerfield Beach, Florida, U.S.
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school Deerfield Beach
College Florida Atlantic (2017–2019)
NFL draft 2020: undrafted
Career history
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career NFL statistics as of 2024
Tackles 117
Forced fumbles 5
Fumble recoveries 1
Pass deflections 11
Interceptions 3
Stats at Pro Football Reference   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

James Pierre Jr. (born September 16, 1996) is an American professional football cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Atlantic Owls and signed with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2020. Pierre has also been a member of the Washington Commanders.

Contents

Early life

Pierre attended Deerfield Beach High School. As a senior, he registered 48 tackles, four interceptions and two pass break-ups, helping Deerfield Beach to a 10–2 record. The Miami Herald named him one of the Top 25 seniors in Broward County, while the Sun-Sentinel named him all-county honorable mention. Pierre was considered a three-star prospect and the No. 48 safety in the Class of 2016 by 247Sports.com's composite rankings. He initially committed to Miami (FL) over offers from Louisville, Mississippi State, Tennessee, South Carolina and Wisconsin, but switched his commitment to North Carolina in February 2016. Pierre was denied admission and committed to Syracuse. [1]

College career

Pierre was ruled academically ineligible by the NCAA for his freshman season. [2] He transferred to Florida Atlantic and had 21 tackles and two pass deflections as a freshman in 2017. [3] Pierre posted 55 tackles and nine pass breakups as a sophomore. [4] On November 2, 2019, he made two interceptions in a 35–24 win over Western Kentucky. [5] As a junior in 2019, Pierre recorded 44 tackles, 4.5 tackles for losses and three interceptions. He finished his collegiate career with 120 total tackles, 18 pass breakups, 8 1/2 tackles for losses and three interceptions in 39 games. Pierre declared for the 2020 NFL draft following the season. [6]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump
6 ft 0 in
(1.83 m)		183 lb
(83 kg)		31+1⁄4 in
(0.79 m)		8+1⁄2 in
(0.22 m)		4.59 s1.61 s2.68 s7.02 s33.5 in
(0.85 m)		10 ft 3 in
(3.12 m)
All values from NFL Combine [7] [8]

Pittsburgh Steelers (first stint)

After going unselected in the 2020 NFL draft, Pierre signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. [9] He was named to the Steelers' initial 53-man roster as the only undrafted free agent to make the team in that fashion in 2020. [10] In Week 2 of the 2021 season against the Las Vegas Raiders, Pierre made his first career NFL start due to a groin injury to Joe Haden. [11] In Week 5 against the Denver Broncos, he made his first NFL interception. [12]

On March 21, 2023, Pierre re–signed with the Steelers. [13]

Washington Commanders

On March 21, 2024, Pierre signed with the Washington Commanders. [14] On August 27, he was released by the Commanders as part of final roster cuts. [15]

Pittsburgh Steelers (second stint)

On September 17, 2024, Pierre signed with the Steelers practice squad. [16] In Week 3, he played against the Los Angeles Chargers, and then signed to the active roster on September 24. [17]

On March 20, 2025, Pierre was re-signed by the Steelers on a one-year contract. [18] He was released by the Steelers on August 26 as part of final roster cuts, and re-signed to the practice squad the following day. [19] [20] Pierre was promoted to the active roster on September 10. [21]

Personal life

Pierre's cousin is two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. [22]

References

  1. ↑ Bailey, Stephen (May 20, 2016). "Syracuse football announces signing of James Pierre; 3-star DB details decision". The Post-Standard . Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  2. ↑ Bailey, Stephen (August 29, 2016). "Syracuse football DB signee James Pierre does not qualify with NCAA". The Post-Standard . Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  3. ↑ Elman, Jake (April 16, 2016). "Florida Atlantic cornerback James Pierre looks to finish spring camp with flourish". Palm Beach Post . Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  4. ↑ Elman, Jake (July 29, 2019). "FAU football: James Pierre, Owls secondary need to continue strong spring performance into regular season". Palm Beach Post . Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  5. ↑ "James Pierre makes 2 picks as Florida Atlantic tops Western Kentucky football". The Courier-Journal . Associated Press. November 2, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  6. ↑ Price, Khobi (January 2, 2020). "FAU cornerback James Pierre declares for NFL draft". Sun-Sentinel . Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  7. ↑ "James Pierre Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  8. ↑ "James Pierre, Florida Atlantic, CB, 2020 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  9. ↑ Price, Khobi (April 26, 2020). "FAU's James Pierre, Rashad Smith, Brandon Walton agree to NFL deals as undrafted free agents". Sun-Sentinel . Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  10. ↑ Adamski, Chris (September 7, 2020). "Tall, athletic CB James Pierre pleased to make Steelers as undrafted free agent". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review . Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  11. ↑ Adamski, Chris (September 20, 2021). "Steelers CB James Pierre fills in on short notice as 'next man up' in place of Joe Haden". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review . Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  12. ↑ Alper, Josh (October 10, 2021). "Steelers snap losing streak, beat Broncos 27-19" . Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Steelers Re-Sign CB James Pierre". si.com. March 21, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  14. ↑ Griffin, Liam (March 21, 2024). "Commanders add cornerback James Pierre in latest free-agency move". WashingtonTimes.com. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  15. ↑ Selby, Zach. "Commanders release 34 players; place 3 on IR, 1 on PUP list". Commanders.com. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  16. ↑ Popejoy, Curt (September 18, 2024). "Steelers bring back familiar face at cornerback". Steelers Wire. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Steelers make multiple roster moves". Steelers.com. September 24, 2024.
  18. ↑ Varley, Teresa. "Pierre signed to one-year contract". Steelers.com. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
  19. ↑ Varley, Teresa. "Steelers make moves to get to 53-man roster". Steelers.com. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  20. ↑ Varley, Teresa (August 27, 2025). "Steelers sign 16 to the practice squad". Steelers.com. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  21. ↑ Varley, Teresa (September 10, 2025). "Steelers make multiple roster moves". Steelers.com. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  22. ↑ "James Pierre Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College | Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
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