No. 28 | |||||||
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Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | San Diego, California, U.S. | December 12, 1963||||||
Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Lincoln (San Diego, California) | ||||||
College: | Southwestern (CA) Illinois | ||||||
Undrafted: | 1987 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Stephen Nathan Pierce (born December 12, 1963) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Illinois.
Pierce was born on December 12, 1963, in San Diego, California, [1] and attended Lincoln High School, where he participated in football, baseball, and wrestling. [2] [3] He gave up baseball to play football at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, California. [2] [4] Pierce led the Apaches to a 19–3 combined record in 1982 and 1983, and was the offensive MVP of the 1983 South Bay-Kiwanis Bowl after he recorded 13 receptions for 260 yards and a touchdown in the 24–11 win over El Camino. [5] He was a two-time first-team all-Mission Conference selection. [6] [7] Pierce was inducted into the Southwestern College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011. [8]
Following his sophomore season, Pierce transferred to Illinois. [9] However, he broke his foot in the preseason and took a redshirt in 1984. [10] In 1985, Pierce recorded 49 receptions for 614 yards and two touchdowns, [11] earning all-Big Ten Conference honorable mention from the Associated Press (AP). [12] In 1986, he recorded 43 receptions for 602 yards and three touchdowns, earning second-team all-Big Ten honors.[ citation needed ] Pierce earned a bachelor's degree in political science. [8]
In September 1987, Pierce signed with the Cleveland Browns as a replacement player during the 1987 NFL strike. [13] He played in two games, recording two receptions for 21 yards. [1]
Kellen Boswell Winslow Sr. is an American former professional football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL). A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1995), he is widely recognized as one of the greatest tight ends in the league's history. Winslow played his entire NFL career (1979–1987) with the San Diego Chargers after being selected in the first round of the 1979 NFL draft. He played college football for the Missouri Tigers, earning consensus All-American honors in 1978. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002.
Charles Joiner Jr. is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. He played 11 seasons with the San Diego Chargers, with whom he earned all three of his Pro Bowl selections, and was named first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press in 1980. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.
Paul Dryden Warfield is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 to 1977 for the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins, except for a year in the World Football League (WFL) with the Memphis Southmen in 1975. He was known for his speed, fluid moves, grace, and jumping ability. A consistent big-play threat throughout his career, his 20.1 average yards per reception is the highest in NFL history among players with at least 300 receptions.
Clifford Branch Jr. was an American professional football wide receiver who played for the Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders during his entire 14-year National Football League (NFL) career. He won three NFL championships with the Raiders in Super Bowl XI, XV, and XVIII. He was selected by the Raiders in the fourth round of the 1972 NFL draft after playing college football for the Colorado Buffaloes. He was posthumously elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
Derrick Scott Alexander is an American college football coach and former professional player. He is the head football coach for Avila University, a position he has held since 2023. He played as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL).
James Warren "Big Jim" Benton was an American football player. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) with the Cleveland / Los Angeles Rams and the Chicago Bears between 1938 and 1947. Benton was the first NFL receiver to gain more than 300 yards in a game, a record that stood for 40 years. He was selected for the National Football League 1940s All-Decade Team.
John Larry Jefferson is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football with the Arizona State Sun Devils, he was selected in the first round of the 1978 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers. He played three seasons in San Diego, where he became the first NFL player to gain 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons. He was traded to the Green Bay Packers after a contract dispute with the Chargers, and later finished his playing career with the Cleveland Browns.
Lionel "Little Train" James was an American professional football player who was a running back for the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers. Undersized at 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m) and 171 pounds (78 kg), he spent his entire five-year NFL career with the Chargers from 1984 to 1988. His best year as a pro came during the 1985 season, when he set then-NFL season records for receiving yards by a running back and all-purpose yardage. He also led the American Football Conference (AFC) in receptions that year.
Timothy Francis Smith is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the Houston Oilers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1980 to 1986).
Alvin Ray "Skip" Walker was an American professional football running back who played five seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Montreal Alouettes and Ottawa Rough Riders, including two seasons where he led the CFL in rushing yards in 1982 and 1983. He was named a CFL All Star in 1982 and 1983, and a CFL East All-Star in 1980, 1982 and 1983. He played college football at Texas A&M and was selected in the 11th round of the 1976 NFL draft by the Houston Oilers. He also spent time with the Toronto Argonauts, Saskatchewan Roughriders, and Green Bay Packers.
DeMarco Sampson, Jr. is an American former professional football wide receiver. He played college football at San Diego State University.
Christopher David Castor is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). Castor also played college football for the Duke Blue Devils and was named to the 2014 ACC Football Legends Class. He is known as one of the fastest players of his time.
Marco Morales is a former American football placekicker who played five seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL) with the Denver Dynamite, Chicago Bruisers, Dallas Texans and New Orleans Night. He played college football at San Diego State University.
Ronald Bell is an American professional football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, winning offensive rookie of the year in 2018, and named an All-Big Ten selection in 2022. He was selected by the 49ers in the 2023 NFL draft.
Dyami Brown is an American professional football wide receiver for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels and was selected by Washington in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft.
Alec Pierce is an American professional football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Cincinnati before the Colts selected him in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft.
The Southwestern Jaguars football team represents Southwestern College in junior college football in the Southern California Football Association (SCFA). The Jaguars are members of the National Southern League (NSL), fielding its team in the NSL since 2018. The Jaguars play their home games at DeVore Stadium in Chula Vista, California. Southwestern was known as the Apaches through the 2000 season. In May 2001, the governing board of Southwestern College voted to change the fight name of the school's sports teams from Apaches to Jaguars. Oscar Rodriguez has served as head coach of the program since the 2024 season.
The 1988 Southwestern Apaches football team was an American football team that represented Southwestern College as a member of the Mission Conference during the 1988 junior college football season. In their 13th year under head coach Bob Mears, the Apaches compiled a 7–4 record, won the Mission Conference South Division championship, and defeated Antelope Valley in the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame Bowl.
The 1982 Southwestern Apaches football team was an American football team that represented Southwestern College as a member of the Mission Conference during the 1982 junior college football season. In their seventh year under head coach Bob Mears, the Apaches compiled a 10–1 record, finished in a three-way tie for the Mission Conference championship, defeated the Glendale Vaqueros in the inaugural San Diego-South Bay Bowl, and were ranked No. 13 in the final J.C. Grid-Wire poll of 1982.
The 1983 Southwestern Apaches football team was an American football team that represented Southwestern College as a member of the Mission Conference during the 1983 junior college football season. In their eighth year under head coach Bob Mears, the Apaches compiled a 9–2 record, finished third in the Mission Conference, defeated El Camino in the South Bay-Kiwanis Bowl, and were ranked No. 21 in the final J.C. Grid-Wire poll of 1983.