For Mycah Pittman, football runs in the family.
Last season, Pittman competed against his brother Michael Pittman Jr., who played wide receiver at USC before being drafted to the Indianapolis Colts. Their father, Michael Pittman played running back in the NFL, winning Super Bowl XXXVII with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
As the sophomore enters the 2020 season, Pittman has a chance to break out.
“All I know is football,” Pittman said. “Think of a kid who’s been raised with a dad in the NFL and a brother in the NFL. All I know is ball.”
In 2019, Pittman entered the season ranked as a top 150 recruit by ESPN and an overall four-star recruit. In his senior year at California’s Calabasas High School in California, Pittman posted a statline of 67 catches for 828 yards and 12 touchdowns.
However, he suffered a shoulder injury in fall camp that sidelined him for four games. In that time, veteran receivers Johnny Johnson III and Jaylon Redd established themselves as Justin Herbert’s primary targets.
Pittman became an immediate impact player for the Ducks. In his debut game against Cal last season he had four catches for 43 yards. Over the next two games he would haul in a pair of touchdowns.
Disaster struck a second time for Pittman. After playing only six games with the Ducks, Pittman broke his arm against Arizona, placing him on injured reserve for the remainder of the Pac-12 season. Even so, Pittman posted a respectable 2019 statline of 14 catches for 197 yards and two touchdowns. Fortunately for Pittman, he was able to return to action for the Rose Bowl, salvaging what remained of his freshman season.
“It’s a very humbling experience,” Pittman said of his injuries. I wouldn’t say it was something I needed, but something that made me stronger mentally.”
After Michael Jr. left USC for the NFL in the offseason, Mycah is the lone Pittman playing college football. With their fierce sibling rivalry, there is no doubt that Mycah wishes to follow his older brother’s footsteps. Michael Jr. spoke about their sibling relationship in an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 2019.
“The stuff that he could do as a freshman coming into high school, it’s kinda like what he’s doing in college now,” Michael J said to the LA times. “He’s just opening people’s eyes.”
Watching his older brother go through it opened Pittman’s eyes towards the draft process.
“It’s a big reality check for me that I only have two or three years left and I can be in his shoes,” Pittman said. “It makes me more motivated and more hungry.”
Pittman has been expanding his game during fall camp, playing on the perimeter as well as the slot.
“He’s an excellent football player,” head coach Mario Cristobal said. “He’s another guy in terms of playing the game the way it’s supposed to be played. He embodies that.”
The journey to 2020 has not been easy for Pittman. Like many Americans, Pittman has lost a family member to COVID-19, a constant reminder of the myriad of tragedies that have surrounded the sports world this past year. In any case, Pittman has shown the grit and determination to make a big impact for the Ducks this season.
“My family takes this virus very seriously”, Pittman said. “But at the end of the day it’s life and it’s really upsetting and I know we have to move on.”