Professor

Carroll County Times: Westminster, Maryland

excerpt:

David Pittman completed a bruising session on the blocking sled, his hands stinging slightly from the apparatus’ recoil as he worked on his jam technique.

Shedding his shoulder pads, the Baltimore Ravens’ second-year cornerback was sporting a "Mighty Mouse" T-shirt with the pint-sized cartoon hero striking an ultra-confident pose.

If only Pittman felt like Mighty Mouse every day instead of a high draft pick whose disastrous rookie campaign drew heavy scrutiny and criticism as he didn’t play in a single game.

Although Pittman is one of the team’s most athletic defensive backs, he arrived last year unprepared for the heavy demands of an elite league. As he tried to adjust from being a Division I-AA star at little Northwestern State in Natchitoches, La., something got lost in the translation.

One year later, Pittman is determined to prove himself. So far, team officials have been impressed with his rededicated approach to football.

"Yeah, some guys are ready for it and some guys aren’t," said secondary coach Dennis Thurman, who played cornerback in the NFL for nine seasons, mostly with the Dallas Cowboys, and intercepted 36 passes. "The lights may have been a little too bright for David last year. He had a tough beginning, but the guys hung in there with him.

"He has started to understand what it is to be a pro, and his attitude has been 100 percent better than it was at this time a year ago. I think he has a bright future. He’s very talented. He just has to continue to work toward what it takes to play in the NFL."

Pittman became a fixture on the inactive list last year. Although he made the team after a slow recovery from a hamstring injury, he was never called upon to play and drew complaints about his practice habits and film study.

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