2015 DETROIT LIONS MEDIA GUIDE

87 - BRANDON PETTIGREW
Tight End Oklahoma State Tyler, Texas
Year: 7 Ht: 6-5 Wt: 278 Born: 2/23/85
Draft: ’09, R1b (20)-Det
Complete biographical information available on Detroitlions.com.
TRANSACTIONS
‣ ¾ Re-signed by the Lions as an unrestricted free agent to a four-year contract on March 14, 2014.
‣ ¾ Placed on Reserve/Injured by the Lions on December 25, 2013.
‣ ¾ Placed on Reserve/Injured by the Lions on December 1, 2009.
‣ ¾ Drafted by the Detroit Lions in the first round (20th overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft.
PRO
Pettigrew is a big, athletic tight end who has the ability to stretch the field as a receiver and aggressively block at the line
of scrimmage. Has emerged as one of the best young tight ends in the game and re-signed with the Lions to a four-year
contract in 2014.
‣ ¾ Ranks first and second in team history for receptions (83 in 2011; 71 in 2010) and receiving yards (777 in 2011 and 722
in 2010) by a tight end in a season. First tight end with two seasons recording 70+ receptions and two seasons with
700+ receiving yards. He accomplished this in back-to-back seasons.
‣ ¾ With 67 receiving yards vs. Minnesota in 2012 (9/30), he passed TE David Sloan (2,024) for fourth on the Lions career
receiving yards list for tight ends.
‣ ¾ Only tight end in Lions history with three 100-yard receiving games, including two in 2011.
‣ ¾ Reached 100 career receptions the fastest by a Lions tight end by doing so in 27 games. The previous mark was 34
games by TE Jim Gibbons.
‣ ¾ Also reached 1,000 career yards in 26 career games, the second fastest tight end in team history to reach that milestone.
Hall of Fame TE Charlie Sanders reached 1,000 career yards in 25 games.
‣ ¾ Fifth tight end in team history to register 100 career catches and 1,000 career yards.
‣ ¾ Started in the first 11 games of his career before a knee injury on Thanksgiving Day vs. Green Bay (11/26/09) forced him
out for the remainder of his rookie season.
‣ ¾ Led all NFL rookie tight ends in 2009 with 30 catches for 346 yards, and was tied for the most receiving touchdowns (two).
2014: A pivotal piece to the Lions’ run and pass blocking games, Pettigrew finished the 2014 season with 10 receptions
for 70 yards and was instrumental in the development of rookie TE Eric Ebron.
‣ ¾ Caught one ball for nine yards in the season opener vs. the New York Giants (9/8).
‣ ¾ Had two receptions for 19 yards in Week 4 at New York Jets (9/28).
‣ ¾ Caught two passes for 12 yards in Week 5 vs. Buffalo (10/5).
‣ ¾ Had four catches for 28 yards in Week 7 vs. New Orleans (10/19).
‣ ¾ Inactive in Week 8 at Atlanta (10/26).
‣ ¾ Inactive in Week 11 at Arizona (11/16).
‣ ¾ Caught one pass for two yards in Week 13 vs. Chicago (11/27).
‣ ¾ Hauled in one reception for 11 yards in the NFC Wild Card game at Dallas (1/4).
2013: Starting in all 14 games he played in, Pettigrew finished the season with 41 receptions for 416 yards (10.1 avg) and
two touchdowns. He reached 284 receptions for his career and became just the third tight end in team history to register
250 career receptions (Hall of Fame TE Charlie Sanders, 336 and TE Jim Gibbons, 287).
‣ ¾ Recorded two receptions for six yards in Week 1 vs. Minnesota (9/8).
‣ ¾ With three receptions for 32 yards in Week 2 at Arizona (9/15), moved past TE David Hill (245) for fourth on the franchise’s
all-time career receptions list by tight ends.
‣ ¾ Led the Lions in catches with seven for 54 yards in Week 4 vs. Chicago (9/29). Pettigrew (269 receptions for 2,637 yards
after Week 4) became the third tight end in team history to register 250 career receptions and the fourth tight end in
Lions history to record 2,500 career yards.
‣ ¾ Tied a team-high with four receptions that went for a team-high 59 yards in Week 5 at Green Bay (10/6).
‣ ¾ Caught four passes for 36 yards in Week 6 at Cleveland (10/13).
‣ ¾ Recorded three receptions for seven yards and his first touchdown of the season in Week 7 vs. Cincinnati (10/20).
‣ ¾ Registered three receptions for 31 yards in Week 8 vs. Dallas (10/27).
‣ ¾ Caught five passes for 70 yards (14.0 avg) in Week 10 at Chicago (11/10).
‣ ¾ Had three catches for 37 yards, including a long of 31 in Week 11 at Pittsburgh (11/17).
‣ ¾ Recorded three receptions for 32 yards and one touchdown in Week 12 vs. Tampa Bay (11/24).
‣ ¾ Caught one pass for six yards in Week 13 vs. Green Bay (11/28).
‣ ¾ Recorded one reception for 23 yards in Week 14 at Philadelphia (12/8).
‣ ¾ Caught two passes for 23 yards in Week 15 vs. Baltimore (12/16).
‣ ¾ Inactive in Week 16 vs. New York Giants (12/22).
‣ ¾ Placed on Reserve/Injured on December 25, 2013.
COLLEGE
Just the second tight end in Oklahoma State history to hear his name called in the first round of the draft, joining Reuben
Gant (1974, Buffalo). Pettigrew ended his collegiate career ranked ninth overall on the school’s receiving yardage record
list with 1,450 and averaged more than 54 knockdown blocks per season for the Cowboys.
‣ ¾ A physical open-field runner who gained more than 40 percent of his yardage after the catch.
‣ ¾ Became first tight end in school history to amass more than 100 receptions (112) in a career.
DETROIT LIONS
PLAYER PROFILES