Tony Pike
Encyclopedia
Anthony Steven "Tony" Pike (born March 10, 1986) is an American football
quarterback
who is currently a free agent
. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers
in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft
. He played college football
for Cincinnati
.
where he was named Cincinnati Division II-III Player of the Year as a senior at football
. Pike also played basketball
, helping the team to win a state title as a junior and the regional finals as a senior.
in January 2005. He was redshirted for the 2005 season.
In 2007, he made his collegiate debut against Southeast Missouri State, Pike finished the night 6-of-9 for 57 yards and a touchdown. In 2008 college football season
Dustin Grutza was the team starter who was named the team's starter at that position following Ben Mauk
's failure to gain a 6th year of eligibility from the NCAA. In a 52–26 loss to Oklahoma Sooners
, a team that would play for the national championship that season, Grutza broke his ankle and was replaced by Pike. The Bearcats traveled to Akron
, Ohio
to play the Akron Zips
. Against the Zips, Pike broke his arm and was replaced by redshirt
freshman
Zach Collaros
, who led the Bearcats to a 17–15 victory.
After returning as starting quarterback, Cincinnati recovered to beat two top-25 opponents: No. 23 South Florida Bulls
and No. 20 West Virginia Mountaineers
. Pike led the team to the outright 2008 Big East Championship, and the Bearcats played in their first ever BCS bowl game,the 2009 Orange Bowl
. He finished the regular season 183-291 for 2,168 yards and 18 touchdowns. He completed 63 percent of his passes and finished second in the Big East passing efficiency list with 141.07. Pike was named to the 2008 All-Mayday Team by ESPN
college football analyst Mark May
. He also was named to the Second-Team All-Big East Team.
Pike enjoyed even more success in 2009. Despite missing 3 games due to a re-injury of his broken non-throwing arm (when he was again replaced by Collaros), Pike threw for 2,520 yards and 29 TDs, including a school-record 6 TDs in a single game against Illinois. Pike threw just 6 INTs in 2009, and led the 2009 Bearcats
to a perfect, 12-0 regular season and second straight outright Big East title. The team finished the regular season at #3 in the BCS rankings, and was invited to the 2010 Sugar Bowl
.
in the 6th round, (#204 overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft
. He competed with fellow rookie Jimmy Clausen
for playing time behind incumbent Matt Moore
in 2010.
In week 9 of his rookie season against the New Orleans Saints
, Pike made his NFL debut after Jimmy Clausen
(who had replaced an injured Matt Moore
earlier in the game) was benched. He was 6-12 for 47 yards and was sacked once. The Panthers
lost 34-3 and fell to 1-7. Pike was waived/injured on August 30, 2011, and was given an injury settlement.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for Cincinnati
Cincinnati Bearcats football
The Cincinnati Bearcats football program represents the University of Cincinnati in a college football. They compete at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as members of the Big East Conference. The Bearcat football program is one of the nation's oldest, having fielded a team as...
.
Early years
Born to Steve and Cheri Pike, Tony attended to Reading High SchoolReading High School (Ohio)
Reading Junior Senior High School is a public high school in Reading, Ohio, United States. It is the only public high school in the Reading Community City School District.- Athletics :Reading's Athletic Director is Dennis Ramsey...
where he was named Cincinnati Division II-III Player of the Year as a senior at football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
. Pike also played basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, helping the team to win a state title as a junior and the regional finals as a senior.
College career
Pike enrolled at University of CincinnatiUniversity of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
in January 2005. He was redshirted for the 2005 season.
In 2007, he made his collegiate debut against Southeast Missouri State, Pike finished the night 6-of-9 for 57 yards and a touchdown. In 2008 college football season
2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 28, 2008, progressing through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Miami Gardens, Florida on January 8, 2009, where the #2...
Dustin Grutza was the team starter who was named the team's starter at that position following Ben Mauk
Ben Mauk
Gary Benjamin "Ben" Mauk is an American football quarterback who was most recently the quarterback for the Cincinnati Commandos of the Continental Indoor Football League , and with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League . He completed his college football career in 2007 for...
's failure to gain a 6th year of eligibility from the NCAA. In a 52–26 loss to Oklahoma Sooners
2008 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 2008 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2008-2009. It was the 114th year of season play for the Sooners. The team was led by head coach Bob Stoops, a two-time Walter Camp Coach of the Year award winner, who has a contract...
, a team that would play for the national championship that season, Grutza broke his ankle and was replaced by Pike. The Bearcats traveled to Akron
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
to play the Akron Zips
2008 Akron Zips football team
The 2008 Akron Zips football team represented The University of Akron in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the football season...
. Against the Zips, Pike broke his arm and was replaced by redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
freshman
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
Zach Collaros
Zach Collaros
Zach Collaros is an American football quarterback for the Cincinnati Bearcats. He graduated from Steubenville High School in 2007, and has been named the Bearcats' starter going into the 2010 season.- 2008 season :...
, who led the Bearcats to a 17–15 victory.
After returning as starting quarterback, Cincinnati recovered to beat two top-25 opponents: No. 23 South Florida Bulls
South Florida Bulls
The South Florida Bulls are the athletic teams for the University of South Florida. The university competes in NCAA Division I, USF is a member of the Big East Conference, and has been since 2005...
and No. 20 West Virginia Mountaineers
West Virginia Mountaineers
The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams of West Virginia University. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference. On July 1, 2012 the Mountaineers will switch conferences, moving from the Big East to the Big 12, becoming...
. Pike led the team to the outright 2008 Big East Championship, and the Bearcats played in their first ever BCS bowl game,the 2009 Orange Bowl
2009 Orange Bowl
The 2009 FedEx Orange Bowl game was the 75th edition of the annual college football bowl game known as the Orange Bowl. It pitted the 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference champion Virginia Tech Hokies against the Big East Conference champion Cincinnati Bearcats on January 1, 2009 at Dolphin Stadium in...
. He finished the regular season 183-291 for 2,168 yards and 18 touchdowns. He completed 63 percent of his passes and finished second in the Big East passing efficiency list with 141.07. Pike was named to the 2008 All-Mayday Team by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
college football analyst Mark May
Mark May
Mark Eric May is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. He is currently a football analyst for ESPN.-Football career:...
. He also was named to the Second-Team All-Big East Team.
Pike enjoyed even more success in 2009. Despite missing 3 games due to a re-injury of his broken non-throwing arm (when he was again replaced by Collaros), Pike threw for 2,520 yards and 29 TDs, including a school-record 6 TDs in a single game against Illinois. Pike threw just 6 INTs in 2009, and led the 2009 Bearcats
2009 Cincinnati Bearcats football team
The 2009 Cincinnati Bearcats football team represented the University of Cincinnati in the college football season of 2009–2010. The team, coached by Brian Kelly, played its home games in Nippert Stadium....
to a perfect, 12-0 regular season and second straight outright Big East title. The team finished the regular season at #3 in the BCS rankings, and was invited to the 2010 Sugar Bowl
2010 Sugar Bowl
The 2010 Sugar Bowl Game was an American college football bowl game that was part of the Bowl Championship Series for the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season and was the 76th Sugar Bowl...
.
Carolina Panthers
Pike was selected by the Carolina PanthersCarolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
in the 6th round, (#204 overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
. He competed with fellow rookie Jimmy Clausen
Jimmy Clausen
James Richard "Jimmy" Clausen is an American football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Panthers in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.-High school career:Clausen had an outstanding prep career...
for playing time behind incumbent Matt Moore
Matt Moore (American football)
Matthew Erickson Moore is an American Football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He played college football at UCLA and Oregon State...
in 2010.
In week 9 of his rookie season against the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, Pike made his NFL debut after Jimmy Clausen
Jimmy Clausen
James Richard "Jimmy" Clausen is an American football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Panthers in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.-High school career:Clausen had an outstanding prep career...
(who had replaced an injured Matt Moore
Matt Moore (American football)
Matthew Erickson Moore is an American Football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He played college football at UCLA and Oregon State...
earlier in the game) was benched. He was 6-12 for 47 yards and was sacked once. The Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
lost 34-3 and fell to 1-7. Pike was waived/injured on August 30, 2011, and was given an injury settlement.