Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State's Pettigrew A First-Round Draft Pick
April 25, 2009 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER, Okla. - Oklahoma State tight end Brandon Pettigrew was selected by the Detroit Lions with the 20th pick of the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft Saturday. He was the first tight end selected in this year's draft and becomes the 17th Cowboy to be chosen in the first round of the NFL Draft all-time. Pettigrew joins Reuben Gant (1974) as Oklahoma State tight ends drafted in the first round.
Pettigrew was one of three finalists for the 2008 Mackey Award, which is presented annually to the top tight end in the nation and he finished his career ninth all-time at OSU with 1,450 receiving yards and eighth in receptions with 112. Both those marks stand as the highest totals ever for a Cowboy tight end.
"Getting to the NFL has always been a dream of mine and I'm excited that the day is now here," Pettigrew said. "I want to thank all my Oklahoma State coaches and teammates and everyone who has helped me get to where I am. It's kind of a relief to know where I am going now after so much talk leading up to the draft and I'm excited for what's to come."
Playing in the Big 12, which has produced numerous NFL tight ends, many opposing coaches regard Pettigrew as the best product to play that position since the league expanded from eight teams in 1996. Pettigrew averaged more than 54 knockdown blocks per season for the Cowboys.
Pettigrew enrolled at Oklahoma State in 2004, spending the season as a redshirt after turning down offers from Texas A&M, Texas Christian, Southern Methodist and Arkansas.
In 2005, he started nine games, including the last seven, for the Cowboys. He gained 128 yards with a touchdown on 11 catches (11.6 avg). He delivered 30 knockdowns and also recorded a solo tackle.
The following season, Pettigrew was firmly entrenched as the team's starting tight end, leading the squad with eight touchdown-resulting blocks. He finished third on the team with 24 receptions, gaining 310 yards (12.9 avg) with four touchdowns. He also excelled on special teams, recording six tackles (3 solos) and recovered a fumble.
As a junior, Pettigrew captured first-team all-Big 12 honors. He was credited 540 yards and four scores on 35 receptions (15.4 avg), third-best on the team. He paced the league's tight ends with 10 touchdown-resulting blocks and also made a solo tackle.
With professional scouts regularly visiting Oklahoma State leading up to the draft, OSU tight ends coach Doug Meacham noted, "Brandon is a classic tight end. In the era of increasingly athletic players and spread offenses, the college tight end has become more of an oversized receiver. But not in Stillwater, where even in the spread, they run the ball nearly 50 times a game. In today's game, you see a lot of tight ends that split out a majority of the time. Brandon can go down inside and grind with the best of them, then he can get out and mismatch linebackers or safeties. He's an every-down guy.
"Once last season, Pettigrew came to the sidelines begging his coaches to call a play to his side of the field. A running play. That's what makes him special. Plenty of tight ends will beg for the ball, trying to get their receiving numbers up. But Pettigrew wants to win, whether he's scoring touchdowns or opening holes for others to score them."
Pettigrew's OSU Career Stats
Year G Rec. Yds. Avg. TD Long Avg./G
2005 11 11 128 11.6 1 21 11.6
2006 13 24 310 12.9 4 31 23.8
2007 13 35 540 15.4 4 54 41.5
2008 10 42 472 11.2 0 38 47.2
Career 47 112 1450 12.9 9 54 30.9
Oklahoma State's NFL Draft Picks, Mike Gundy Era
2005: Darrent Williams, DB (Second round, Denver Broncos)
2005: Vernand Morency, RB (Third round, Houston Texans)
2005: Billy Bajema, TE (Seventh round, San Francisco 49ers)
2006: Charlie Johnson, OT (Sixth round, Indianapolis Colts)
2007: Ryan McBean, DL (Fourth round, Pittsburgh Steelers)
2007: Corey Hilliard, OL (Sixth round, New England Patriots)
2009: Brandon Pettigrew, TE (First Round, Detroit Lions)
