2022 NFL Draft Prospect Frederick Pitts V, RB, Ohio Dominican University

• Name: Frederick Pitts V
• Position: RB
• College: Ohio Dominican University
• Height: 5-10
• Weight: 201
• Twitter: @fredpittsv
• Instagram: @fredpittsv

What makes you a top prospect at your position in the 2022 NFL Draft?

• I am a top prospect in the 2022 NFL draft because I consist of all the necessary attributes of not just a running back, but a football player. I am more than exceptional at running and catching the ball with great vision, and a rare combination of speed, power, and elusiveness. More importantly, I take pride in my knowledge of the game and getting physical in blocking situations.

At what age were you first interested in the sport of football?

• I was first interested in football at 3 years old. I played for a Dayton flag football league at the time. This is where I had one of my first true football moments as a kid. Instead of pulling the flag of the ball carrier I made a tackle on the kid, which was substantially bigger than me. The kid began crying as his father angrily ran out to the field and yelled at him. I felt bad and ended up crying myself. From then on I fell in love with the game.

What is one thing that NFL teams should know about you?

• One thing that NFL teams should know about me is that I am a selfless leader. I am willing to take on the hardest of roles in order to help the team win. During my senior year at Ohio Dominican I started on 4 special teams( punt, punt return, kick-off, kick return) all while also starting at running back. I rarely came off the field. I understood the value that I brung and how much my team needed me in special teams, regardless of how exhausting it may have been. It made me train even harder to be the most conditioned athlete on the field.

If you could donate to one cause in the world, what would it be?

• If I could donate to one cause in the world it would be hunger relief for children. Hunger not only affects the physical and mental development of a child but also inhibits their ability to perform in academic areas and learn. A child has no control of when and where they will receive their next meal and shouldn’t be loaded with such a heavy burden.

I do it for the haves and the have nots????????????‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/4vWGn7QlfI

— Fred Pitts V (@fredpittsv) December 3, 2021

What is the best advice you have ever received?

• The best advice I have ever received is that “God has a plan for me”. This small piece of advice is very broad yet very distinctive in its entirety. During the long road of life so many factors, people, forces, and events will occur to attempt to deter us off of our path. So many people have tried to place their limits upon me and determine what can and can not be done. But in the end, God has the final word.

Who was your childhood hero?

• My childhood hero is my father. My father taught me all of the valuable aspects of being a man of the family, a man of self, and most importantly a man of God. He exhibited the necessary attributes of going to work, having the drive of being the best at what you do, providing for a family, and giving unconditional love.

Who is the most underrated teammate in your locker room at your school?

• The most underrated teammate I had during my last season is Amon Smith. Amon played running back just like I did, and he exemplified his hard work every day no matter how he felt physically. Amon and I both played almost all special teams during the years and we gave up our bodies for the team’s greater good in many situations. Amon was an extreme competitor and gave every ounce of his energy to the team. Amon never received his opportunity of starting running back but if you ask me; he had everything it took to start in a college program.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

• My biggest pet peeve is seeing others take the blessings we receive for granted. I absolutely hated seeing some guys come out to practice lackadaisical and unmotivated with a negative attitude. This often leads to no work getting done and the team becoming stagnant or worse. I made it my duty to bring the energy everyday, and let it be known how grateful I am for the opportunity to play this game. This involved getting guys hyped up for practice and often yelling to the top of my lungs during every period of our 2 and a half-hour practice. I was the guy to bring the juice! Whether it was the weight room, practice, and even early morning film sessions; everyone knew the intensity Fred was bringing everyday. The passion I have for this game is unmatched.

Overcoming adversity is what defines character, what was the hardest moment in your life to overcome?

• The hardest moment to overcome in my life was enduring a season-ending injury in the middle of my junior year. During a typical run play that I had done hundreds of times, I fell awkwardly and dislocated my elbow. I had never experienced being away from the game that long. I was angry at the world and depressed. I often asked God why me? I began to distance myself and I wasn’t the same upbeat positive Fred that everyone knew. This was truly the lowest point of my life. Through talking with my parents and listening to God’s words I learned that everything happens for a reason, and that God still has a plan for me and it’s working. I learned that this slight obstacle only added to my story. I learned that the event did not determine who I was as a person but the way I respond does. I became my old self and found a way to lead my team from the sidelines. It made me a better athlete, a better person, and most importantly a better man. I wouldn’t go back and change it even if I had the chance.

Tell me something about your school and why it is so special to you?

• Something special about my school is that we are ranked in the top half of schools in Ohio for the best college for student-athletes. This is special to me because I take pride in being an excellent student while handling business on the field. I have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.3 over my 5 years at Ohio Dominican, all while majoring in Exercise Science.

What is your favorite snack food?

• My favorite snack food is flamin’ hot Doritos.

What is the best part of football?

• The best part of football is grinding with your brothers during the off-season; so you can potentially hold up a trophy at the end of the season. No one sees the continuous grind of waking up every morning to get better. Suffering through the same thing as your brother day in and day out. One thing about me is that I enjoy the process. I enjoy the process of doing sprints and wrestling in 10-degree weather. I enjoy the process of having my hands almost frozen from placing them in the snow countless times before bursting off the line into a sprint. I enjoy the pain from every workout because I know what it will bring later. The subtle details that are engraved into habits in the dark, make all the difference when it’s you versus another man.

If you could sell yourself in one sentence what would you say?

• I’m a nonstop passionate competitor that treats every play as if it were my last.

If you could compare your play to one player in the NFL who would it be?

• If I could compare my play to one player in the NFL it would be Deebo Samuel. We share similarities in versatility by being lethal in and out the backfield. Another similarity is running aggressively and violently while displaying a high amount of awareness to break tackles. And lastly, I feel that we both contain that dog competitiveness that just can’t be taught.

If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why?

• If I could have dinner with 3 people dead or alive I would choose my father, my grandfather, and my great grandfather. I am the fifth Frederick Lee Pitts so I think it would be amazing to have 4 generations of the same name all in one place. My grandfather was an exceptional man that was gone too soon and I never had the chance to meet my great grandfather. I’d love to sit and pick at every inch of their brain to gain more knowledge and insight.