Michael Pittman Jr. joined Sports Illustrated from Radio Row ahead of Super Bowl 58. The Colts standout wide receiver was very complimentary of his QB Anthony Richardson and believes he will soon be a top-five quarterback in the NFL.
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00:00 All right, let's get into this man, let's get into this man. I got another USC receiver. I got Michael Pittman jr. In the building
00:06 Okay, so coming off you had a career year
00:10 What clicked for you this year dog? I just think it was
00:15 Really really Shane just called on me to be the driving factor like in our
00:21 just just like in our past game and
00:25 just credit to
00:27 just credit to like Anthony Gardner for like trusting me and
00:32 targeting me a lot then early often and
00:36 just like showing love and then obviously like the coaches like had that like confidence and
00:43 you know, like just like it's
00:45 It's more of a team thing because like obviously like if the offensive line ain't blocking the ball
00:51 Ain't the ball the quarterbacks like aren't playing well, like I'm not getting it either way
00:55 So like so like it's really a lot that goes into it. So just credit to all those guys
00:59 Okay, so I know Anthony Richardson missed a lot of the season this year pretty much all of it
01:05 Yeah, how for like how are you looking forward to going out there with him and just just racking up stats right?
01:11 I'm numbers with that big dog. He's so dynamic and everything that he can do
01:15 just his ability to extend plays and his arm strength and I think that there's a
01:22 Like just like there's a factor like in his game that we really haven't touched on that much which which
01:27 Which like we didn't get to play with him very long because obviously the third game of the season, but I
01:34 Think that our ability to extend plays
01:38 I think it's gonna be huge for us because obviously Anthony can run and his arm is crazy
01:43 So the second he starts scrambling I'm going deep and he's going to be so that's something that like we didn't really get to
01:51 see that much like just because you know
01:53 like he was still learning and getting like experience and and I feel like that's an aspect like of his game that is gonna be
02:00 Changing for us and then also I'll probably say the strongest thing about our offense is our RPO game and you add him back
02:07 You got like just like you got him. You got Jonathan and then all of our pass catchers. So
02:14 There's so much to like defend
02:17 And I don't want to leave out Gardner - I mean he played great for us all pro bowl quarterback
02:23 Yeah, so like which is awesome. Like just like it was great seeing that and
02:27 I'm just so proud of everything that he did and had to deal with you know
02:31 Cuz people were calling for him and and I thought that he was playing great
02:35 So yeah, so like I just want to give him some shine, you know garden to miss you did ball this year
02:40 Let's get back to Anthony Richardson for a second from what you saw from him
02:45 Do you think he can crap talk five quarterbacks? No you absolutely. I mean he has every
02:49 Attribute that you need in and I'm telling you his play extending is only gonna get better
02:56 Yeah, and as he gets more
02:59 Comfortable because obviously NFL defense is like move fast, but you saw flashes of what he could do now
03:06 We didn't end up winning but just take us back to that Rams game when we're down and he brings us back
03:12 Yeah, and and I'm not sure that we could do that like with anybody else
03:17 So so like you just see flashes of his greatness and everything that he can do
03:21 Let's talk about you for a second. Just a quirky question
03:24 What's something that you have to do the night before the game?
03:29 The night before the game if you don't do it, you're walking in Sunday at 1030 feeling like ah
03:36 So
03:40 Nothing really before the game but the day of the game
03:42 So I recently changed up but up until my first game of college to last year
03:48 I have to have some type of pasta. Okay, whether it is. Yeah, like whether it's
03:54 Spaghetti or something and I'll actually eat it at breakfast
03:59 So I'll put French toast pasta and eggs and I'll just put syrup on everything. Okay, so so so
04:06 So so I'm eating French toast and pasta with syrup like at the same time like all the carbs so carbs sugar
04:14 Just like trying to load up. Okay, that's I like that
04:16 I like I now I never did the pasta with the French toast and syrup
04:20 Yeah, I might have to try that seems like something my son might try. Yeah
04:23 No, I mean like you get juiced up and you have energy to go like all day. Yeah
04:27 okay, so my
04:29 Big receiver big body receiver you came from USC in the league
04:34 Were there any guys like USC? We're known for big receivers. Yeah, no, we got absolutely Mike Williams
04:40 We got key we got Dwayne Jerry. Yeah, we got obviously Drake was your young boy when you were here, right?
04:47 So like were there anybody at USC that you looked up to?
04:51 Prior to going there that you kind of modeled your game after yeah. Yeah, I mean, I mean
04:55 I would probably say key because I played on keys
04:59 keys
05:01 7 on 17. Oh, yeah, so like part of that Southern, California circuit
05:05 Like we used to go and visit colleges
05:07 The funny thing is actually key tried to get me to switch to defense and come on
05:13 well
05:13 well
05:14 Which I kind of wanted to because I always thought that I was a defensive guy
05:17 But USC told me that I could play both and then I got there and I did like psych like you're playing offense
05:23 So I which is whatever I mean
05:25 Outside linebacker
05:29 So that's what I thought I was gonna be but
05:32 They had different plans and I'm glad that they did but I would just say
05:36 Mike Williams and like Mike Williams like and then a key like are really those main guys and then also I had
05:42 Juju there too. So so Juju is a big guy. I mean, I mean, I mean like he played hard and I really learned like
05:52 how like like how to
05:55 Work and and and be so driven and play violent like from him
05:59 I mean, I mean him in practice every single day. I mean he was going at it
06:05 I mean
06:06 he didn't care like if it was practice in and I like really took that from him and I feel like that's what helped me
06:12 Out cuz I actually came in with five other receivers
06:16 That's unique. So I don't know what USC told us to get us all to come in
06:22 but but it was five of us and I was the only one that didn't redshirt and then
06:27 We actually have guys that went on so Tyler Vons
06:31 Went on to like I think he's played like in a couple NFL games like over the past like two years
06:36 We have Bayless Jones who plays for who plays for the Bears
06:42 Right now and then like we got a couple other guys that bounce around and then obviously Drake was younger
06:48 but he was in that and I'm in raw, but
06:50 Every year I we just get the number one wideout coming from wherever so it really taught me
06:55 To work and grind and be able to to not be phased like by that because competition now
07:01 I mean this competition every single day like like whether you're competing with one of your P squad teammates or
07:08 You're competing against the defense. So
07:10 Like like everybody's good
07:13 So so like I really learned like from like a young age then that like you can't ever like chill like it's always like on
07:20 Go yeah, you know what?
07:21 That's a great point that you say when I went to SC we had a lot of big like Patrick Turner Vidal
07:26 Hazleton Damian Williams, so the same thing for me like I played six years in the league it helped me learn how to work
07:32 Because you're not going from beat. You're not the best guy anymore
07:36 You're like I could have a good day yesterday, but there Vidal ball today
07:40 I got it like I got to get on tape like I got to get on tape. So that's what's up now
07:45 Let's hop into a Super Bowl real quick couple more questions who you got winning Super Bowl
07:50 That's tough one that's a tough one so I actually spoke about this I think the 49ers, okay
07:56 But that he said it's super hard to bet against Pat
08:01 Cuz Pat and Travis like you never know like they could go off and have a crazy game
08:06 But but I just think that the 49ers are a complete team. They have it all they got great players on offense defense
08:15 But nonetheless, it's gonna be a fun game to watch both teams like are great or else they wouldn't be in that position
08:21 So it's gonna be fun, and I can't wait to watch it. Okay, so I'm gonna read this off cuz I can't remember this so
08:29 Sponsor question told me to say it for you. Well. I'm gonna say
08:33 So Toyota became the new official automotive partner of the NFL this past fall
08:40 Mm-hmm, and they have a new truck coming out that they unveiled here at the Super Bowl in a fun way
08:45 Tell us more about that so they are coming out with the 2024 Toyota Tacoma
08:50 So they actually brought their they brought their trail boss here, which is a wicked truck
08:57 I mean like I'm watching it right there. I mean that looks like something that I like to have. Yes
09:01 That's a Tacoma. That is a Tacoma. A Tacoma was a car that you got made fun of for driving
09:08 That looks nice. Yeah, no I mean I mean I mean that thing is I mean you can do anything with that whether you're
09:14 Ripping trails whether you're taking the wife out shopping like just how you could do anything with that
09:19 And I wouldn't be you know you know like I would like to add like just like one of those like to my personal
09:26 You know I just like my personal
09:28 ideal so and then they also have this they also are having a fan a
09:35 fan experience where
09:37 You can compete and go through and go sorry and go through this a trail
09:43 Obstacle course and they got a bunch of prizes too, so I think that they're grand prizes
09:50 They got Super Bowl tickets for next year Super Bowl 59
09:53 Which is something that I'm gonna be trying out here pretty soon, and I'll see if I can win me some
09:59 Yeah, well I yeah like I'll playing it
10:04 But then I'll get two more tickets cuz I heard that um I think it was Christian McCaffrey
10:09 And his wife paid two million hours like for a suite
10:12 So I love like my wife and mom, but I y'all gonna have to watch it from home like for that price
10:18 Ladies and gentlemen
10:23 And Mike is gonna make it to the Super Bowl, but his family will be in section 100
10:27 They will not be in a suite much love. I have USC's finest right here Michael Pittman Jr.. I appreciate you big dog
10:32 Thank you guys.