MyCole Pruitt Bio
MyCole Pruitt is an American professional football tight end known for his steady hands, blocking toughness, and journeyman career across the National Football League (NFL). Born in South Bend, Indiana, he rose to national attention as one of the most productive tight ends in college football history at Southern Illinois University (SIU). He has since built a long NFL career as a reliable role player on practice squads and active rosters for several franchises, and now plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A two-time consensus FCS All-American and three-time first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) selection, Pruitt entered the league with the Minnesota Vikings in 2015. Across nearly a decade of professional football, he has suited up for nine organizations, earning a reputation as a versatile tight end capable of contributing in both the passing game and the run game.
Early Life and Background
MyCole Pruitt was born on March 24, 1992, in South Bend, Indiana, to Colette Bonds and Carlos Pruitt. Although he was born in Indiana, he spent much of his childhood in the St. Louis area and ultimately attended Kirkwood High School in Kirkwood, Missouri, the same school once attended by former NFL wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. At Kirkwood, he was a three-time All-Conference defensive end and a first-team All-Conference tight end in 2009, showing two-way talent on the football field.
Beyond football, Pruitt was a multi-sport athlete who competed in basketball, volleyball, and track and field. He helped lead the basketball team to a district championship in 2008–09, and on the track he qualified for the state meet in the discus with a top throw of 157 feet, 1 inch. He was also a four-year honor roll student, reflecting the academic discipline that would later help him complete his college degree on schedule.
Path to American Football
Pruitt arrived at Kirkwood High School as a developing tight end and defensive end, eventually drawing the attention of small-college recruiters. Rivals.com rated him as a two-star recruit, and his path to Division I football went through the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) rather than a major FBS program. He committed to Southern Illinois University, where the Salukis had a strong tradition of producing NFL talent, including his high school alumnus Jeremy Maclin at the University of Missouri.
Once on campus, Pruitt redshirted the 2010 season, used as SIU’s Offensive Scout Player of the Week during preparation for the Quincy game. That patient developmental route paid off, as he developed into the top tight end in the FCS by his junior year and a record-setting performer by his senior season.
MyCole Pruitt Career
Early Career (2010–2014)
At Southern Illinois, Pruitt grew into one of the most decorated tight ends in school and conference history. As a redshirt freshman in 2011, he played 11 games and caught 43 passes for 562 yards and three touchdowns, earning MVFC All-Newcomer honors. In his sophomore year of 2012, he became a Third-team All-American and a first-team All-MVFC selection, leading the Salukis in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown catches for the second straight season.
His junior and senior campaigns established him as the most productive tight end in Missouri Valley Football Conference history. He was a first-team All-American in both 2013 and 2014 and was named the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) National Tight End of the Year in each of those seasons. By the time he graduated in December 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology, he held MVFC records for tight ends in career receptions (221), receiving yards (2,601), and receiving touchdowns (25).
NFL Breakthrough (2015–2018)
Coming out of SIU, Pruitt was rated as a late Day 2 or Day 3 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, with analysts split on his draft stock. He impressed scouts at the NFL Scouting Combine, running a 4.58-second 40-yard dash that was the fastest among tight ends, while also posting the top vertical jump (38 inches) at his position. The Minnesota Vikings selected him in the fifth round with the 143rd overall pick, and he signed a four-year rookie deal worth roughly $2.51 million.
Pruitt’s role with the Vikings grew slowly, but he recorded his first NFL catch against the Detroit Lions in Week 7 of 2015 and added a season-high two receptions for 36 yards against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 14. After being released by Minnesota in November 2016, he bounced between practice squads with the Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, and Houston Texans. His first NFL touchdown came on December 22, 2018, when he caught a pass from quarterback Blaine Gabbert in a Tennessee Titans win over the Washington Football Team, a defining moment in his early pro career.
Tennessee Titans Era (2018–2021)
Pruitt found the most stability of his career with the Tennessee Titans, signing with the team in September 2018 after Pro Bowl tight end Delanie Walker suffered a season-ending ankle injury. He became a dependable pass-catching and blocking tight end in Tennessee, contributing on special teams and in short-yardage packages. He was re-signed by the Titans in March 2020 and continued in a rotational role through the 2020 season.
After a brief stop with the San Francisco 49ers in the summer of 2021, Pruitt returned to Tennessee and posted a career-best campaign. In 2021, he recorded 14 catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns across 16 games and nine starts. The season ended painfully when he suffered a fractured and dislocated right ankle in a Week 17 game against the Miami Dolphins, requiring surgery and a placement on injured reserve.
Atlanta Falcons Era (2022–2023)
Following his injury, Pruitt signed with the Atlanta Falcons in August 2022, was briefly released, and was re-signed to the practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster in October 2022 and scored a touchdown in Week 6 against the San Francisco 49ers, earning a spot on the 53-man roster the next day. He re-signed with the Falcons in July 2023 and continued in a depth tight end role for the 2023 season.
Pittsburgh Steelers Era (2024–Present)
On April 4, 2024, MyCole Pruitt signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, joining one of the NFL’s most stable organizations. He provided tight end depth and special teams value, and through Week 16 of the 2024 season he has appeared on game-day rosters for the Steelers. His familiarity with multiple offensive systems and his blocking reliability have made him a useful piece in Pittsburgh’s tight end rotation.
Driving Style and Strengths
On the field, Pruitt is known less for highlight-reel athleticism and more for consistent, fundamentals-driven play. He excels as an in-line blocker in the run game, uses his 6-foot-2 frame well to shield defenders, and has soft hands as a possession receiver. Coaches have valued his football IQ, special teams willingness, and ability to step into a starting role when injuries strike, as he did for the Titans in 2018 and 2021.
Notable Events and Milestones
Pruitt’s most celebrated milestones include his two consensus FCS All-American seasons in 2013 and 2014, his MVFC career records for tight ends, and his first NFL touchdown reception in December 2018. His career-best 14-reception season in 2021 with the Titans stands as his signature professional year, even though it was cut short by a serious ankle injury.
MyCole Pruitt Career Wins
Although the tight end position is not measured by traditional win totals, MyCole Pruitt has compiled a long list of individual and team accomplishments across his football career. His college hardware includes two consensus All-American selections, three first-team All-MVFC nods, an MVFC All-Newcomer selection, and two CFPA National Tight End of the Year awards. In the NFL, he has appeared in regular-season and postseason games for multiple franchises, contributing to divisional and conference campaigns.
NFL Highlights
Through Week 16 of the 2024 season, Pruitt has recorded 77 career receptions for 788 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns in the NFL. His first career score came with the Titans in 2018, and his most productive year statistically was 2021, when he set personal bests in receptions, yards, and touchdowns with Tennessee. He has added playoff experience and multiple practice-squad elevations to his resume across the Vikings, Bears, Bills, Texans, Titans, 49ers, Falcons, and Steelers organizations.
Other Wins & Performances
Beyond the NFL, Pruitt was a state qualifier in the discus in high school and helped Kirkwood’s basketball team to a district title. He earned CFPA National Performer of the Week honors multiple times in college and was later named the best tight end in MVFC history as part of the conference’s 30-year anniversary recognition.
MyCole Pruitt Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
MyCole Pruitt was raised by his mother, Colette Bonds, and his father, Carlos Pruitt, in a supportive household that nurtured his love of multiple sports. While his family is not from a well-documented football lineage, his parents backed his multi-sport path at Kirkwood High School, where he was a four-year honor roll student.
Personal Life
Off the field, Pruitt is recognized as a thoughtful, team-first veteran who earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from Southern Illinois in December 2014. He has been a respected locker-room presence across the nine NFL franchises that have employed him, and he continues to focus on his professional career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into 2025, MyCole Pruitt is expected to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers as a veteran tight end in a deep position room. The Steelers are projected to lean on his run-blocking and special teams contributions while developing younger tight ends behind starting options. With a full offseason to recover from the 2024 grind, Pruitt is positioned to compete for an expanded role in two-tight-end sets.
For 2025, the Steelers’ offense is expected to emphasize physicality, play-action passing, and tight end involvement, all areas where Pruitt has historically thrived. His familiarity with multiple offensive systems from his journeyman NFL career could make him a valuable security blanket for the quarterback room.
Looking at the bigger picture, the 2025 season represents an opportunity for Pruitt to extend a career that already spans a full decade in professional football. A productive campaign in Pittsburgh would further cement his reputation as one of the most reliable journeyman tight ends of his generation.