Pierson Olin Prioleau EER-sun PRAY-low(born August 6, 1977) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...

. He was selected by the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

in the fourth round of the

1999 NFL draft The 1999 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17–18, 1999, at the Theater at M ...

. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

Virginia Tech The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly referred to as Virginia Tech (VT), is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States ...

and is currently on the coaching staff. He received a degree from

in interdisciplinary studies, graduating on May 14, 2011. Pierson served as the director of player development - defense under

Justin Fuente Justin James Fuente (born July 30, 1976) is an American college football coach. He was the head football coach at Virginia Tech from 2016 to 2021. He was the 2016 ACC Coach of the Year. Fuente was the head football coach at the University of Memp ...

from 2019 to 2021. Upon the hiring of

Brent Pry Brenton James Pry (born April 1, 1970) is an American football coach and former player who is currently the head coach at Virginia Tech. He previously served as the defensive coordinator at Penn State from 2016 to 2021. He played college footbal ...

as the new head coach for the Hokies, Pierson was promoted to an on-field position as the safeties coach, replacing fellow Hokie Justin Hamilton. Prioleau has also played for the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...

, and

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

College career

Prioleau played

. As a freshman, he appeared in 11 games on

special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their position. Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...

and as a reserve

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...

and finished that season with 24 tackles (15 solo). As a sophomore, he started every game at rover position, appeared in 809 total plays and finished with 71 tackles (41 solo). As a junior, he was named first-team All-

Big East The Big East Conference (stylized as BIG EAST) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I, Division I in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports. H ...

and third-team

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

by ''

Sporting News ''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...

''. He posted 81 tackles (41 solo) and two sacks that year. As a senior, he started every game for the defense that led the Big East with only 12.9 points per game allowed. He finished with 61 tackles (41 solo) and two interceptions.

Professional career

San Francisco 49ers

Prioleau was selected in the

by the

. While with the 49ers for the 1999 and 2000 seasons, Prioleau started 11 of 28 games he played in as a safety and corner, accumulating 81 tackles and one interception.

Buffalo Bills

Prioleau signed with the

on November 7, 2001, but was inactive for first three games after joining the team. Prioleau was impressive when he saw action in the final six games. In his first full season with the Bills in

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

, Prioleau started all 16 games at free safety for the first time in his NFL career. He finished fifth on the team with a career-best 86 tackles and also had 10 stops on special teams. In 2003, Prioleau appeared in all 16 games with six starts in his second full season in Buffalo. He posted 37 tackles, .5 sacks, four quarterback pressures and one forced fumble. In 2004, Prioleau played in all 16 games with two starts in final season with Buffalo. He totaled 37 tackles on the year.

Washington Redskins

In his first season with the

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

, Prioleau played in 15 games, had 43 tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble. On opening day

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

, while playing in a game versus the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

, Prioleau injured himself during the opening kickoff and spent the rest of the season on

Injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...

Jacksonville Jaguars

On April 29, 2008, Prioleau signed with the

New Orleans Saints

Prioleau signed a one-year deal with the

on March 26, 2009. He re-signed with the Saints on March 5, 2010 and again on July 29, 2011. He was released on September 3, 2011.

Personal life

Prioleau and his wife, Alicia, have three sons: Pierson Jalen (P.J.), Parker Jayden and Pace Jordan. Prioleau is currently an assistant coach with the Virginia Tech football team, presiding over the

Safeties Safety is the condition of being protected against harmful conditions or events, or the control of hazards to reduce risk. Safety may also refer to: Places * Safety Island, Antarctica Government * The Internet Stopping Adults Facilitating t ...

unit.

References

External links

New Orleans Saints bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prioleau, Pierson 1977 births Living people Players of American football from Charleston, South Carolina American football linebackers American football safeties Virginia Tech Hokies football players San Francisco 49ers players Buffalo Bills players Washington Redskins players Jacksonville Jaguars players New Orleans Saints players 21st-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century African-American sportsmen African-American coaches of American football Coaches of American football from South Carolina High school football coaches in Virginia Virginia Tech Hokies football coaches