Pittman a steady force for Mids
Nose guard a bright spot with consistent effort for Navy’s struggling defense
Navy’s defense has been a hot mess so far this season, ranking at the bottom of the Football Bowl Subdivision in every major category. The Midshipmen stand 105th out of129 teams in both total defense (440 yards allowed) and scoring defense (35.5 points allowed).
However, one bright spot for the Navy defense has been the steady play of nose guard Jackson Pittman, who ranks fifth on the team in tackles despite constantly being double-teamed.
“Pittman has been consistent because he’s been working at his craft and is starting to get into his own style of playing,” Navy defensive line coach Sione Po’uha said.
Pittman is just the latest standout defensive lineman to come to Navy from Brentwood Academy in Tennessee. He follows in the footsteps of talented ends Jarvis Polu and Amos Mason.
Pittman hails from Antioch, the same hometown as record-setting former Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds. He’s a chip off the old block as father Jack Pittman Jr. played football at Middle Tennessee State.
Pittman was a rarity as a defensive lineman in that he was prepared to play as a plebe, appearing in 14 games. The 6-foot-3, 309-pounder showed up built like a refrigerator and has only gotten stronger since arriving in Annapolis.
As a freshman, Pittman was tutored by Bernie Sarra, one of the finest nose guards in recent Navy history. Sarra served as a graduate assistant during the 2016 season Saturday, 3:30 p.m. TV: ESPNU Radio: 1090 AM Line: Cincinnati by 13
and was able to teach the youngster some of the tricks of the trade.
Pittman also spent two years learning from Shaun Nua, who played nose guard in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Nua left Navy during the offseason to take a similar position at Arizona State and was replaced by Po’uha.
Po’uha has a lot in common with Nua on a number of levels, beginning with the fact both are of Polynesian heritage. Nua is a Samoan native while Po’uha is the son of Tongan immigrants.
Nua played at Brigham Young while Po’uha played at Utah. Po’uha also played in the NFL, earning a reputation as a superb run-stopper during his seven seasons as a defensive tackle with the New York Jets.
Pittman had a solid understanding of the basic fundamentals and techniques of the nose guard position so Po’uha has put more effort into helping him with the intangibles.
“I’m trying to teach Jackson how to overcome the speed bumps and road blocks that you encounter. I know because I’ve gone through them before,” Po’uha said. “I can kind of relay what those are and say this is what we can do to overcome this hurdle or that hurdle.’’
In Navy’s 3-4 defensive alignment the nose guard is primarily required to take on double-teams and hold the point of attack. By far the biggest job of the nose guard is to keep interior offensive linemen from reaching the second level and being able to block the middle linebackers.
One thing Pittman has learned is that size and strength can only take a player so far, especially when routinely doing battle against two blockers.
“You have to rely on your technique and not brute strength. Jackson is big and strong, but that only lasts a couple plays so he’s really relying on technique,” Po’uha said. “When you are that close to the ball you don’t have much margin for error. You have to make your reads fast and your technique has to be on point.”
Pittman matched the accomplishment of Sarra earning the starting spot at nose guard as a sophomore.
He discovered how difficult it is to make plays when taking on double-teams and finished the season with just 20 tackles.
Proof that Pittman has developed as a junior comes from the fact he has already recorded 25 tackles through eight games. He has notched 19 solo stops and 2.5 tackles for loss while also being credited with a pass breakup and forced fumble. INJURY REPORT: Starting slotback CJ Williams and starting left tackle Jake Hawk (Meade) both dressed for last Saturday night’s game against Notre Dame, but were not full-go. Hawk (ankle) did not play at all while Williams (upper body) got into the game for just a few plays at the very end.
Starting fullback Nelson Smith suffered an ankle injury during the first quarter on Saturday night and did not return. Smith practiced this week and is expected to play at Cincinnati.
Backup left tackle Kendel Wright will likely miss a fourth straight contest with an upper body injury.