Justin Vincent
Encyclopedia
Justin Vincent is a former American football
running back
for the Pittsburgh Steelers
of the National Football League
. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons
as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football
for LSU
, and was the MVP of the 2004 BCS National Championship game
.
from Barbe High School in Lake Charles, Louisiana
. There, he was a high school All-American at running back
and the Louisiana
high school football player of the year.
was the starter and Shyrone Carey was the backup at the beginning of the season. Vincent, along with fellow freshmen Alley Broussard and Barrington Edwards, split time on the third string. But Vincent beat out his fellow freshmen for playing time, and by the middle of the season, Addai and Carey were injured. He was named the starter in week 7 against South Carolina
, and never lost the job for the rest of the season.
While LSU
made its stretch run to the national championship, Vincent became the offensive leader. In LSU
's final four games, he ran for 100 or more yards. This included a 201-yard, two touchdown performance in the SEC Championship Game
against Georgia
. His performance included an 87-yard touchdown run (the longest run in SEC Championship Game
history) and a 62-yard run. Then, in the 2004 Sugar Bowl
against Oklahoma
, he ran for 117 yards and a touchdown. It included a 64-yard run from the first play from scrimmage, which helped set the tone for the game. Vincent was named the MVP of both the 2003 SEC Championship Game
and the 2004 Sugar Bowl
, and LSU won the 2003 BCS National Championship. He finished the 2003 season with 1,001 yards on 154 carries, and scored 10 touchdowns.
Vincent's next three years at LSU
were marked with inconsistency, fumbles and injury. He began 2004 as the starter, but eventually fell behind Joseph Addai
and Alley Broussard on the depth chart. He finished third on the team in rushing with 322 yards.
In 2005, he moved back up to second string behind Joseph Addai
after Alley Broussard injured his knee before the season. He finished the season with 488 yards rushing. However, Vincent suffered a serious knee injury at the end of the season in LSU's Peach Bowl victory over Miami
.
Vincent was the starting tailback for 5 games in the 2006 season, after recovering from his knee injury. However, his senior season was the least productive of his four years at LSU. He was part of a five-man running back rotation (which also included Jacob Hester
, Alley Broussard, Keiland Williams
and Charles Scott
), and he finished 6th on the team in rushing at the end of the regular season with 139 yards. He averaged 3.1 yards per carry, lowest among the five running backs. However, in the 2007 Sugar Bowl
, he had his best game of the season, gaining 71 yards on 12 carries.
on May 1, 2007, but on September 1, 2007 it was announced that he was cut from the Falcons final roster.
as a member of the practice squad. Vincent was released from the Steelers' practice squad on October 24, 2008. He was re-signed to the practice squad on November 7.
On February 6, 2009, he was re-signed by the Steelers to a future contract. He was waived on September 4. He re-joined the Steelers practice squad for a third straight season on September 6. He was released from the practice squad on November 24. He was re-signed to the practice squad on December 2. On January 6, 2010 he was signed to a reserve future contract. Vincent was released by the Steelers on September 3, 2010.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
, and was the MVP of the 2004 BCS National Championship game
2004 Sugar Bowl
The 2004 Sugar Bowl, the BCS title game for the 2003 college football season, was played on January 4, 2004 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The teams were LSU Tigers and the Oklahoma Sooners...
.
Early years
Vincent came to LSULSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
from Barbe High School in Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
. There, he was a high school All-American at running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
and the Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
high school football player of the year.
College career
During his freshman year, Vincent began the season near the bottom of the depth chart. Joseph AddaiJoseph Addai
Joseph Addai, Jr. is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was selected in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University.-Early years:Addai's family hails from Ghana in West Africa...
was the starter and Shyrone Carey was the backup at the beginning of the season. Vincent, along with fellow freshmen Alley Broussard and Barrington Edwards, split time on the third string. But Vincent beat out his fellow freshmen for playing time, and by the middle of the season, Addai and Carey were injured. He was named the starter in week 7 against South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
, and never lost the job for the rest of the season.
While LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
made its stretch run to the national championship, Vincent became the offensive leader. In LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
's final four games, he ran for 100 or more yards. This included a 201-yard, two touchdown performance in the SEC Championship Game
SEC Championship Game
The SEC Championship Game refers to the game determining the Southeastern Conference's football season champion. The championship game pits the SEC Western Division representative against the Eastern Division representative in a game held after the regular season has been completed. Thus far, nine...
against Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
. His performance included an 87-yard touchdown run (the longest run in SEC Championship Game
SEC Championship Game
The SEC Championship Game refers to the game determining the Southeastern Conference's football season champion. The championship game pits the SEC Western Division representative against the Eastern Division representative in a game held after the regular season has been completed. Thus far, nine...
history) and a 62-yard run. Then, in the 2004 Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
against Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
, he ran for 117 yards and a touchdown. It included a 64-yard run from the first play from scrimmage, which helped set the tone for the game. Vincent was named the MVP of both the 2003 SEC Championship Game
SEC Championship Game
The SEC Championship Game refers to the game determining the Southeastern Conference's football season champion. The championship game pits the SEC Western Division representative against the Eastern Division representative in a game held after the regular season has been completed. Thus far, nine...
and the 2004 Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
, and LSU won the 2003 BCS National Championship. He finished the 2003 season with 1,001 yards on 154 carries, and scored 10 touchdowns.
Vincent's next three years at LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
were marked with inconsistency, fumbles and injury. He began 2004 as the starter, but eventually fell behind Joseph Addai
Joseph Addai
Joseph Addai, Jr. is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was selected in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University.-Early years:Addai's family hails from Ghana in West Africa...
and Alley Broussard on the depth chart. He finished third on the team in rushing with 322 yards.
In 2005, he moved back up to second string behind Joseph Addai
Joseph Addai
Joseph Addai, Jr. is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was selected in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University.-Early years:Addai's family hails from Ghana in West Africa...
after Alley Broussard injured his knee before the season. He finished the season with 488 yards rushing. However, Vincent suffered a serious knee injury at the end of the season in LSU's Peach Bowl victory over Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
.
Vincent was the starting tailback for 5 games in the 2006 season, after recovering from his knee injury. However, his senior season was the least productive of his four years at LSU. He was part of a five-man running back rotation (which also included Jacob Hester
Jacob Hester
Jacob Troy Hester is a fullback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
, Alley Broussard, Keiland Williams
Keiland Williams
Keiland Terrell Williams is an American football running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2010...
and Charles Scott
Charles Scott
Charles Scott may refer to:* Charles Scott , American Revolutionary War soldier and fourth governor of Kentucky* Charles Frederick Scott , U.S. Representative from Kansas...
), and he finished 6th on the team in rushing at the end of the regular season with 139 yards. He averaged 3.1 yards per carry, lowest among the five running backs. However, in the 2007 Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
, he had his best game of the season, gaining 71 yards on 12 carries.
Atlanta Falcons
Vincent was signed by the Atlanta FalconsAtlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on May 1, 2007, but on September 1, 2007 it was announced that he was cut from the Falcons final roster.
Pittsburgh Steelers
On October 4, 2007, he signed with the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
as a member of the practice squad. Vincent was released from the Steelers' practice squad on October 24, 2008. He was re-signed to the practice squad on November 7.
On February 6, 2009, he was re-signed by the Steelers to a future contract. He was waived on September 4. He re-joined the Steelers practice squad for a third straight season on September 6. He was released from the practice squad on November 24. He was re-signed to the practice squad on December 2. On January 6, 2010 he was signed to a reserve future contract. Vincent was released by the Steelers on September 3, 2010.