Andre Bird-Pierre
Twitter: AndreBirdPierre
Born: 05/11/1997
Height: 6’4
Weight: 310 Lbs
Position: Defensive Line
University: Graceland University
Professional History: TSL Generals (’20), Ohama Beef (’21)
About Andre
Andre Bird-Pierre was born and raised in Freeport, New York which is a small town in Long Island. At the age of seven was when Andre first got into sports, and started his first year with football. He attended Freeport High School, a football powerhouse in the Long Island area. The Freeport Red Devils have produced names D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Clifton Smith, and Morlon Greenwood. Andre was a multi-sport athlete at the school also participating in wrestling and track and field as a senior.
During his freshman year at Nassau Community College Andre would actually be cut during tryouts. He said that the experience was a real eye opener and something that he is grateful for today. Through that season he continued to train and improve his abilities on his own. After making the Nassau Community College football his spring semester he would transfer to Graceland University. Pierre spent two seasons with the Yellow Jackets but would miss a majority of his junior season due to a concussion. On top of rehabbing his concussion things would take another rough turn after Andre’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Luckily she was able to beat the cancer and has pushed Andre to be what he is today.
Bird-Pierre’s professional career has been short but meaningful thus far. After graduating from Graceland University he would be invited to the Spring League. During his time with the Spring League Pierre spent his time with the Generals who would go on to win the championship of the league. Mike Singletary was the team’s defensive coordinator and was able to give tons of guidance to Andre while with the Generals. He recently signed the Omaha Beef arena football team where he plans to play this spring. In preparation for the season Andre trains with his positional trainer Tuesdays and Thursdays, and fits in his weight training, cardio and lifting in between those days.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
One of the things that flashed to me quickly was Pierre’s versatility as a defensive lineman. Similarly to Michael Bennett, Solomon Thomas or even Calais Campbell, Pierre can move inside as a defensive tackle or play defensive end in a 3-4 scheme. He does a great job at stopping the run as a 3-4 defensive end, and has shown to provide pressure at defensive tackle. He shows good technique when splitting double teams and getting himself free.
Something that won’t show up on film is Andre’s persistence to get better. During my interview with him one of the things he mentioned was when he was 18 he didn’t make the Nassau Community College team his first year. That only pushed him to work harder though, and that is the mentality he will bring into your locker room.
Weaknesses
While Bird-Pierre showed he is very capable of stopping the run, there isnt much tape of him getting after the quarterback. At Graceland University I saw plenty of flashes of Andre stopping the run but todays game focuses most on rushing the quarterback. I would also personally like to him generate more “pop” when coming off the ball. In some of his highlight tape you can find Andre getting a little too tall before making contact with his blocker. At the end of the day most of his weaknesses could be easily fixed at the NFL level.
Best NFL Fits
Seattle Seahawks
Of course with the similarities to Michael Bennett I would have to put the Seattle Seahawks on this list. The “Leo” defense the Seahawks run should maximize Andre’s potential as a defensive lineman. With Russell Wilson‘s latest proposal to the Seahawks front office we could see their defense take a hit. Jarran Reed and Carlos Dunlap both could save Seattle tons of money if they were to be cut or traded. Adding someone with talent, experience, and won’t cost a lot of money could finally get Russell Wilson his protection he needs.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are about to take one of the largest cap hits in history if they trade Carson Wentz. With that being said, they are going to need to live cheaply for now on and that is something they aren’t used to doing across the defensive line. Andre Bird Pierre can add depth behind Fletcher Cox and Malik Jackson. They currently pay four different defensive lineman over $10M, and it is about time they take someone that provides extreme value on the defensive line.
San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco’s defensive line is very similar to the Seattle Seahawks. Solomon Thomas is most likely going to hit free agency, and they traded DeForest Buckner. Their once deep defensive line has quickly become a rather average defensive line. Adding someone like Andre Bird-Pierre could give the 49ers depth without using another draft pick on the defensive line. His ability to stop the run would also be useful considering the amount of run heavy offenses in the NFC West. Not to mention Kris Kocurek could be the NFL’s best defensive line coach.
