Mitch Petrus
Jonathan Mitchell Petrus[1] (May 11, 1987 – July 18, 2019) was an American football guard.
![]() Petrus (#62) at the Giants 2010 training camp | |||||||
No. 62, 67 | |||||||
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Position: | Guard | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | Carlisle, Arkansas | May 11, 1987||||||
Died: | July 18, 2019 32) Lonoke, Arkansas | (aged||||||
Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 315 lb (143 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Carlisle (AR) | ||||||
College: | Arkansas | ||||||
NFL Draft: | 2010 / Round: 5 / Pick: 147 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Early years
Mitch Petrus was born on May 11, 1987 in Carlisle, Arkansas. He attended Carlisle High School, where he played high school football.[2][3]
College career
An unrated tight end prospect,[4] Petrus walked on as a fullback at the University of Arkansas but was moved to offensive guard for the 2007 season.[5] He blocked for rushing tandem Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, both of whom eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark,[6] and was named to the All-SEC second team.[7] He redshirted during the 2008 season.[5] Following the 2009 season, he was named All-SEC first team by SEC coaches and second team by the Associated Press.
He graduated with a degree in agricultural economics.[5]
Professional career
New York Giants
At the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine, Petrus completed 45 reps of 225 pounds (102 kg) on the bench press, which tied defensive linemen Leif Larsen and Mike Kudla for the second most since 2000.[8]
He was drafted by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was the seventh guard to be selected that year. [9] He played in 17 regular-season games with three starts. In the 2011 season, the Giants finished with a 9–7 record and made the playoffs.[10] He appeared in all four 2011 postseason games, including the Super Bowl XLVI victory over the New England Patriots.[11][12]
Petrus was waived on September 2, 2012 after the Giants were awarded offensive tackle D. J. Jones on waivers from the Philadelphia Eagles. Jones failed his physical with the Giants and Petrus was re-signed the next day.[13]
On November 3, Petrus was released by the Giants after tight end Travis Beckum was activated.[14]
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots signed Petrus on November 13, 2012 to help with a depleted offensive line that included injuries to Logan Mankins and Dan Connolly.[15] He was released by the Patriots on December 3, 2012.[16]
Personal life
Petrus played bass guitar in a band called Vikings of the North Atlantic.
He resided and worked in Carlisle, Arkansas, where he died of heat stroke on July 18, 2019.[21][22]
References
- Prunty, Brendan. "Super Bowl XLVI: A deeper look at a few Giants, from farmer Mitch Petrus to rodeo-lover Bear Pascoe". NJ.com. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- "Tennessee Titans: Mitch Petrus". Tennessee Titans. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- "Mitch Petrus - Yahoo! Sports". Rivals.yahoo.com. January 28, 2005. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
- Higbee, Zach. "Petrus selected in NFL Draft." April 24, 2010. Profile. Archived October 17, 2012, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved May 1, 2010.
- "2007 Arkansas Razorbacks Football." Statistics. Archived November 18, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved May 1, 2010.
- "2007 All-SEC Football Team Announced." December 4, 2007. Southeastern Conference. All-SEC football teams. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
- "Mitch Petrus". ovguide.com. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
- "2010 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- "2011 NFL Standings & Team Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- "Super Bowl XLVI - New York Giants vs. New England Patriots - February 5th, 2012". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- "Mitch Petrus 2011 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- "Giants Re-Sign Mitch Petrus After D.J. Jones Fails Physical". CBS News New York. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
- Associated Press (November 3, 2012). "Giants activate TE Beckum, cut OL Petrus". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
- "Patriots sign former Giants guard Petrus". NBC Sports Boston. November 13, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- "Patriots re-sign Stallworth after losing Edelman to injury". Reuters. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- Wilson, Aaron. "Titans IR Steve Hutchinson, claim Mitch Petrus". Scout NFL Network. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- "Mitch Petrus 2012 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- "Titans Waive S Jordan Babineaux, G Mitch Petrus". Tennessee Titans Online. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- "Mitch Petrus Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- https://people.com/sports/mitch-petrus-dies-heat-stroke/
- Gleeson, Scott (July 19, 2019). "Former New York Giants offensive lineman Mitch Petrus dies of heat stroke". USA TODAY.