Alec Pierce

Alec Matthew Pierce (born May 2, 2000) is an American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Cincinnati before the Colts selected him in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Early life
Pierce grew up in Glen Ellyn, Illinois and attended Glenbard West High School, where he played football, volleyball, basketball and ran track. His father, Greg Pierce, was a former tight end who played collegiately at Northwestern University.

As a senior, Alec caught 25 passes for 372 yards and five touchdowns with three sacks and four interceptions on defense and was named the Most Valuable Player of the West Suburban Conference Silver Division. Pierce was rated a three-star recruit and committed to play college football at Cincinnati over scholarship offers from 17 other programs.

College career
Pierce played mostly on special teams as a true freshman. He practiced at linebacker ahead of the team's appearance in the Military Bowl but ultimately did not play at that position. As a sophomore Pierce caught 37 passes for a team-high 652 yards and two touchdowns. He missed four games of his junior season due to a knee injury and finished the year with 17 receptions for 315 yards and three touchdowns. As a senior, Pierce caught 52 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns and was named second-team All-American Athletic Conference.

Professional career
Pierce was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round with the 53rd overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. On October 16, Pierce caught his first career touchdown in the Week 6 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Colts won the game 34–27. Pierce posted his best NFL game on NBC Sunday Night Football, notching team-highs in catches (four) and receiving yards (86) while adding his second-career touchdown. He finished his rookie season with 41 receptions for 593 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.

In Week 14 of the 2023 season against the Tennessee Titans, Pierce enjoyed his first career 100–yard game. He opened the game with a 36-yard touchdown on Indianapolis' first possession, and finished with 100 yards and a touchdown on six receptions. He finished the season as the Colts third-leading receiver with 32 catches for 514 yards and two touchdowns.

Additional reading

 * Andrew Moore, "Alec Pierce: Indianapolis Colts Rookie Files," Horseshoe Huddle, August 30, 2022.