Dameon Pierce

Dameon Pierce (born February 19, 2000) is an American football running back for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida and was drafted by the Texans in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Early years
Pierce grew up in Bainbridge, Georgia and attended Bainbridge High School. As a senior, he rushed for 2,123 yards and 32 touchdowns. Pierce finished his high school career with 6,779 rushing yards and 92 total touchdowns scored. He was rated a four-star recruit and committed to play college football at Florida over offers from Alabama, Florida State, Miami (FL), Georgia, South Carolina, and Auburn.

College career
Pierce rushed for 424 yards and two touchdowns on 69 carries in his freshman season. As a sophomore, he rushed 305 yards and four touchdowns. Pierce also played on special teams during his first two seasons. As a junior, he led the Gators with 503 rushing yards and four touchdowns and caught 17 passes for 156 yards and one touchdown. Pierce gained 574 yards and scored 13 touchdowns on 100 carries and also caught 19 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns in his senior season.

2022
Pierce was selected by the Houston Texans with the 107th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. After final roster cuts, Pierce was named the first-string running back for the 2022 season.

Pierce made his NFL debut in Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts. He had 11 carries for 33 rushing yards in the 20–20 tie. In Week 3, against the Chicago Bears, he scored his first professional touchdown on a one-yard rush. The following week, against the Los Angeles Chargers, Pierce broke out with 14 carries for 131 yards and one touchdown, which was a 75-yard rush. In Week 9, against the Philadelphia Eagles, he had 27 carries for 139 rushing yards in the 29–17 loss. His season was cut short by an ankle injury in the fourth quarter of week 13 against the Dallas Cowboys. He finished his rookie season with 939 rushing yards and four touchdowns, along with 30 catches for 165 yards and one touchdown through 13 games and starts.

2023
Due to struggles in 2023, Pierce lost the first-string running back job to Devin Singletary. On December 24, 2023, Pierce returned a kickoff for a 98-yard touchdown against the Cleveland Browns in the 36-22 loss. Pierce finished the season with only 416 rushing yards averaging 2.8 yards per carry, along with only two touchdowns, both down from his rookie season. Pierce also had 13 catches for 101 yards, and no touchdowns.