By ROBERT L. LEE

RESERVE – “The big question is whether he’ll be drafted or sign as a free agent,” said East St. John High School coach Gregg Duvall about former Wildcat and Florida Gators standout Thomas Pittman.

After almost a year since he announced he would try out for the National Football League and exactly one month after his visit to Louisiana State University’s Pro Day, Pittman, 22, will have to wait and see whether he gets the all-important phone call or if he will have to become a free agent.

During the last month, Pittman, a Garyville native, has worked out with the New Orleans Saints’ officials twice and has not only heard encouraging comments from the home team, but also from the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans. The latter teams have all held a number of conversations with Pittman and although their exact intentions are not spelled out, Duvall maintained the comments were positive.

“They don’t tell you much upfront, they kind of keep you in the dark,” said Duvall, who has been training Pittman at East St. John. “We can’t get too excited because we don’t know exactly what’s on these people’s minds, but they have seen films and made inquiries to Pittman’s agent.”

All of the inquires and speculation ceased Sunday, one week before the draft begins on April 20. In this interval and especially the upcoming weekend, Pittman will need to be in arm’s reach of a phone, waiting to pick up the call from his new team or to ensure he is watching when his name is picked into the NFL.

Pittman said he knows some of the other players in the draft lineup have more experience than he does, because he only played one year of college football with the Gators after three years of baseball with the Montreal Expos, but said he is confident his talent will be obvious once teams meet him and see his tapes. As far as picking a particular team or position he favors, he said he simply wants to get his foot in the stadium door with any NFL team.

“Any team that’s interested in me, I’m interested in them,” Pittman continued.

“His position with a team depends on what their need is and that changes with every selection,” said Duvall. “We are confident he will be in the NFL next year, whether he is drafted or signs as a free agent.”

Pittman began playing football alongside baseball for the Wildcats and during his senior year, signed his intent to join Auburn’s football team. During that same year, he entered into the draft for baseball, where the Expos selected him as their first round, 45th pick. Pittman decided to continue his baseball career on first base with the Expos and signed onto a three-year contract.

However, he said after three years in Canada and across the northern United States, he missed the gridiron and stopping other teams’ offensives.

When his three years were up, he had the choice to continue with the Expos or make the move back to football. It just so happened one of his original first picks for college, the Florida Gators, were visiting East St. John to draft another player. Pittman mentioned he would like another shot to join and the Gators granted him a scholarship to join as a freshman. As part of the Gators, Pittman found himself in the SEC championship game and competing in the Sugar Bowl.

He discussed staying with the Gators for another season, but decided to try his chances with other players his age in the NFL draft.