Cody Pickett

Early years

Born and raised in Caldwell, Idaho, Pickett was a four-sport athlete at Caldwell High School and graduated in 1999. He lettered in football, basketball, golf, and rodeo, in which he was a national champion. Originally recruited by Jim Lambright at Washington, Pickett accepted a scholarship from new head coach Rick Neuheisel to play for the Huskies.

Pickett's family home was located off Chicken Dinner Road, near Caldwell.

College career

As a true freshman at Washington in 1999, Pickett was the backup to starter Marques Tuiasosopo and saw limited action; he was granted a medical redshirt for an ailing back in the last half of the season. He was the backup again to Tuiasosopo in 2000; the Huskies went 11–1, won the Rose Bowl over Purdue, and finished third in the final polls.

Pickett was the starting quarterback at UW for three seasons 2001–03, where his primary target was wide receiver Reggie Williams. Rather than enter the 2003 NFL Draft in the spring, Pickett chose to return to Washington for his senior season at age 23. His senior season saw a head coaching change, as Neuheisel was dismissed in the summer of 2003 and replaced with Keith Gilbertson. He was considered a Heisman Trophy candidate and written up in Sports Illustrated, but a shoulder injury that year hurt his chances.

Awards and honors

Statistics

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Professional career

Pickett was selected in the seventh round (217th overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Pickett started the 2005 season as the fourth-string quarterback, but became the starter after Tim Rattay was traded, and Alex Smith and Ken Dorsey were injured. Pickett played on special teams most of the season, an unusual role for a quarterback. He also played safety and wide receiver during practice.

Pickett was traded on July 27, 2006 to the Houston Texans for a conditional draft pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. He was released by the Texans on September 1, 2006. Pickett was selected to the 2007 Rhein Fire NFL Europe team as a free agent and was their starting quarterback.

In July 2007, the Oakland Raiders signed Pickett to a one-year contract, but released him on August 1.

On September 18, 2007, Pickett was signed as a free agent by the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL. Pickett made his first CFL game appearance on September 12, 2008 against the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Rogers Centre in relief of starting quarterback Kerry Joseph. He made his first CFL start on September 20, 2008, against the Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium.

On August 11, 2009, head coach Bart Andrus named Cody Pickett as the starting quarterback for the team's next game, against the B.C. Lions.

On February 21, 2010, Pickett was released by the Argonauts. On March 8, 2010, Pickett was signed by the Montreal Alouettes. On June 7, 2010, Cody Pickett was released by the Montreal Alouettes. On June 15, 2010, Cody Pickett was signed by the Calgary Stampeders.

Following the 2010 CFL season, Pickett retired from pro football and returned to Idaho.

NFL statistics

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Personal life

Pickett's father is Dee Pickett, a championship roper on professional rodeo circuit and the 1984 World Champion Cowboy, inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in August 2003. Dee also played college football; a junior college transfer, he was the starting quarterback at Boise State in 1976 and 1977. Pickett in the off season coaches his younger sister's basketball team, Team 208, which is a travel team around the Boise, Idaho area.