By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director
PIEDMONT – There was a time where Piedmont senior wide receiver Rollie Pinto thought about giving up on football.
It was after he suffered a season-ending left ACL injury in the fourth game of his sophomore season against Ohatchee.
“I tried to just do too much getting out of bounds,” Pinto said. “I kind of juked when I could’ve just run straight out of bounds. When I juked, I just planted and tried to juke the guy out of bounds. That’s when it happened.”
It took some time for Pinto to get over his injury – both physically and emotionally.
The summer before Pinto’s junior year was when Piedmont assistant football and head boys basketball coach Matt Glover had a little talk with him.
“When we had workouts at football, I just wouldn’t go to them because I just didn’t see myself playing. I didn’t want to experience that again,” Pinto said. “I talked with Coach Glover, and he was like ‘You need to play. It’ll be the best decision you ever made.’”
It’s a decision that’s now led Pinto to sign a scholarship with Jacksonville State. Piedmont celebrated his signing with the Gamecocks on Friday afternoon with a ceremony in the lobby of the high school gym.
Pinto’s signing was possible by the vengeance he pushed back with from his injury.
In his first game back following rehab in 2024, he caught 20 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ 34-27 season-opening victory at Cherokee County. His 20 catches tied him for the second most all-time in state history and fell just two short of the AHSAA single-game state record (22) set by of Dora’s Stevie Woods against Oak Grove in 2010.
The Cherokee County game was a precursor for things to come for Pinto.
By season’s end, he set a new AHSAA single season record with 1,826 receiving yards, breaking the mark former Westbrook Christian standout Brandon Greer set in 1998 (1,736 yards).
Pinto had an encore performance with his just recently completed senior season. He once again eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark with 60 catches and 17 touchdowns in leading the Bulldogs (13-1) to their second straight Class 3A state semifinal appearance.
For his career, Pinto had 220 receptions for 3,639 yards and 47 touchdowns. He also ran for 1,022 yards on 89 carries with 14 scores, had 36 kickoff returns for 948 yards and three touchdowns, and 25 punt returns for 654 yards and five touchdowns.
“I’m going to miss football on Fridays playing for Piedmont,” he said. “It hit me hard after we lost (at Mars Hill) in the fourth round. I’m still kind of thinking about it. It’s a surreal moment, but I’m just very blessed that I continue to put the helmet and shoulder pads on.”
Pinto’s pinball numbers and acrobatic plays his junior and senior years won’t soon to be forgotten by the Bulldog faithful, but even more remarkable to Piedmont head coach Jonathan Miller is the example of perseverance Pinto leaves behind.
“In late July (of Pinto’s junior year) when he got comfortable and we were ready to start practice, we were out on the field 7-on-7, and you could tell it finally clicked in his head that I’m going to be OK,” Miller said. “The rest of that day, he just proceeded to kill our defense. I told the coaches walking off the field, I said ‘He’s about to have a big year.’
“His perseverance through the injury, the way he attacked the rehab and things like that, he showed our team if you face an obstacle or hurdle, something good can come out of that adversity if you attack it and work hard. I think that’s a big lesson he leaves for our kids.”
And now, Pinto is hoping to make just as big a difference for the Gamecocks.
“(JSU) Coach (Charles) Kelly said he’s not scared to play freshmen. If you’re good enough to play you’ll play,” Pinto said. “I just keep that in mind, what I have to do. I’ve just got to work hard and just be myself, not be afraid. I think I’ll be all right.”
Miller feels the same way.
“I think it’s a good fit for him. He’s a kid who I think will have a shot to play early,” Miller said. “He’s got a really good catch radius. He makes tough, contested catches. I think that’s the best way to describe him. He’s probably the best I’ve been around during my coaching career. That’s a special trait to have. That’s something that will help him tremendously in college because there are tight windows. Quarterbacks are being pressured and they’ve just got to fit it in wherever they can. I think he’s going to be a quarterback’s best friend because of the way he can make those contested catches.
“As soon as he gets comfortable, gets his feet wet a little bit, he’s going to take off. He’s special with the ball in his hands in a variety of different ways. I think they (JSU) understand that. They’ll use him the way he needs to be used.”
