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Florida high school football team adds former NFL running back to coaching staff

Lawrence Andrew Fernandezby:Lawrence Fernandez•06/16/25•

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Artavis Pierce - Florida high school football
© Jon Durr-Imagn Images

The Auburndale Bloodhounds, a Florida high school football program competing in Class 4A, added Artavis Pierce to their coaching staff. The team announced his hiring on X/Twitter, posting, “The Dog Pound just got an addition to the Coaching Staff! Help us Welcome Bloodhound Alumni Running Backs Coach @ap_juice2”

Pierce played Florida high school football at Auburndale. During his junior and senior years, he had combined numbers of 2,076 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on 271 carries over 21 games. He attended Oregon State for college and declared for the 2020 NFL Draft. However, no team selected him through seven rounds.

That’s not the end of his professional career, though, because the Chicago Bears signed him. It wasn’t a smooth ride because the Bears waived him during the final roster cuts before signing him to the practice squad.

He became a part of the active roster in Week 6 when the Bears played against the Carolina Panthers, mostly on special teams. Four weeks later, he had three carries for nine yards versus the Minnesota Vikings. Pierce scored his lone NFL touchdown in Week 16 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The following year, the former Florida high school football standout was waived, resigned to the practice squad, released, signed to the practice squad again, and ultimately released. In 2022, the Cleveland Browns signed him to their practice squad, but he did not make the active roster.

He finished his NFL career with six carries for 34 yards and a touchdown in six games. After his NFL stint, Pierce also played for the then-XFL’s DC Defenders and the Canadian Football League’s Edmonton Elks.

Pierce will try to help a Florda high school football team that finished the 2024-25 season with a 6-4 record. While the Bloodhounds started their campaign at 2-3, they completed the season by winning four of the last five games. Winning six games also gives Auburndale four consecutive seasons with a winning percentage of .500 or higher.