“Got to be strong mentally:” Mycah Pittman offers insight into injury, recovery

Florida State wide receiver Mycah Pittman was one of several players that head coach Mike Norvell recently announced would miss all or most of spring.

In 2022, the Oregon transfer established himself as a key part of the Seminoles football team — not just on offense, but as a steady hand on special teams and a major locker room presence.

In a video posted on his YouTube page, which he has used as a way to both establish camaraderie with fans and to build his brand in order to generate NIL income, Pittman offered insight into the injury that is set to keep him out of spring camp and possibly longer.

“Your boy is going to be out for four to six months,” Pittman estimated, speaking during the portion of the vlog taking place ahead of his surgery. “I do not know if I will be able to make it back during the season*, but we have a great training staff and we have great people around me that’s going to help me try and get back.”

(*Note: Pittman says later in the video, as quoted below, that he is attempting to make it back for LSU, which would fit within the four to six months time frame he mentioned.)

He shared that the injury was a full labral tear in his hip labrum, which he thinks happened early last fall camp. As a result, he played through it during the 2023 season, pushing through the pain under the assumption it was a less significant injury.

“It was tough — we thought it was a strain for the longest time. It was a lot of clicking a lot of stuff that was going on in my hip that didn’t feel right.”

“But football’s football man. If you love football, you’re going to get through a lot of things you don’t want to get through.”

The latter half of the video showcases the surgery process and post-operation thoughts from Pittman, who is trying to maintain the proper mindset ahead of a long road back to the field.

“Got to be strong mentally, seriously, because it’s really hard for me sometimes. Hopefully, I can make it back for LSU and that’ll be a great time, because I know those guys have a great team and a lot of people are going to be watching.”

From Pittman’s Florida State bio:

Played in all 13 games with seven starts…made 32 receptions for 330 yards and three touchdowns, returned 18 punts for 169 yards, rushed seven times for 35 yards and added 13-yard kickoff return…honorable mention All-ACC specialist…Phil Steele third-team All-ACC punt returner…Crenshaw Award recipient…FSU’s Special Teams Newcomer of the Year…Seminole Scholar…ranked second in ACC and 15th nationally with average of 9.4 yards per punt return…totaled career-high 85 receiving yards and career-best two receiving touchdowns on career-high-tying five receptions vs. No. 22 Wake Forest…also had career-long 34-yard punt return as part of career-best 119 all-purpose yards vs. Demon Deacons…caught four passes for 34 yards and one touchdown and added 13-yard kickoff return at No. 14 NC State…made four catches for 44 yards and had seven-yard punt return in season-opening 47-7 win vs. Duquesne…had three catches for 45 yards and seven-yard rush in 24-23 win vs. LSU…made seven-yard reception and returned two punts for nine yards in 35-31 win at Louisville…caught four passes for 45 yards and added 18-yard punt return in 44-14 win vs. Boston College…returned two punts for 30 yards and had six-yard reception vs. No. 4 Clemson…caught three passes for 22 yards, returned two punts for 23 yards and had two-yard rush in 41-16 win vs. Georgia Tech…totaled 67 all-purpose yards in 38-3 win at Syracuse, returning five punts for 35 yards, catching three passes for 17 yards and rushing once for 15 yards…logged two carries for 10 yards in 49-17 win vs. Louisiana…caught 12-yard pass and totaled seven yards on two punt returns in 45-38 victory vs. Florida…made three receptions for 13 yards and added two-yard rush in 35-32 Cheez-It Bowl win vs. Oklahoma…returned one punt for six yards in 45-3 victory at Miami.