Quick Facts
Biography
Placido Anthony Fiammetta (born August 22, 1986) is an American football fullback who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft (128th overall). He played college football for Syracuse.
Fiammetta has also played for the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and Chicago Bears.
Early years
Fiammetta was born in Kaneohe, Hawaii to parents Vince and Esther Fiammetta. He was raised in Walkersville, Maryland where he attended Walkersville High School. There, he played both football and lacrosse all four years, and wrestled for one year. As a senior, he played in just one game before breaking his leg. In that game he recorded 144 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries. During his high school career, he recorded 499 yards and 12 touchdowns on 60 carries.
SuperPrep named Fiammetta the 25th-ranked prospect in the Mid-Atlantic. PrepStar named him a 2003 All-East Region player. He was recruited by and attended Syracuse.
College career
Fiammetta sat out the 2004 season as a redshirt. In 2005, he played in ten games, mostly in a special teams role, but recorded no statistics. In 2006, he saw action in all 12 games and attempted eight carries for 15 yards. In 2007, he played in 11 games including 8 starts and made three carries for eight yards and 12 receptions for 75 yards.
In 2008, Fiammetta played in ten games and accumulated 66 yards on just five carries. He also recorded 16 receptions for 127 yards and one touchdown. In his final season game, he rushed 58 yards on one attempt against the Big East championship team, Cincinnati. Pro Football Weekly named Fiammetta the first-team All-American fullback. He was also invited to and participated in the 2009 Senior Bowl.
Professional career
2009 NFL Draft
The NFL Draft Countdown website predicted Fiammetta being selected in one of the middle rounds in the 2009 NFL Draft. They described him as an excellent blocker, but with limited ball-carrying experience. NFL Draft Scout rated had him as the number-one fullback out of 87 prospective draft picks. He had the most bench reps at the combine by a back with 30 and posted impressive overall numbers for his position.
| Ht | Wt | 40-yd dash | 10-yd split | 20-yd split | 20-ss | 3-cone | Vert | Broad | BP | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 0 in | 245 lb | 4.58 s | |||||||||||||||||
| All values from NFL Combine | |||||||||||||||||||
Carolina Panthers
Many scouting experts were right in their prediction on Tony's draft position, Fiammetta was drafted in the 4th round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. On September 3, 2011, after battling concussion issues, he was waived.
Dallas Cowboys
Fiammetta was claimed off waivers by the Dallas Cowboys on September 4, 2011, but was waived on September 7, to make room for Laurent Robinson. He was re-signed on September 13 and became a difference-making lead blocker for running back DeMarco Murray.
He was declared inactive after the ninth game with an undisclosed illness, which turned out to be an inner ear problem, that caused nausea, dizziness and that was likely related to a concussion. Without him for the rest of the season, the production of the running game suffered.
New England Patriots
On March 26, 2012, Fiammetta signed with the New England Patriots. He was placed on the left squad list on August 5, 2012, but will continue his NFL career in 2013. On March 18, 2013, Fiammetta was reactivated from the reserve/left squad list to the active roster. On April 29, 2013 the Patriots released Fiammetta.
Chicago Bears
On June 10, 2013, Fiammetta was signed by the Chicago Bears following Evan Rodriguez's release, and revived his career after appearing in all 16 games (seven starts). On December 28, he was signed a two-year contract extension. On August 22, 2014, he suffered a hamstring injury and was eventually released on September 12. Although he was brought back two days later, he was waived injured on September 25, because of recurring hamstring problems.