North Gwinnett News

Any time you are put in the same sentence as the great Mike Ditka, you know you have done something right on the football field.

This was the case for rookie tight end Kyle Pitts of the Atlanta Falcons, who became the second tight end in NFL history to hit the 1,000-yard mark, coming just shy of Ditka's record, ESPN reported. His peers and coaches feel this is just the beginning of a great career.

"He's been exactly who we thought he was," coach Arthur Smith told ESPN. "He's impacted games immensely. Even [when] the ball hasn't found his way."

The historic play came on a 61-yard pass, and the star tight end managed 1,018 receiving yards, which is 58 yards less than Ditka's record set in 1961, ESPN reported. Pitts has 68 catches and a 15.1 yards-per-reception average this season.

His only knock so far has been his inability to score touchdowns, as he has only one score on the season, ESPN reported. He has, however, had nine games of more than 50 yards and three games of more than 100 yards receiving.

Pitts, the No.4 pick in last year's draft, has quickly established himself as one of the top tight ends in the game as he became the first rookie tight end to make the Pro Bowl since Jeremy Shockey of the New York Giants did it in 2002, ESPN reported.

Not only did Pitts reach the 1,000-yard milestone, but he also became the all-time leading rookie receiver for Atlanta on the same passing play, breaking the record that was set by star wideout Julio Junes a decade ago, ESPN reported. Earlier in the season against the Detroit Lions, he passed Tony Gonzalez for the most receiving yards in a season by a Falcons tight end. This puts him in great company in the record books.

Pitts told ESPN that he thought the 1,000-yard mark would be difficult when he started the season, but his teammates — such as quarterback Matt Ryan — and Smith have helped him immensely.