High School

Carolina Panthers' Eddy Pineiro Mentors Younger Brother Adam in Quest for College Football Scholarship

Adam Pineiro, a standout kicker and punter at St. Brendan High School, aims for Division I football with guidance from NFL veteran Eddy Pineiro
Jeff Hawkins|
St. Brendan (Florida) kicker Adam Pineiro, the younger brother of Carolina Panthers kicker Eddy Pineiro, is getting NFL-style mentoring from his older brother in hopes of earning a college scholarship.
St. Brendan (Florida) kicker Adam Pineiro, the younger brother of Carolina Panthers kicker Eddy Pineiro, is getting NFL-style mentoring from his older brother in hopes of earning a college scholarship. | Adam Pineiro Hudl

Carolina Panthers kicker Eddy Pineiro has a prized pupil, his younger brother, Adam.

Last summer, the Miami-based brothers spent extra time working out, helping the younger Pineiro increase his chances of earning a scholarship offer.

“He’s grinding,” Pineiro said Monday while packing up his locker following the Panthers’ NFL season. “Still kicking, trying to get an offer.”

Eddy Pineiro
Carolina Panthers place kicker Eddy Pineiro (4) kicks a 53-yard field goal out of the hold of punter Johnny Hekker (10) against the New York Giants in the first half during the 2024 NFL Munich Game at Allianz Arena. Mandatory, Nov. 10, 2024. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Adam Pineiro earned two varsity letters at St. Brendan (Florida) High School, collecting 39 career points, according to MaxPreps.com.

As a 6-foot-1, 200-pound senior, Pineiro registered 18 points, connecting on one of five field-goal attempts and 15 of 17 point-after attempts (PATs) last season for the Sabres (6-6).

Pineiro also handled kickoff and punting duties. On 52 career punts, he averaged 32.7 yards per punt, with a long of 56. He landed seven within the 20-yard line.

“I think he’s very talented,” Eddy Pineiro said. “He’s a Divison I kicker. He’s looking for a school.”

Sacramento State appeared to be one possible destination, but a coaching change altered those plans, Pineiro said.

“We just gotta figure it out,” Pineiro said.

One option could be the junior college route.

“JUCO doesn’t sound bad,” he said. “We’ll see.”

The elder Pineiro, who held the NFL’s all-time field-goal efficiency rating for a few weeks this season, connected on 22 of 26 field goals for the Panthers (5-12). Over his five-year NFL career, the former University of Florida standout missed 15 of 126 field-goal attempts (88.1 percent).

As a high school senior in 2015, Pineiro was ranked the No. 1 kicker in Korn Blue Kicking’s Fab 50 National Rankings.

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Jeff Hawkins
JEFF HAWKINS

Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in print and digital media. A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2023-24 and 2011-12), NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003). His minor-league coverage included the UHL’s Adirondack IceHawks (1999-2003), Northeast League’s Adirondack Lumberjacks (1997-99) and South Atlantic League’s Hickory Crawdads (1993-95). Hawkins penned four youth sports books and away from the laptop, his main hobbies include mountain bike riding and live music. He has been writing for High School On SI since 2024.

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