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I had seen most of this before but not the chainsaw bit.
Big talent comes in small package
Cal's J.J. Arrington may be the best runner no one's heard or seen.
By JEFFREY MARTIN
Daily Record/Sunday News
Friday, April 22, 2005
He was the only running back in the nation to run for 2,000 yards last season.
Ever heard of California's J.J. Arrington?
He nearly sliced off the big toe on his right foot seven years ago with a chain saw.
He was best known as a hard-hitting defensive back at Northern Nashville High in North Carolina.
He originally committed to Oregon while in junior college at the College of the Canyons, but his letter-of-intent was voided (more on that later) and he decided to sign with the Golden Bears.
He averaged seven yards a carry in 2004, earning first-team All-American honors in the process.
And now, with the NFL Draft a day away, J.J. Arrington is likely to be a second- or third-round pick, even though he's considered just a shade below the trio of Ronnie Brown, Carnell "Cadillac" Williams and Cedric Benson.
"I have no clue where I'll be drafted," Arrington told the San Francisco Chronicle.
For a team like the Philadelphia Eagles, who own the 31st and 35th picks in the draft, the 5-foot-9, 214-pound Arrington might be considered an upgrade over its present personnel. The Eagles worked him out individually, but so did Miami, Jacksonville and Tampa Bay.
All of those teams don't seem to mind that he's only 5-foot-9.
Of course, Kansas City's Priest Holmes, whom Arrington is often compared to, hasn't been slowed by a lack of height.
Besides, Arrington's 4.4 time in the 40 alleviated a lot of their concerns.
Others, however, remain unconvinced.
"I just wish he were a little bigger," Oakland Raiders scout Jon Kingdom told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Arrington, much like Holmes, runs with power between the tackles. He shows great acceleration and, even though it was a large part of Cal's offense, he has the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.
It's something he'll have to improve, but he has shown the willingness to work.
He used to chop wood with his father, joining him before and after school.
Perhaps that's why the colleges weren't interested.
Not heavily recruited in high school and with a low SAT score, Arrington traveled across to the country to California. At the College of the Canyons, he was hardly a star, but he performed well enough to attract Oregon and Cal.
He signed with the Ducks, but because the junior college signing deadline had passed and an Oregon assistant urged Arrington to wrongly sign his father's name and alter the date, the letter-of-intent was voided.
He ended up in Berkeley, where he sat for a year.
But last season, he became a star.
Maybe not a household name, but a legitimate star.
Maybe a second-round draft pick.
"I feel if I'm two inches taller, six feet, I'd be the first running back taken," said Arrington.
Reach Jeffrey Martin at 771-2080 or [email protected]
Big talent comes in small package
Cal's J.J. Arrington may be the best runner no one's heard or seen.
By JEFFREY MARTIN
Daily Record/Sunday News
Friday, April 22, 2005
He was the only running back in the nation to run for 2,000 yards last season.
Ever heard of California's J.J. Arrington?
He nearly sliced off the big toe on his right foot seven years ago with a chain saw.
He was best known as a hard-hitting defensive back at Northern Nashville High in North Carolina.
He originally committed to Oregon while in junior college at the College of the Canyons, but his letter-of-intent was voided (more on that later) and he decided to sign with the Golden Bears.
He averaged seven yards a carry in 2004, earning first-team All-American honors in the process.
And now, with the NFL Draft a day away, J.J. Arrington is likely to be a second- or third-round pick, even though he's considered just a shade below the trio of Ronnie Brown, Carnell "Cadillac" Williams and Cedric Benson.
"I have no clue where I'll be drafted," Arrington told the San Francisco Chronicle.
For a team like the Philadelphia Eagles, who own the 31st and 35th picks in the draft, the 5-foot-9, 214-pound Arrington might be considered an upgrade over its present personnel. The Eagles worked him out individually, but so did Miami, Jacksonville and Tampa Bay.
All of those teams don't seem to mind that he's only 5-foot-9.
Of course, Kansas City's Priest Holmes, whom Arrington is often compared to, hasn't been slowed by a lack of height.
Besides, Arrington's 4.4 time in the 40 alleviated a lot of their concerns.
Others, however, remain unconvinced.
"I just wish he were a little bigger," Oakland Raiders scout Jon Kingdom told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Arrington, much like Holmes, runs with power between the tackles. He shows great acceleration and, even though it was a large part of Cal's offense, he has the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.
It's something he'll have to improve, but he has shown the willingness to work.
He used to chop wood with his father, joining him before and after school.
Perhaps that's why the colleges weren't interested.
Not heavily recruited in high school and with a low SAT score, Arrington traveled across to the country to California. At the College of the Canyons, he was hardly a star, but he performed well enough to attract Oregon and Cal.
He signed with the Ducks, but because the junior college signing deadline had passed and an Oregon assistant urged Arrington to wrongly sign his father's name and alter the date, the letter-of-intent was voided.
He ended up in Berkeley, where he sat for a year.
But last season, he became a star.
Maybe not a household name, but a legitimate star.
Maybe a second-round draft pick.
"I feel if I'm two inches taller, six feet, I'd be the first running back taken," said Arrington.
Reach Jeffrey Martin at 771-2080 or [email protected]