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A second-round draft pick in 2005 out of Cal (44th overall); started five games at running back in his rookie season and saw his greatest contributions in 2006 as a kickoff returner.
Became the first Cardinal since 2003 (Josh Scobey, 9/28 at StL) to return a kickoff for a TD when he took the opening kickoff 99 yards at Minnesota on 11/26/06. It was just the second TD on the return of an opening kickoff in franchise history (Roy Shivers, 9/25/66).
His 220 kickoff return yards at Minnesota last season were the second-most in team history (Scobey, 9/28/03 at StL) and his 1,520 kickoff return yards in 2006 marked the third-highest single-season total in team history.
Was the nation’s top rusher in terms yardage (2,018) and yards/carry (7.0) in his senior year at Cal.
Pro Career:
Selected in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft (44th overall) by the Cardinals. Rushed 112 times for 370 yards and two touchdowns while catching 25 passes for 139 yards in his rookie campaign. Became the team’s primary kickoff return man during the 2006 season and became the first Cardinal player to return a kickoff for a TD since Josh Scobey returned one 100 yards @ St. Louis on 9/28/03, a span of 55 games.
2006: Took over the kickoff return duties in his second season, while also providing relief to Edgerrin James at running back had two carries for 11 yards and returned five kickoffs for 124 yards in the season opener vs. SF (9/10) returned two kickoffs for 37 yards, pulled in two receptions for eight yards and had his first career special teams tackle @ Oak (10/22) ... became the first Cardinal return man since 2003 to return a kickoff for a TD (Josh Scobey, 100-yard return @ St. Louis 9/28/03) when he returned the opening kickoff 99-yards @ Min (11/26); strong safety Adrian Wilson’s 99-yard fumble return in the fourth quarter made the tandem only the second in NFL history to combine for two 99-yard TDs in the same game; totaled six returns for a career high 220 yards, which ranks second all-time in Cardinals history for a single game returned six kickoffs for 149 yards and collected one special teams tackle vs. Den (12/17) returned three kickoffs for 47 yards and caught one pass for a career long 19 yards @ SF (12/24).
2005: Saw action early and often in his rookie season, appearing in 15 games with five starts in his NFL debut, rushed eight times for five yards @ NYG (9/11) declared inactive due to a stomach virus vs. StL (9/18) broke a season and career-long run in the second quarter vs. Ten (10/23) for 32 yards; finished the day with five rushes for 30 yards had his best rushing day as a pro carrying the ball five times for 40 yards vs. Sea (11/6); caught four passes for 22 yards recorded his first career touchdown and scored the Cardinals first rushing touchdown of the season @ Det (11/13) on a one-yard run in the third quarter scored his second rushing touchdown in as many weeks with a seven-yard jaunt @ StL (11/20) to give the Cards a 38-20 lead rushed six times for 39 yards including a 26-yard burst vs. Jax (11/27) set new single-game career-highs in rushing attempts (18) and yards (59) @ SF (12/4).
College:
Played two seasons at California after playing Junior College football at the College of the Canyons (CA) from 2001-02 was the country’s top rusher and only back to top 2,000 rushing yards in 2004 ... not only led the NCAA in total rushing yards and yards per carry, but was also the only player to rush for 100+ yards in every game; also gained the most yards by a Pac-10 rusher since Marcus Allen of Southern California totaled 2,427 yards in 1981 consensus All-American first team choice as a senior by The NFL Draft Report, Associated Press, The Sporting News, Football Writers Association, Sports Illustrated and ESPN all-Pac 10 Conference first team choice recipient of the Pop Warner Award, given to the best player in college football on the West Coast set a conference season-record by averaging 7.0 yards per carry joined Southern California’s Marcus Allen (2,427 in 1981) and Charles White (2,050 in 1979) as the only players in Pac-10 history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season carried 289 times for 2,018 yards and a school season-record fifteen touchdowns caught 21 passes for 121 yards and amassed 2,139 all-purpose yards was the first Cal player to win the Pac-10 rushing title since Joe Kapp in 1958 led the Pac-10 with 168.2 yards rushing per game, more than 64 yards better than the conference’s second best rusher (Oregon’s Terrence Whitehead) ranked sixth in the NCAA with 178.25 yards per game all-purpose running surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing plateau in seventh game, the fastest ever at Cal had 12 consecutive 100+ yard games in 2004, a new school record (4, Chuck Muncie, 1975), and broke the Pac-10 single-season record in the Holiday Bowl for most 100-yard games (11, Marcus Allen, 1981) attended the College of the Canyons (CA) from 2001-02 rushed for 769 yards and 19 touchdowns in only 135 carries in 2002, while also catching 30 passes for 320 yards and four additional scores added 549 yards and ten scores on 96 rushes (5.7 avg) in 2001 his 19 rushing touchdowns in 2002 and 29 career rushing scores during his two-year stint were both school records also set or tied school marks for touchdowns in a game (5, twice) and season (23), and points in a game (30, twice), season (138) and career (198).
Personal:
Full name Johnathan Jerone Arrington lettered as a tailback at Northern Nash (Rocky Mount, N.C.) High School played his first two years of high school at cornerback before switching to running back as a junior was an all-state performer in track as a senior while running the 4x100 and 4x400-meter relays Social Welfare major. | 