Reinventing Arrington Running back experiencing renaissance with CardsBy DARREN URBANThe run was for just one yard, and other than the fact it was for a touchdown, it was a non-descript play in a soon-to-be-forgotten preseason game.But it may have been a watershed moment for J.J. Arrington.The former second-round draft pick plunged into and through the line for the score, a large step forward from the player who once raised eyebrows by ducking under a Sean Taylor hit on a crucial fourth-and-short play as a rookie.Arrington carries himself differently on the field these days. That happens when the coach that drafted you is no longer around and your NFL mortality is in sight heading into your third season.“I think it started in the offseason,” fellow running back Marcel Shipp said. “That put a lot of pressure on him. He knew it was time to step up and be the guy everyone wanted him to be.”Arrington won’t go that far. He sees his maturation as a natural progression.“The game has slowed down a lot,” Arrington said. “I just feel like I am back, for me seeing the game, in college. I feel I know everything so I can play faster. When you know everything, there is no second-guessing."The second-guessing over Arrington was plentiful for a while. Handed the starting job as a rookie, he gained just 370 yards and was displaced by Shipp at the end of a season punctuated by his coming up short against Taylor and the Redskins.Last season, Arrington had just 14 carries all season (for just 19 yards) although he did emerge as a viable kickoff returner.He also hurt his knee in the season finale at San Diego. He said he couldn’t run for three months resting a small tear in a knee ligament (surgery was not necessary), and after already playing a little heavy at 218 pounds in 2006, his weight ballooned to 226 pounds when offseason conditioning began.Arrington, who already had to prove himself on the field, had to prove himself off the field as well. Strength and conditioning coach John Lott let Arrington know he wasn’t where he needed to be – Arrington smiles and says Lott bluntly told him he was “fat.”By the time camp opened, Arrington was ready to play at 207 pounds, eight pounds lighter than he played in college. He also looked like a new player on the field.In both training camp and in preseason games, Arrington seemed to run with a new purpose. He has rushed for 93 yards on 23 carries, a 4.0 average, broke off a 70-yard kickoff return against the Chargers last week and has even shown improvement in his blocking.He has just one catch but expects to be used in third down situations during the season as a receiver and “I don’t think they want to show that too much right now,” Arrington said.“In situations where he has had opportunities, he has stepped up,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “That’s a credit to what he did in the offseason. He lost some weight, worked hard and I’m glad for him to see those things paying off. It shows on the field.”For instance, his short touchdown run against the Chargers, in which he grinded out the final three yards on the ground on two carries – an effort that many would not have expected in previous years.“The more experience you get in anything,” Arrington said, “the better you get.”
I noticed quietly last year behind the scenes he was looking pretty good.
I noticed quietly last year behind the scenes he was looking pretty good.
