Clinton Portis

Portis during the 2007 season.
No. --     Free Agent
Running back
Personal information
Date of birth: (1981-09-01) September 1, 1981 (age 30)
Place of birth: Laurel, Mississippi
Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) Weight: 217 lb (98 kg)
Career information
College: University of Miami
NFL Draft: 2002 / Round: 2 / Pick: 51
Debuted in 2002 for the Denver Broncos
Career history
Denver Broncos (2002–2003) Washington Redskins (2004-2010)
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2002) PFWA Offensive Rookie of the Year (2002) 2× Pro Bowl selection (2003, 2008) 1× All-Pro selection (2008) 2007 Fedex Ground Player Of The Week (Week 17) 3× 2008 Ground Player Of The Week (Week 5) Week 7) and (Week 8)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2010
Rushing yards 9,923 Rushing average 4.4 Rushing TDs 75 Stats at NFL.com

Clinton Earl Portis (born September 1, 1981) is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami.

Portis played seven seasons as the starting running back for the Washington Redskins.

College career[link]

This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (October 2008)

Portis starred at the University of Miami. He considered going to the University of South Carolina but a fight that he had at Gainesville High School had his scholarship taken away. He became just the second true freshman to start at running back since the 1975 season. Portis set a school freshman record with five 100-yard performances, and led the team with 838 yards and eight touchdowns on 143 carries (5.9 avg.) in 10 games. He also caught four passes for 44 yards (11.0 avg.) and 2 touchdowns. When Portis was still a relative unknown, Lee Corso singled out Portis's performance during a defeat by Florida State for hustling and never giving up, saying "that kid can play for me any time".

Portis' sophomore season was not as successful as he lost his job to James Jackson and rushed for 485 yards and two touchdowns on 77 carries (6.3 avg.) in eight games. He also added 103 yards on five receptions (20.6 avg.).

However, Portis bounced back in 2001 as the Hurricanes won the National Championship and Portis had his best season rushing for 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns on 220 carries (5.5 avg.). He also added 125 receiving yards. In the Rose Bowl against Nebraska, Portis ran for 104 yards and a touchdown. He also had a long touchdown reception called back on a holding call.

Professional career[link]

2002 NFL Draft[link]

Portis was drafted by the Denver Broncos with the 51st overall pick in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft.

(* represents NFL Combine)

Denver Broncos[link]

Portis rushed for over 1,500 yards in each of his first two seasons with the Broncos, averaging 5.5 yards per carry in that span. The latter is an NFL record for a running back's first two seasons. On December 12, 2002, Portis became the youngest player (21 years, 105 days) to score 4 touchdowns in a game in a 31-24 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. The very next season on December 7, 2003, Portis became the youngest player (22 years, 97 days) to score 5 touchdowns in a game.

Trade[link]

Before the 2004 season, the Broncos traded Portis to the Redskins for cornerback Champ Bailey and a second-round draft pick in the 2004 NFL Draft which the Broncos used to select Tatum Bell (and Bell wore Portis's number 26 in Denver). The Redskins signed Portis to an eight-year contract worth $50.5 million. At that time, there were criticisms regarding the trade, namely that shut-down corners like Bailey were hard to come by and that adding a second-round pick for Portis was too much and one-sided. Critics also felt that Portis was simply a product of the Broncos' O-line scheme, and would not have much success in Washington, which was usually suited to more physical, power runners (such as Stephen Davis or John Riggins).

Washington Redskins[link]

In the 2004 season, he had to adjust to coach Joe Gibbs' style of running, which consists of mostly power running. Despite taking his first Redskins carry 64 yards for a TD in the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it was a somewhat rough adjustment for Portis because Denver's running style consisted of stretch runs and runs to the outside. The adjustment was made rougher by an offensive line that was depleted mainly due to injuries. He finished 2004 with 1,315 yards for a 3.8 yard rushing average. He had an especially tough time finding the end zone, finishing with eight total touchdowns (5 rushing, 2 receiving, and one passing). However, Portis bounced back in the 2005 season. Although Gibbs still ran a power style of football, he implemented more outside running plays into the Redskins rushing attack to better suit Portis' style of running. Portis had a much better season, proving that he can run inside as well as to the outside and was a better pass-blocker. Although he did not get into the end zone until the fifth game of the season, he finished strong and had 12 total touchdowns (11 rushing and one passing). On a 14-yard run against the Philadelphia Eagles on January 1, 2006, he broke the Redskins' franchise record for the most rushing yards in a season with 1,516 yards and tied the most 100+ yard games in a season (5). He ended the game with 112 rushing yards. By rushing for 1,516 yards, he became only the third runner in league history to reach 1,500 yards in three of his first four seasons.

Portis demonstrated his speed during the 2006 Redskins training camp, running a 4.26 second 40-yard dash. Shortly following that, on August 13, 2006, Portis suffered a partially dislocated shoulder in the first quarter of a Week 1 pre-season game after tackling Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Keiwan Ratliff following a Bengals interception. After the injury, Portis said: "I don't know why myself or any other player of my caliber should be playing in the preseason." He added, "I think for the last four years I've done enough to show the world I'm going to be ready for the season."

There was no immediate indication from the Redskins as to when Portis might return to active playing status.^[4] However, he returned early into the Redskins' Monday Night Football game against the Minnesota Vikings, where he gained 39 yards on 10 carries with one touchdown. The Redskins lost 19-16, the clock expiring as Redskins kicker John Hall missed wide left on a field goal. Portis rebounded the last two weeks with 16 carries for 86 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Houston Texans, and 27 carries for 112 yards and a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Nagged by injuries all season, Portis suffered another setback in the first quarter of the Redskins' November 12 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Portis left the game with a hand injury and was replaced by backup Ladell Betts. X-rays revealed that Portis broke his right hand during the game. He was operated on and placed on the Redskins' Injured Reserve list three days later, on November 15.^[5]

Redskins agreed to guarantee Portis' 2008-2009 and a large portion of his 2010 base salaries in March. This will equal up to $15 million dollars in guarantees. Portis, also got a $9.32 million "signing bonus" upon restructuring.^[6]

2007[link]

In May 2007, Portis weighed in on the recent legal problems Michael Vick started to embroil himself in, the upcoming charges would include dogfighting, which is a felony. Portis took a controversial view of the situation stating, "I don't know if he was fighting dogs or not, but it's his property, it's his dog," Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis told WAVY-TV in Virginia. "If that's what he wants to do, do it. I think people should mind their business."^[7] He further went on to state in the same interview that "I know a lot of back roads that have the dog fighting if you want to go see it." Later that same Monday, he released a statement through the Redskins' website quickly backtracking on his previous statements, "In the recent interview I gave concerning dog fighting, I want to make it clear I do not take part in dog fighting or condone dog fighting in any manner."

2008[link]

In 2008, Portis fell just short of what would have been his fourth 1500 yard rushing season in seven years, finishing with 1487 yards and an average of 4.3 yards per carry. His season was highlighted by a five week stretch in which Portis gained nearly 700 yards, ending in an October 26 victory over the Detroit Lions. During this span Clinton Portis joined O.J. Simpson as the only players in NFL history to rush for at least 120 yards in five consecutive games twice in a career (Portis first did it over two seasons with four games with Denver in 2003 and one game with Washington in 2004). Portis led the NFL in rushing as late as November 23 before nagging injuries and limited playing time slowed him down; he gained only 281 yards in his final five games as the Redskins lost four of five to miss the playoffs. Despite this, he was selected to the Pro Bowl over DeAngelo Williams, despite Williams having better stats at the end of the season.

Some controversy was caused on December 9, 2008 when Clinton Portis made negative statements about Redskins coach Jim Zorn in his weekly appearance on WTEM-AM radio, criticizing Zorn for giving inconsistent messages and sarcastically calling him a "genius." Portis was still smarting from his lack of playing time in Sunday's 24-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, when he was removed from the game after the first series of the second half. ^[8] In the offseason, Portis stated that he tried to forge a better relationship with Zorn, but admitted that he did not have the rapport that he shared with former head coach Joe Gibbs, which he classified as a "great relationship,"^[9] and stated that Gibbs was "one of the best men as far as guidance, or the way he lives his life, an example of a true champion."^[10]

2009[link]

During a Week 9 game versus the Atlanta Falcons, Portis suffered a concussion. The hit caused Portis to lose consciousness and leave the game. Portis missed four consecutive games with concussion-like symptoms. Portis went to see a specialist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on December 1, 2009. It was reported that on December 8, Portis was officially placed on injured reserve.

2010[link]

The start of the 2010 season saw the reunion of Portis and newly-appointed coach, Mike Shanahan, Portis' former coach from his first two career seasons with the Denver Broncos. Despite a positive outlook with a new coaching staff, injuries continued to plague Portis as he had to deal with abdomen and groin injuries. During his seventh year as a Redskin, Portis played only five games and tallied only 227 yards rushing throughout the season, which included two touchdowns. Both touchdowns were scored in the September 19 home game versus the Houston Texans. Despite the mildly impressive showing, the Redskins lost in overtime, 27-30.

2011[link]

On February 28, 2011, Portis was released by the Redskins after failed contract re-negotiations and repeated injuries. Following his release, Portis felt that passion had been missing from the team since Gibbs retired, saying, "I never seen nobody give up or with their head down with Coach Gibbs. As many close games as we played...you can't say one time that we gave up. There was a passion and toughness amongst everybody on that field to fight until time expired."^[11]

Personal life[link]

Portis is the cousin of current Seattle Seahawks quarterback Josh Portis.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Clinton Portis Official Web Site.
• Clinton Portis stats.
• Washington Post Local Edition [1].
• ESPN News [2].

LaVar RaShad Arrington (born June 30, 1978) is a former American college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League for seven seasons. He played college football at Penn State University, and was a two-time All-American. He was drafted second overall by the Washington Redskins in the 2000 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the Redskins and one season for the New York Giants. He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro selection.

Early years[link]

Arrington was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He played linebacker and running back at North Hills Senior High School in Pittsburgh. After his senior year, he was named the 1996 Parade National Player of the Year, the Bobby Dodd National Offensive Player of the Year, the Gatorade Player of the Year and USA Today Pennsylvania Player of the Year. He became the second player in Pennsylvania Class 4-A history to rush for more than 4,000 career yards, with 4,357 on 711 carries and 72 touchdowns. He played in the 1997 Big 33 Football Classic, the annual game between Pennsylvania and Ohio's best high school football players.^[1]

Arrington also played basketball and track and field. He was recruited to play basketball for Georgetown, UMass, and North Carolina.^[2]

He was inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame on June 24, 2011.^[3]

College career[link]

Arrington attended Penn State University, and played for coach Joe Paterno's Penn State Nittany Lions football team 1997 to 1999. His signature play with the Nittany Lions came during a game against Illinois. On a fourth and short play, Arrington anticipated the snap count and jumped over the offensive line to tackle the runner in the backfield. The play became known as "The LaVar Leap". Arrington's tendency for spectacular plays and his cover appearance on Sports Illustrated's 1999 College Football Preview Issue led many to mention him as a possible Heisman Trophy candidate.^[4] Arrington received many honors during his time at Penn State, including the Chuck Bednarik Award, Dick Butkus Award, and Lambert Award in 1999. He was an All Big-Ten selection, a first-team All-American in 1998, and a consensus first-team All-American in 1999. Arrington finished ninth in balloting for the 1999 Heisman Trophy. He left Penn State after his junior season to enter the NFL draft.

Professional career[link]

Washington Redskins[link]

Arrington was selected second overall in the 2000 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. His Penn State teammate Courtney Brown, was selected ahead of him by the Cleveland Browns. Penn State became only the second school to have teammates go first and second overall in the NFL draft, after the University of Nebraska with Irving Fryar and Dean Steinkuhler in 1984.

After four seasons with the Redskins, Arrington signed an eight-year, $68 million contract extension. His agent Carl Poston was accused of neglecting to inspect the final revision of the contract, in which $6.5 million worth of bonuses contained in earlier drafts were missing. Poston was eventually suspended for two years by the NFL players' union (NFLPA) over the mishandling of Arrington's contract.^[5] Arrington did not support Poston's suspension by the NFLPA.^[6] Arrington's final two seasons with the Redskins were marred by knee injuries and conflicts with coaches Joe Gibbs and Gregg Williams. In March 2006 Arrington paid the Redskins $4.4 million to buy his free agency.^[6]

New York Giants[link]

In April, 2006 Arrington agreed to a seven-year, $49 million contract with the New York Giants. He was injured in week 7 against the Dallas Cowboys and missed the rest of the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon. On February 12, 2007, he was released by the New York Giants.^[7]

Retirement[link]

Arrington's agent Kevin Poston initially stated that his client intended to play during the 2007 NFL season, saying "things could change at some point, but as of this moment LaVar is focused on playing."^{[citation needed]} On April 18, 2007, a Washington Post article by Jason LaCanfora reported that Arrington was rumored to be leaning strongly towards retirement. A September 23, 2007, New York Daily News article confirmed his retirement.^[8]

Career statistics[link]

After football[link]

Broadcasting career[link]

Arrington started working on pregame and postgame shows for Comcast SportsNet before the Redskins' 2007 season week 3 loss to the Giants. He became a permanent member of the Comcast team on October 14 for the Green Bay Packers game.

He returned to Comcast SportsNet's on-air lineup for week 3 of the 2008 NFL season, appearing on the pregame and postgame shows, and on Washington Post Live. Comcast also featured a segment entitled “Life on the Sidelines with LaVar Arrington” during its Redskins Kickoff program on game days.^[9]

Arrington now does a weekday afternoon radio talk show in Washington, DC with DJ Chad Dukes, titled "The LaVar Arrington Show with Chad Dukes." The inaugural show aired on July 20, 2009, on 106.7 The Fan.

Sports management[link]

Arrington formed a sport management firm, Leap Management, LLC, in 2008. The firm's first clients were 2009 NFL Draft prospects Aaron Maybin, Derrick Williams, Josh Gaines, and Tyrell Sales.^[10]

Personal[link]

Arrington was named after LeVar Burton, following his portrayal of Kunta Kinte in the 1977 television miniseries Roots. He has an older brother, Michael, who played basketball at Slippery Rock University and a younger brother, Eric. His father, Michael, became an ordained minister after he retired from the military. His mother, Carolyn, is a special education teacher in the Pittsburgh public school system.^[2] Arrington lives in Anne Arundel County, Maryland with his wife Trishia. The couple has three children: daughter Marlee, born in December 2005, and twins, LaVar and Laila, born May 2007.^[11] LaVar has been known to previously dated Serena Williams in the early 2000s

Arrington opened a restaurant named The Sideline in Landover, Maryland on January 30, 2008.^[12] In March 2009 one man was killed and six other people were injured after an argument ended in a burst of gunfire just outside the main entrance to the restaurant. The restaurant went bankrupt and closed in December 2009.^[13]

Arrington appeared in several television commercials for Eastern Motors with fellow athletes Carmelo Anthony, Clinton Portis, the late Sean Taylor, and Antawn Jamison.^[14] He appeared on a 2002 episode of the TLC program While You Were Out, where he helped redesign a room for his brother, Michael. Arrington served as a judge for ESPN's Dream Job.

Motorcycle accident[link]

On June 18, 2007, Arrington was involved in a serious motorcycle accident in suburban Maryland. He was on the Route 50 off-ramp to the Capital Beltway when he lost control of his motorcycle, striking a guardrail. Arrington was rushed to Prince George's Medical Center, in serious but stable condition.^[15] Arrington sustained a broken right forearm, broken lower vertebrae, and deep cuts to his leg. He was issued two citations, one for failure to control speed to avoid a collision, the other for operating a vehicle without a class license that contributed to a crash.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Official NFL Player Page
• Leap Management, LLC website
• Lavar Arrington's Career Statistics @ sports.yahoo.com
• "Giants Sign LB LaVar Arrington" New York Giants website, April 22, 2006
• "Arrington Supports His Agent in Court" The Houston Chronicle April 23, 2006
• The Pennsylvania Football News All-Century Team
• Lavar Arrington Stats
• "Arrington gives first interview after near-fatal crash", New York Daily News, September 23, 2007
• The Sideline, Arrington's Landover, MD restaurant.
• Linebacker U, Arrington's State College, PA restaurant.
• "Arrington tutors protégé Bowman", The Daily Collegian, October 14, 2008