Paul Kerry Perkins II (born November 16, 1994) is an American former professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ca ...
player who was a
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. Ther ...
in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
(NFL). He played
college football for the
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Los Angeles. The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pac-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) ...
, leading the
Pac-12 Conference
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Divisio ...
in rushing as a sophomore in 2014. He earned second-team
All-Pac-12 honors the following year. He was selected by the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
in the fifth round of the
2016 NFL Draft
The 2016 NFL Draft was the 81st annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park in Chicago. The draft beg ...
, and has also been a member of the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
,
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team plays ...
,
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
, and
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
.
High school career
Perkins attended
Chandler High School in
Chandler, Arizona
Chandler is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and a suburb in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). It is bordered to the north and west by Tempe, to the north by Mesa, to the west by Phoenix, to the ...
, where he played
high school football
High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, partl ...
with his childhood friend and future college teammate
Brett Hundley
Brett Alan Hundley Jr. (born June 15, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins, where he was the school's career leader in both total ...
. As a senior, Perkins was named first-team all-state after rushing for 1,297 yards and 20
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...
s. He was also the
most valuable player
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
(MVP) of the
track team, which won the state title.
Considered a three-star recruit by ''
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
'', he was rated as the 40th-best athlete prospect of his class. On December 4, 2011, he committed to
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
over offers from
Fresno State
California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is a public university in Fresno, California. It is one of 23 campuses in the California State University system. The university had a fall 2020 enrollment of 25,341 students. It offers bachelo ...
and
Northwestern.
College career
Perkins
redshirted
Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...
as a true freshman in 2012. In
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
, he became the Bruins' primary rusher after starter Jordon James sprained his ankle. Perkins started four games, and rushed for 573 yards on 134 carries (4.3 avg) and six touchdowns. He also caught 24 passes for 296 yards. In
2014, he worked his way into a pivotal role in the offense.
As a backup to James in the season opener, Perkins ran for 80 yards against Virginia. He later became the team's starter.
With starting quarterback Hundley exiting in the first quarter after an injury, Perkins gained 195
all-purpose yards
All-purpose yards or all-purpose yardage is a gridiron football statistical measure. It is virtually the same as the statistic that some football leagues refer to as combined net yards. In the game of football, progress is measured by advancing t ...
in a 20–17 win over
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by b ...
.
[ In the ]Alamo Bowl
The Alamo Bowl is an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game played annually since 1993 in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Since 2010 it matches the second choice team from the Pac-12 Conference and the second c ...
, he was named the game's offensive MVP after running for a then-career-high 194 yards and scoring two touchdowns in a 40–35 win over Kansas State
Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...
. He finished the season as the Pac-12
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division ...
leader with 1,575 yards rushing, the second-highest in UCLA history behind Johnathan Franklin
Johnathan A. Franklin (born October 23, 1989) is a former American football player who was a running back for one season with the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Packers in the fourth round of the ...
(1,734 in 2012).[
In ]2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...
, Perkins ran for a career-high 219 yards against BYU
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da ...
. He finished his junior year with 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns,[ and was named second-team All-Pac-12. After the season, he decided to forgo his senior season and declared for the ]2016 NFL Draft
The 2016 NFL Draft was the 81st annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park in Chicago. The draft beg ...
.
Statistics
Professional career
Pre-draft
Coming out of UCLA, Perkins was projected to be a third to fourth-round draft pick by various draft analysts. He was rated as the seventh-best running back by NFLDraftScout.com. Perkins was invited to the NFL Combine but was unable to finish all the drills after suffering an injury to his hamstring while running his 40-yard dash. Scouts and analysts gave mostly positive reviews focused on his one-cut ability, quality vision, reliable hands, decisive gap selection, and willingness to pick up blitzes. He was also criticized for his lack of consistent play speed, limited route options, and smallish frame.
New York Giants
Perkins was selected by the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft
The 2016 NFL Draft was the 81st annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park in Chicago. The draft beg ...
with the 149th overall pick. He signed a four-year, $2.59 million contract that included a signing bonus of $252,548. Perkins entered the 2016 season as the Giants' fourth running back on the depth chart, behind veterans Rashad Jennings
Rashad Andre Jennings (born March 26, 1985) is an American football running back and coach for the Fan Controlled Football Kingpens. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He also played for the Oa ...
, Bobby Rainey, and Orleans Darkwa. Late in the year, Perkins was being used as the primary back, in front of Jennings. In the regular season finale against the Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) E ...
, he had 21 carries for 102 rushing yards. The Giants lost in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs to the Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the thir ...
.
In May 2017, Giants head coach Ben McAdoo
Benjamin Lee McAdoo (born July 9, 1977) is an American football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as a consultant for the Dallas Cowboys in 2021 and quarte ...
named Perkins the starting running back. Perkins played in 11 games in 2017 season and finished with 41 carries for 90 rushing yards and eight receptions for 46 yards. On May 10, 2018, he was waived by the Giants with a non-football injury designation after suffering a pectoral injury in the offseason, and then placed on their reserve/non-football injury list. On September 16, 2019, Perkins was waived by the Giants.
Detroit Lions
On September 17, 2019, Perkins was claimed off waivers by the Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
. He was released on October 17 and re-signed to the practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on October 23. He was released on October 30 and re-signed to the practice squad. He was promoted back to the active roster on November 2. He was waived on November 16. In four games with the Lions, he recorded 12 carries for 29 rushing yards.
Jacksonville Jaguars
On December 3, 2019, Perkins was signed to the Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team plays ...
practice squad. His practice squad contract with the team expired after the Jaguars' season on January 6, 2020.
Baltimore Ravens
On January 7, 2020, Perkins was signed to the Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
practice squad. His practice squad contract with the team expired on January 20, 2020.
Indianapolis Colts
On November 19, 2020, Perkins was signed to the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
practice squad. On January 10, 2021, Perkins signed a reserve/futures contract with the Colts. He was released on May 3, 2021.
Personal life
His father, Bruce Perkins, played fullback at Arizona State
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the U ...
and briefly in the NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
. His uncle, Don Perkins
Donald Anthony Perkins (March 4, 1938 – June 9, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of New Mexico.
...
, played eight seasons as a running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. Ther ...
with the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...
. His younger brother, Bryce Perkins
Bryce Perkins (born December 20, 1996) is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona State, Arizona Western, and Virginia before signing with the Los A ...
, plays quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams.
References
External links
*
UCLA Bruins bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perkins, Paul
1994 births
Living people
American football running backs
Players of American football from Mesa, Arizona
UCLA Bruins football players
New York Giants players
Detroit Lions players
Jacksonville Jaguars players
Baltimore Ravens players
Indianapolis Colts players
Chandler High School (Arizona) alumni