Paul Perkins

Paul Kerry Perkins II (born November 16, 1994) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins, leading the Pac-12 Conference 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 in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and has also been a member of the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, and Indianapolis Colts.

Paul Perkins
refer to caption
Perkins with UCLA in 2014
No. 28, 26
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1994-11-16) November 16, 1994
Mesa, Arizona, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:208 lb (94 kg)
Career information
High school:Chandler (Chandler, Arizona)
College:UCLA (2012–2015)
NFL Draft:2016 / Round: 5 / Pick: 149
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2021
Rushing yards:575
Rushing average:3.5
Rushing touchdowns:0
Receptions:24
Receiving yards:217
Receiving touchdowns:0
Player stats at NFL.com

High school career

Perkins attended Chandler High School in Chandler, Arizona, where he played high school football with his childhood friend and future college teammate Brett Hundley.[1] As a senior, Perkins was named first-team all-state after rushing for 1,297 yards and 20 touchdowns.[2] He was also the most valuable player (MVP) of the track team, which won the state title.[3]

Considered a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, he was rated as the 40th-best athlete prospect of his class.[4] On December 4, 2011, he committed to UCLA over offers from Fresno State and Northwestern.[5]

College career

Perkins redshirted as a true freshman in 2012. In 2013, he became the Bruins' primary rusher after starter Jordon James sprained his ankle.[6] 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.[7] In 2014, he worked his way into a pivotal role in the offense.[8][9] As a backup to James in the season opener, Perkins ran for 80 yards against Virginia.[10] He later became the team's starter.[11] With starting quarterback Hundley exiting in the first quarter after an injury, Perkins gained 195 all-purpose yards in a 20–17 win over Texas.[8][12] In the Alamo Bowl, 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.[13][14][15] He finished the season as the Pac-12 leader with 1,575 yards rushing, the second-highest in UCLA history behind Johnathan Franklin (1,734 in 2012).[11][13]

In 2015, Perkins ran for a career-high 219 yards against BYU.[16] He finished his junior year with 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns,[17] and was named second-team All-Pac-12.[18] After the season, he decided to forgo his senior season and declared for the 2016 NFL Draft.[17][19]

Statistics
Paul PerkinsRushingReceivingScrimmage
YearTeamGamesAttYdsAvgTDsRecYdsAvgTdsTchYdsAvgTds
2013UCLA 131345734.362429612.301588695.56
2014UCLA 1325015726.39262017.7227617736.411
2015UCLA 1323713435.714302428.1126715855.915
Total 3962134885.629807399.2370142276.032

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.[20] 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.[21]

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard splitVertical jumpBroad jumpBench press
5 ft 10+3⁄8 in
(1.79 m)		 208 lb
(94 kg)		 31+5⁄8 in
(0.80 m)		 9 in
(0.23 m)		4.54 s1.62 s2.69 s32 in
(0.81 m)		10 ft 4 in
(3.15 m)		19 reps
All values from NFL Combine[21]

New York Giants

Perkins was selected by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft with the 149th overall pick.[22] He signed a four-year, $2.59 million contract that included a signing bonus of $252,548.[23][24] Perkins entered the 2016 season as the Giants' fourth running back on the depth chart, behind veterans Rashad Jennings, Bobby Rainey, and Orleans Darkwa.[25] Late in the year, Perkins was being used as the primary back, in front of Jennings.[26] In the regular season finale against the Washington Redskins, he had 21 carries for 102 rushing yards.[27] The Giants lost in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs to the Green Bay Packers.[28]

In May 2017, Giants head coach Ben McAdoo named Perkins the starting running back.[29] Perkins played in 11 games in 2017 season and finished with 41 carries for 90 rushing yards and eight receptions for 46 yards.[30] On May 10, 2018, he was waived by the Giants with a non-football injury designation after suffering a pectoral injury in the offseason,[31] and then placed on their reserve/non-football injury list.[32][33] On September 16, 2019, Perkins was waived by the Giants.[34]

Detroit Lions

On September 17, 2019, Perkins was claimed off waivers by the Detroit Lions.[35] He was released on October 17 and re-signed to the practice squad.[36] He was promoted to the active roster on October 23.[37] He was released on October 30 and re-signed to the practice squad.[38] He was promoted back to the active roster on November 2.[39] He was waived on November 16.[40] In four games with the Lions, he recorded 12 carries for 29 rushing yards.[41]

Jacksonville Jaguars

On December 3, 2019, Perkins was signed to the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad.[42] His practice squad contract with the team expired after the Jaguars' season on January 6, 2020.[43]

Baltimore Ravens

On January 7, 2020, Perkins was signed to the Baltimore Ravens practice squad.[44] His practice squad contract with the team expired on January 20, 2020.[45]

Indianapolis Colts

On November 19, 2020, Perkins was signed to the Indianapolis Colts practice squad.[46] On January 10, 2021, Perkins signed a reserve/futures contract with the Colts.[47] He was released on May 3, 2021.[48]

Personal life

His father, Bruce Perkins, played fullback at Arizona State and briefly in the NFL.[49] His uncle, Don Perkins, played eight seasons as a running back with the Dallas Cowboys.[50] His younger brother, Bryce Perkins, plays quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams.[51]

References
  1. Foster, Chris (October 11, 2013). "UCLA's Paul Perkins', Brett Hundley's connection dates to childhood". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  2. "Paul Perkins Biography". UCLABruins.com. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  3. Foster, Chris (December 17, 2014). "Low-key persona serves UCLA's Paul Perkins well". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 6, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  4. "Paul Perkins, 2012 Athlete, UCLA". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  5. Foster, Chris (December 4, 2011). "UCLA football: Running back Paul Perkins commits to Bruins". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  6. "2013 UCLA Bruins Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  7. "Paul Perkins 2013 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  8. Wang, Jack (September 23, 2014). "Paul Perkins' career at running back has been long in the making". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on December 29, 2014.
  9. Lee, Jordan (October 31, 2014). "After high school career in Hundley's shadow, Perkins shines at UCLA". DailyBruin.com. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  10. "UCLA at Virginia Box Score, August 30, 2014". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  11. Wang, Jack (November 30, 2014). "UCLA's Paul Perkins leads Pac-12 in rushing, but race isn't officially over". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on December 29, 2014.
  12. "UCLA vs Texas Box Score, September 13, 2014". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  13. Whisler, John (January 2, 2015). "UCLA running back has career game". San Antonio Express-News. Archived from the original on January 3, 2015.
  14. "#11 KANSAS STATE VS. #14 UCLA GAME NOTES". AlamoBowl.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2015.
  15. "Alamo Bowl - Kansas State vs UCLA Box Score, January 2, 2015". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  16. Kaufman, Joey (September 21, 2015). "Bruins' Paul Perkins consistent in his explosiveness". OCRegister.com. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  17. Helfand, Zach (December 29, 2015). "UCLA running back Paul Perkins declares for NFL draft". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 6, 2016.
  18. Kaufman, Joey (December 1, 2015). "UCLA DT Kenny Clark on All-Pac-12 first team; eight Bruins on second team". The Orange County Register. Archived from the original on December 5, 2015.
  19. "Paul Perkins College Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  20. "*Paul Perkins, DS #7 RB, UCLA: 2016 NFL Draft". NFLDraftScout.com. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  21. "NFL Draft Profile: Paul Perkins". NFL.com. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  22. "2016 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  23. "Sportrac.com: Paul Perkins". Sportrac.com. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  24. Eisen, Michael (May 6, 2016). "Giants sign four draft picks & 14 undrafted free agents". Giants.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  25. "2016 New York Giants Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  26. "Paul Perkins 2016 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  27. "New York Giants at Washington Redskins - January 1st, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  28. "Wild Card - New York Giants at Green Bay Packers - January 8th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  29. Smith, David (May 1, 2017). "Ben McAdoo says Paul Perkins is the Giants' starting running back". Pro Football Talk. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  30. "2017 New York Giants Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  31. Eisen, Michael (May 10, 2018). "Giants waive running back Paul Perkins". Giants.com. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  32. Leach, Jason (May 14, 2018). "Paul Perkins Career As A Giant And In The NFL Is In Serious Doubt". Elite Sports NY. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  33. "Giants' Paul Perkins: Reverts to NFI list". CBSSports.com. May 11, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  34. "Giants get TE Kaden Smith on waivers, waive RB Paul Perkins". Fox Sports. Associated Press. September 17, 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  35. "Lions awarded RB Paul Perkins via waivers from New York Giants". DetroitLions.com. September 17, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  36. "Lions awarded Carson via waivers from Green Bay". AP NEWS. October 18, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  37. "Lions sign RB Paul Perkins to active roster". DetroitLions.com. October 23, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  38. "Lions sign CB Michael Jackson to active roster from Cowboys' practice squad". DetroitLions.com. October 30, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  39. "Lions sign RB Paul Perkins to active roster". DetroitLions.com. November 2, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  40. "Lions sign Scarbrough to active roster, release Perkins". AP NEWS. November 16, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  41. "Paul Perkins 2019 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  42. "Paul Perkins: Hits Jaguars' practice squad". CBSSports.com. December 3, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  43. @HBalzer721 (January 7, 2020). "Jaguars practice-squad contracts expired Monday: LB Joe Dineen; WR Terry Godwin; DE Dewayne Hendrix; RB Paul Perkins" (Tweet). Retrieved January 9, 2020 – via Twitter.
  44. "Paul Perkins: Signs with practice squad". CBSSports.com. January 7, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  45. @HBalzer721 (January 21, 2020). "Ravens practice-squad contracts expired Monday: T Marcus Applefield; FB Christopher Ezeala; RBs Byron Marshall, Paul Perkins; CB Denzel Rice" (Tweet). Retrieved January 21, 2020 – via Twitter.
  46. "Practice Squad Moves: Colts Sign RB Paul Perkins". Colts.com. November 19, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  47. "Colts Announce Two Extensions, 16 Reserve/Future Contracts". Colts.com. January 10, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  48. "Colts Release RB Paul Perkins". Colts.com. May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  49. "Bruce Perkins Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  50. "Don Perkins Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  51. "Bryce Perkins Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
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