Grayland Arnold
Grayland Arnold Jr. (born September 4, 1997) is a professional American football cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Baylor.
| No. 33 – Philadelphia Eagles | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Cornerback | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Born: | September 4, 1997 | ||
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Kountze (Kountze, Texas) | ||
| College: | Baylor | ||
| Undrafted: | 2020 | ||
| Career history | |||
| |||
| Roster status: | Active | ||
| Career NFL statistics | |||
| |||
Early life and high school
Arnold attended Kountze High School. On the basketball court, he was a two-time All-State selection, District 23-3A Most Valuable Player and named of the top 15 basketball players in Texas. During his freshman year, former NFL player Frank Middleton, who was an assistant coach, convinced him to join the football team. Arnold ended up becoming an All-State selection at cornerback, in addition to earning District Offensive MVP honors as a quarterback and wide receiver.[1] He was a three-star prospect and committed to Baylor.[2]
College career
Arnold had nine tackles in a win against Boise State in the 2016 Cactus Bowl.[3] As a freshman at Baylor in 2016, Arnold started four of 11 games and tallied 20 tackles and four pass breakups. His sophomore season was hampered due to a broken arm which forced him to miss several games.[4] He finished the season with 35 tackles, seven pass break ups and an interception. As a junior in 2018, Arnold also suffered an ankle injury which ended the season after four games, forcing him to redshirt. He was named Big 12 Special Teams player of the week in week two of the 2019 season.[5] In 2019, Arnold ranked second in the Big 12 with six interceptions, and also recorded 46 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss and two pass breakups.[4] He also averaged 12.4 yards on punt returns with one touchdown.[6] Arnold was named to the Second Team All-Big 12. Following the season, he announced he was forgoing his redshirt senior season and entering the NFL draft. In his career, Arnold had 107 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss and seven interceptions.[7] He was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.[8]
Professional career
After going undrafted in the 2020 NFL draft, Arnold signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Philadelphia Eagles on April 26, 2020.[6] He was named the Eagles' best undrafted free agent by CBS Sports, with scouts praising his versatility.[9]
Personal life
Arnold's older sister Gabriell Mattox played college basketball at Texas.[3]
References
- Canizales, Nick (April 21, 2020). "Small town, big dreams for Grayland Arnold". KCENTV. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- Roberts, Matt (April 15, 2020). "From a Small Town, With Big Dreams: Baylor's Arnold is Days Away From His Next Milestone". Fox 44 News. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- Werner, John (September 18, 2019). "Loving the game: Healthy Arnold contributing in many ways for Baylor Bears". Waco Tribune-Herald. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- Gibson, Destine (April 25, 2020). "Baylor selections on Day 3 of NFL draft: Grayland Arnold and other Bears sign as undrafted free agents". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- Harkay, Jessika (September 18, 2019). "Football's Grayland Arnold leads by example". Baylor Lariat. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- McPherson, Chris (April 26, 2020). "Eagles agree to terms with 13 undrafted free agents". Philadelphia Eagles.com. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- Carlton, Chuck (January 8, 2020). "Baylor DB Grayland Arnold declares for NFL draft". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- "Six Baylor Bears invited to NFL Combine". Waco Tribune-Herald. February 26, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- Erby, Glenn (May 3, 2020). "Grayland Arnold named the Philadelphia Eagles best undrafted free agent". Eagles Wire. Retrieved May 7, 2020.