Inspired by his father, Paul Bruce Perkins who played in the NFL for a while, Paul Perkins II aspired to one day become a professional footballer. He worked towards that and today Paul plays in the NFL as a running back.
His dreams came true when the New York Giants selected him in the 5th round/149th pick of the 2016 NFL Draft. Here’s everything you need to know about Perkins and his journey to the top of football in the country.
Paul Perkins Bio
Perkins was born Paul Kerry Perkins II on November 16, 1994 in Mesa, Arizona. During his interview with the New York Post in 2016, Paul Perkins revealed that his dream of becoming an NFL started when he saw his father’s balls displayed in his bedroom. It made him want to play football at the highest level possible. Paul’s father played at the back. Prior to playing in the NFL, he played college football at Arizona State. Interestingly, Paul’s footballing roots extend beyond his father.
His great-uncle Don Perkins was even morepopular football player. Don is his grandfather’s brother. Like Paul’s father, Don played fullback and started his NFL career in 1960. He was one of the first players to be signed by the Dallas Cowboys who had just received a football franchise.
He would then spend his entire 8-year career with the Dallas Cowboys. Don was an outstanding player and was named NFL Rookie of the Year in his rookie season in 1961. He was named Pro-Bowl 6 times and won the All-Pro title three times. As a tribute to his contribution to the Dallas Cowboys team, Paul’s uncle received a Dallas Cowboys ring of honor hanging around AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Although his uncle had such football experience, Paul Perkins didn’t see his uncle much while growing up in different states.
Paul Perkins began his career at Chandler High School in Chandler, Arizona. In addition to football, Perkins ran track and was named the track team’s Most Valuable Player in his senior year. Also in his senior year, he was an all-state first-team selection, an honor he earned after racking up for 1,297 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Perkins was rated a 3-star athlete by Rivals.com. He sought to follow in his father’s footsteps to play football at Arizona State, but school held little interest for him. As a result, he would come to commit to UCLA on behalf of the University Bruins. Perkins was redshirted in his true freshman year and made his debut for the team in 2013. By his second year, he had transitioned from being a back-up to backing up starter Jordon James to starting fullback.
Paul Perkins was named Offensive MVP in the Alamo Bowl game against the Kansas State Wildcats won by his team. In addition, he was the Pac-12 leader with 1,575 rushing yards, a record as the second record in Bruins history, beaten only by Johnathan Franklin’s 1,734 in 2012. At the end of his first year as a junior, he was named to the All-Pac-12 second-team. Perkins opted to forfeit his senior college season and declare himself a candidate for the 2016 NFL Draft.
His younger brother, Bryce Perkins, plays college football for the University of Virginia.
NFL Career
Paul Perkins had good prospects per predictions by several NFL scouts. The predictions were that he would be selected in the 3rd or 4th round, but his selection came in the 5th round. In May 2016, the New York Giants signed him for $2.59 million over four years, along with a signing bonus of $252,548.
Perkins started as the fourth runner and late in the season became the leading running back ahead of veteran Rashad Jennings. In May 2017, his coach named him starting player. Unfortunately, a pectoral sector injury he suffered in the off-season put him on the reserve/non-football injured list in May 2018.
Height, weight and body measurements
Paul Perkins’ petite frame was criticized by 2016 NFL scouts, however, despite his stature, the running back has developed abilities to keep him at the top of his game. According to his player profile on the National Football League website, the running back stands at 5-foot-11. His weight is 213 pounds, which is 4 pounds heavier than the 208 pounds measured during the NFL Combine pre-draft. His draft measurables reveal that his arm length is 0.80m and his hand size is 0.23m.