Paul Perkins

Paul Perkins

Perkins scores against California in 2014
UCLA Bruins No. 24
Position Running back
Class Sophomore
Career history
College
  • UCLA (2012–present)
High school Chandler (AZ)
Personal information
Date of birth November 16, 1994
Place of birth Mesa, Arizona
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight 198 lb (90 kg)
Career highlights and awards
Stats at ESPN.com

Paul Kerry Perkins II (born November 16, 1994) is an American football running back for the UCLA Bruins. He was the leading rusher in the Pacific-12 Conference in 2014.

High School

Perkins attended Chandler High School in Chandler, Arizona, where he was teammates 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. 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.[6][7] As a backup to James in the season opener, Perkins ran for 80 yards. He later became the team's starter.[8] 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.[6] In the Alamo Bowl, he was named the game's offensive MVP after running for a career-high 194 yards and scoring two touchdowns in a 40–35 win over Kansas State.[9][10] 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).[8][9]

Personal

His father, Paul "Bruce" Perkins, played football Fullback at Arizona State and briefly in the NFL. His uncle, Don Perkins, played eight seasons as a running back with the Dallas Cowboys.

References

  1. ↑ UCLA's Paul Perkins', Brett Hundley's connection dates to childhood
  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 5, 2015.
  4. ↑ Paul Perkins - Yahoo Sports
  5. ↑ UCLA football: Running back Paul Perkins commits to Bruins
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Wang, Jack. "Paul Perkins’ career at running back has been long in the making". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on January 5, 2014.
  7. ↑ After high school career in Hundley’s shadow, Perkins shines at UCLA
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 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 January 5, 2015.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Whisler, John (January 2, 2015). "UCLA running back has career game". San Antonio Express-News. Archived from the original on January 3, 2015.
  10. ↑ "#11 KANSAS STATE VS. #14 UCLA GAME NOTES". AlamoBowl.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Paul Perkins.