Falcons’ Carrington gets to prove himself again

By Darrell Laurant  |   Thursday, November 16, 2006  |  Comments( 1 )

Atlanta Falcons
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans!

Back in high school in Effingham, Ga., Paul Carrington had the perfect frame for a basketball player -- slender and 6-foot-6.

Unfortunately, he wanted to be a football player.

But Carrington made the varsity squad as a defensive lineman and used speed and technique to compensate for his lack of bulk. By the time he graduated, he was up to around 235 pounds -- which didn't make for a steady stream of college recruiters.

Central Florida coach Mike Kruczek liked him, though, and offered him a scholarship. Two years later, when Carrington was a redshirt sophomore, Kruczek was fired and replaced by George O'Leary, a disciplinarian who promptly got rid of 30 team members he considered "roaches."

Carrington survived by virtue of his work ethic, had a strong senior year, and was greeted with utter disinterest by the NFL. He wasn't invited to any postseason all-star games nor the combine, and had only Central Florida's one-shot Pro Day to prove himself. So he ran a 4.58 in the 40, had a 35-inch vertical leap (that basketball player thing) and was rewarded (sort of) by being selected as a "priority free agent" by the Atlanta Falcons. By this time, he had bulked up to around 250 -- and somehow, as always, he made the final cut.

This heart-warming story moves into another chapter this Sunday. The Falcons' steady Patrick Kerney, who had started 105 straight games at defensive end, injured his right pectoral muscle against Cleveland last week and is out for at least the next few weeks. John Abraham, counted on to be a force on the other side, remained out with an abdominal injury.

And this week against Baltimore, Paul Carrington -- all 260 pounds of him -- will be starting in Kerney's place. Last week, he had a sack of Cleveland's Charlie Frye and a forced fumble. So far this season, he has 15 tackles.

"Coming out as a free agent, you doubt if you'll even make the team," Carrington said. "I just tried to watch the veterans like Kerney and Abraham and do what they did."

This week, they'll be watching him.
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans! (1)

About Darrell Laurant

...Sorry, Darrell Laurant's bio is currently not available. Please check back soon!
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report