California Athletics Hall of Fame
Cal's all-time single-season rushing leader, J.J. Arrington rushed for 2,018 yards in 2004, the second-most in Pac-10 history, en route to consensus All-American honors, the Pop Warner Trophy as the West Coast's top player, and an eighth-place finish in Heisman Trophy voting. A transfer from College of the Canyons, he broke out in 2003 as Adimchinobe Echemandu's backup, highlighted by a 185-yard, 14-carry outburst at Washington that tied for the 15th-greatest rushing day in Cal history and included a 68-yard run — the longest by a Bear since Joe Igber's 80-yarder in 2000. That season he led the Pac-10 with 5.7 yards per carry and scored eight total touchdowns. As a senior workhorse in 2004, Arrington paired his rushing record with the ability to catch passes out of the backfield, capping his Cal career by helping fuel the Bears' Insight Bowl comeback against Virginia Tech. He was selected in the second round (44th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, spending four seasons in Arizona before finishing his pro career with the Denver Broncos.
