LaVar Arrington
The second overall pick from Penn State who defined an era for Washington with spectacular plays like 'The LaVar Leap.'
via Wikipedia: LaVar Arrington · see source
LaVar Arrington is an American former professional football player who played linebacker for seven seasons in the NFL. Born on June 20, 1978, in Pittsburgh, he attended Penn State University before being selected with the second overall pick by the Washington Redskins in the 2000 NFL draft. He played for the Redskins from 2000 to 2005 before joining the New York Giants in 2006. His college career was highlighted by a signature play known as "The LaVar Leap" and consensus All-American status in 1999.
- Position
- Linebacker
- Primary Team
- Washington Redskins
- Draft Year
- 2000
- College
- Penn State
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Arrington's college career at Penn State under coach Joe Paterno produced one of the most memorable moments in school history: "The LaVar Leap." During a game against Illinois, on a fourth-and-short play, Arrington anticipated the snap count and jumped over the offensive line to tackle the runner in the backfield. This spectacular ability led to a cover appearance on the Sports Illustrated 1999 College Football Preview Issue and consideration as a Heisman Trophy candidate, where he finished ninth in the voting. In his professional debut with the Washington Redskins, Arrington signed an eight-year, $68 million contract extension after four seasons. However, his final two years in Washington were marred by knee injuries and conflicts with coaches Joe Gibbs and Gregg Williams. In March 2006, he paid the team $4.4 million to buy out his free agency.
In Their Own Story
In April 2006, Arrington agreed to a seven-year, $49 million contract with the New York Giants. His tenure there was cut short quickly; in week 7 against the Dallas Cowboys, he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon and missed the rest of the season. He was released by the Giants on February 12, 2007. Although his agent Kevin Poston initially stated that Arrington intended to play during the 2007 NFL season, circumstances changed drastically on June 18, 2007. Arrington was involved in a serious motorcycle accident on the Route 50 off-ramp of the Capital Beltway while riding a 2007 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14. He lost control, striking a guardrail and sustaining a broken right forearm, broken lower vertebrae, and deep leg cuts. A September 23, 2007, New York Daily News article confirmed his retirement following the crash.
Reader's Guide
After retiring from football, Arrington transitioned immediately into broadcasting. Before the Redskins' 2007 season week 3 loss to the Giants, he began working on pregame and postgame shows for Comcast SportsNet, becoming a permanent member of the team on October 14. He returned for the 2008 NFL season and hosted "The LaVar Arrington Show with Chad Dukes" on 106.7 The Fan starting July 20, 2009. His media career expanded to include a weekly show on DC50, joining NFL Network's "NFL AM" in 2014, working as an analyst on FS1's "Speak For Yourself" in 2019, and co-hosting "2 Pros and a Cup of Joe" with Brady Quinn and Jonas Knox in September 2021. Off the air, he founded Leap Management, LLC in 2008 and Xtreme Procision (XP) in 2010 to develop future football players.
Did You Know?
- Arrington was named after LeVar Burton following the actor's portrayal of Kunta Kinte in the 1977 miniseries Roots.
- He recorded personal-best track times of 10.85 seconds in the 100 meters and 23.14 seconds in the 200 meters during high school.
- In 2014, he was named to 'The Mount Rushmore of Penn State Football' by Big Ten Network online fan voting alongside John Cappelletti, Jack Ham, and Shane Conlan.
- His agent Carl Poston was suspended for two years by the NFLPA over mishandling Arrington's contract extension.
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