Javier Arenas (American football)

Arenas was born in Tampa, Florida. He attended Robinson High School in Tampa, where he was a first-team All-Suncoast selection in football and a track star.[2] In high school football, he was a highly regarded punt returner and defensive back. He was named USA Navy Player of the Week and Bright House Player of the Week in 2005. He set the record for most punt and kick returns for touchdowns at Robinson as a senior, with four punt-return touchdowns and three kickoff returns for scores, scoring 16 touchdowns overall.[3]

In track & field, Arenas was an standout sprinter, competing in the 200-meter dash, with a personal-best time of 22.9 seconds, and in the 400-meter dash, with a personal-best time of 51.48 seconds.[4] He was also a member of the Knights relay teams, running PR of 42.9 seconds in the 4 × 100m, 1:32.31 minutes in the 4 × 200m and 3:30.08 minutes in the 4 × 400m.[5]

Regarded as a three-star recruit by Rivals, Arenas chose Alabama over Florida Atlantic.[6]

Arenas in May 2011, volunteering for the American Red Cross

Arenas attended the University of Alabama, where he played for coaches Mike Shula, Joe Kines, and Nick Saban from 2006 to 2009.[7] In the 2006 season, he managed two punt return touchdowns, one against Florida International and one against Oklahoma State in the Independence Bowl.[8][9] In the 2007 season, he added a 61-yard punt return touchdown against LSU.[10] In the 2008 season, he recorded one pick-six, which came against Arkansas, and three punt return touchdowns, which came against Tulane, Mississippi State, and Utah in the Sugar Bowl.[11][12][13][14] On November 21, 2009, Arenas broke Derek Abney's Southeastern Conference (SEC) record for career punt return touchdowns by returning his seventh punt return for a touchdown against the Chattanooga Mocs in Bryant–Denny Stadium.[15][16] Following his senior season, he was a first-team All-SEC selection and was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American.[17] The 2009 Crimson Tide completed an undefeated 14–0 season, beat the Florida Gators 32–13 to win the 2009 SEC Championship Game, and then defeated the Texas Longhorns 37–21 to win the 2010 BCS National Championship.[18][19]

Arenas left Alabama with 1,752 punt return yards and 2,166 kickoff return yards, both school records, along with his career average of 14 yards per punt return.

Javier grew up on the east side of Tampa, in the College Hill area, the same place MLB standout Dwight Gooden grew up. At the age of 13, he was diagnosed with a double aorta arch which required doctors to go in and remove. He is the cousin of former NBA point guard Gilbert Arenas.[34] Like Gilbert, his paternal grandfather is of Cuban descent. His brother, Armando Murillo, was a Golden Helmet winner at Robinson High School in Tampa, and started at defensive back for the University of Nebraska in 2007 and 2008.

On May 21, 2011, Arenas graced the cover of Sports Illustrated after an EF4 tornado tore through Tuscaloosa Alabama leaving the death toll in the double digits. Arenas is currently assisting the defensive backs and punt returners at his Alma Mater, University of Alabama. 2017 was his first year back at the University in a coaching capacity and he has already won a National title helping his tide defeat a Georgia Bulldog team, led by his former defensive coordinator, Kirby Smart, who was the Tides defensive coordinator in 2009 team. titleAl[35]

• Atlanta Falcons bio
• Alabama Crimson Tide bio