The Atlanta Falcons today announced that they have agreed to terms with cornerback Javier Arenas. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Arenas, 5-9, 197 pounds, was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round (50th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft out of Alabama. He was traded to the Arizona Cardinals on May 1, 2013. In four seasons, he has seen action in 63 games with 12 starts, totaling 148 tackles (126 solo), five sacks, three forced fumbles, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and 22 passes defensed. Arenas also served as a punt and kick returner, notching 106 punt returns for 1,035 yards (9.8 Avg.) and 73 kickoff returns for 1,541 yards (21.1 Avg.). The versatile Arenas has also seen action on offense, scoring his first career touchdown on a seven-yard run in 2011. Last season, Arenas saw action in all 16 games for the Cardinals and posted 12 tackles (11 solo) with one sack. He returned 24 kickoffs for 493 yards and a career-best 21.4 yards per return average.
The Tampa, FL native appeared in 52 games with 28 starts at Alabama and became the first college football player to ever amass over 1,500 punt return yards and 2,000 kickoff return yards in a career. He posted eight total return touchdowns, including seven punt returns and one interception return falling one return score shy of the NCAA record. As a senior in 2009, Arenas started 13 games and earned first-team All-America and first-team All-SEC honors after helping lead the Crimson Tide to a BCS National Championship. Arenas attended Robinson (Tampa, FL) High School where he was a first-team All-Suncoast selection and competed in the 200 and 400 meters on the track team.
