Chris Rainey

Chris Rainey

Chris Rainey

Rainey with the Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 2BC Lions
Position: Running back
Personal information
Date of birth: (1988-03-02) March 2, 1988
Place of birth: Lakeland, Florida
Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight: 180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High school: Lakeland (FL)
College: Florida
NFL Draft: 2012 / Round: 5 / Pick: 159
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Kick returns: 45
Return yards: 1,166
Average: 25.9
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Christopher Rainey (born March 2, 1988) is an American running back for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the University of Florida, and was a member of Florida's BCS National Championship team in 2009. The Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) selected him in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He has also played for the NFL's Indianapolis Colts, and the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL.

Early years

Rainey was born in Lakeland, Florida, the son of a single mother, and was raised, in part, by his grandmother.[1] He attended Lakeland High School, where he became a standout running back for the Lakeland Dreadnaughts high school football team.[2] During his high school years, he lived with the family of twin brothers Maurkice Pouncey and Mike Pouncey, and all three were standout members of the Dreadnaughts football team.[1] As a senior in 2006, he led his team with 2,478 yards rushing for thirty-two touchdowns—including fifteen touchdown runs of fifty yards or more—and helped lead the Lakeland Dreadnaughts to their third consecutive Florida Class 5A state championship and second straight USA Today national championship.[2] Following his senior season, he was a U.S. Army high school All-American and an all-state selection by the Florida Sports Writers Association, and finished his prep career with more than 7,000 all-purpose yards and ninety touchdowns.[2]

Rainey and the Pouncey brothers all committed to play college football for the University of Florida. All three would later be drafted by NFL teams.

College career

Rainey accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Urban Meyer and coach Will Muschamp's Florida Gators football teams from 2007 to 2011.[3] After injuring his shoulder as a true freshman in 2007, he was redshirted.[2] He was a member of the Gators' 2008 team that won the 2008 SEC Championship Game and the 2009 BCS National Championship Game.[2] During his career as a Gator, he played in fifty-two games, compiled 2,464 yards and thirteen touchdowns on 396 rushing attempts, 795 yards and six touchdowns on sixty-nine receptions, and 454 return yards on eighteen kickoffs.[2] On special teams, he holds the team career record for blocked kicks (4).[3] Following his senior season in 2011, his fellow Gators recognized him as the team's most valuable player.

As a freshman, he also ran the 100-meter dash for the Florida Gators track and field team, and received All-American honors as a member of the Gators men's third-place 4x100-meter relay team at the 2008 NCAA national outdoor track and field championships.[4]

Rainey did not participate in track as a sophomore. As a junior in 2010, the Gators men's 4x100-meter relay team, including Rainey, Jeremy Hall, Terrell Wilks and Jeff Demps, won the NCAA championship in the event with a winning time of 39.04 seconds.[5] The quartet received All-American honors for their first-place finish.

Personal bests

Event Time (seconds) Venue Date
60 meters 6.70 Blacksburg, Virginia February 5, 2010
100 meters 10.60 Gainesville, Florida April 16, 2011
200 meters 21.50 Winter Park, Florida May 4, 2007

Professional career

2012 NFL Combine

Pre-draft measurables
Ht Wt 40-yd dash 10-yd split 20-yd split 20-ss 3-cone Vert Broad BP
5 ft 8 in 180 lb 4.36 s 1.47 s 2.43 s 3.93 s 6.50 s 36.5 in 10 ft 0 in 16 reps
All values from Central Florida Pro Day.[6]

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Rainey in the fifth round, 159th overall pick, of the 2012 NFL Draft,[7][8] and the team announced he had signed a four-year contract on May 6, 2012.[9][10] He debuted for the Steelers against the Denver Broncos on September 9, 2012 and scored his first NFL touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals October 21, 2012.

The Steelers waived Rainey on January 10, 2013, after he was arrested on a battery charge for attacking a young woman in a cellphone dispute.[11]

Indianapolis Colts

Rainey signed with the Indianapolis Colts on November 20, 2013.[12] Chris spent three weeks with Indianapolis. His first week, given limited practice time with the team, he was inactive. Rainey would, however, appear in the next two contests for the Colts; Weeks 13 & 14. Immediately following their Week 14 match-up, a losing effort to the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis announced Monday December 9, that Rainey had been placed on season-ending Injured Reserve. In his two games with the Colts Rainey returned six kickoffs and four punts for a total of 160 all-purpose yards. Despite being used in a few third-down packages Rainey failed to make any offense contributions in his very limited time with Indianapolis.[13] On July 28, 2014 Colts coach Chuck Pagano announced Chris Rainey had been released from the team citing, "It's unfortunate and [a] violation of team rules. It was an in-house deal, that's all I'm going to say about that."[14][15]

Arizona Cardinals

Rainey signed with the Arizona Cardinals practice squad on September 9, 2014. He was released on September 18, 2014.

Montreal Alouettes

Rainey signed with the Montreal Alouettes practice roster on September 28, 2014. He was promoted to the active roster on October 20, 2014.[16] Rainey was cut by the team on June 15, 2015

BC Lions

Rainey signed with the BC Lions on August 28, 2015.

Personal

Rainey has a son, Makari (2015).

Rainey's older brother is former XFL and NFL running back and kick returner Rod Smart.[17]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Ed Bouchette, "Ex-Gator Chris Rainey joins 'brother' in Pittsburgh," The Republic (May 2, 2012), Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 GatorZone.com, Football History, 2011 Roster, Chris Rainey. Retrieved April 29, 2012.
  3. 1 2 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine., University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 46–47, 57, 58, 59, 63–64, 69–74, 127, 138–140, 148–149, 154, 172–173, 185 (2011). Retrieved April 29, 2012.
  4. GatorZone.com, Track & Field History, 2008 Roster, Chris Rainey. Retrieved April 29, 2012.
  5. "UF men's track finishes 2nd at NCAA Outdoors," The Gainesville Sun (June 12, 2010). Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  6. Michael DiRocco, "Rainey gives Steelers plenty of options," ESPN (April 28, 2012). Retrieved April 29, 2012.
  7. Rachel George, "Florida RB Chris Rainey selected in the fifth round of NFL Draft," Sun-Sentinel (April 28, 2012). Retrieved April 29, 2012.
  8. "Steelers Sign Fifth-Round Pick Chris Rainey," Steelers.com (May 6, 2012). Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  9. Ed Bouchette, "Steelers sign two rookie draft picks," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (May 6, 2012). Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  10. Gregg Rosenthal, "Chris Rainey arrested, waived by Pittsburgh Steelers," NFL.com (January 10, 2013). Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  11. http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10004809/
  12. http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nfl/colts/2013/12/09/colts-sign-choice-put-rainey-on-ir/3916889/
  13. http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11274998/indianapolis-colts-release-chris-rainey-rules-violation
  14. http://coltscamp.com/article/roster-moves-expanded-edition-7-28-2014
  15. "Transactions". cfl.ca. Archived from the original on July 30, 2015. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  16. Rachel George, "UF's Chris Rainey moving on after running his mouth finally brought consequences, change," Orlando Sentinel (September 30, 2011). Retrieved March 29, 2013.

External links

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