Paul Perkins

Paul Kerry Perkins II (born November 16, 1994) is an American football running back on the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins, leading the Pac-12 Conference in rushing as a sophomore in 2014. He earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors the following year.

High school career
Perkins attended Chandler High School in Chandler, Arizona, where he was teammates with his childhood friend and future college teammate Brett Hundley. As a senior, Perkins was named first-team all-state after rushing for 1,297 yards and 20 touchdowns. He was also the most valuable player (MVP) of the track team, which won the state title.

Considered a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, he was rated as the 40th-best athlete prospect of his class. On December 4, 2011, he committed to UCLA over offers from Fresno State and Northwestern.

College career
Perkins redshirted as a true freshman in 2012. In 2013, he became the Bruins' primary rusher after starter Jordon James sprained his ankle. Perkins started four games, and rushed for 573 yards on 134 carries (4.3 avg) and six touchdowns. He also caught 24 passes for 296 yards. In 2014, he worked his way into a pivotal role in the offense. As a backup to James in the season opener, Perkins ran for 80 yards against Virginia. He later became the team's starter. With starting quarterback Hundley exiting in the first quarter after an injury, Perkins gained 195 all-purpose yards in a 20–17 win over Texas. In the Alamo Bowl, he was named the game's offensive MVP after running for a then-career-high 194 yards and scoring two touchdowns in a 40–35 win over Kansas State. He finished the season as the Pac-12 leader with 1,575 yards rushing, the second-highest in UCLA history behind Johnathan Franklin (1,734 in 2012).

In 2015, Perkins ran for a career-high 219 yards against BYU. He finished his junior year with 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns, and was named second-team All-Pac-12. After the season, he decided to forgo his senior season and declared for the 2016 NFL Draft.

Pre-draft
Coming out of UCLA, Perkins was projected to be a third to fourth-round draft pick by various draft analysts. He was rated as the seventh-best running back by NFLDraftScout.com. Perkins was invited to the NFL Combine but was unable to finish all the drills after suffering an injury to his hamstring while running his 40-yard dash. Scouts and analysts gave mostly positive reviews focused on his one-cut ability, quality vision, reliable hands, decisive gap selection, and willingness to pick up blitzes. He was also criticized for his lack of consistent play speed, limited route options, and smallish frame.

New York Giants
The New York Giants selected Perkins in the fifth round (149th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.

On May 6, 2016, the Giants signed Perkins to a four-year, $2.59 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $252,548.

Perkins entered the regular season as the Giants' fourth running back on the depth chart, behind veterans Rashad Jennings, Bobby Rainey, and Orleans Darkwa. Late in the 2016 season, Perkins was being used as the primary back, in front of Jennings. In the regular season finale against the Washington Redskins, he had 102 rushing yards. The Giants lost in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs to the Green Bay Packers on January 7, 2017. On May 1, 2017, Giants head coach Ben McAdoo named Perkins the Giants' starting running back.

Perkins remained as part of the Giants' backfield in the 2017 season. He had playing time in 11 games and finished with 41 carries for 90 rushing yards and eight receptions for 46 yards.

On May 10, 2018, Perkins was waived by the Giants with a non-football injury designation after suffering a pectoral injury in the offseason, and then placed on their reserve/non-football injury list.

Personal life
His father, Bruce Perkins, played fullback at Arizona State and briefly in the NFL. His uncle, Don Perkins, played eight seasons as a running back with the Dallas Cowboys. His younger brother, Bryce Perkins, plays quarterback for Virginia.