Kyle Arrington, Hofstra graduate, starting for Pats
Patriots cornerback Kyle Arrington could be the last player left in the NFL to play college football at Hofstra. (Dec. 19, 2010) Credit: AP
FOXBORO, Mass. -- The NFL landscape is littered with the remnants of Hofstra's once-proud football program. There's Raheem Morris coaching the Tampa Bay Bucs, and Saints wide receiver Marques Colston owns a Super Bowl ring.
In New England, third-year cornerback Kyle Arrington stands as one of the last members of the Pride to make it to the top level since the school shut down its football program before the 2010 season, and it pains him to think that's really the end of football at Hofstra.
"It really hurt to find that out," Arrington said of Hofstra's decision. "I felt the worst for the players that had years left and had to transfer and find new schools. I couldn't imagine what they had to go through. It's a shame. Hopefully, we'll get it back sooner than later. It's a process, though.
"Football is America's favorite sport. Not to have a football program at your school is almost, I don't even want to use a word to get myself in trouble, so I'll just leave it at dot, dot, dot and let everybody else fill in the blank. Like I said, it's just a shame, but we're all optimistic we can get it back."
Arrington will be playing a football game Sunday at Gillette Stadium against the Jets, the team that used to train at Hofstra and the Patriots' fiercest rival in the AFC East. He can't wait.
Coach Bill Belichick's troops are under orders to keep a lid on the rhetoric at all times, but there's no mistaking the emotion in this one after the Jets' playoff win over the Patriots last January at Gillette Stadium. "I mean, you want to say you take every game week by week, but whenever it's Jets week, it's just something in the atmosphere you really can't explain," Arrington said with a smile. "There's definitely going to be a lot of emotion. Our hearts are going to be all in it."
The Patriots' pass defense is ranked last in the league, but Arrington has been their most productive player. He has three interceptions, 20 tackles and three passes defensed while playing multiple positions from starting corner to nickel back to even lining up at defensive end and playing special teams. He's looking forward to what the Jets are bringing.
"Tough, extremely tough matchup," Arrington said. "It's definitely going to be a hard-fought game. That's what we're expecting -- a fistfight."
