TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -Javier Arenas takes on the air of a colorful professor when he starts talking about returning punts.
The pros and cons of the fair catch. What it’s like to be looking up at the ball with 11 players barreling toward you. The benefits of running forward instead of shaking and baking.
But in the end Alabama’s return man/cornerback gets a little stumped when he tries to explain the art of the return to the uninitiated. Those who can’t teach, do.
“The ball is real slow in a game. It’s like just sailing out there. Everything’s way slower – until you catch it. Then everything’s like NASCAR,” Arenas said. “I don’t know, everything is … I’ve been doing it for four years, so it’s really hard to get inside and explain how slow the ball is going or what’s it like. I just go back there and do it. It’s like getting up and eating cereal in the morning. You can’t explain this stuff that you go through. I pour the cereal in the bowl … you just do it.”
ll these days. The returns, not the breakfast.
He is the NCAA’s active leader in career punt returns, yards, touchdowns, returns per game and yards per game. His 1,544 career yards is 165 shy of a 60-year-old Southeastern record held by Vanderbilt’s Lee Nalley going into Saturday’s game at Kentucky.
Nalley’s mark was the NCAA record until Texas Tech’s Wes Welker broke it in 2003. Welker finished with 1,761 yards, another number well within Arenas’ range.
“He’s a great competitor,” Tide coach Nick Saban said. “He has that burning desire to be the best and to do well. He’s also got good judgment. He’s good at securing the ball, or he has been. He’s got great quickness and good vision in terms of picking the right spots in space. He’s a fantastic talent and he’s got the right attitude to want to be the best at it.”
Arenas, also a starting cornerback, is having his best season as a return man. His 19-yard average on 15 returns leads the SEC and ranks seventh nationally.
The Wildcats are well aware of Arenas’ abilities on both defense and special teams.
“He’s one of the most dangerous guys in the country, whether it’s on punt return or on defense,” Kentucky wide receiver Randall Cobb said. “He’s a special talent. I’m glad I get to go up against a guy like (Trevard) Lindley because it helps me prepare because Arenas is one of the best. It’s a privilege just to play against him.”
arterback Greg McElroy views Arenas almost like a 12th offensive player.
“Any time we get the good field position that we’ve gotten from him … He’s an offensive weapon like Julio (Jones) or Mark (Ingram) or Trent (Richardson) or Marquis (Maze),” McElroy said. “He’s averaging what 20 yards a punt return? That’s two first downs that we don’t have to worry about.”
Arenas’ average would be even higher but he had two returns called back for illegal blocks against Arkansas, including a 65-yarder.
The 5-foot-9, 195-pound Arenas also sacked the Razorbacks’ 6-7, 238-pound Mallett twice.
“It was scary. I didn’t think he was going down,” Arenas said. “That sucker was big.”
Scarier than waiting for a high, arching punt to come down in front of 80,000 fans?
“You’re 40 yards deep by yourself and you’ve got to have a lot of confidence,” Arenas said. “You’ve got to. It’s a scary feeling back there sometimes, especially when the game is on the line. You make a mistake, it’s your fault. And you can’t blame anybody because everybody is 40 yards away.”
Scarier than catching a punt in practice with Saban scrutinizing your every move?
“For real, in practice it’s hard to catch punts,” Arenas said. “You’ve got coach Saban literally breathing on the back of your neck. That’s never good.”
Arenas said Saban has taught him to make better decisions on when to field the ball. He also has learned to head up the field instead of trying to make too many moves as he did sometimes as a freshman.
“Some guys can just sit back there, shake and make everybody miss, and that’s them, that’s what they do.” Arenas said. “Devin Hester is that type of guy, for instance.”
When it comes to fair catches, Arenas doesn’t seem to call for them all that often. But he figures better safe than sorry.
“It’s been up there for 10 minutes. Somebody’s going to come down, Coach could come down and tackle me,” Arenas said. “Even if it wasn’t the best decision, you can’t go wrong with a fair catch.”
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AP Sports Writer Will Graves in Lexington, Ky., contributed to this report.
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