Arnaz Battle facts for kids
Battle with the San Francisco 49ers in 2009
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | February 22, 1980 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 208 lb (94 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Shreveport (LA) C. E. Byrd | ||||||||||||
| College: | Notre Dame | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2003 / Round: 6 / Pick: 197 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Arnaz Jerome Battle (born February 22, 1980) is a former American professional football player. He was a wide receiver in the NFL. Arnaz was chosen by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame University. Battle also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. His father, Ron Battle, was also an NFL player.
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Early life and high school achievements
Arnaz Battle grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana. He has a tattoo on his arm that remembers his younger brother, Brandon. Arnaz was a star athlete at C. E. Byrd High School. He gained over 5,000 total yards during his high school career. He scored 49 touchdowns by running and threw 28 more as a quarterback. He even scored a touchdown on a kickoff return! Arnaz was recognized as one of the best high school players in the country. He was named a Parade All-America player.
College career at Notre Dame
Arnaz Battle started his college football career at the University of Notre Dame as a quarterback. In 2000, he became the starting quarterback. However, he broke his wrist early in the season and couldn't play for the rest of the year.
The next year, his coaches moved him to wide receiver. This was because he was very fast and good at running with the ball. As a wide receiver, he caught 53 passes for 742 yards and scored five touchdowns. He also ran for 314 yards and one touchdown. Arnaz was recognized for his skills, earning an All-America honorable mention. He also did well in school, studying sociology and computer applications.
Playing in the NFL
Arnaz Battle played for two teams during his professional football career: the San Francisco 49ers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
San Francisco 49ers years
Arnaz Battle joined the San Francisco 49ers in 2003. In his first year, he played in eight games. He mostly played on special teams, helping to recover fumbles.
In 2004, he played in 14 games. He became very good at returning punts and kickoffs. He even returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals. This was a career highlight!
In 2005, Arnaz started eight games. He caught 32 passes for 363 yards and scored three touchdowns. He scored his first NFL touchdown on a pass from quarterback Tim Rattay. He even threw his first career pass, a 24-yard completion to another receiver.
The 2006 season was a great one for Battle. He started 15 games and caught 59 passes for 686 yards. He was known for not dropping passes, which is very important for a receiver. He scored two touchdowns in one game against the Oakland Raiders.
In 2007, Arnaz continued to be a key player. He caught 50 passes for 600 yards and scored a career-high five receiving touchdowns. He was even named the captain of the wide receivers! In the first game of the season, he scored a rushing touchdown with only 22 seconds left to help the 49ers win. He also had a long 57-yard touchdown catch against Arizona.
In 2008, Arnaz had his first game with over 100 receiving yards, catching passes for 120 yards in one game. However, his season ended early due to a foot injury. He finished that year with 24 catches for 318 yards.
His final season with the 49ers was in 2009. He continued to help out on special teams.
Pittsburgh Steelers years
In 2010, Arnaz Battle signed a three-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He didn't catch any passes in his first year with the Steelers, but he was a very important player on special teams. The next year, he was named the team captain for special teams, showing how much his teammates and coaches respected him. The Steelers released Battle in 2012, ending his NFL career.
NFL career highlights
Arnaz Battle played in 113 NFL games. He caught 178 passes for a total of 2,150 yards. He scored 11 receiving touchdowns and 2 rushing touchdowns, for a total of 13 touchdowns in his career. He also gained 887 yards from returning kicks and punts.
Personal life
Arnaz Battle's father, Ron Battle, also played in the NFL as a tight end for the Los Angeles Rams. Arnaz is married to Billye Battle, and they have four children.
