By Robert Wilson
Wingfield High isn’t known as a football school, but the Jackson Public School has had its share of football greats, like former NFL players Jackie Slater and Vernon Perry, who starred for the Falcons in the early 1970s. And there have been some outstanding quarterbacks in school history like Bobby Barrett, Sleepy Robinson, Albert Williams, and LaAndre Thomas.
This year’s star is senior quarterback Tyler Arrington, especially last week.
The 5-foot-9, 175-pound Arrington ran for 454 yards on 23 carries and scored five touchdowns and one two-point conversion in Wingfield’s 44-42 loss to arch-rival Forest Hill Friday night at South Jackson Field.
For his outstanding performance, Arrington has been named the Junction Deli/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Football Player of the Week.
Arrington scored on runs of 75 yards, 64 yards, 51 yards, 46 yards and 34 yards. He almost won the game at the end. After Forest Hill scored to take the lead in the final seconds, Arrington ran for 80 yards and was tripped up at 2-yard line on the last play of the game.
Arrington put together a terrific season for the 1-4 Falcons. He has gained 1,207 yards on 87 carries (13.9 yards per carry) and scored 12 TDs and caught 10 passes for 152 yards and one TD has 1,861 all-purpose yards (he also has 502 yards on kickoff and punt returns). Arrington also plays some on defense as a safety.
“Tyler has been putting on a clinic because he is underrated,” second-year Wingfield coach Andrew Watson said. “He is a special person with a great heart. Tyler has a 21 on his ACT and a 3.5 grade point average. He is one of the ambassadors of the school. Tyler is a dynamic highlight machine. Teams have stopped kicking the ball to him, treating him like (standout NFL kick returner) Devin Hester. Tyler is determined to get us to the playoffs and has a feel for my vision, which is eventually to bring a title back to Jackson.”
Arrington has played running back and slotback for the past two years and started out at running back this season, but after injuries Watson decided to move Arrington to quarterback three games ago.
Arrington is more than a football star. He was the leading scorer on the basketball team last season and won the 400 and 800 meter runs in the MHSAA Class 5A state track and field meet last spring.
Arrington has offers by Hinds Community College, East Central CC, and Lane College in Tennessee and Watson said several Division I teams have showed interest.
Wingfield plays at Raymond Friday night.
Arrington is the son of Paul and Victoria Arrington. Paul played football, baseball, and ran track at Lanier. Tyler’s brother, Demarion, played basketball at Wingfield. Tyler’s other brother, Paul III, played football at Hartfield Academy. His cousin, Keivion Hunt, played basketball at Callaway and now is playing at Jackson State.
Mississippi Scoreboard selects a football player from Hinds, Madison, or Rankin counties each week. Coaches can nominate a player by text or call to Robert Wilson at 601.506.2276.
2023 POW winners:
Week One: John White, MRA
Week Two: Jacob Clearman, Tri-County Academy
Week Three: Ryan McCall, Madison Central
Week Four: Brayden Bullock, Central Hinds Academy
Week Five: Nate Blount, Brandon
Week Six: John White, MRA
