Christopher Rainey (born March 2, 1988) is an American professional football

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Ther ...

and

kick returner A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another positio ...

who is a free agent. He played college football for the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

, and was a member of Florida's BCS National Championship team in 2009. The Pittsburgh Steelers of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) selected him in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He has also played for the NFL's Indianapolis Colts and the CFL's

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the East Division of the Canad ...

and

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario ...

Early years

Rainey was born in

Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal ci ...

was raised by his grandmother.Ed Bouchette,
Ex-Gator Chris Rainey joins 'brother' in Pittsburgh
," ''The Republic'' (May 2, 2012), Retrieved May 6, 2012. He attended Lakeland High School, where he became a standout running back for the Lakeland Dreadnaughts high school football team.GatorZone.com, Football History, 2011 Roster
Chris Rainey
. Retrieved April 29, 2012. During his high school years, he lived with the family of twin brothers

Maurkice Pouncey LaShawn Maurkice Pouncey (born July 24, 1989) is a former American football center who played 11 seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida, where he was a member of a BCS Nat ...

and

Mike Pouncey James Michael Pouncey (born July 24, 1989) is a former American football center who played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Florida, was a member of a BCS National Championship ...

, and all three were standout members of the Dreadnaughts football team. As a senior in 2006, he led his team with 2,478 yards rushing for thirty-two touchdowns—including fifteen touchdown runs of fifty yards or more—and helped lead the Lakeland Dreadnaughts to their third consecutive Florida Class 5A state championship and second straight ''USA Today''

national championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...

. Following his senior season, he was a U.S. Army high school All-American and an all-state selection by the Florida Sports Writers Association, and finished his prep career with more than 7,000 all-purpose yards and ninety touchdowns. Rainey and the Pouncey brothers all committed to play college football for the University of Florida. All three players would later be drafted by NFL teams.

College career

Rainey accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the

in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach

Urban Meyer Urban Frank Meyer III (born July 10, 1964) is a college football TV commentator and former American football coach. He spent most of his coaching career at the collegiate level, having served as the head coach of the Bowling Green Falcons fro ...

and coach

Will Muschamp William Lawrence Muschamp (born August 3, 1971) is an American football coach and former player. He is the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at the University of Georgia. He served as head football coach at the University of Florida fr ...

Florida Gators football The Florida Gators football program represents the University of Florida (UF) in American college football. Florida competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division o ...

teams from 2007 to 2011.
2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide
'', University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 46–47, 57, 58, 59, 63–64, 69–74, 127, 138–140, 148–149, 154, 172–173, 185 (2011). Retrieved April 29, 2012. After injuring his shoulder as a true freshman in 2007, he was redshirted. He was a member of the Gators'

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

team that won the

2008 SEC Championship Game The 2008 Dr Pepper SEC Championship Game was played December 6, 2008, in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia to determine the 2008 football champion of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The game featured the Florida Gators and the Alabama Cr ...

and the

2009 BCS National Championship Game The 2009 FedEx BCS National Championship Game was an American football game played at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on January 8, 2009. It was the national championship game for the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, and fea ...

. During his career as a Gator, he played in fifty-two games, compiled 2,464 yards and thirteen touchdowns on 396 rushing attempts, 795 yards and six touchdowns on sixty-nine receptions, and 454 return yards on eighteen kickoffs. On special teams, he holds the team career record for blocked kicks (4). Following his senior season in 2011, his fellow Gators recognized him as the team's most valuable player. He was suspended only four games in 2010 after he was charged with aggravated stalking for allegedly texting his girlfriend, "Time to die, b----." As a freshman, he also ran the 100-meter dash for the

Florida Gators track and field The Florida Gators track and field program represents the University of Florida in the sport of track and field. The program includes separate men's and women's teams, both of which compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic As ...

team, and received All-American honors as a member of the Gators men's third-place 4x100-meter relay team at the 2008 NCAA national outdoor track and field championships. Rainey did not participate in track as a sophomore. As a junior in 2010, the Gators men's 4x100-meter relay team, including Rainey, Jeremy Hall,

Terrell Wilks Terrell Wilks (born December 30, 1989) is an American sprinter who specializes in the 100 and 200 metres. He competed for University of Florida and had numerous All American Honors. He then signed a professional contract with Saucony A native of ...

, and

Jeff Demps Jeffery Barnard Demps (born January 8, 1990) is an American track and field athlete and former American football running back. He attended the University of Florida, where he was a running back for the Florida Gators football team and a sprinte ...

, won the

NCAA championship The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...

in the event with a winning time of 39.04 seconds. The quartet received All-American honors for their first-place finish.

Personal bests

Professional career

2012 NFL Combine

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Rainey in the fifth round, 159th overall pick, of the 2012 NFL Draft. The team announced he had signed a four-year contract on May 6, 2012. He debuted for the Steelers against the Denver Broncos on September 9, 2012 and scored his first NFL touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals on October 21, 2012. The Steelers waived Rainey on January 10, 2013, after he was arrested on a battery charge for attacking a young woman in a cellphone dispute.

Indianapolis Colts

Rainey signed with the Indianapolis Colts on November 20, 2013. He spent three weeks with Indianapolis. His first week, given limited practice time with the team, he was inactive. Rainey would, however, appear in the next two contests for the Colts; Weeks 13 & 14. Immediately following their Week 14 match-up, a losing effort to the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis announced Monday December 9, that Rainey had been placed on season-ending Injured Reserve. In his two games with the Colts Rainey returned six kickoffs and four punts for a total of 160 all-purpose yards. Despite being used in a few third-down packages, Rainey failed to make any offensive contributions in his very limited time with Indianapolis. On July 28, 2014 Colts coach Chuck Pagano announced Chris Rainey had been released from the team citing, "It's unfortunate and violation of team rules. It was an in-house deal, that's all I'm going to say about that."

Arizona Cardinals

Rainey signed with the Arizona Cardinals practice squad on September 9, 2014. He was released by the team on September 18, 2014.

Montreal Alouettes

Rainey signed with the

practice roster on September 28, 2014. He was promoted to the active roster on October 20, 2014. Rainey played in 5 games for the Alouettes during the 2014 season, receiving 22 touches on offense and 15 as a return specialist. Rainey was cut by the team on June 15, 2015.

BC Lions

Rainey signed with the

BC Lions The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place. The Lions played their first seas ...

on August 28, 2015. After signing midway through the season, Rainey played in the final nine games of the regular season, primarily on punt and kick return. In the 2016 season Rainey led the CFL in combined yards with 2,945 last year, and finished third in both kick and punt return yards with 1,359 and 942 respectively. On December 5, 2016, Rainey and the Lions agreed to a two-year contract extension, keeping him with the club through the

2018 CFL season The 2018 CFL season was the 65th season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it was the 61st Canadian Football League season. Edmonton hosted the 106th Grey Cup on November 25, 2018. The CFL announced that this season will move to a 21-w ...

Toronto Argonauts

Upon entering free agency, Rainey signed with the

on February 12, 2019. In week 4 against his former team, the BC Lions, Rainey returned a punt for a touchdown, but stepped out of bounds as time expired following a missed field goal, awarding BC a

rouge Rouge is the French word for "red" and may refer to: Compounds * Rouge (cosmetics), a cosmetic used to color the cheeks and emphasize the cheekbones * Jeweler's rouge or iron(III) oxide * Rouging, a form of corrosion applicable to stainless ...

, breaking a tie game and awarding BC the win. Rainey passed 10,000 career return yards during the season, and was named Toronto's Most Outstanding Special Teams Player. Rainey was appreciative of the nomination, but stated that teammate Frank Beltre who led the league in special teams tackles was more deserving. As a pending free agent in 2020, he was released during the free agency negotiation window on February 7, 2020.

BC Lions (II)

On February 11, 2020, it was announced that Rainey had signed a one-year contract to return to the

. However, the

2020 CFL season The 2020 CFL season would have been the 67th season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it would have been the 63rd season of the Canadian Football League. It was originally scheduled to begin on June 11; on April 7, the start of the ...

was cancelled, so Rainey signed again with the Lions on February 9, 2021. Rainey was not offered a contract by the Lions and become a free agent on February 8, 2022.

Personal life

Chris and his wife, Jenn, have three children Makari, Makynli, and Makailynn. Rainey's older brother is former CFL,

XFL XFL may refer to: Sports * XFL (2001), a defunct American football league that played its only season in 2001 * XFL (2020), a professional American football league Vehicles * Bell XFL Airabonita, a 1940 U.S. Navy experimental interceptor aircra ...

and NFL running back and kick returner “He Hate Me”

Rod Smart Torrold DeShaun "Rod" Smart (born January 9, 1977) is a former professional American football running back. He played college football for Western Kentucky. He was originally signed by the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL ...

.Rachel George,
UF's Chris Rainey moving on after running his mouth finally brought consequences, change
" ''Orlando Sentinel'' (September 30, 2011). Retrieved March 29, 2013.

References

External links

BC Lions profile

Chris Rainey – Florida Gators player profile

Chris Rainey – Pittsburgh Steelers player profile
* *
Canadian Football League profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rainey, Chris 1988 births Living people African-American players of American football African-American players of Canadian football American football running backs Arizona Cardinals players BC Lions players Canadian football running backs Florida Gators football players Florida Gators men's track and field athletes Indianapolis Colts players Lakeland High School (Lakeland, Florida) alumni Montreal Alouettes players Pittsburgh Steelers players American male sprinters Track and field athletes from Florida Track and field athletes in the National Football League Players of American football from Lakeland, Florida Toronto Argonauts players Canadian football return specialists American football return specialists 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people