Arthur Lewis Nichols III (born August 16, 2001) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
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 American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
for the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
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). He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Central Michigan. During the 2021 regular season, he led the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision with 1,710 rushing yards.
Early years
Nichols attended
Cass Technical High School
Cass Technical High School (simply referred to as Cass Tech) is a public high school in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
. He played football under Cass Tech head coach
Thomas Wilcher. As a senior in 2018, Nichols rushed for 1,078 yards and 23 touchdowns on 84 carries. He was named to all-state teams selected by the ''
Detroit Free Press
The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primari ...
'', ''
The Detroit News
''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the '' Detroit Tribune'' on Februa ...
'', and the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
.
[
]
Central Michigan
During the 2019 season, Nichols appeared in four games for Central Michigan, carrying 19 times for 89 yards.[ As a redshirt freshman during the COVID 19-shortened 2020 season, Nichols rushed for 196 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 31–23 victory over rival Eastern Michigan. For the season, he rushed for 508 yards on 78 carries, an average of 6.5 yards per carry.][ His He had nine 100-yard rushing games in 2021, including totals of 219 yards against ]Ball State
Ball State University (Ball State, State or BSU) is a public research university in Muncie, Indiana. It has two satellite facilities in Fishers and Indianapolis.
On July 25, 1917, the Ball brothers, industrialists and founders of the Ball C ...
, 215 yards against Kent State
Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio. The university also includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally. Regional campuses are located in Ash ...
, 194 yards against Eastern Michigan, 192 yards against Northern Illinois, and 186 yards against Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
. His 1,710 yards was the second highest single-season total in Central Michigan history (behind Brian Pruitt's 1,890 yards in 1994).[ Despite leading the nation in rushing, Nichols was not selected as a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award.
]
Professional career
Green Bay Packers
Nichols was drafted 235th overall by the Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
in the 2023 NFL Draft
The 2023 NFL Draft will be the 88th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players. The draft is scheduled to be held in the plaza outside of Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, on April 27–29, ...
. He signed his rookie contract on May 5. He was waived/injured on August 29, 2023 and placed on injured reserve, then released on September 7.
Philadelphia Eagles
On October 16, 2023, the Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
signed Nichols to their practice squad.
References
External links
Philadelphia Eagles bioCentral Michigan Chippewas bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nichols, Lew
2001 births
Living people
Players of American football from Detroit
American football running backs
Central Michigan Chippewas football players
Cass Technical High School alumni
Green Bay Packers players
Philadelphia Eagles players