.jpg) Arnette with theHouston Roughnecks in 2025 | |||||||
| No. 41 – Houston Texans | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Cornerback | ||||||
| Roster status | Practice squad | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born | (1996-09-02)September 2, 1996 (age 29) Dallas,Texas, U.S. | ||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school | St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) | ||||||
| College | Ohio State (2015–2019) | ||||||
| NFL draft | 2020: 1st round, 19th overall pick | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||
| |||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
| |||||||
Damon Elroy Arnette Jr.[1] (born September 2, 1996) is an American professionalfootballcornerback for theHouston Texans of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theOhio State Buckeyes and was selected by theLas Vegas Raiders in the first round of the2020 NFL draft. He previously played for theHouston Roughnecks of theUnited Football League.
Arnette was born inDallas,Texas, and moved toFort Lauderdale, Florida, when he was three years old.[1] He attendedSt. Thomas Aquinas High School, where he played linebacker and wide receiver for the Raiders.[2] He was named honorable mention Class 8A-7A-6A All-County as a senior and helped lead the team to a state championship. Rated a three-star recruit, Arnette originally committed to playcollege football for theSouth Carolina Gamecocks during the summer going into his senior year before changing his commitment toOhio State on national signing day.[3]
.jpg)
Arnetteredshirted his true freshman season after a bone chip was discovered in his tibia duringtraining camp.[2] He played in 13 of Ohio State's games the following season as a key reserve at defensive back and recorded 21 tackles with oneinterception.[4] As a redshirt sophomore, Arnette started 12 of the Buckeyes 14 games and led the team's cornerbacks with 44 tackles with two interceptions and eight passes broken up and was named honorable mentionAll-Big Ten Conference.[5][6] Arnette was again named honorable mention as a junior, 40 tackles and one interception in 13 games played.[7][8] Arnette originally planned to leave school and forgo his final season ofNCAA eligibility to enter the2019 NFL draft, but eventually decided to return to Ohio State for his final year of eligibility.[9]
Arnette scored his first careertouchdown on September 14, 2019, on a 97-yard interception return againstIndiana.[10] Arnette was named second-team All-Big Ten at the end of the season, recording 35 tackles, eight passes defended and one interception while playing with a broken wrist.[11][12][13]
| Season | Team | GP | Solo | Ast | Tot | TFL | Sck | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Ohio State | 11 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 12 | 35 | 9 | 44 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 35 | 17.5 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 13 | 31 | 9 | 40 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 11 | 27 | 8 | 35 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 96 | 96.0 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | |
| Career | 47 | 104 | 36 | 140 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 132 | 26.4 | 1 | 22 | 2 | 1 | |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft11+5⁄8 in (1.82 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 30 in (0.76 m) | 9+1⁄8 in (0.23 m) | 4.56 s | 1.56 s | 2.67 s | ||||||
| All values fromNFL Combine[15][16] | ||||||||||||
Arnette was selected by theLas Vegas Raiders in the first round with the 19th overall pick of the2020 NFL draft.[17] The Raiders previously obtained the 19th selection as part of the trade that sentKhalil Mack to theChicago Bears in 2018. He was placed oninjured reserve on October 2, 2020, with a thumb injury.[18] He was moved to the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on October 19,[19] and was moved back to injured reserve on October 30.[20] He was activated to the active roster on November 14.[21]
Arnette entered the 2021 season as a backup cornerback behindTrayvon Mullen andCasey Hayward. He suffered a groin injury in Week 4 and was placed on injured reserve.[22] The Raiders released him on November 8, 2021, after the discovery of a video showing him brandishing firearms and making death threats.[23]
On December 15, 2021, Arnette was signed to thepractice squad of theMiami Dolphins.[24] His contract expired when the team's season ended on January 9, 2022.
Arnette signed a reserve/futures contract with theKansas City Chiefs on January 20, 2022.[25] He was released on January 29, after he was arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, and two counts of possession of controlled substances inLas Vegas,Nevada.[26]
On December 30, 2024, Arnette signed with theHouston Roughnecks of theUnited Football League (UFL).[27]
On June 20, 2025, Arnette signed a one-year deal with theHouston Texans.[28] He was waived on August 26 as part of final roster cuts, and re-signed to the practice squad.[29][30] On November 7, Arnette was signed to the active roster.[31] He was waived by the team on November 15 and re-signed to the practice squad four days later.[32][33]
Arnette has three children: two daughters and a son.[34][35] He is also a rapper under the stage name NWG Suave.[36]
On November 5, 2021, Arnette was accused of injuring a woman in a 2020 car crash. On October 14, 2020, Arnette allegedly slammed into the woman's car after missing a turn on the way to team practice, then left the scene. The crash occurred with Arnette traveling at 65 miles per hour, which allegedly caused the woman "head trauma" and "shoulder, neck, and back pain as well as depression and panic attacks."[37]
On November 8, 2021, a video was discovered of Arnette in which he brandished firearms and was making death threats. This video led to his release from the Raiders.[23]
On January 29, 2022, Arnette was arrested inLas Vegas,Nevada, on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, and two counts of possession of controlled substances.[26] On July 25, Las Vegas authorities announced no criminal charges would be filed.[38] However, on May 16, 2023, it was announced that a grand jury had indicted Arnette for assault with a deadly weapon and other firearms charges relating from this incident.[39] On August 7, Arnette formally agreed to a plea deal and was sentenced to 50 hours of community service, $2,000 in fines, surrendering the gun he had when he was arrested, and ordered to not violate any laws for 90 days.[40]
On the night of July 25, 2022, Arnette was pulled over and found to have a suspended license. He was released with the police allowing the passenger to drive the vehicle. Hours later, shortly after midnight on July 26, Arnette was again pulled over driving the same vehicle, and this time was placed under arrest and charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving on a suspended license. He was later released on bond.[41]
Arnette was again arrested on January 6, 2024, at 3:30am inRichardson, Texas. He was charged with possession ofmethamphetamine and unlawful carrying of a firearm.[42]
| Season | Team | GP | GS | Solo | Ast | Tot | TFL | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | LVR | 9 | 7 | 21 | 4 | 25 | 1 | 2 |
| 2021 | LVR | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Career | 13 | 7 | 23 | 6 | 29 | 1 | 3 | |
| Season | Team | GP | GS | Solo | Ast | Tot | TFL | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | HOU | 8 | 8 | 18 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 8 | 8 | 18 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 0 | |
Note: Stat categories that he didn't record any stats in are not included in the table, such as sacks and interceptions.
