HOUSTON – Damon Arnette Jr. loves plying his trade, backpedaling, breaking on the football and tackling as he embraces the physical aspects of the game.
Arnette completed a remarkable comeback last year, returning to the NFL with the Texans after a standout year with the Houston Roughnecks in the United Football League.
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After being out of football for years due to a past history of off-field issues, Arnette changed his life with improved maturity. And the former Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick from Ohio State emphasized that he has maintained the sobriety he achieved in the past few years.
Arnette, released in late December by the Texans, wanted to play football so badly that he returned to the UFL as he ran it back with the Gamblers and contributed significantly on defense
Now, Arnette is hungry to play more football. He’s training every day as he works diligently for his next NFL opportunity.
“I’m ready, I’ve been ready to go,” Arnette told KPRC 2. “When and where, all I need is a helmet. With my talent level, being able to compete with the best of the best, I just really need an opportunity and somebody willing to give me a shot to prove what I can do.
“Being a leader is something that I’ve been more adamant about and it means more to me. Being around guys like Derek Stingley and Kamari Lassiter, they reminded me a lot of who I was, what I meant to them. It really made me look in the mirror and see more positives. Being able to walk in that light again, it would be a blessing.”
Arnette, 29, finished the Gamblers season with 16 tackles, recording one for a loss and one pass breakup in nine games for coach Kevin Sumlin.
He had 17 tackles and one interception last year for the Roughnecks, returning it for a touchdown.
“Coach Sumlin, he’s a great coach,” Arnette said. “He really cared about about all of his players, you know. He was patient with me. That meant a lot to me. He believes in me a lot, he’s confident in my ability, and I’m always appreciative of somebody who was willing to give me a chance.
With the Texans, Arnette was on the practice squad after intercepting a pass during the preseason against the Carolina Panthers. He played in two games and recorded three tackles for the season. At the end of the season, he dealt with an ankle injury and the flu and was released.
The experience for Arnette was life-changing, especially playing for Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator Matt Burke and cornerbacks coach Dino Vasso.
“That whole Texans environment, it was breath-taking,” Arnette said. “It reminded me a lot of the Ohio State atmosphere, just to be part of something special like that and to say I was coached by DeMeco. He’s a great man, same with coach Dino. Everybody made sure that I was good and adjusting well and I learned a lot.
“It kind of felt like my real first year in the league, with a clear mind, all about ball, no distractions. Being around great guys like Stingley, Kamari, Jalen Pitre, Calen Bullock, those guys really showed me what the standard was for the NFL, to be the best. Top-tier players, even better humans. We have a great relationship to this day.”
The Texans have the top-ranked defense returning from last year.
If Arnette should get the call to rejoin them, he would be overjoyed.
“That would be a dream come true, just to be on another NFL team, and to be on the best team in the NFL, the best defense, the best defense I was ever a part of,” Arnette said. “It reminded me of Ohio State, and I have nothing but great memories from college. I like to think that history repeats itself.”
Arnette hit rock bottom during his time with the Raiders as multiple legal and personal issues derailed his career. He had brief stints with the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs, before spending three years out of football prior to being signed by the Roughnecks last year.
The Texans gave Arnette a second chance after he relaunched his career with the Roughnecks, signing him after a successful tryout.
Elevated from the practice squad against the Baltimore Ravens, Arnette recorded two tackles on special teams and had a couple plays on defense. Those 22 combined snaps were extremely significant to Arnette, considering the tough road he’s walked and the growth he has strived for and found off the field.
His last NFL game before a 44-10 blowout victory at M&T Bank Stadium: Oct. 4, 2021 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Arnette reordered his life by making significant changes to his behavior and attitude.
Vasso made it a point to remind Arnette about how far he’s come from his darkest moments.
“I’ve been living in my sobriety,” Arnette said. “Darren Waller helped me so much. I found my sobriety and my purpose and it changed my life.”
The guidance that Arnette has received from Jon Gruden, his former coach in Las Vegas, has been extremely meaningful to him.
“He’s got a whole new identity,” Gruden told KPRC 2. “He doesn’t look the same. He doesn’t act the same. He’s not the same. He has changed his identity. He changed the circle of people in his life, in a good way. He’s focused. He’s determined. I’m really proud of him.I see a guy who has reinvented himself. He has done it very impressively. I hope he continues to do that. We’ll all be able to pull for him.
“Some of the best stories I’ve been involved in with coaching is seeing guys turn it around from adversity. Darren Waller is a great example. He had problems and fixed himself. So did Maxx Crosby. Damon Arnette can do that.”
'I think Damon is doing the right things. We're inclined when we deem it appropriate to give someone a second chance' #Texans GM Nick Caserio on signing Damon Arnette Jr. @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/LiJZ130wAL
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) July 23, 2025
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com