Welcome Back Artose Pinner

Allen Park, Mich. - The Detroit Lions announced today that they have signed free agent RB Artose Pinner to a one-year deal. Additional contract terms were not

Allen Park, Mich. - The Detroit Lions announced today that they have signed free agent RB Artose Pinner to a one-year deal. Additional contract terms were not disclosed.

Pinner (5-10, 232) re-joins Detroit entering his sixth NFL season. He spent last season with Atlanta after being signed as a free agent September 3. Through five seasons, Pinner has played in 47 regular season games (7 starts) and logged 250 rushes for 858 yards and eight touchdowns. He also has 39 receptions for 308 yards. Pinner was originally drafted by the Lions in the fourth round (99th overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft.

In 2007, Pinner played in seven games for the Falcons and finished with five carries for 46 yards. He spent the 2006 season with Minnesota and played in 12 regular season games (one start) while tallying 43 carries for 190 yards and matching a career-best three touchdowns (2005).

After missing most of his rookie season while recovering from a leg injury suffered in the 2003 Senior Bowl, Pinner played in the final three games of the 2003 season and started two. He began to emerge as a regular contributor during the 2004 season when he played in nine games and started two in place of an injured Kevin Jones. Pinner finished his second season with 174 yards and his first two career touchdowns. In 2005, he played in all 16 games for the Lions posting 106 rushes for 349 yards and established a career-best three touchdowns on the season.

At the University of Kentucky, Pinner started 14 of 34 games and ran for over 100 yards 11 times. He rushed for 2,105 yards and 17 touchdowns on 438 attempts (4.8 avg) and totaled 407 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 58 receptions during his career with the Wildcats.

Pinner attended Hopkinsville (Ky.) High School, where he rushed for 5,829 yards on 704 carries (8.3 avg) and 68 touchdowns as the starting running back his junior and senior seasons. He was named the Class AAA State Player of the Year as a senior after rushing 361 times for 3,274 yards and 33 touchdowns, which also earned him honorable mention All-American by USA Today.