Terrion Arnold has jersey retired at JPII after becoming school's first draft pick
Terrion Arnold's name is now immortalized in St. John Paul II history.
After becoming the first player in the program's history to be selected in the NFL Draft, the former Big Bend standout had his number 11 jersey retired during a ceremony at the school on Tuesday afternoon.
Surrounded by family, friends, former teammates and staff, Arnold again became part of history at JPII, becoming the first player to have his jersey retired for the Panthers.
Arnold was selected 24th overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2024 NFL Draft in April. The Lions moved up five spots to select the Alabama defensive back, making him one of Tallahassee's highest draft picks.
After limited action on the field to start his career in Alabama, Arnold became a star for the Tide during the 2022 season, slowly establishing himself as one the best defensive backs on the roster. During the 2023 season, his final year in Tuscaloosa, Arnold recorded 63 tackles and five interceptions while establishing himself as one of the nation's best DBs.
Despite all his success in Alabama, the 21-year-old actively returns to the Big Bend, including returning last Christmas to gift JPII maintenance chief Joe Biggs his Alabama jersey, fulfilling a promise he made Biggs when he left for college.
A mentor for JPII football's "Big Brother, Little Brother" program under head coach Tremaine Hughes, Arnold has been active in involving himself in the Big Bend community even after he left for Alabama.
His commitment to his hometown in now written into the history of Tallahassee and JPII, and no one will ever wear the number 11 again for the Panthers.
Liam Rooney covers preps sports for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Terrion Arnold has jersey retired at St. John Paul II after Detroit Lions selection
