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.

Sadly, Skiles Still Making Poor Choices

 
When a student at MSU, Scott Skiles made some poor choices.  Since leaving he seemed to have gotten over his indiscretions in choice until this week.

 
Skiles (who was fired as head coach of the Chicago Bulls) was hired to coach the Milwaukee Bucks.  Good for him was the echo of the Spartan Nation.  Sadly, as soon as he was employed rumors began to fly that he was looking at hiring a former Spartan and recently disgraced Kelvin Sampson.  There is certainly no reason to regurgitate the shady and disappointing past of the man we affectionately call “The Cheater.”  Even sadder was Skiles ignorant and ridiculously dumb choice to add the man who brought the scum to the Indiana program to his side.

 
I have been a long fan of Scott Skiles and it saddens me to even have to write this or even think it.  Skiles decision to hire Sampson was not only stupid; it sent a message to a lot of children that it is O.K. to cheat.  In fact it pays.  Not only did Sampson walk away with $750,000 of Indiana University’s money (I have no sympathy for them, they danced with a skunk and smell like it), but also now he has the big money with no recruiting issues of the NBA high life.

 
This isn’t a reclamation project.  I am a huge advocate of a second chance.  With Sampson, however, it is more than that.  He cheated at OU and then at IU.  Sadly, Skiles (who was the recipient of a second chance) has joined forces with Sampson.  After the hiring of Sampson, he went from boyhood hero and a man I always root for to someone that I have lost a lot of pride and respect for.

 
Now the Milwaukee Bucks have become one of my least favorite teams.  Sadly, there is a Spartan whom we all respect in Milwaukee and he is stuck with those two.  I can only hope that Charlie Bell (who wanted out of Milwaukee last year) gets his wish.  I want to root for Bell, but Skiles reverting to his past of poor choices makes it awful hard.

 
I remember as a young boy when Skiles got into trouble while at MSU.  I succinctly remember asking my dad why so many people were upset with Jud for sticking by him.  It was Skiles situation that I remember sitting on the deck of our speedboat and my dad teaching me about grace and the importance of giving people second chances.  Skiles made the most of it.  He did so well.  Obviously now as an older man he has reverted back to making poor choices again.  Sadly it tarnishes his image.  Sadly Sampson doesn’t care.

 
I hope you have a lot of minutes on your cell phone Scott, Kelvin loves to text!  Hang in there Charlie; we all hope you get out!  Maybe your coaches can learn from you.  At least there is still one Spartan in Milwaukee we can root for!