Steven Jackson

Steven Jackson

Jackson in action in a November 2007 game
No. 39     St. Louis Rams
Running back
Personal information
Date of birth: July 22, 1983 (1983-07-22) (age 28)
Place of birth: Las Vegas, Nevada
Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Weight: 240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
College: Oregon State
NFL Draft: 2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 24
Debuted in 2004 for the St. Louis Rams
Career history
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 16, 2011
Rushing yards     9,017
Rushing average     4.2
Rushing TDs     52
Stats at NFL.com

Steven Rashad Jackson (born July 22, 1983) is an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Rams 24th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oregon State University.

Contents

Early years

Jackson was born in Las Vegas, Nevada and was a running back for Eldorado High School. He was named the Sunrise Regional MVP and rushed for 6,396 yards and 81 touchdowns for the Sundevils. Jackson's Eldorado squad lost in the state final his senior year to Chris Carr (currently of the Baltimore Ravens) and his perennial powerhouse McQueen High School (Reno, Nevada).

Jackson's subsequent success has been credited with prompting college football programs to take more interest in players in the Las Vegas area.[1] This success also led to Jackson's induction into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.[2]

College career

Jackson ended his Oregon State career after three seasons. In 36 games, he carried 743 times for 3,625 yards for a 4.9-yard average and 39 touchdowns while adding 680 yards and six touchdowns on 66 catches and 240 yards with a touchdown on seven kickoff returns. His 4,545 all-purpose yards rank second in school history, while he ranks third on the school’s all-time scoring list with 276 points. As a junior he ranked tenth in the nation in rushing, ninth in all-purpose yardage, and fourth in scoring; he carried the ball 350 times for 1,545 yards and 19 touchdowns, adding 44 receptions for 470 yards and three touchdowns. His 2,015 all-purpose yards set a school record. As a sophomore Jackson led the Pac-10 Conference in rushing and finished the season eighth nationally with 1,690 yards, an average of 130.0 yards a game.

Professional career

Pre-draft

Pre-draft measureables
Ht Wt 40-yd dash 10-yd split 20-yd split 20-ss 3-cone Vert Broad BP Wonderlic
6 ft 1½ in 231 lb 4.45 s 4.09 s 7.03 s 37½ in 9 ft 10 in 16 rep 28
All values from Oregon State Pro Day, except for measurables and wonderlic[3]

Jackson was overlooked by several teams in the draft, most likely due to a knee injury suffered during his last year at Oregon State. According to NFLDraftScout.com, Jackson, on a weak knee at 241 pounds (109 kg), ran a 4.45s 40-yard dash at the 2004 NFL Combine. Jackson wanted to rehabilitate his knee more before competing in other drills, which he completed at a slimmed down 231 pounds (105 kg) for his Pro Day.[4] Jackson had surgery on the knee after the college season, but ended up requiring additional clean-up surgery after his rookie year to completely rehabilitate it. In an interview with cbssportsline.com's Pete Prisco, Jackson said, "It never felt right," Jackson said. "Now it does."[5]

St. Louis Rams

Jackson was drafted 24th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. The Rams swapped picks with the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals to get Jackson. Denver traded Deltha O'Neal to Cincinnati for their first round pick. Then, St. Louis traded up to Cincinnati's selection to grab Jackson while the Bengals chose Chris Perry to replace the departed Corey Dillon, who was traded to the New England Patriots.

On July 30, 2004, Jackson signed a 5-year, $7 million deal with Rams, which included a $2.05 million signing bonus. In his 2004 rookie season, he was a backup under Marshall Faulk. Despite the limited playing time, he rushed 134 times for 673 rushing yards and four touchdowns, and had 19 receptions for 189 yards.

With Faulk aging, Jackson was named the starter in 2005. Jackson had 1,046 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 254 attempts, and caught 43 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns.

After the dismissal of head coach Mike Martz, 2006 became Jackson's breakout season. With Scott Linehan as the new head coach, the Rams had a more balanced offensive attack. Jackson ran 346 times for 1,528 yards and 13 touchdowns and led all running backs when he caught 90 passes for 806 yards, and adding three touchdowns. He also led the NFL in total yards from scrimmage with 2,334. For his efforts, Jackson was named to his first Pro Bowl and received one vote for the 2006 NFL Offensive Player of the Year award.[6] He was also named the Rams MVP of 2006.

During the dismal 2007 season, Jackson lashed out at fans and commented that the music choice in the Edward Jones Dome was poor. After the season, Jackson held out of camp because he believed he was underpaid, and there was only one year left on his rookie contract. He later ended his holdout and said that he would report to camp. On August 21, 2008, Jackson ended his holdout officially, after he signed a six-year contract worth a maximum of $49.3 million, including $21 million in guarantees ($11.4 million signing bonus). The final two years of the deal can be voided upon performance so it can be a three-year extension worth $29.3 million. This made him the highest paid running back in the NFL. Jackson can be eligible for unrestricted free agency at age 28.[7]

On October 24, 2010, Jackson surpassed Eric Dickerson as the Rams' all-time leading rusher, with a 110-yard effort against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[8] Then on November 21, 2010, he recorded his 10,000th career yard from scrimmage on a first quarter run against the Atlanta Falcons. Jackson rushed for 1,145 yards during the 2011 Regular Season, marking the seventh consecutive season he has surpassed 1,000 yards.

Professional statistics

Rushing Stats
Year
Team
Att
Yards
AVG
LG
TD
20+
40+
2004 St. Louis Rams 134 673 5.0 48 4 5 2
2005 St. Louis Rams 254 1,046 4.1 51 8 6 2
2006 St. Louis Rams 346 1,528 4.4 59t 13 9 1
2007 St. Louis Rams 237 1,002 4.2 54 5 8 4
2008 St. Louis Rams 253 1,042 4.1 56 7 6 1
2009 St. Louis Rams 324 1,416 4.4 58 4 10 2
2010 St. Louis Rams 330 1,241 3.8 42t 6 7 1
TOTAL 1,878 7,948 4.2 59 47 51 13
Receiving statistics
Year
Team
Rec
Yards
AVG
LG
TD
20+
40+
2004 St. Louis Rams 19 189 9.9 28 0 4 0
2005 St. Louis Rams 43 320 7.4 27 2 1 0
2006 St. Louis Rams 90 806 9.0 64t 3 7 1
2007 St. Louis Rams 38 271 7.1 37 1 3 0
2008 St. Louis Rams 40 379 9.5 53 1 5 2
2009 St. Louis Rams 51 322 6.3 38 0 3 0
2010 St. Louis Rams 46 383 8.3 49 0 4 1
TOTAL 327 2,670 8.2 64t 7 27 4

References

External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Pisa Tinoisamoa
Rams Rookie of the Year Award
2004
Succeeded by
Alex Barron
Preceded by
Torry Holt
Oshiomogho Atogwe
Rams Most Valuable Player Award
2006
2009
Succeeded by
Will Witherspoon
Incumbent