Fred Jackson
Encyclopedia
Frederick "Fred" George Jackson (born February 20, 1981 in Fort Worth, Texas
) is an American football
running back
for the Buffalo Bills
of the National Football League
. He attended Lamar High School
in Arlington, Texas
. Jackson is known for his versatility and elusiveness.
and although he was a member of the powerful Lamar Vikings teams of the late 1990s, he never started a game in his two years on the varsity. Back then he was considered too small (5-8, 160 pounds) and too slow. He began his senior year as a third-string running back
, and only after a knee injury to starter Justin Faust (headed to Stanford
), was he elevated to second-string behind Tommicus Walker (headed to TCU
).
During his senior year, 13 of his teammates signed letters of intent to play college football
, but he didn't receive any offers. Instead, Wayne Phillips, his Nichols Junior High School football coach, arranged for him and his brother to enroll into Coe College
, a Division III school that doesn’t offer athletic scholarships. Later in life, Phillips would help Jackson again recommending him to Coe
alumnus Marv Levy
.
, a Division III school. He was named to five All-American teams in 2002, rushing for 1,702 yards and 29 touchdowns. He was a two-time Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
MVP
for the Kohawks. He graduated in 2003 with a degree in sociology.
, Denver Broncos
and Green Bay Packers
, and being seen as too small a player for the NFL (6'1 but only 195 lbs.), he went on to play indoor football for the Sioux City Bandits
where he earned $200 a week. Jackson played two seasons for the Bandits in the National Indoor Football League
(2004) and the United Indoor Football
League (2005). He was named the 2005 UIF co-MVP in 2005, as in 18 games he ran for 1,770 yards and scored 53 touchdowns (40 rushing, 11 pass receiving and 2 on kick returns). During this time he also worked as a youth counselor at Four Oaks to make ends meet. His jersey number was retired by the Sioux City Bandits
in 2008.
While with the Bandits in 2004, Jackson's childhood home in Arlington, Texas
was torn down to make way for Cowboys Stadium, which replaced Texas Stadium
as the home of the Dallas Cowboys
in 2009. Jackson played in his former neighborhood on November 13, 2011 when the Bills faced the Cowboys.
in 2006, leading the team with 731 rushing yards.
in 2006 by Marv Levy
, a Coe
alumnus himself. He made his first career start
against the Washington Redskins
in 2007, rushing for 82 yards while catching four passes for 69 yards in a Bills victory. He became the first Division III running back
to start an NFL game since December 24, 2000, when former Ferrum College
running back Chris Warren started for the Philadelphia Eagles
against the Cincinnati Bengals
.
On December 9, 2007 in a victory over the Miami Dolphins
, Jackson rushed for 115 yards with a long of 27 yards to top the 100-yard rushing mark for the first time in his NFL career. Teammate Marshawn Lynch
rushed for 107 yards, marking the first time the Buffalo Bills
had two players rush for 100-plus yards in the same game since 1996 when Thurman Thomas and Darick Holmes
accomplished the feat.
On the May 13, 2009, Jackson signed a 4 year contract extension to stay with the Bills. Jackson wears a No. 22 jersey in Emmitt Smith
’s honor.
In 2009, after winning the starting job from Lynch in Week 12, Jackson eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the first time in his career with 1062 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also set a career high in catches with 46 for 371 yards and 2 more scores and also completed a 27-yard touchdown pass. Jackson also had 1014 kickoff return yards making him the first player in NFL history to compile 1000 rushing and kickoff return yards. The 2,516 combined yards are the fourth highest total in NFL history. In Week 17 versus the Indianapolis Colts, Jackson had a career day with 212 rushing yards and a receiving touchdown.
After the season, Jackson was named to the USA Today All-Joe Team
for his quality play.
After Week 10 of the 2010 NFL Season, Fred was named Fedex Ground Player of the Week.
On November 23, 2011 Jackson was placed on Injured Reserve due to a fractured fibula, he suffered the injury on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins
.
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
) is an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He attended Lamar High School
Lamar High School (Arlington, Texas)
Mirabeau B. Lamar High School is a secondary school in Arlington, Texas. It is named for Mirabeau B. Lamar, the second president of the Republic of Texas, and located at 1400 West Lamar Boulevard....
in Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
. Jackson is known for his versatility and elusiveness.
High school career
Jackson attended Lamar High School (Arlington, Texas)Lamar High School (Arlington, Texas)
Mirabeau B. Lamar High School is a secondary school in Arlington, Texas. It is named for Mirabeau B. Lamar, the second president of the Republic of Texas, and located at 1400 West Lamar Boulevard....
and although he was a member of the powerful Lamar Vikings teams of the late 1990s, he never started a game in his two years on the varsity. Back then he was considered too small (5-8, 160 pounds) and too slow. He began his senior year as a third-string running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
, and only after a knee injury to starter Justin Faust (headed to Stanford
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
), was he elevated to second-string behind Tommicus Walker (headed to TCU
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
).
During his senior year, 13 of his teammates signed letters of intent to play college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
, but he didn't receive any offers. Instead, Wayne Phillips, his Nichols Junior High School football coach, arranged for him and his brother to enroll into Coe College
Coe College
Coe College is a private, four-year, liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Founded in 1851, the institution is historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . Its current president is James R. Phifer. It is one of the smaller universities to have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa...
, a Division III school that doesn’t offer athletic scholarships. Later in life, Phillips would help Jackson again recommending him to Coe
Coe College
Coe College is a private, four-year, liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Founded in 1851, the institution is historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . Its current president is James R. Phifer. It is one of the smaller universities to have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa...
alumnus Marv Levy
Marv Levy
Marvin Daniel Levy is a former American and Canadian football coach, front office executive and author.He is a former professional football coach, in the CFL as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes , and in the NFL as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills , coaching the Bills...
.
College career
Jackson played college football at Coe CollegeCoe College
Coe College is a private, four-year, liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Founded in 1851, the institution is historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . Its current president is James R. Phifer. It is one of the smaller universities to have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa...
, a Division III school. He was named to five All-American teams in 2002, rushing for 1,702 yards and 29 touchdowns. He was a two-time Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is an College Athletic Conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. As the name implies, member teams are located in the state of Iowa.-History:...
MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
for the Kohawks. He graduated in 2003 with a degree in sociology.
Sioux City Bandits
After trying out for the Chicago BearsChicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, and being seen as too small a player for the NFL (6'1 but only 195 lbs.), he went on to play indoor football for the Sioux City Bandits
Sioux City Bandits
The Sioux City Bandits are a professional indoor football team, currently a member of the American Professional Football League. They play their home games at the Tyson Events Center....
where he earned $200 a week. Jackson played two seasons for the Bandits in the National Indoor Football League
National Indoor Football League
National Indoor Football League was a professional indoor football league in the United States. For their first six years, the league had teams in markets not covered by either the Arena Football League or its developmental league, af2, however, that changed briefly with their expansion into AFL...
(2004) and the United Indoor Football
United Indoor Football
United Indoor Football was a United States indoor football league that started in 2005. Ten owners from the National Indoor Football League, including one expansion and two from arenafootball2 took their franchises and formed their own league...
League (2005). He was named the 2005 UIF co-MVP in 2005, as in 18 games he ran for 1,770 yards and scored 53 touchdowns (40 rushing, 11 pass receiving and 2 on kick returns). During this time he also worked as a youth counselor at Four Oaks to make ends meet. His jersey number was retired by the Sioux City Bandits
Sioux City Bandits
The Sioux City Bandits are a professional indoor football team, currently a member of the American Professional Football League. They play their home games at the Tyson Events Center....
in 2008.
While with the Bandits in 2004, Jackson's childhood home in Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
was torn down to make way for Cowboys Stadium, which replaced Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
as the home of the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in 2009. Jackson played in his former neighborhood on November 13, 2011 when the Bills faced the Cowboys.
Rhein Fire
Jackson played in NFL Europa for the Rhein FireRhein Fire
The Rhein Fire was a professional American football team in NFL Europe, formerly the World League of American Football. Established in Germany in 1995, the franchise resurrected the name of the former Birmingham Fire team which was active during the 1991-1992 WLAF seasons.-History:The team was...
in 2006, leading the team with 731 rushing yards.
Buffalo Bills
Jackson was invited to training camp with the Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 2006 by Marv Levy
Marv Levy
Marvin Daniel Levy is a former American and Canadian football coach, front office executive and author.He is a former professional football coach, in the CFL as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes , and in the NFL as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills , coaching the Bills...
, a Coe
Coe College
Coe College is a private, four-year, liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Founded in 1851, the institution is historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . Its current president is James R. Phifer. It is one of the smaller universities to have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa...
alumnus himself. He made his first career start
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
against the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
in 2007, rushing for 82 yards while catching four passes for 69 yards in a Bills victory. He became the first Division III running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
to start an NFL game since December 24, 2000, when former Ferrum College
Ferrum College
Ferrum College is a private college in Ferrum, Virginia, USA, in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia. Ferrum College has the second-oldest environmental science program in the nation and was ranked 41st by US News and World Report in Comprehensive Colleges–Bachelor's for 2006....
running back Chris Warren started for the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
against the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
.
On December 9, 2007 in a victory over the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Jackson rushed for 115 yards with a long of 27 yards to top the 100-yard rushing mark for the first time in his NFL career. Teammate Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Terrell Lynch is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills' first 1,000-yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984...
rushed for 107 yards, marking the first time the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
had two players rush for 100-plus yards in the same game since 1996 when Thurman Thomas and Darick Holmes
Darick Holmes
Darick Holmes is a former American football running back in the NFL who played for the Buffalo Bills from 1995–1998, for the Green Bay Packers in 1998 and for the Indianapolis Colts in 1999....
accomplished the feat.
On the May 13, 2009, Jackson signed a 4 year contract extension to stay with the Bills. Jackson wears a No. 22 jersey in Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
’s honor.
In 2009, after winning the starting job from Lynch in Week 12, Jackson eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the first time in his career with 1062 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also set a career high in catches with 46 for 371 yards and 2 more scores and also completed a 27-yard touchdown pass. Jackson also had 1014 kickoff return yards making him the first player in NFL history to compile 1000 rushing and kickoff return yards. The 2,516 combined yards are the fourth highest total in NFL history. In Week 17 versus the Indianapolis Colts, Jackson had a career day with 212 rushing yards and a receiving touchdown.
After the season, Jackson was named to the USA Today All-Joe Team
USA Today All-Joe Team
The USA Today All-Joe team is an annual selection of National Football League players and coaches deemed hard workers and over-achievers that may be overlooked by the biased media...
for his quality play.
After Week 10 of the 2010 NFL Season, Fred was named Fedex Ground Player of the Week.
On November 23, 2011 Jackson was placed on Injured Reserve due to a fractured fibula, he suffered the injury on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.