Harold Jackson (American football)
Encyclopedia
Harold Leon Jackson is a former American football
wide receiver
who played in the National Football League
from 1968 through 1983. Jackson was drafted in the 12th round (323 overall) of the 1968 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. After appearing in only two games during his rookie season, he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles
and quickly emerged as one of the top receivers in the NFL, finishing the 1969 season with 65 receptions for a league-best 1,116 yards and 9 touchdowns. During his years with the Eagles, Jackson led the NFL in receptions in 1972 and in receiving yardage in both 1969 and 1972.
Prior to the 1973 NFL season, the Eagles traded Jackson back to the Rams for quarterback Roman Gabriel
. Jackson led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 1973 with 13 and helped the Rams rebound from a 6-7-1 record the previous season to a 12-2 finish that won them the first of 7 straight NFC West
Division Championships. Statistically, his greatest NFL game came against Dallas on October 14, 1973 when he caught 7 passes for 238 yards and 4 TDs (this came in the midst of a string of four games in which he caught a total of 13 passes for 422 yards for a 32.5-yard average with 8 TDs). During his career, Jackson was selected to play in the Pro Bowl
5 times. In 1972, he was named 2nd-team All-Pro by the Associated Press (AP), the Pro Football Writers Association
(PFWA) and the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) and was voted 1st-team All-NFC by the Associated Press
(AP), The Sporting News
and UPI. He was a consensus 1st-team All-Pro
and All-NFC choice in 1973. He was voted 2nd team All-NFC by UPI in 1976, 1st team All-NFC by The Sporting News and UPI in 1977 and 2nd team All-Pro by the NEA in 1977.
In 1978, Jackson was traded to the New England Patriots
. Alongside Stanley Morgan
, Jackson helped formed one of the NFL's best starting wide receiver duos of the late 1970s/early 1980s. In 1979, Jackson finished with 1,013 yards receiving, 7 touchdown receptions and was second in the NFL in yards-per-catch with an average of 22.5. His teammate Morgan, who was nine years younger than Jackson, was the only one to finish with a higher average that season. Jackson finished out his career by playing one season each for the Minnesota Vikings
(1982) and the Seattle Seahawks
(1983).
During his career, Jackson had 29 career 100-yard games and three 1,000-yard seasons. At the time of his retirement, only Don Maynard
had more career receiving yards than Jackson. He currently ranks 26th in league history in career receiving yardage. For the decade of the 1970s, Jackson ranked first in receptions (432), yards (7,724) and receiving touchdowns (61).
Despite this, Jackson was not one of the wide receivers selected to the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 1970s and he has yet to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
.
After retiring from professional football, Jackson coached
receivers for 10 years in the NFL with New England
(1985–89), Tampa Bay
(1992–93) and New Orleans
(1997–99). In his first NFL season as a coach, the Patriots won the AFC Championship and played in Super Bowl XX
. In 1987 he suited for two of the Patriots replacement games, but did not play. Currently, Jackson is the receivers coach at Baylor University
.
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...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
who played in 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...
from 1968 through 1983. Jackson was drafted in the 12th round (323 overall) of the 1968 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. After appearing in only two games during his rookie season, he was traded to 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...
and quickly emerged as one of the top receivers in the NFL, finishing the 1969 season with 65 receptions for a league-best 1,116 yards and 9 touchdowns. During his years with the Eagles, Jackson led the NFL in receptions in 1972 and in receiving yardage in both 1969 and 1972.
Prior to the 1973 NFL season, the Eagles traded Jackson back to the Rams for quarterback Roman Gabriel
Roman Gabriel
Roman Ildonzo Gabriel, Jr. is a former American football player. The son of a Filipino immigrant, he was the first Asian-American to start as an NFL quarterback and is considered by many to have been one of the best players at that position during the late 1960s and early 70s.Gabriel attended and...
. Jackson led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 1973 with 13 and helped the Rams rebound from a 6-7-1 record the previous season to a 12-2 finish that won them the first of 7 straight NFC West
NFC West
The NFC West is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: Arizona Cardinals, St...
Division Championships. Statistically, his greatest NFL game came against Dallas on October 14, 1973 when he caught 7 passes for 238 yards and 4 TDs (this came in the midst of a string of four games in which he caught a total of 13 passes for 422 yards for a 32.5-yard average with 8 TDs). During his career, Jackson was selected to play in the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
5 times. In 1972, he was named 2nd-team All-Pro by the Associated Press (AP), the Pro Football Writers Association
Pro Football Writers Association
Technically known as the Pro Football Writers of America, this organization purports to be "The official voice of pro football writers, promoting and fighting for access to NFL personnel to best serve the public." Goals of the organization include improving access to practices and locker rooms,...
(PFWA) and the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) and was voted 1st-team All-NFC by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
(AP), The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
and UPI. He was a consensus 1st-team All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
and All-NFC choice in 1973. He was voted 2nd team All-NFC by UPI in 1976, 1st team All-NFC by The Sporting News and UPI in 1977 and 2nd team All-Pro by the NEA in 1977.
In 1978, Jackson was traded to the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. Alongside Stanley Morgan
Stanley Morgan
Stanley Douglas Morgan is a former NFL wide receiver who played for the New England Patriots. Morgan was selected out of the University of Tennessee in the first round of the 1977 NFL Draft . He also played one season for the Indianapolis Colts in 1990...
, Jackson helped formed one of the NFL's best starting wide receiver duos of the late 1970s/early 1980s. In 1979, Jackson finished with 1,013 yards receiving, 7 touchdown receptions and was second in the NFL in yards-per-catch with an average of 22.5. His teammate Morgan, who was nine years younger than Jackson, was the only one to finish with a higher average that season. Jackson finished out his career by playing one season each for the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
(1982) and the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
(1983).
During his career, Jackson had 29 career 100-yard games and three 1,000-yard seasons. At the time of his retirement, only Don Maynard
Don Maynard
Donald Rogers Maynard is a former American football player who played collegiately for Texas Western College and professionally with the National Football League's New York Giants and the American Football League's New York Jets and the World Football League's Shreveport Steamer.After having been...
had more career receiving yards than Jackson. He currently ranks 26th in league history in career receiving yardage. For the decade of the 1970s, Jackson ranked first in receptions (432), yards (7,724) and receiving touchdowns (61).
Despite this, Jackson was not one of the wide receivers selected to the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 1970s and he has yet to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
.
After retiring from professional football, Jackson coached
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
receivers for 10 years in the NFL with New England
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
(1985–89), Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
(1992–93) and New Orleans
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
(1997–99). In his first NFL season as a coach, the Patriots won the AFC Championship and played in Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football championship game played on January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1985 regular season...
. In 1987 he suited for two of the Patriots replacement games, but did not play. Currently, Jackson is the receivers coach at Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
.
External links
- Where Are They Now: Harold Jackson from philadelphiaeagles.com