Tarvaris Jackson
Encyclopedia
Tarvaris DeAndre Jackson (born April 21, 1983 in Montgomery
, Alabama
) is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Seattle Seahawks
. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings
in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Alabama State.
. They were also impressed by his workout at the scouting combine
(among the top-5 quarterbacks in ball speed and 40 yard dash). Several NFL teams including the Vikings had arranged secret workouts with him too. Jackson was selected with the last pick in the 2nd round (64th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft
, while he was projected to go much later in the 4th-7th rounds. The Vikings traded two 3rd round picks to get the 2nd round pick with which they drafted Jackson, fearing he may get picked sooner than anticipated. Jackson's early selection caused some surprise as he was the 5th quarterback taken and the 1st Division I-AA player selected (the last I-AA quarterback drafted was Spergon Wynn
in 2000). He was also the first quarterback from Alabama State to be drafted into the NFL since Ricky Jones in 1992. Even Jackson was surprised by the pick saying, "I was more focused on [getting drafted in] the third round and even that was stretching it". Most pre-draft publications did not even have him listed as one of the top 10 eligible quarterbacks, while he was the 5th selected. On 26 July 2006, Jackson signed a four year deal with Minnesota, including a $1 million signing bonus.
Vikings coach Brad Childress
was quoted days before the draft as saying he was interested in finding a "developmental guy", a "diamond in the rough" quarterback of the future, raw talent he could teach a system. Both new coach Childress and Vikings former quarterback Brad Johnson
have had a lot of success developing quarterbacks in the past - A.J. Feeley
and Donovan McNabb
owe a lot of their success to Childress, and Chris Simms
says Brad Johnson was the best tutor he's ever had. Jackson's quarterback coach at Alabama State, Reggie Barlow, played wide receiver with Brad Johnson at Tampa Bay so Tarvaris had been looking forward to learning from him. Other Vikings coaches have experience developing quarterbacks too. Vikings Quarterbacks Coach Kevin Rogers had developed Donovan McNabb in college. And Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell
had spent time as Quarterbacks Coach to Brett Favre
too. The use of two 3rd round picks showed how much they felt Tarvaris was the guy they wanted to use their skills to develop.
The day after the draft Vikings coach Childress was quoted by the St. Paul Pioneer Press
as saying: "I think you judge quarterbacks a little bit differently...When you see what you want at the quarterback position, you need to go get it. And that's exactly what I see with Tarvaris Jackson is a guy that's a piece of clay, that has all the skills in terms of, No. 1, what's he look like throwing the football?...He's got a great throwing motion; he's athletic. He has all those things that we're looking for, and he's wired right. That's important for a quarterback. I think he's a flatline guy. I think he's a sponge. You're talking about a guy that never had a coach there as a quarterback coach. So what can he do with coaching?" Jackson's agent, Joel Segal, said: "After the draft, there were two clubs that expressed disappointment and were mad they didn't get him. They were planning to take (Jackson) very high in the third round, and were lamenting the fact that the Vikings beat them".
(* represents NFL Combine
)
was 106.1, 15th in the league out of 110 quarterbacks who performed. Only one quarterback from his draft class (Jay Cutler
) did better. He also showed great scrambling skills averaging 11.3 yards in rushing (the only Viking other than Brad Johnson
to average more than 3.3 yards in rushing). ESPN
analyst Mike Tirico
referred to Jackson as a right-handed Michael Vick
. His pre-season performance was enough to surpass 2nd and 3rd string QBs Mike McMahon and J.T. O'Sullivan
on the depth chart. After the pre-season, McMahon and O'Sullivan were cut from the team and Brooks Bollinger
was brought in, whom Jackson then competed against for the number two spot.
On September 25, 2006, Tarvaris Jackson had minor knee surgery to repair the meniscus
in his knee. He returned to limited practice after two weeks, and then came back to play his first NFL game with the Vikings in week 13 against the Chicago Bears
in the fourth quarter after Johnson was benched for throwing four interceptions and backup QB Brooks Bollinger was injured. Jackson completed three of his four passes before fumbling the ball to Chicago and the Bears then ran the clock out. Following this game when Jackson was asked if he was ready to take over as starter he said "Not really." and "We still have a chance to make the playoffs, so we're still trying to do that. So it's obvious that Brad is still our quarterback so we can stay on that."
Two weeks later in week 15 Johnson started the game but was benched in the fourth quarter when the Vikings had been underperforming the entire game losing by a score of 26-7 at the time Jackson went in late in the third quarter against the New York Jets
. Although Johnson had not thrown an interception that game and had a respectable passer rating of 94.2 in the game, the Minnesota fans jeered Johnson throughout the game and chanted "We want Jackson!" at numerous points because Johnson had only thrown 9 touchdowns all season (in 14 games) and had a career worst 71.9 passer rating throughout the season. Jackson received a standing ovation as he trotted out onto the field. A landmark in Jackson's career happened that game when Jackson completed his first touchdown pass to Mewelde Moore
. Jackson threw 177 yards, a TD, and ran three times for 20 yards while the Jets protected their large lead. He also threw an interception in the red zone.
Jackson was named the starting quarterback for Minnesota towards the end of his rookie season. Jackson's first game was a week 16 night game against the Green Bay Packers
at Lambeau Field. Game conditions were very poor. A steady rain fell throughout the evening and the kickoff temperature was only 36-degrees Fahrenheit. The Vikings lost by a score of 9-7 with the only Vikings score coming from an interception for a touchdown by defensive back Fred Smoot
. The offense set a franchise low record of only three first downs the whole game, did not get close enough to the end zone to even attempt a field goal, and only had 27 passing yards gained against the NFL's 19th ranked defense (ranked 26th against the pass). Jackson had a passer rating of 36.5, had a 50% completion rate (10-20 for 50 yards), 1 interception, and a fumble. Packers quarterback Brett Favre only managed a slightly better 52% completion rate (26-50) and threw 2 interceptions. He did throw for 285 yards, though, but could not find the end zone either. Despite the performances lack of "merit" (according to Childress), number 7 out of Alabama State remained the starter for the rest of the regular season.
and rookie Adrian Peterson, which has proven to take the pressure off of Jackson and the defense.
Later in the season, opponents decided to focus all their defensive efforts on stopping Peterson and the Vikings running game while daring Jackson to beat them in the passing game. The Washington Redskins successfully utilized five defensive lineman or four linebackers against the Vikings, leaving only two or three defensive backs in pass coverage. And the 49ers blitzed their cornerback
s 20 percent of the time instead of covering receivers with them. On the season's last game against the Broncos Jackson led the Vikings to two fourth quarter drives to tie the game and send it into overtime. In overtime Jackson fumbled on the second play of overtime and the Vikings lost the game. Jackson showed slow improvement over the season: he played a large role when the Vikings went on a five-game winning streak in November, but also showed his inexperience in several ill-judged interception plays, jump passes, and turnovers. After the season, Childress would not say if Tarvaris Jackson would be the starter in 2008, explaining that he wanted to "evaluate the total body of work" first.
(only three teams had more), and spent $60 million in guaranteed contract money upgrading their team with Jared Allen
, traded from the Chiefs, and free agents Bernard Berrian
and Madieu Williams
. Several analysts believed better quarterback play was all that was needed to make the Vikings one of the top contending teams in the NFL, and with the Packers losing Brett Favre
the NFC North Division was up for grabs. Sport's Illustrated's Paul Zimmerman
predicted the Vikings would win the Super Bowl.
Coach Childress decided to stay with Jackson as the starting QB and brought in Gus Frerotte
to be his backup. It was widely reported in the off-season that Jackson had a new swagger, handled situations in practice well where he looked lost in the previous years, and had an improved grasp of the Vikings offensive system. Childress threw a "Coaching 101" clinic for media reporters in which he played a tape of Jackson showing the progress he made in 2007 through a series of missed passes or poor decisions that he made in early games but executed properly in later contests and concluded with some tape of him hitting a target net with every 15-yard pass he threw during an offseason drill. Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell
repeatedly told the press that although it was Jackson's third year with the Vikings it was really his second year playing, and NFL quarterbacks improve the most between their first and second years. Jackson had another good preseason, until he injured his knee again in the second preseason game which kept him from playing the last two preseason games.
In the first game of the regular season Jackson threw a game-ending interception and in the second game the Vikings made six field goal attempts and no touchdowns. The Vikings lost both games by close margins, and Jackson's 64.8 passer rating ranked him 26th in the NFL. Childress said in the second post-game press conference that Jackson would still definitely be the starter next week, but on Monday after a coaches' meeting he changed his mind and benched Jackson for the remainder of the year.
After being relegated to backup after an 18-15 defeat to Indianapolis in Week 2, Jackson saw his next significant action in Week 14 against Detroit, where he played the entire second half in place of an injured Gus Frerotte. With the Vikings trailing 6-3 at halftime to the winless Lions, Jackson completed eight of ten passes for 105 yards and a touchdown, an 11-yard strike to TE Visanthe Shiancoe
that would be the game-winning score for the Vikings. The following week, with Frerotte still injured, Jackson was the starting quarterback against the Arizona Cardinals and he played arguably the best game of his career. Jackson completed 11 of 17 passes for 163 yards and, most impressively, threw four touchdown passes and no interceptions. Jackson earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance as well as the FedEx Air Player of the Week
award.
The Vikings lost 24-17 to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16 despite Jackson's performance. He completed 22 of 36 passes for 233 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed for 76 yards (which matched the total of Pro-Bowl running back Adrian Peterson). With the Vikings in a win-and-in situation against the New York Giants in Week 17, Jackson overcame an interception in the end zone by leading the Vikings on a touchdown drive (a 54-yard strike to Bernard Berrian
) and the game-winning field goal drive on the following possessions. The Vikings defeated the Giants 20-19 and earned the NFC North title.
The Vikings season ended in the Wild Card Playoff round with a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Jackson went 15-for-35 for 164 yards in the game with one interception.
, who the Vikings had acquired from the Houston Texans
. The Vikings also pursued former New York Jets
and Green Bay Packers
quarterback Brett Favre
, who had retired after the end of the 2008 season. Favre announced that he would not join the Vikings prior to training camp
, however, and Jackson and Rosenfels split duties in the early part of camp. Jackson was the second quarterback to play in the opening preseason game, and was expected to start the second preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs
.
That changed, however, when Favre announced that he would play for the Vikings after all, signing with the team on August 19. Jackson, Rosenfels, and 2008 third-stringer John David Booty
were believed to be competing for two roster spots, and for the primary backup job. Many observers believed the Vikings would attempt to trade Jackson.
Jackson helped his case with a strong performance in Favre's debut game, throwing for 202 yards and two touchdowns in backup work. Ultimately, the Vikings elected to keep Jackson and Rosenfels on the active roster, with Jackson as the primary backup to Favre.
Jackson entered the Vikings' first two games of the season in mop-up duty. He also was used as a decoy in punt
coverage during week two.
Jackson took over for an injured Favre in Week 8 against the New England Patriots. Jackson threw for one touchdown in the loss. Jackson took over for an injured Favre yet again in Week 13 against the Buffalo Bills. Jackson threw two touchdown passes to Sidney Rice in the 38-14 win, but also threw three interceptions.
Jackson started On December 13 against the New York Giants in place of the injured Favre. In that game Jackson suffered a turf toe injury and missed the rest of the season.
On March 3, 2011 the Vikings declined to tender Jackson a contract offer to play for them in the 2011 season. Under league rules, Jackson became an unrestricted free agent.
In Seattle he has been reunited with Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell
and Wide Receiver Sidney Rice
both members of the Vikings during his time there. Along with wide receiver
Mike Williams, Jackson was appointed to offensive team captain, which was previously owned by Matt Hasselbeck
.
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
) is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of 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...
. He was drafted by 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...
in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
. He played 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...
at Alabama State.
2006 NFL Draft
The Vikings scouting and personnel had reportedly been watching him closely in secret over his senior season, particularly liking his performance in the East-West Shrine GameEast-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
. They were also impressed by his workout at the scouting combine
NFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
(among the top-5 quarterbacks in ball speed and 40 yard dash). Several NFL teams including the Vikings had arranged secret workouts with him too. Jackson was selected with the last pick in the 2nd round (64th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
, while he was projected to go much later in the 4th-7th rounds. The Vikings traded two 3rd round picks to get the 2nd round pick with which they drafted Jackson, fearing he may get picked sooner than anticipated. Jackson's early selection caused some surprise as he was the 5th quarterback taken and the 1st Division I-AA player selected (the last I-AA quarterback drafted was Spergon Wynn
Spergon Wynn
Spergon Wynn III is a former American and Canadian football quarterback. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
in 2000). He was also the first quarterback from Alabama State to be drafted into the NFL since Ricky Jones in 1992. Even Jackson was surprised by the pick saying, "I was more focused on [getting drafted in] the third round and even that was stretching it". Most pre-draft publications did not even have him listed as one of the top 10 eligible quarterbacks, while he was the 5th selected. On 26 July 2006, Jackson signed a four year deal with Minnesota, including a $1 million signing bonus.
Vikings coach Brad Childress
Brad Childress
Brad "Chilly" Childress is the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He attended high school at the Marmion Academy in Aurora, Illinois...
was quoted days before the draft as saying he was interested in finding a "developmental guy", a "diamond in the rough" quarterback of the future, raw talent he could teach a system. Both new coach Childress and Vikings former quarterback Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
have had a lot of success developing quarterbacks in the past - A.J. Feeley
A.J. Feeley
Adam Joshua Feeley is an American football quarterback for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
and Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
owe a lot of their success to Childress, and Chris Simms
Chris Simms
Christopher David Simms is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas.Simms has also played for the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
says Brad Johnson was the best tutor he's ever had. Jackson's quarterback coach at Alabama State, Reggie Barlow, played wide receiver with Brad Johnson at Tampa Bay so Tarvaris had been looking forward to learning from him. Other Vikings coaches have experience developing quarterbacks too. Vikings Quarterbacks Coach Kevin Rogers had developed Donovan McNabb in college. And Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell
Darrell Bevell
Darrell Bevell is the current Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator and former University of Wisconsin–Madison four-year starting quarterback....
had spent time as Quarterbacks Coach to Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
too. The use of two 3rd round picks showed how much they felt Tarvaris was the guy they wanted to use their skills to develop.
The day after the draft Vikings coach Childress was quoted by the St. Paul Pioneer Press
St. Paul Pioneer Press
The St. Paul Pioneer Press is a newspaper based in St. Paul, Minnesota, primarily serving the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Circulation is heaviest in the eastern metro region, including Ramsey, Dakota, and Washington counties, along with western Wisconsin, eastern Minnesota and Anoka County,...
as saying: "I think you judge quarterbacks a little bit differently...When you see what you want at the quarterback position, you need to go get it. And that's exactly what I see with Tarvaris Jackson is a guy that's a piece of clay, that has all the skills in terms of, No. 1, what's he look like throwing the football?...He's got a great throwing motion; he's athletic. He has all those things that we're looking for, and he's wired right. That's important for a quarterback. I think he's a flatline guy. I think he's a sponge. You're talking about a guy that never had a coach there as a quarterback coach. So what can he do with coaching?" Jackson's agent, Joel Segal, said: "After the draft, there were two clubs that expressed disappointment and were mad they didn't get him. They were planning to take (Jackson) very high in the third round, and were lamenting the fact that the Vikings beat them".
| Pre-draft measureables | ||||||
| Wt | 40y 40 yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football... |
20ss 20 yard shuttle The 20-yard shuttle, also simply called the short shuttle, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the quickness and change-of-direction ability of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
3-cone 3 cone drill The 3 cone drill, or three cone drill, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
Vert Vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is... |
BP Bench press The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight... |
Wonderlic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 226 lb* | 4.75s* | 4.38s* | 7.40s* | 31"* | 22* | X |
(* represents NFL Combine
NFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
)
2006
Jackson's 2006 pre-season passer ratingPasser rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
was 106.1, 15th in the league out of 110 quarterbacks who performed. Only one quarterback from his draft class (Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler (American football)
Jay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
) did better. He also showed great scrambling skills averaging 11.3 yards in rushing (the only Viking other than Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
to average more than 3.3 yards in rushing). ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
analyst Mike Tirico
Mike Tirico
Michael Todd Tirico is an announcer for ESPN's presentation of Monday Night Football, and second lead broadcaster for ESPN's presentation of the NBA. In addition, Tirico hosts a multitude of programming on ESPN/ABC. He was the host of ABC's golf coverage from 1996 to 2007, and continues in that...
referred to Jackson as a right-handed Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
. His pre-season performance was enough to surpass 2nd and 3rd string QBs Mike McMahon and J.T. O'Sullivan
J.T. O'Sullivan
John Thomas "J. T." O'Sullivan is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at UC Davis....
on the depth chart. After the pre-season, McMahon and O'Sullivan were cut from the team and Brooks Bollinger
Brooks Bollinger
Brooks Bollinger is a retired American football quarterback. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
was brought in, whom Jackson then competed against for the number two spot.
On September 25, 2006, Tarvaris Jackson had minor knee surgery to repair the meniscus
Meniscus (anatomy)
In anatomy, a meniscus is a crescent-shaped fibrocartilaginous structure that, in contrast to articular disks, only partly divides a joint cavity. In humans it is present in the knee, acromioclavicular, sternoclavicular, and temporomandibular joints; in other organisms they may be present in other...
in his knee. He returned to limited practice after two weeks, and then came back to play his first NFL game with the Vikings in week 13 against the Chicago Bears
Chicago 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...
in the fourth quarter after Johnson was benched for throwing four interceptions and backup QB Brooks Bollinger was injured. Jackson completed three of his four passes before fumbling the ball to Chicago and the Bears then ran the clock out. Following this game when Jackson was asked if he was ready to take over as starter he said "Not really." and "We still have a chance to make the playoffs, so we're still trying to do that. So it's obvious that Brad is still our quarterback so we can stay on that."
Two weeks later in week 15 Johnson started the game but was benched in the fourth quarter when the Vikings had been underperforming the entire game losing by a score of 26-7 at the time Jackson went in late in the third quarter against the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Although Johnson had not thrown an interception that game and had a respectable passer rating of 94.2 in the game, the Minnesota fans jeered Johnson throughout the game and chanted "We want Jackson!" at numerous points because Johnson had only thrown 9 touchdowns all season (in 14 games) and had a career worst 71.9 passer rating throughout the season. Jackson received a standing ovation as he trotted out onto the field. A landmark in Jackson's career happened that game when Jackson completed his first touchdown pass to Mewelde Moore
Mewelde Moore
Mewelde Jaem Cadere Moore is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
. Jackson threw 177 yards, a TD, and ran three times for 20 yards while the Jets protected their large lead. He also threw an interception in the red zone.
Jackson was named the starting quarterback for Minnesota towards the end of his rookie season. Jackson's first game was a week 16 night game against the 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...
at Lambeau Field. Game conditions were very poor. A steady rain fell throughout the evening and the kickoff temperature was only 36-degrees Fahrenheit. The Vikings lost by a score of 9-7 with the only Vikings score coming from an interception for a touchdown by defensive back Fred Smoot
Fred Smoot
Fredrick "Fred" Duayne Smoot is an American football defensive back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
. The offense set a franchise low record of only three first downs the whole game, did not get close enough to the end zone to even attempt a field goal, and only had 27 passing yards gained against the NFL's 19th ranked defense (ranked 26th against the pass). Jackson had a passer rating of 36.5, had a 50% completion rate (10-20 for 50 yards), 1 interception, and a fumble. Packers quarterback Brett Favre only managed a slightly better 52% completion rate (26-50) and threw 2 interceptions. He did throw for 285 yards, though, but could not find the end zone either. Despite the performances lack of "merit" (according to Childress), number 7 out of Alabama State remained the starter for the rest of the regular season.
2007
Jackson did not live up to the Vikings' expectations in 2007 despite finishing 8-4 as a starter. Jackson had 9 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, along with a 159 yards per game, causing the Vikings to have the second-worst passing offense in the NFL. His 70.8 passer rating was 28th among NFL quarterbacks. Jackson missed three games because of injuries, which included a strained groin, a concussion and a fractured index finger. The Vikings failed to make the playoffs. Analysts put the Vikings' 8-8 record on the successful running of Chester TaylorChester Taylor
Chester Lamar Taylor also known as "Che Tay" is an American football running back of the National Football League who is currently on the Arizona Cardinals. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
and rookie Adrian Peterson, which has proven to take the pressure off of Jackson and the defense.
Later in the season, opponents decided to focus all their defensive efforts on stopping Peterson and the Vikings running game while daring Jackson to beat them in the passing game. The Washington Redskins successfully utilized five defensive lineman or four linebackers against the Vikings, leaving only two or three defensive backs in pass coverage. And the 49ers blitzed their cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
s 20 percent of the time instead of covering receivers with them. On the season's last game against the Broncos Jackson led the Vikings to two fourth quarter drives to tie the game and send it into overtime. In overtime Jackson fumbled on the second play of overtime and the Vikings lost the game. Jackson showed slow improvement over the season: he played a large role when the Vikings went on a five-game winning streak in November, but also showed his inexperience in several ill-judged interception plays, jump passes, and turnovers. After the season, Childress would not say if Tarvaris Jackson would be the starter in 2008, explaining that he wanted to "evaluate the total body of work" first.
2008
There was a lot of media coverage on Jackson the summer of 2008. The Vikings returned seven players that were in the 2008 Pro Bowl2008 Pro Bowl
The 2008 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2007 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 10, 2008. The game was televised in the United States by Fox and began shortly after 11:40am local time . The NFC won, 42–30, despite a 17-point first half AFC...
(only three teams had more), and spent $60 million in guaranteed contract money upgrading their team with Jared Allen
Jared Allen
-Kansas City Chiefs:Allen was drafted by the Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft, and signed for a one-year, $100,000 contract. On May 21, 2007, Allen, as a restricted free agent, signed the Chiefs' one-year tender offer of $2.35 million for the 2007 season. Allen credited his early...
, traded from the Chiefs, and free agents Bernard Berrian
Bernard Berrian
Bernard Berrian is a free agent American football wide receiver who last played for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
and Madieu Williams
Madieu Williams
Madieu Mohammed Williams is an American football safety for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
. Several analysts believed better quarterback play was all that was needed to make the Vikings one of the top contending teams in the NFL, and with the Packers losing Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
the NFC North Division was up for grabs. Sport's Illustrated's Paul Zimmerman
Paul Zimmerman
Paul Lionel Zimmerman is the son of Charles S. Zimmerman and Rose Zimmerman. Zimmerman, also known to readers as "Dr. Z", is an American football sportswriter who wrote for the weekly magazine Sports Illustrated, as well as the magazine's website, SI.com. He is sometimes confused with Paul D...
predicted the Vikings would win the Super Bowl.
Coach Childress decided to stay with Jackson as the starting QB and brought in Gus Frerotte
Gus Frerotte
Gustave Joseph "Gus" Frerotte is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tulsa....
to be his backup. It was widely reported in the off-season that Jackson had a new swagger, handled situations in practice well where he looked lost in the previous years, and had an improved grasp of the Vikings offensive system. Childress threw a "Coaching 101" clinic for media reporters in which he played a tape of Jackson showing the progress he made in 2007 through a series of missed passes or poor decisions that he made in early games but executed properly in later contests and concluded with some tape of him hitting a target net with every 15-yard pass he threw during an offseason drill. Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell
Darrell Bevell
Darrell Bevell is the current Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator and former University of Wisconsin–Madison four-year starting quarterback....
repeatedly told the press that although it was Jackson's third year with the Vikings it was really his second year playing, and NFL quarterbacks improve the most between their first and second years. Jackson had another good preseason, until he injured his knee again in the second preseason game which kept him from playing the last two preseason games.
In the first game of the regular season Jackson threw a game-ending interception and in the second game the Vikings made six field goal attempts and no touchdowns. The Vikings lost both games by close margins, and Jackson's 64.8 passer rating ranked him 26th in the NFL. Childress said in the second post-game press conference that Jackson would still definitely be the starter next week, but on Monday after a coaches' meeting he changed his mind and benched Jackson for the remainder of the year.
After being relegated to backup after an 18-15 defeat to Indianapolis in Week 2, Jackson saw his next significant action in Week 14 against Detroit, where he played the entire second half in place of an injured Gus Frerotte. With the Vikings trailing 6-3 at halftime to the winless Lions, Jackson completed eight of ten passes for 105 yards and a touchdown, an 11-yard strike to TE Visanthe Shiancoe
Visanthe Shiancoe
Visanthe Shiancoe is an American football tight end who currently plays for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.-High school:...
that would be the game-winning score for the Vikings. The following week, with Frerotte still injured, Jackson was the starting quarterback against the Arizona Cardinals and he played arguably the best game of his career. Jackson completed 11 of 17 passes for 163 yards and, most impressively, threw four touchdown passes and no interceptions. Jackson earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance as well as the FedEx Air Player of the Week
FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week
Every week during the NFL season, six finalists are chosen for the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week award, 3 nominated as the FedEx Air player and 3 nominated as the FedEx Ground player , online at...
award.
The Vikings lost 24-17 to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16 despite Jackson's performance. He completed 22 of 36 passes for 233 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed for 76 yards (which matched the total of Pro-Bowl running back Adrian Peterson). With the Vikings in a win-and-in situation against the New York Giants in Week 17, Jackson overcame an interception in the end zone by leading the Vikings on a touchdown drive (a 54-yard strike to Bernard Berrian
Bernard Berrian
Bernard Berrian is a free agent American football wide receiver who last played for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
) and the game-winning field goal drive on the following possessions. The Vikings defeated the Giants 20-19 and earned the NFC North title.
The Vikings season ended in the Wild Card Playoff round with a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Jackson went 15-for-35 for 164 yards in the game with one interception.
2009
Jackson went into the 2009 season in competition for a starting job with Sage RosenfelsSage Rosenfels
Sage Rosenfels is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Iowa State before he was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played with the Miami Dolphins from 2002–2005, the Houston Texans from...
, who the Vikings had acquired from the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The Vikings also pursued former New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern 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...
quarterback Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
, who had retired after the end of the 2008 season. Favre announced that he would not join the Vikings prior to training camp
Training camp
A training camp is a place, usually with an army-camp-type environment, where people go to learn skills, usually skills involving physical action rather than book subjects, usually for an armed force or an action sport...
, however, and Jackson and Rosenfels split duties in the early part of camp. Jackson was the second quarterback to play in the opening preseason game, and was expected to start the second preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
.
That changed, however, when Favre announced that he would play for the Vikings after all, signing with the team on August 19. Jackson, Rosenfels, and 2008 third-stringer John David Booty
John David Booty
John David Booty is an American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He last played for the Houston Texans until being cut on September 4, 2010. He played college football at USC.Booty has also been a member of the Tennessee Titans...
were believed to be competing for two roster spots, and for the primary backup job. Many observers believed the Vikings would attempt to trade Jackson.
Jackson helped his case with a strong performance in Favre's debut game, throwing for 202 yards and two touchdowns in backup work. Ultimately, the Vikings elected to keep Jackson and Rosenfels on the active roster, with Jackson as the primary backup to Favre.
Jackson entered the Vikings' first two games of the season in mop-up duty. He also was used as a decoy in punt
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
coverage during week two.
2010
The Vikings re-signed Jackson on Monday, April 19 as they waited for Favre to decide whether he would return for another season, which he did. Jackson was a restricted free agent who was given a one-year tender worth $1.176 million. Jackson backed up Favre for the 2010 season.Jackson took over for an injured Favre in Week 8 against the New England Patriots. Jackson threw for one touchdown in the loss. Jackson took over for an injured Favre yet again in Week 13 against the Buffalo Bills. Jackson threw two touchdown passes to Sidney Rice in the 38-14 win, but also threw three interceptions.
Jackson started On December 13 against the New York Giants in place of the injured Favre. In that game Jackson suffered a turf toe injury and missed the rest of the season.
On March 3, 2011 the Vikings declined to tender Jackson a contract offer to play for them in the 2011 season. Under league rules, Jackson became an unrestricted free agent.
2011
Jackson officially signed a two year contract with Seattle Seahawks on July 29, 2011 and was announced as the starting quarterback shortly after.In Seattle he has been reunited with Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell
Darrell Bevell
Darrell Bevell is the current Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator and former University of Wisconsin–Madison four-year starting quarterback....
and Wide Receiver Sidney Rice
Sidney Rice
-Minnesota Vikings :Rice was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He signed a four year contract with the Vikings in 2007....
both members of the Vikings during his time there. Along with 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...
Mike Williams, Jackson was appointed to offensive team captain, which was previously owned by Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is a National Football League quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and traded to Seattle in 2001. After becoming the starter in 2003, Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances and...
.
College
| Year | |Passing | |Rushing | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Comp | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | Int | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 2001 | ARK Arkansas Razorbacks The Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the names of college sports teams at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The term Arkansas Razorbacks properly applies to any of the sports teams at the university. The Razorbacks take their name from the feral pig of the same name... |
9 | 3 | 33.3 | 53 | 5.89 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 2.0 | 0 |
| 2002 | ARK Arkansas Razorbacks The Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the names of college sports teams at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The term Arkansas Razorbacks properly applies to any of the sports teams at the university. The Razorbacks take their name from the feral pig of the same name... |
39 | 14 | 35.9 | 143 | 3.67 | 1 | 2 | 14 | |||
| 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2003 | ASU Alabama State University Alabama State University, founded 1867, is a historically black university located in Montgomery, Alabama. ASU is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.- History :... |
261 | 135 | 51.7 | 1,984 | 7.60 | 18 | 9 | 92 | 454 | 4.9 | 5 |
| 2004 | ASU Alabama State University Alabama State University, founded 1867, is a historically black university located in Montgomery, Alabama. ASU is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.- History :... |
350 | 183 | 52.3 | 2,562 | 7.32 | 20 | 9 | 67 | 215 | 3.2 | 3 |
| 2005 | ASU Alabama State University Alabama State University, founded 1867, is a historically black university located in Montgomery, Alabama. ASU is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.- History :... |
296 | 181 | 61.1 | 2,655 | 8.97 | 25 | 5 | 95 | 271 | 2.9 | 3 |
| Total | 955 | 516 | 54 | 7,397 | 6.69 | 64 | 26 | 275 | 938 | 3.14 | 11 | |
NFL
| Year | |G | |Passing | |Rushing | |Sacked | |Fumbles | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Comp | Pct | Yds | Y/A | Y/G | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Sack | YdsL | Fum | Lost | ||||
| 2006 2006 NFL season The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006... | MIN 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... |
4 | 2 | 81 | 47 | 58.1 | 475 | 5.86 | 118.8 | 2 | 4 | 62.5 | 15 | 77 | 5.1 | 1 | 8 | 37 | 4 | 1 |
| 2007 2007 NFL season The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30.... | MIN 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... |
12 | 12 | 294 | 171 | 58.2 | 1911 | 6.50 | 159.3 | 9 | 12 | 70.8 | 54 | 260 | 4.8 | 3 | 19 | 70 | 5 | 3 |
| 2008 2008 NFL season The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the... | MIN 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... |
9 | 5 | 149 | 88 | 59.1 | 1056 | 7.1 | 117.3 | 9 | 2 | 95.4 | 26 | 139 | 5.3 | 0 | 14 | 97 | 5 | 3 |
| 2009 2009 NFL season The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at... | MIN 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... |
8 | 0 | 21 | 14 | 66.7 | 201 | 9.6 | 25.1 | 1 | 0 | 113.4 | 17 | -10 | ||||||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2010 2010 NFL season The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,... | MIN 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... |
2 | 1 | 28 | 19 | 67.9 | 223 | 8.0 | 101.5 | 3 | 3 | 87.9 | 3 | 55 | 18.3 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 35 | 20 | 573 | 339 | 62.0 | 3866 | 7.4 | 104.4 | 24 | 21 | 86.0 | 115 | 521 | 6.2 | 4 | 44 | 224 | 14 | 7 | |