Steven Jackson

For other people named Steven Jackson, see Steven Jackson (disambiguation).

Steven Jackson

Jackson in action in a November 2007 game
St. Louis Rams
Career information
College:	Oregon State
NFL draft:	2004 / round: 1 / pick: 24
Career history
St. Louis Rams (2004-present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
Las Vegas Bowl MVP (2003) Pro Bowl selection (2006) All-Pro selection (2006)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2008
Rushing yards: 5,291 Rushing average: 4.3 Rushing TDs: 37

Steven Rashad Jackson (born July 22, 1983 in Las Vegas, Nevada) 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.

Biography

Football career

Early years

Jackson was a running back for the Eldorado High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was named the sunset regional MVP and rushed for 6,396 yards and 81 touchdowns.

College career

Jackson ended his Oregon State University career after three seasons, becoming the first Beaver player in history with eligibility remaining to enter the NFL Draft. 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 in rushing and finished the season eighth nationally with 1,690 yards, an average of 130.0 yards a game.

NFL career

2004 NFL draft

Drafted 24th overall in 2004 by the St. Louis Rams, Jackson was seen as one of the new era power-speed backs. Jackson was over-looked by several teams in the draft, most likely due to a knee injury suffered his last year at Oregon State. Jackson had surgery on the knee after the college season, but was never able to fully rehab it and needed to have clean-up surgery after his rookie year to completely fix it. In an interview with cbssportsline.com's Pete Prisco, Jackson says, "It never felt right," Jackson said. "Now it does

According to NFL Draft Scout.com, Jackson, on a weak knee at 241 lbs., ran a 4.45s 40-yard dash at the 2004 NFL Combine. Jackson wanted to rehab his knee a bit more before competing in other drills which he completed at a slimmed down 231 lbs. for his pro day.

Pre-draft measureables
Wt	40 yd	20 ss	3-cone	Vert	BP	Wonderlic
231 lb	4.45s*	4.09s	7.03s	37.5 in	16	28*

(* represents NFL Combine)

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 bolted for the New England Patriots.

St. Louis Rams

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. He was also named the Rams MVP of 2006.

During the dismal 2007 season, Jackson lashed out at fans, calling the fans the source of the Rams failure. In addition, Jackson commented that the music choice in the Edward Jones Dome was poor, which also led to the Rams dismal play. 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. Jackson ended his holdout officially, after he signed a six-year contract worth a maximum of $49.3 million, including $21 million in guarantees. 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 will make him the highest paid running back in the NFL. Jackson can be eligible for unrestricted free agency at age 28.

Jackson does his post season conditioning and training at the Alex Spence Center for sports enhancement in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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	1046	4.1	51	8	6	2
2006	St. Louis Rams	346	1528	4.4	59t	13	9	1
2007	St. Louis Rams	237	1002	4.2	54	5	8	4
2008	St. Louis Rams	253	1042	4.1	56	7	6	1
TOTAL		1224	5291	4.3	59	37	34	10

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
TOTAL		230	1965	8.5	64t	7	20

External links

• The Official Web Site of Steven Jackson, www.SJ39.com
• St. Louis Rams bio