Chris Ivory facts for kids
Ivory with the New York Jets in 2015
|
|||||||||||||
| No. 29, 33 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | March 22, 1988 Longview, Texas, U.S. |
||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 223 lb (101 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Longview | ||||||||||||
| College: |
|
||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2010 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Christopher Lee Ivory (born on March 22, 1988) is a former American football player. He was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). Chris played college football for the Washington State Cougars and Tiffin Dragons.
He joined the New Orleans Saints in 2010 as an undrafted free agent. He played his first three seasons with the Saints, mostly as a backup player. In 2013, he was traded to the New York Jets. There, he got to play a bigger role. He became the team's main running back by 2014 and was chosen for the Pro Bowl in 2015. After that, he spent three more seasons as a backup. He played for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2016–2017) and the Buffalo Bills (2018).
Contents
Early Life and High School Sports
Chris Ivory grew up in Longview, Texas. In high school, he was a talented athlete. He earned awards in both football and track and field at Longview High School.
He played on the Lobos football team. Some of his teammates also became NFL players later on. These included Trent Williams, Malcolm Kelly, and Robert Henson.
College Football Journey
Playing for Washington State
Chris Ivory played college football for Washington State from 2006 to 2008. He faced some challenges with injuries during his time there. In 22 games, he ran for 534 yards and scored four touchdowns.
After new coaches took over, Chris found himself lower on the team's player list. In August 2009, he left the Washington State team. This happened because he did not follow some team rules.
Moving to Tiffin University
After leaving Washington State, Chris transferred to Tiffin University. This is a smaller college in Tiffin, Ohio. The team's coach, Dave Walkosky, used to be an assistant coach at Washington State.
In his last year of college football, Chris played five games for Tiffin. He ran for 223 yards before a knee injury ended his season. Even though his time at Tiffin was short, NFL scouts noticed his talent and speed. They thought he might be the first player from Tiffin University to be drafted into the NFL. The New Orleans Saints became interested in Chris, even with his injuries. This was thanks to Coach Walkosky's strong recommendations.
Life in the NFL
Getting Started: The Saints
Chris Ivory did not get picked in the 2010 NFL Draft. However, the New Orleans Saints signed him as a free agent on April 27, 2010. He signed a three-year contract.
He played very well during training camp and preseason games. A highlight was a 76-yard touchdown run against the San Diego Chargers. Early in the season, other running backs got injured. This meant Chris became the Saints' starting running back.
In Week 6, he had an amazing game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He ran for 158 yards on 15 carries. This was the most rushing yards by a Saints running back in many years. It was also the most by a Saints rookie since 1999. For this great game, he won awards like "Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week." He also won "FedEx Ground Player of the Week."
Chris finished his first regular season with 716 rushing yards and five touchdowns. He led the team in rushing. However, he had several injuries that year. A foot injury in the last game meant he could not play in the playoffs. He was still named to the NFL All-Rookie Team.
In 2011, Chris missed the first six games due to injury. When he returned, he played in six games. He ran for 374 yards. He also played in the Saints' two playoff games. In 2012, he played in six games. He ran for 217 yards and scored two touchdowns.
Star Player: The Jets
On April 26, 2013, the New York Jets traded for Chris Ivory during the NFL draft. He signed a three-year contract with the Jets. He played his first game for the Jets against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
On October 20, he ran for 104 yards against the New England Patriots. On October 3, he had 139 rushing yards and a touchdown against his former team, the New Orleans Saints. In the 2013 season, he finished with 833 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
In the 2014 season opener, Chris had a 71-yard touchdown run against the Oakland Raiders. This was one of the longest touchdown runs in Jets history. He ran for 107 yards and a touchdown against the New England Patriots on October 16. He also had two touchdowns in a game against the Buffalo Bills. For the 2014 season, he had 821 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns.
The 2015 season was a big one for Chris. In the first game, he ran for 91 yards and two touchdowns against the Cleveland Browns. On October 4, he set a new personal best. He ran for 166 yards and a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins in London. He followed that with 146 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Washington Redskins. Chris won the AFC rushing title in 2015. He finished the year with 1,070 rushing yards. This earned him his first Pro Bowl selection. His fellow players ranked him among the top 100 players in the NFL for 2016.
Time with the Jaguars
Chris Ivory signed a three-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars on March 10, 2016. On October 16, 2016, he scored his first touchdown with the Jaguars. This helped them beat the Chicago Bears. He finished the 2016 season with 439 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
In 2017, Chris was the second running back on the team, behind rookie Leonard Fournette. He played in 14 games and ran for 382 yards and one touchdown. The Jaguars released Chris on February 23, 2018.
Final Stop: The Bills
On March 6, 2018, Chris Ivory signed a two-year contract with the Buffalo Bills. In Week 3, he had 126 total yards (rushing and receiving) against the Minnesota Vikings. He finished the 2018 season with 385 rushing yards and one touchdown. He also had 13 catches for 205 receiving yards. Chris was released by the Bills on March 27, 2019.
Amazing Achievements
