Eddie Jackson (chef) facts for kids
| Born | Eddie Paul Jackson Jr. December 19, 1980 Americus, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Education | University of Arkansas |
| Spouse | Melissa Morris |
Quick facts for kids
Television show(s)
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Eddie Paul Jackson Jr. (born December 19, 1980) is an American chef and a former professional football player. He played as a cornerback in the NFL. After his football career, Eddie became famous for his cooking skills. He has won cooking competitions and hosts several TV shows on the Food Network.
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Eddie Jackson's College Days
Before playing professionally, Eddie Jackson was a star athlete at the University of Arkansas. He played football for the Arkansas Razorbacks. He played both cornerback and strong safety.
Eddie was also a talented track and field athlete. He ran high hurdles for the Razorbacks' national champion track team. He even won four national titles in track and field. He still holds a freshman record for the 110 high hurdles.
Playing Professional Football
Eddie Jackson started his professional football journey in 2004. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers. This means he joined the team without being chosen in the main draft.
Time with the Miami Dolphins
From 2005 to 2006, Eddie played for the Miami Dolphins. In his last year with the team, he got an injury. He tore a ligament in his knee during a game. This injury made it hard for him to continue playing.
Other NFL Teams
After his time with the Dolphins, Eddie briefly played for other teams. He signed with the New England Patriots in 2007. Later, in 2008, he joined the Washington Redskins. However, his time with these teams was short.
From Football Player to Chef
After leaving football, Eddie Jackson found a new passion: cooking! He became a personal trainer and also owned a food truck. His food truck, called Caribbean Grill, was in Houston. Cooking had always been something he loved to do.
Becoming a TV Chef
Eddie first became known for his cooking on MasterChef. This is a popular reality cooking show. He competed on Season 4 in 2013 and finished in eighth place.
His big break came in 2015 when he competed on Food Network Star. He won Season 11 of the show, beating many other talented chefs. Winning Food Network Star was a huge achievement.
Hosting Food Network Shows
As a prize for winning Food Network Star, Eddie got his own show! It was called BBQ Blitz. On this show, contestants competed to make the best barbecue dishes. Eddie was the host. The show ran for six episodes.
Since 2016, he has hosted Kids BBQ Championship. On this show, young chefs show off their barbecue skills. He has had different co-hosts for the show.
Eddie also appears as a judge on many other Food Network shows. He has judged Christmas Cookie Challenge and Halloween Wars. He was also a team captain on BBQ Brawl in 2021. Currently, he hosts Outchef’d and judges Supermarket Stakeout.
