Fred Jackson (running back) facts for kids
Jackson with the Buffalo Bills in 2014
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
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| Born: | February 20, 1981 Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Lamar (Arlington, Texas) |
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| College: | Coe (1999–2002) | ||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2003 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Frederick George Jackson (born February 20, 1981) is a former American football player. He was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). Fred Jackson played college football for the Coe Kohawks. Even though he wasn't picked in the 2003 NFL draft, he played two seasons of indoor football. He also played in NFL Europe before joining the Buffalo Bills. Jackson spent nine seasons with the Bills and became their third all-time leading rusher. In 2015, he was the oldest active running back in the NFL.
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Early Life and High School Football
Fred Jackson grew up in Arlington, Texas. He went to Lamar High School and played football there. Even though he was part of strong teams, he never started a game. Coaches thought he was too small and not fast enough. He was a third-string running back in his senior year. He only moved up after another player got hurt.
Fred was also a great sprinter. He qualified for state in the 100 meters. He helped his relay team break a school record. Many of his teammates got offers to play college football. But Fred didn't get any. His junior high coach helped him and his brother get into Coe College. This was a Division III school that didn't offer sports scholarships.
College Career at Coe College
At Coe College, Fred Jackson became a star. In 2002, he was named to four All-American teams. He ran for 2,702 yards and scored 29 touchdowns. He was also named the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference MVP twice. In 2003, he was the MVP of the Stars Bowl. He finished college in 2003 with a degree in sociology.
Professional Football Journey
After college, Fred tried out for a few NFL teams. These included the Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, and Green Bay Packers. But he didn't make any of those teams.
Playing Indoor Football
Fred then started playing indoor football for the Sioux City Bandits. He played two seasons with them. In 2005, he was named the co-MVP of the United Indoor Football league. He ran for 1,770 yards and scored 53 touchdowns in 18 games. During this time, he also worked with kids at Boys & Girls Home Family Services. The Bandits retired his jersey number in 2008.
An interesting fact: while Fred was with the Bandits, his childhood home in Arlington, Texas, was torn down. This was to make room for Cowboys Stadium. He later played in his old neighborhood when the Bills faced the Cowboys in 2011.
NFL Europe Experience
In 2006, Fred played for the Rhein Fire in NFL Europa. He led his team with 731 rushing yards. This experience helped him get noticed by NFL teams.
Buffalo Bills Career
In 2006, the Buffalo Bills invited Fred Jackson to their training camp. The Bills' general manager, Marv Levy, had also gone to Coe College. Fred made his first NFL start in 2007 against the Washington Redskins. He ran for 82 yards and caught four passes for 69 yards. He was the first running back from a Division III school to start an NFL game in years.
In 2007, Fred had his first 100-yard rushing game against the Miami Dolphins. He and teammate Marshawn Lynch both ran for over 100 yards in that game. This was a rare achievement for the Bills. In 2008, he played in all 16 games.
Before the 2009 season, Fred signed a four-year contract extension with the Bills. In Week 2 of that season, he ran for 163 yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. By the end of 2009, he had taken over as the starting running back. He ran for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. He also had over 1,000 kickoff return yards. This made him the first player in NFL history to have 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 kickoff return yards in the same season! His total of 2,516 combined yards was one of the highest in NFL history.
In 2011, Fred was having his best season. He had six games where he ran for over 100 yards in the first ten weeks. Unfortunately, he broke his leg in Week 11 and missed the rest of the season. The Bills struggled without him. Even though he was injured, his strong performance earned him a spot on the USA Today All Joe Team.
Fred signed another contract extension in 2012. In 2013, he had another great season. He gained 1,283 yards from scrimmage and scored 10 touchdowns. He was a valuable player for the Bills. On August 31, 2015, the Bills released Fred Jackson. He finished his time with them as the third all-time leading rusher in team history.
Seattle Seahawks
On September 7, 2015, Fred Jackson signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks. He joined his former Bills teammate Marshawn Lynch there. The Seahawks made it to the playoffs that year. This was Fred Jackson's first time playing in the postseason! On January 10, the Seahawks beat the Vikings in the Wild Card Round. This gave Fred his first career playoff win.
The Spring League
After not playing in 2016, Fred tried to make a comeback. He signed with The Spring League for their 2017 showcase. This showed his strong desire to keep playing football.
Retirement
In April 2018, Fred Jackson officially retired from the NFL. He signed a special one-day contract with the Buffalo Bills. This allowed him to retire as a member of the team he played for the longest.
Outside of Football
Personal Life
Fred Jackson is married and has four children.
Car Incident
In October 2015, there were reports about a car incident involving Fred Jackson. Police later said he was simply driving too fast.
Television Work
Fred Jackson had his own TV show called The Fred Jackson Show. It aired on WBBZ-TV during football season. After retiring, he became a football analyst. He worked for MSG Western New York on their Bills Tonight show. He is now part of Spectrum News One's post-game show, Buffalo End Zone.
Steakhouse Business
Fred Jackson also co-owns a high-end steakhouse called SEAR in downtown Buffalo. He opened it with other former Bills players, Brian Moorman and Terrence McGee. The restaurant had to close because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Charity Work
In October 2018, Fred Jackson partnered with Codes Socks LLC. They created a special sock called the "FJ22 Sock for Charity." The money raised from selling these socks helps a local charity called UB HEALS.
