Harold Jackson (American football) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Harold Jackson

Jackson in 1972
No. 48, 29, 89
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1946-01-06) January 6, 1946 (age 79) Hattiesburg, Mississippi, U.S.
Height:	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:	175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High school:	Rowan
College:	Jackson State (1965–1967)
NFL Draft:	1968 / Round: 12 / Pick: 323
Career history
As player:
Los Angeles Rams (1968) Philadelphia Eagles (1969) Los Angeles Rams (1973) New England Patriots (1978) Minnesota Vikings (1982) Seattle Seahawks (1983)
As coach:
New England Patriots (1985) Wide receivers coach North Carolina Central (1990) Assistant coach New Orleans Night (1991) Offensive coordinator Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1992) Wide receivers coach Virginia Union (1994) Assistant coach Benedict (1995–1996) Head coach New Orleans Saints (1997) Wide receivers coach Kentucky (2001–2002) Wide receivers coach Baylor (2003–2006) Wide receivers coach Hartford Colonials (2010) Assistant coach Sacramento Mountain Lions (2012) Assistant coach Jackson State (2014–2015) Head coach
Career highlights and awards
First-team All-Pro (1973) 2× Second-team All-Pro (1972, 1977) 5× Pro Bowl (1969, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977) NFL receptions leader (1972) 2× NFL receiving yards leader (1969, 1972) NFL receiving touchdowns leader (1973)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 579 Receiving yards: 10,372 Receiving touchdowns: 76
Head coaching record
Career:	12–23 (.343)
Player stats at PFR

Harold Leon Jackson, born on January 6, 1946, is a famous American football player and coach. He played as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) from 1968 to 1983. Before that, he played college football for the Jackson State Tigers.

The Los Angeles Rams picked him in the 12th round of the 1968 NFL draft. He played much better than expected for over ten years! Harold was chosen as a top player, called First-team All-Pro, in 1973. He was also a Second-team All-Pro twice.

He played in five Pro Bowl games, which are special games for the best players. Harold led the NFL in receiving yards twice. He gained over 10,000 yards and scored 76 touchdowns in more than 200 games.

College Football Days

Harold Jackson went to Jackson State College in Jackson, Mississippi. He earned a degree in secondary education in 1968. Besides playing football, he was also a champion runner in college. He could run the 100-yard dash in just 9.3 seconds!

Playing in the NFL

Harold Jackson only played in two games during his first year with the Rams. In 1969, he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. He quickly became one of the best receivers in the NFL.

In 1969, he caught 65 passes for a league-leading 1,116 yards and 9 touchdowns. While with the Eagles, Harold led the NFL in catches in 1972. He also led the league in receiving yards in both 1969 and 1972.

Back to the Rams

Before the 1973 NFL season, the Eagles traded Harold back to the Los Angeles Rams. He led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 1973 with 13. He helped the Rams improve their record from 6 wins to 12 wins. This helped them win their first of seven straight division championships.

One of his best games was against Dallas on October 14, 1973. He caught 7 passes for 238 yards and 4 touchdowns in that game.

Pro Bowl and All-Pro Honors

During his career, Harold Jackson was picked to play in the Pro Bowl five times. In 1972, he was named Second-team All-Pro by several groups. In 1973, he was a top choice for First-team All-Pro. He was also named Second-team All-Pro again in 1977.

Playing for the Patriots and Beyond

In 1978, Harold was traded to the New England Patriots. He and Stanley Morgan became one of the NFL's best wide receiver duos. Harold became the NFL's active leader in receiving yards after Fred Biletnikoff retired in 1978. He held that title for his last five seasons.

In 1979, he gained 1,013 receiving yards and scored 7 touchdowns. He also had the second-highest average yards per catch in the NFL. Harold finished his playing career with the Minnesota Vikings (1982) and the Seattle Seahawks (1983).

Career Achievements

During his career, Harold Jackson had 29 games where he gained over 100 receiving yards. He also had three seasons where he gained over 1,000 yards. When he retired, only Don Maynard had more career receiving yards than him.

For the 1970s decade, Harold was first in catches (432), yards (7,724), and receiving touchdowns (61). Even with these amazing stats, he was not chosen for the National Football League 1970s All-Decade Team. He has also not yet been voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In 2011, the Professional Football Researchers Association added Harold Jackson to their "Hall of Very Good" list.

NFL Career Stats

Coaching Career

After retiring as a player, Harold Jackson became a coach. He coached wide receivers for 10 years in the NFL. He worked for the New England Patriots (1985–89), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1992–93), and New Orleans Saints (1997–99).

In his first year as an NFL coach, the Patriots won the AFC Championship. They even played in Super Bowl XX. Harold also coached at Baylor University. On January 13, 2014, he became the head coach at Jackson State University. He coached there until October 2015.