Jerome Felton facts for kids
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Felton at the 2012 Pro Bowl
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| No. 45, 42 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Fullback | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | July 3, 1986 Düren, West Germany |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 248 lb (112 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Sequoyah (Madisonville, Tennessee) |
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| College: | Furman (2004–2007) | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2008 / Round: 5 / Pick: 146 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Jerome Jean-Marie Felton (born July 3, 1986) is a former American football player. He played as a fullback in the National Football League (NFL). Jerome played college football for Furman University. The Detroit Lions picked him in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL draft. He also played for the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, and Buffalo Bills. With the Vikings, he helped Adrian Peterson have an amazing season in 2012. Peterson rushed for over 2,000 yards that year!
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Early Life and High School Football
Jerome Felton grew up in Madisonville, Tennessee. He graduated from Sequoyah High School in 2004. In high school, he was a star player on both offense and defense. He played as a fullback and a middle linebacker.
During his three years, he ran for over 3,000 yards. He also made over 300 tackles. Jerome was named the team's best offensive player three times. He was also chosen for All-County and All-Region teams. In 2003, he was the team captain. He rushed for 1,300 yards and had 104 tackles that year.
College Football Career
Jerome Felton played college football at Furman University. In 2007, his senior year, he was named an all-conference player. He finished his college career as Furman's all-time leading scorer with 414 points.
In 2006, he was a first-team All-SoCon player. He helped Furman achieve an 8–4 record and reach the playoffs. The team finished ranked 12th nationally. In 2005, he helped the Paladins get an 11–3 record. They made it to the NCAA I-AA semifinal playoffs and finished ranked 3rd nationally. That year, he led the team with 940 rushing yards. He also scored 20 touchdowns, setting a school record with 124 points. When he started in 2004, he was a backup player. But by the middle of the season, he earned the starting fullback spot.
Professional Football Journey
Jerome Felton had a long career playing for several NFL teams.
Detroit Lions Years
The Detroit Lions drafted Jerome in 2008. He was the 146th player picked overall. As a rookie, he became the Lions' starting fullback. He played in 13 games and started six. He also caught nine passes.
In 2009, he started eight games and played in 13. He ran for 46 yards and caught 13 passes for 133 yards. In 2010, he played in all 16 games, starting two. The Lions let him go from the team in August 2011.
Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts
The Carolina Panthers picked up Jerome in September 2011. Just three days later, he became their starting fullback. However, the Panthers released him in November.
The Indianapolis Colts then signed Jerome in November 2011. In the 2011 season, he played nine games for Carolina and five games for Indianapolis.
Minnesota Vikings Success
On March 20, 2012, the Minnesota Vikings signed Jerome Felton. He quickly became an important player for them. On December 26, 2012, he was chosen for his first NFL Pro Bowl. This is a special game where the best players from each conference play against each other. In 2012, Felton played in all 16 games and started seven.
In March 2013, the Vikings signed Jerome to a new three-year contract. In August 2013, he had an appendectomy (surgery to remove his appendix). Later that month, he faced a short suspension. He played in 13 games and started nine in the 2013 season.
In 2014, Felton played in all 16 games and started three. In one game against the New York Jets, he scored a touchdown. This happened when he recovered a fumble by his team in an overtime win.
Buffalo Bills and Retirement
On March 11, 2015, Jerome Felton signed with the Buffalo Bills. He played in all 16 games in the 2015 season, starting eight of them.
The Bills released him in September 2016, but he re-signed with them soon after. In the 2016 season, he played in 15 games and started four.
On December 15, 2017, Jerome Felton announced that he was retiring from the NFL. He played in 132 career games, rushing for 178 yards and scoring 1 touchdown. He also caught 50 passes for 421 receiving yards.
