Ladell Betts facts for kids
Betts with the Redskins in 2006
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| Iowa Hawkeyes | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running backs coach | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | August 27, 1979 Kansas City, Kansas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 224 lb (102 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Blue Springs (MO) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Iowa | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2002 / Round: 2 / Pick: 56 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Ladell Betts (born August 27, 1979) is an American football coach and a former running back. A running back is a player who primarily runs with the football. He is currently the running backs coach at the University of Iowa. Betts played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes. He was chosen by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 2002 NFL draft.
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Early life and high school football
Ladell Betts grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. He later moved to Blue Springs with his mother. His mother worked very hard to support them. Ladell stayed close with his father, who was always a big part of his life.
Betts went to Blue Springs High School. There, he became a football star. He was teammates with Brandon Lloyd, who also later played in the NFL. Ladell was also a fast sprinter in high school.
In his junior year, he ran for 1,813 yards and scored 34 touchdowns. As a senior, he rushed for 2,183 yards and 32 touchdowns. He did this even with a broken right hand for most of the season. His team had a great 10–1 record.
Betts was named Missouri Player of the Year by USA Today. He also won the Thomas Simone Award. This award goes to the best high school player in the Kansas City area. He was also named an All-American by Parade and SuperPrep.
College career at Iowa
Betts started his college career at the University of Iowa in 1997. He "redshirted" his first year, meaning he practiced but did not play in games. This allowed him to gain an extra year of eligibility.
In 1998, as a freshman, he played in all 11 games. He set new school records for rushing yards in a single game and a season for a freshman. Betts led the team in rushing that year. He was also named Iowa's offensive MVP in four games.
In 1999, Betts started all 11 games. He led the team in rushing again and was named co-MVP for Iowa. He was also chosen for the second-team All-Big Ten. As a junior in 2000, Betts started every game. He was responsible for all of Iowa's rushing yards that year, gaining 1,090 yards.
As a senior in 2001, Betts again led Iowa in rushing. He started every game and was a co-captain and co-MVP. He was named second-team All-Big Ten. He helped the Hawkeyes reach the 2001 Alamo Bowl. He had to leave the game early due to an injury, but Iowa still won 19–16.
Betts started 43 games during his college career. He finished as Iowa's second all-time leading rusher. He gained 3,686 career yards and scored 25 touchdowns. He also caught passes for 702 yards. He is the only player in Iowa history to lead the team in rushing for four different seasons.
Betts first came to Iowa to play for Hall of Fame coach Hayden Fry. After Betts' freshman year, Coach Fry retired. Betts then played his last three years for coach Kirk Ferentz.
Professional football career
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins picked Ladell Betts in the second round of the 2002 NFL draft. He was the 56th player chosen overall. His first game was on September 22, 2002, against the San Francisco 49ers. On December 22, 2002, he had a great game, rushing for 116 yards and scoring a touchdown.
In his first year, Betts rushed for 307 yards and scored a 27-yard touchdown. He also caught 12 passes for 154 yards. He led the team in kickoff returns, with 28 returns for 690 yards.
In 2003, Betts played in nine games. He gained 225 rushing yards and scored two touchdowns. He missed seven games because of a broken left forearm.
In 2004, Betts was a backup to Clinton Portis. He rushed for 371 yards and one touchdown. He also caught 15 passes for 108 yards.
Betts missed three games in 2005 due to injuries. He finished the season with 338 rushing yards and a touchdown. He also caught a touchdown pass. In one game, he returned a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown, his first in his career.
The 2006 season was Betts' best. He filled in for an injured Clinton Portis and started nine games. He rushed for 1,154 yards and scored four rushing touchdowns. He also caught 53 passes for 445 yards and one touchdown. On December 10, 2006, Betts rushed for a career-high 171 yards in a single game. He is the only running back in Redskins history to have two games in a row with over 150 rushing yards.
In a 2009 preseason game, his jersey had his last name misspelled as "Bettis." He was released by the Redskins on March 4, 2010.
New Orleans Saints
Betts signed a one-year contract with the New Orleans Saints on August 16, 2010. He was released a few weeks later. However, after another player, Reggie Bush, got injured, the Saints signed Betts again on September 22, 2010.
In a game against Seattle, he suffered a neck injury and a concussion. He was later placed on the injured reserve list on December 8, 2010. This meant he could not play for the rest of the season.
Coaching career
After his playing career, Ladell Betts became a coach. He joined the coaching staff at his old college, Iowa, in 2021. He is currently the running backs coach for the Iowa Hawkeyes football team.
