Mark Ingram II facts for kids
Ingram at the White House in 2010
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| No. 32, 28, 22, 21, 2, 14, 5 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | December 21, 1989 Hackensack, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Flint Southwestern (Flint, Michigan) |
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| College: | Alabama (2008–2010) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2011 / Round: 1 / Pick: 28 | ||||||||||||
| 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 | |||||||||||||
Mark Valentino Ingram II, born on December 21, 1989, is a former professional football running back. He played for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Mark is now an on-air personality for Fox Sports, sharing his knowledge of the game.
He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. In 2009, he made history by becoming the first Alabama player to win the Heisman Trophy. This award is given to the most outstanding player in college football. That year, he ran for 1,658 yards and helped his team win the 2010 BCS National Championship Game.
The New Orleans Saints chose Mark in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft. During his time with the Saints, he was selected for the Pro Bowl twice. When he retired, he was the Saints' all-time leader in rushing yards. Mark also played for the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans.
Contents
- Early Life and High School Sports
- College Football Career
- Professional Football Career
- Life After Football: Broadcasting
- NFL Career Statistics Overview
- Business Ventures
Early Life and High School Sports
Mark Ingram II was born in Hackensack, New Jersey. His father, Mark Ingram Sr., was also a professional football player, a wide receiver for the New York Giants.
Mark attended Grand Blanc Community High School for his first three years. For his senior year, he went to Flint Southwestern Academy in Flint, Michigan. He was a four-year starter on his high school football teams. In his last two seasons, he ran for 2,546 yards and scored 38 touchdowns. He was named MVP for his area and was an All-State player as a senior. Mark also played defense as a cornerback, making 84 tackles and eight interceptions in his senior year.
Besides football, Mark was also a talented track and field athlete at Flint. He was chosen as an All-State athlete nine times. He was a fast sprinter and a skilled long jumper. Experts considered him one of the top high school athletes in the nation in 2008.
College Football Career
Mark Ingram received a sports scholarship to attend the University of Alabama. He played for coach Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide football team from 2008 to 2010.
Freshman Year: 2008 Season
In his first year, Mark played behind another running back, Glen Coffee. He was named to the 2008 SEC All-Freshman Team. He played his first college game against Clemson, running for 96 yards. In a later game against Tulane, he scored his first college touchdown. He continued to score touchdowns against Western Kentucky and Arkansas State.
In the important Iron Bowl game against Auburn, he scored two touchdowns. He finished his freshman season with 728 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. His 12 touchdowns set a new record for an Alabama freshman.
Sophomore Year: 2009 Heisman Season
The 2009 season was a huge success for Mark. In the first game against Virginia Tech, he was named player of the game. He ran for 150 yards and scored two touchdowns.
Throughout the season, he had many impressive games. Against Ole Miss, he ran for 172 yards. He set a career high with 246 rushing yards against South Carolina. He was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week for this performance.
In the 2009 SEC Championship Game against undefeated Florida, Mark ran for 113 yards and three touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 76 yards. In this game, he broke Alabama's single-season rushing record, reaching 1,542 yards.
On December 12, Mark won the Heisman Trophy. It was a very close vote, but he became Alabama's first Heisman winner. He was also the youngest player to win the award at the time. Mark was recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American.
On January 7, 2010, Alabama won the BCS National Championship by defeating Texas. Mark was named Offensive MVP of the game. He ran for 116 yards and scored two touchdowns. For the 2009 season, Mark rushed for an amazing 1,658 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also had 334 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns.
Junior Year: 2010 Season
Mark missed the first two games of his junior season due to knee surgery. He made his season debut against Duke, rushing for 151 yards and two touchdowns.
In a conference game against Arkansas, Mark helped Alabama come back from a big deficit to win. He finished with 157 rushing yards and two touchdowns. However, he did not break 100 yards in any other regular season game that year. In his final college game, he scored two touchdowns against Michigan State in the Capitol One Bowl.
Mark finished his junior season with 875 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. He also had 282 receiving yards and one touchdown. On January 6, 2011, Mark announced he would leave college early to enter the 2011 NFL draft. He was expected to be a top pick.
College Statistics Overview
| Season | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Kick returns | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Loss | Net | Avg | Lng | TD | Y/G | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Y/G | Ret | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 2008 | Alabama | 14 | 0 | 143 | 743 | 15 | 728 | 5.1 | 40 | 12 | 52.0 | 7 | 54 | 7.7 | 27 | 0 | 3.9 | 1 | 26 | 26.0 | 26 | 0 |
| 2009 | Alabama | 14 | 13 | 271 | 1,678 | 20 | 1,658 | 6.1 | 70 | 17 | 118.4 | 32 | 334 | 10.4 | 69 | 3 | 23.9 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | Alabama | 13 | 11 | 158 | 903 | 28 | 875 | 5.5 | 54 | 13 | 67.3 | 21 | 282 | 13.4 | 78 | 1 | 21.7 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 | 19 | 0 |
| Career | 41 | 24 | 572 | 3,324 | 63 | 3,261 | 5.7 | 70 | 42 | 84.3 | 60 | 670 | 11.2 | 78 | 4 | 17.2 | 2 | 45 | 22.5 | 26 | 0 | |
Professional Football Career
Mark Ingram was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft. He was the 28th pick, which was the same pick number his father was drafted at years earlier. Mark chose the jersey number 28 to honor this connection.
First Time with the New Orleans Saints
2011 Season: Rookie Year
Mark scored his first regular season touchdown against the Houston Texans. He finished his rookie season with 474 rushing yards and five touchdowns. He missed some games due to a toe injury.
2012 Season: Leading Rusher
In 2012, Mark was the Saints' leading rusher. He shared playing time with other running backs like Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles. He finished the season with 602 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
2013 Season: Jersey Change
Before the 2013 season, Mark changed his jersey number to 22, the same number he wore in college. He had a career-high game against the Dallas Cowboys, rushing for 145 yards and a touchdown. The Saints made the playoffs that year. In the Wild Card Round, he ran for 97 yards and a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles.
2014 Season: First Pro Bowl
In 2014, Mark had a fantastic season. He ran for a career-high 172 yards against the Green Bay Packers. He became the first Saints player since 2006 to rush for over 100 yards in back-to-back games. He finished the season with 1,109 total yards from rushing and receiving. For his great performance, he earned his first Pro Bowl nomination.
2015 Season: New Contract
Mark signed a new four-year contract with the Saints in 2015. He had a very productive game against the Indianapolis Colts, rushing for 143 yards and a touchdown. He finished the season with 769 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns.
2016 Season: 1,000-Yard Rusher
In 2016, Mark continued to be a key player. He ran for 158 yards and a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers. He also had a big game against the Los Angeles Rams, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week. He finished the season with 1,043 rushing yards, becoming the first Saints player to reach 1,000 rushing yards since 2006. He also scored 10 total touchdowns.
2017 Season: Dynamic Duo
The 2017 season saw Mark share carries with rookie Alvin Kamara. Mark became the team's main rusher by Week 3. He had several games with over 100 rushing yards and multiple touchdowns. In Week 10, he led the NFL with 131 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns against Buffalo. He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week again in Week 11.
Mark was named to his second Pro Bowl alongside Kamara. They became the first pair of running backs from the same team to both earn Pro Bowl honors. Mark finished the season with career-highs of 1,124 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. He and Kamara made history as the first running back duo in NFL history to each have over 1,500 total yards from scrimmage in the same season.
2018 Season: Saints Record
Mark was suspended for the first four games of the 2018 season due to a league rule violation. When he returned, he quickly made an impact. He had 104 rushing yards and a receiving touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals. In Week 16, Mark scored his 50th touchdown, breaking the Saints' franchise record for rushing touchdowns. He finished the season with 645 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. The Saints made it to the NFC Championship game but lost in overtime.
Time with the Baltimore Ravens
2019 Season: Third Pro Bowl
In 2019, Mark signed a three-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens. In his first game with the Ravens, he rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns. He had another big game against the Kansas City Chiefs, scoring three touchdowns. He continued to have strong performances, including 115 rushing yards against the New England Patriots.
Mark finished the 2019 season with 1,018 rushing yards and ten rushing touchdowns. He also had 247 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns. He earned his third Pro Bowl nomination for his achievements that season.
2020 Season: Limited Play
In 2020, Mark's playing time became more limited as other young running backs emerged. He scored two rushing touchdowns during the season. He finished the 2020 season with 299 rushing yards in 11 games. He was released by the Ravens in January 2021.
Time with the Houston Texans
In March 2021, Mark signed a one-year contract with the Houston Texans. He played seven games for them before being traded.
Second Time with the New Orleans Saints
In October 2021, Mark was traded back to the Saints. In Week 10 of the 2021 NFL season, he became the New Orleans Saints' all-time rushing yards leader, passing Deuce McAllister. He finished the 2021 season with 554 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
In the 2022 season, Mark played in ten games. He finished with 233 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. He was placed on injured reserve in December 2022 due to a knee injury.
Life After Football: Broadcasting
On July 6, 2023, Mark Ingram announced his retirement from playing professional football. He also shared that he would be joining Fox Sports' Big Noon Kickoff show as an on-air personality. This means he now shares his football insights and analysis with fans on TV.
NFL Career Statistics Overview
Regular Season
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2011 | NO | 10 | 4 | 122 | 474 | 3.9 | 35T | 5 | 11 | 46 | 4.2 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2012 | NO | 16 | 5 | 156 | 602 | 3.9 | 31 | 5 | 6 | 29 | 4.8 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | NO | 11 | 3 | 78 | 386 | 4.9 | 34 | 1 | 7 | 68 | 9.7 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | NO | 13 | 9 | 226 | 964 | 4.3 | 31 | 9 | 29 | 145 | 5.0 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 2015 | NO | 12 | 10 | 166 | 769 | 4.6 | 70 | 6 | 50 | 405 | 8.1 | 59 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2016 | NO | 16 | 14 | 205 | 1,043 | 5.1 | 75T | 6 | 46 | 319 | 6.9 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 2017 | NO | 16 | 13 | 230 | 1,124 | 4.9 | 72 | 12 | 58 | 416 | 7.2 | 54 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 2018 | NO | 12 | 6 | 138 | 645 | 4.7 | 38 | 6 | 21 | 170 | 8.1 | 28T | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2019 | BAL | 15 | 15 | 202 | 1,018 | 5.0 | 53 | 10 | 26 | 247 | 9.5 | 25T | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 2020 | BAL | 11 | 9 | 72 | 299 | 4.2 | 30 | 2 | 6 | 50 | 8.3 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | HOU | 7 | 7 | 92 | 294 | 3.2 | 24 | 1 | 7 | 24 | 3.4 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NO | 7 | 3 | 68 | 260 | 3.8 | 28 | 1 | 20 | 138 | 6.9 | 34 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2022 | NO | 10 | 3 | 62 | 233 | 3.8 | 14 | 1 | 16 | 68 | 4.3 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Career | 156 | 100 | 1,817 | 8,111 | 4.5 | 75 | 65 | 303 | 2,125 | 7.0 | 59 | 10 | 19 | 14 | |
Postseason
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2013 | NO | 2 | 1 | 28 | 146 | 5.2 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 5.7 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2017 | NO | 2 | 1 | 19 | 47 | 2.5 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | NO | 2 | 1 | 18 | 84 | 4.7 | 36 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 3.8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | BAL | 1 | 1 | 6 | 22 | 3.7 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 7 | 4 | 71 | 299 | 4.2 | 36 | 1 | 10 | 57 | 5.7 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Business Ventures
In June 2021, Mark Ingram joined the ownership group of D.C. United, a professional soccer team. This means he became an investor in the team.
