Rashad Jennings facts for kids
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Jennings (center) with the New York Giants in 2014
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| No. 23, 27 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | March 26, 1985 Forest, Virginia, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 231 lb (105 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Liberty Christian Academy (Lynchburg, Virginia) |
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| College: | Pittsburgh (2005) Liberty (2006–2008) |
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| NFL Draft: | 2009 / Round: 7 / Pick: 250 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Rashad Andre Jennings (born March 26, 1985) is a former professional football running back. He played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, and New York Giants in the NFL. Later, he also played in the Fan Controlled Football league. Besides football, Rashad is also known for winning the TV show Dancing with the Stars.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Rashad Jennings grew up in Forest, Virginia. When he started high school, he wasn't a star athlete. He was a "chubby kid" who didn't play in a football game until the very last game of his junior year. This happened because four other running backs got hurt!
In that game, Rashad finally got his chance. On his first play, he ran for a 30-yard touchdown! He scored two more touchdowns that game. A scout from the University of Tennessee noticed him. But Rashad's grades were very low. The scout told him to focus on his studies.
This motivated Rashad to make a big change. He moved to Lynchburg Christian Academy. His older brothers, who were coaches there, helped pay for his tuition. At this new school, Rashad worked hard. He improved his grades and got in shape. In his junior and senior years, he became a top player. He ran for over 3,200 yards and scored 56 touchdowns. He also played basketball.
College Football Career
Rashad started his college football journey at the University of Pittsburgh in 2005. He was one of the few freshmen running backs to start for the team.
However, in 2006, Rashad decided to transfer to Liberty. He wanted to be closer to his family. At Liberty, he became a record-breaking player. Even though he missed the first two games of the 2007 season, he set a new conference record. He gained 3,633 yards and scored 42 touchdowns.
Years later, in 2021, Liberty Flames honored Rashad by retiring his jersey number, 23. This is a special way to remember important players.
Professional Football Career
Rashad Jennings was a talented player, and his skills were tested before the NFL Draft.
Jacksonville Jaguars Years
The Jacksonville Jaguars picked Rashad in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL draft. This was a big step into professional football.
In his first year, 2009, he scored his first touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs. He finished the season with 202 rushing yards. In 2010, he had a great game against the Raiders, running for 109 yards and a touchdown. He ended that season with 459 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
Unfortunately, Rashad faced some injuries. In 2011, he was hurt before the season even began. In 2012, he started some games while the main running back was out. He played in ten games that year before another injury ended his season early.
Oakland Raiders Experience
In 2013, Rashad signed with the Oakland Raiders. He started the season as a backup player. But the main running back, Darren McFadden, got injured often. This gave Rashad more chances to play.
He stepped up and did very well as a starter. In one game against the Houston Texans, he ran for 150 yards and scored a touchdown. He finished the 2013 season with 733 rushing yards and six touchdowns. This was his best season yet!
New York Giants Highlights
On March 12, 2014, Rashad joined the New York Giants. He quickly became the team's starting running back. In a game against the Texans, he carried the ball 34 times for 176 yards. He finished his first year with the Giants with 639 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
The 2015 season was a career-best for Rashad. He started all 16 games and gained 863 rushing yards. He also caught 29 passes for 296 receiving yards and one touchdown. He played especially well at the end of that season.
In 2016, Rashad played in 13 games. He rushed for 593 yards and scored three touchdowns. He also caught 35 passes.
On February 13, 2017, the Giants released Rashad. Later that year, on December 8, 2017, he announced his retirement from the NFL.
Fan Controlled Football
In 2022, Rashad Jennings returned to football in a different way. He became a coach for the Fan Controlled Football (FCF) Kingpens team. He even played as a running back for the Kingpens in one game on May 21, 2022.
Beyond Football: Dancing and Acting
After his NFL career, Rashad Jennings explored other interests, especially in entertainment.
Dancing with the Stars Champion
On March 1, 2017, it was announced that Rashad would be a contestant on Season 24 of the popular TV show Dancing with the Stars. He was paired with professional dancer Emma Slater.
Rashad and Emma worked hard and impressed the judges and viewers. On May 23, 2017, they won the competition! This was Emma Slater's first win, and Rashad became the fourth NFL player to win the show.
He returned to the show several times:
- In November 2017, he performed a trio dance in Season 25.
- In May 2018, he was a guest judge for Week 2 of Season 26.
- In Season 27, he returned as a trio partner again.
Acting and TV Appearances
Rashad has also appeared in various TV shows:
- In 2016, he was in an episode of the STARZ series Power.
- In 2017, he was a contestant on Talk Show the Game Show.
- Also in 2017, he appeared in an episode of the NBC series Great News.
- In January 2019, Rashad was a guest co-host on the MTV show Catfish.
- In January 2020, he was a contestant on Guy's Grocery Games - Game Day Super Teams.
See also
In Spanish: Rashad Jennings para niños
