Rob Jackson (American football) facts for kids
Jackson playing against the Eagles in the 2011 season
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| No. 98, 91, 50 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | November 3, 1985 West Haven, Connecticut, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 259 lb (117 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | West Haven | ||||||||||||
| College: | Fort Scott CC (2004-2005) Kansas State (2006-2007) |
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| NFL Draft: | 2008 / Round: 7 / Pick: 242 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Robert Gene Jackson (born November 3, 1985) is a former American football player. He played as a linebacker for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Rob played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats. The Washington Redskins chose him in the 2008 NFL draft.
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Early Life and High School Football
Rob Jackson grew up in West Haven, Connecticut. He played football at West Haven High School. People thought he was one of the best players in New England.
In 2003, he was a defensive end. He made 72 tackles, including 12 sacks. A sack is when a player tackles the opposing team's quarterback. He also helped his high school team win a state championship in 2002.
College Football Career
Rob Jackson started his college football journey at Fort Scott Community College in Kansas. He played both defensive end and tight end there. As a defensive end, he made 35 tackles and had 6 sacks in eight games. He also caught four passes for 90 yards as a tight end.
In 2004, he led his conference in sacks with 9. He was chosen as a top defensive player twice in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference.
After junior college, Jackson went to Kansas State University.
Playing for Kansas State
In 2006, he played in 12 out of 13 games. He made 36 tackles and 4.5 sacks. He also broke up two passes and forced one fumble. A forced fumble is when a player knocks the ball out of an opponent's hands.
In 2007, Jackson started in 11 out of 12 games. He finished that season with 25 tackles and 2 sacks.
Professional Football Career
Before the NFL draft, Rob Jackson showed off his skills. He was 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighed 257 pounds. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.78 seconds.
Joining the Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins picked Rob Jackson in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL draft. He was the 242nd player chosen overall. This was the Redskins' ninth pick in that draft year.
2008 Season Highlights
Jackson played his first NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys. This was in Week 4 of the 2008 NFL season. In his first year, he played in only three games. He made one tackle.
2009 Season Overview
In 2009, the Redskins first let Jackson go from the team. But they signed him to their practice squad the very next day. Later that year, he was moved back to the main team roster. This happened because another player, Jeremy Jarmon, was injured.
2010 Season Changes
Again, Rob Jackson was released by the Redskins in 2010. The next day, he joined their practice squad once more. He used to play as a defensive end. However, the Redskins changed their defense style. So, Jackson became an outside linebacker.
He was moved back to the main team roster in December 2010. This was because Brian Orakpo had a groin injury. In a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jackson got his first career sack. This helped the Redskins win the game in overtime.
2011 Season Role
For the 2011 NFL season, Jackson was the backup right outside linebacker. He played behind Brian Orakpo. In the last game of the season, Orakpo got hurt. Jackson stepped in for him. This season was the first time Jackson played in all 16 games of the year.
2012 Season Success
In 2012, Jackson got his first chance to start a game. This happened in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals. He started because Brian Orakpo was injured. In that game, Jackson made his first career interception. An interception is when a defensive player catches a pass meant for an opposing player. He caught a pass from Andy Dalton and ran into the endzone for a touchdown. This was his first touchdown ever!
He got his second interception against Eli Manning. This was in a game against the New York Giants. Later, in a game against the Baltimore Ravens, Jackson sacked Joe Flacco. He also forced Flacco to drop the ball and recovered it. This play helped the Redskins score a field goal. They tied the game and then won in overtime.
The next week, he got his third interception against the Cleveland Browns. Two weeks after that, he got his fourth interception of the year. This was against the Dallas Cowboys. That win helped the team become the NFC East Champion.
2013 Season and Suspension
In 2013, Rob Jackson signed a new one-year deal with the Redskins. However, he was suspended for the first four games of the season. This was due to a league rule violation.
2014 Season and Departure
Jackson signed with the Redskins again in April 2014. But he was released from the team in August of that year.
