Tashard Choice facts for kids
Choice with the Buffalo Bills in 2013
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| Detroit Lions | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Running backs coach | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | November 20, 1984 Jonesboro, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Lovejoy (Hampton, Georgia) | ||||||||||
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| NFL Draft: | 2008 / Round: 4 / Pick: 122 | ||||||||||
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Tashard J. Choice, born on November 20, 1984, is an American football coach and a former player. He is currently the running backs coach for the Detroit Lions in the National Football League (NFL).
Choice played college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. He started his college career at the University of Oklahoma before moving to Georgia Tech in 2005. In high school, he played for Lovejoy High School and scored 40 career touchdowns.
After his time as a player, Choice became a coach. He worked with the Dallas Cowboys, North Texas, Georgia Tech, and Texas. He is now a running backs coach for the Detroit Lions.
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Early Life and High School Football
Tashard Choice went to Lovejoy High School in Georgia. He was a talented running back on the football team. In his senior year, he ran for 1,200 yards and caught passes for 600 yards. He scored 15 rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns.
Even after dislocating his shoulder, he kept playing. He earned many awards, including being named the Daily's Southern Crescent Offensive Player of the Year. In 2007, his high school honored him by retiring his No. 2 jersey.
College Football Journey
Tashard Choice had an interesting college football career, playing for two different teams.
Starting at Oklahoma (2003-2004)
Choice began his college journey at the University of Oklahoma in 2003. He spent his first year as a redshirt, meaning he practiced with the team but did not play in games. This allowed him to develop his skills.
In 2004, Choice was set to be the starting running back for the Sooners. However, a hamstring injury kept him from playing the first three games. This allowed another talented player, Adrian Peterson, to become the main running back. Choice played in eight games, rushing for 100 yards. After the season, he transferred to Georgia Tech to be closer to his family.
Playing for Georgia Tech (2005-2007)
Choice joined the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in 2005. He quickly became an important player.
Sophomore Season (2005)
In 2005, Choice played alongside another strong running back, P. J. Daniels. Together, they helped the team gain many yards and score touchdowns. Choice became a starter when Daniels was injured. He helped Georgia Tech win a big upset game against the #3 ranked Miami Hurricanes. This win helped the team get into a bowl game.
Junior Season (2006)
The 2006 season was a great one for Choice. He was the first Georgia Tech player since 2003 to rush for over 1,000 yards. He rushed for over 100 yards nine times, which was a new school record. He also had seven straight games with over 100 rushing yards.
Choice scored 12 touchdowns for the team. He helped lead Georgia Tech to the ACC Title Game. Even with a knee injury, he played well and helped the team reach the 2007 Gator Bowl. His strong performance made him a player to watch for the Heisman Trophy in 2007.
Senior Season (2007)
In 2007, Choice continued to lead Georgia Tech's running game. He had a strong offensive line and fullback helping him. He faced some injuries, including a hamstring pull and a knee sprain, which limited his playing time.
Before a game against Clemson, Choice, as team captain, gave an inspiring pre-game speech. This speech was shared online and has been viewed many times. Even with his injuries, Choice rushed for 1,310 yards and 10 touchdowns. His best game was against the University of Miami, where he rushed for 204 yards. He also threw his first career passing touchdown in that game.
Choice finished his college career with many records at Georgia Tech. He was the first player to rush for 1,000 yards in two seasons in a row. He also led the ACC in rushing for two straight seasons. He ranks high in school history for career rushing touchdowns and total rushing yards.
College Awards and Honors
Tashard Choice earned several awards during his college career:
- 2003 Big 12 All-Academic Team
- 2006 Second Team All-ACC
- 2006 ACC All-Academic Team
- 2006 ESPN All-Bowl Team
- 2007 ACC All-Academic Team
- 2007 First Team All-ACC
- 2007 Honorable Mention All-America by Sports Illustrated
Professional Football Career
Tashard Choice was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 2008. He played for several teams in the NFL.
Dallas Cowboys (2008-2011)
Choice was picked by the Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL draft. He got his first chance to play more when other running backs on the team got injured. In one game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had a very strong defense, Choice ran for 88 yards and caught passes for 78 yards. He continued to play well, scoring his first career touchdown against the New York Giants. He finished his first season with 472 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns.
In the 2009 season, Choice continued to get playing time due to injuries to other players. He had a strong game against the Carolina Panthers, rushing for 82 yards and scoring a touchdown. The Cowboys even received trade offers for him, but they decided to keep him.
In 2010, Choice had a tough start to the season. He later had a good game against the Indianapolis Colts, rushing for 100 yards and a touchdown.
In 2011, the Cowboys drafted a new running back, DeMarco Murray. Choice was released by the team in October 2011. He finished his time with the Cowboys with 1,139 rushing yards and 8 rushing touchdowns.
Washington Redskins (2011)
After leaving the Cowboys, Choice was picked up by the Washington Redskins in October 2011. He played in one game for them before being released in November.
Buffalo Bills (2011-2013)
Choice then joined the Buffalo Bills in November 2011. He played for his former college coach, Chan Gailey, there. He helped the team when their main running back was injured. He played in six games and scored one touchdown. He re-signed with the Bills in 2012 and 2013 but was released in December 2013.
Indianapolis Colts (2013)
The Indianapolis Colts signed Choice in December 2013. He played in three games for them before being released in February 2014.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Tashard Choice began coaching. In 2016, he worked as an intern for the Dallas Cowboys. Later that year, he became an offensive analyst at the University of North Texas. In 2018, he was promoted to running backs coach there.
He then joined the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets as their running backs coach in 2019. In 2021, he briefly accepted a job at USC but then decided to become the running backs coach for the Texas Longhorns.
In February 2025, Choice was hired as the running backs coach for the Detroit Lions.
