Steven Jackson

Steven Rashad Jackson is a professional football running back currently signed with the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He was born in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 22, 1983.

Jackson was drafted into the NFL by the St. Louis Rams during the 2004 NFL Draft as the 24th pick. His rookie season performance was hampered by a knee injury he acquired while he was at Oregon State the previous year.

In 2006, Jackson had a breakout season. Having fully recuperated from the knee injury, he rushed 346 times for 1,528 yards and ran for 13 touchdowns. Additionally, he also had 90 receptions for 806 yards and made three receiving touchdowns. His efforts helped get him nominated to his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro Team in 2006. For his huge contributions to the team, the Rams named him the franchise MVP for 2006.

Jackson was a running back for the Eldorado High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was named the sunset regional MVP and rushed for 6,396 yards and 81 touchdowns. Jackson's Eldorado squad lost in the state final his senior year to Chris Carr (currently of the Baltimore Ravens) and his perennial powerhouse McQueen High School (Reno, NV).

College Career

Jackson ended his Oregon State University career after three seasons, becoming the first Beaver player in history with eligibility remaining to enter the NFL Draft. In 36 games, he carried 743 times for 3,625 yards for a 4.9-yard average and 39 touchdowns while adding 680 yards and six touchdowns on 66 catches and 240 yards with a touchdown on seven kickoff returns. His 4,545 all-purpose yards rank second in school history, while he ranks third on the school's all-time scoring list with 276 points. As a junior he ranked tenth in the nation in rushing, ninth in all-purpose yardage, and fourth in scoring; he carried the ball 350 times for 1,545 yards and 19 touchdowns, adding 44 receptions for 470 yards and three touchdowns. His 2,015 all-purpose yards set a school record. As a sophomore Jackson led the Pac 10 in rushing and finished the season eighth nationally with 1,690 yards, an average of 130.0 yards a game.


NFL Career

Drafted 24th overall in 2004 by the St. Louis Rams, Jackson was seen as one of the new era power-speed backs. Jackson was over-looked by several teams in the draft, most likely due to a knee injury suffered his last year at Oregon State. Jackson had surgery on the knee after the college season, but was never able to fully rehab it and needed to have clean-up surgery after his rookie year to completely fix it. In an interview with cbssportsline.com's Pete Prisco, Jackson says, "It never felt right," Jackson said. "Now it does".

According to NFL Draft Scout.com, Jackson, on a weak knee at 241 lbs., ran a 4.55s 40-yard dash at the 2004 NFL Combine. Jackson wanted to rehab his knee a bit more before competing in other drills which he completed at a slimmed down 231 lbs. for his pro day.

The Rams swapped picks with the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals to get Jackson. Denver traded Deltha O'Neal to Cincinnati for their first round pick. Then, St. Louis traded up to Cincinnati's selection to grab Jackson while the Bengals chose Chris Perry to replace the departed Corey Dillon, who bolted for the New England Patriots.

St. Louis Rams

On July 30, 2004, Jackson signed a 5-year, $7 million deal with Rams which included a $2.05 million signing bonus. In his 2004 rookie season, he was a backup under Marshall Faulk. Despite the limited playing time, he rushed 134 times for 673 rushing yards and four touchdowns, and had 19 receptions for 189 yards.

With Faulk aging, Jackson was named the starter in 2005. Jackson had 1,046 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 254 attempts, and caught 43 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns.

After the dismissal of head coach Mike Martz, 2006 became Jackson's breakout season. With Scott Linehan as the new head coach, the Rams had a more balanced offensive attack. Jackson ran 346 times for 1,528 yards and 13 touchdowns and led all running backs when he caught 90 passes for 806 yards, and adding three touchdowns. He also led the NFL in total yards from scrimmage with 2,334. For his efforts, Jackson was named to his first Pro Bowl and received one vote for the 2006 NFL Offensive Player of the Year award. He was also named the Rams MVP of 2006.

During the dismal 2007 season, Jackson lashed out at fans and commented that the music choice in the Edward Jones Dome was poor. After the season, Jackson held out of camp because he believed he was underpaid, and there was only one year left on his rookie contract. He later ended his holdout and said that he would report to camp. Jackson ended his holdout officially, after he signed a six-year contract worth a maximum of $49.3 million, including $21 million in guarantees. The final two years of the deal can be voided upon performance so it can be a three-year extension worth $29.3 million. This will make him the highest paid running back in the NFL. Jackson can be eligible for unrestricted free agency at age 28.

Jackson does his post season conditioning and training at the Alex Spence Center for sports enhancement in Cincinnati, Ohio.