Steven Jackson

Steven Rashad Jackson (born July 22, 1983) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams.

Jackson attended Oregon State University, where he played for the Beavers for three seasons (2001–2003).

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.

In his sophomore season, Jackson led the Pac-10 Conference in rushing and finished the season eighth nationally with 1,690 yards; an average of 130 yards per game.

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.

When his collegiate career ended, Jackson's 2,015 all-purpose yards set an Oregon State school record.

He played college football for the Oregon State Beavers and was selected in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Rams, where he spent his first nine seasons.

Jackson was overlooked by several teams in 2004, most likely due to a knee injury suffered during his last year at Oregon State that kept him from participating in drills at the 2004 NFL Combine.

Jackson had surgery on the knee after the college season, but required additional surgery after his rookie year to ensure its complete rehabilitation.

In an interview with CBS Sports' Pete Prisco on how the knee injury had affected his play, Jackson said, "I never felt right. Now it does."

Jackson was drafted in the first round with the 24th overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams.

He was the first running back to be selected that year.

The Rams traded 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 was traded to the New England Patriots.

On July 30, 2004, Jackson signed a five-year, $18.73 million deal with the Rams, which included a $2.5 million signing bonus.

In his 2004 rookie season, he was a backup under Marshall Faulk.

He made his NFL debut in the season opener against the Arizona Cardinals and had seven carries for 50 yards in the 17–10 victory.

He scored his first professional touchdown on a two-yard rush against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4.

He saw an increased role toward the end of the season.

In Week 13 against the 49ers, he had 26 carries for 119 yards for his first 100+-yard game.

In Week 16, against the Philadelphia Eagles, he had his best performance of the season with 24 carries for 148 yards and a touchdown.

As a rookie, 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 Rams' starting running back for the 2005 season.

In Week 4, against the New York Giants, he had his first receiving touchdown on a 13-yard pass from Marc Bulger.

In Week 7, against the New Orleans Saints, he had his first multi-touchdown game with two rushing in the 28–17 victory.

In Week 8, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he had 25 carries for 179 rushing yards to go with two receptions for 21 yards and receiving touchdown.

Jackson had 1,046 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns on 254 attempts, and caught 43 passes for 320 yards and two receiving touchdowns.

After the dismissal of head coach Mike Martz and the departure of Faulk, 2006 became Jackson's breakout season.

With Scott Linehan as the new head coach, the Rams had a more balanced offensive attack.

He started the season off strong with 121 rushing yards in an 18–10 victory over the Denver Broncos.

This success also led to Jackson's induction into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.

In his final three seasons, he was a member of the Atlanta Falcons from 2013 to 2014 and the New England Patriots in 2015.

Named to three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams during his Rams tenure, Jackson is the franchise's all-time leading rusher.

Jackson was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, and was a running back for Eldorado High School.

He was named the Sunrise Regional MVP and rushed for 6,396 yards and 81 touchdowns for the Sundevils.

Eldorado lost in the state final his senior year to McQueen High School (Reno, Nevada).

He also lettered four years in track and field, recording a 10.6 in the 100 meters as a junior, and was a member of the 4 × 100 m (42.64 s) relay squad.

Jackson's subsequent success has been credited with prompting college football programs to take more interest in players in the Las Vegas area.