Bills RB Fred Jackson (22) - Jamie Germano/democratandchronicle
Fred Jackson was an aspiring NCAA Division III running back who dreamed of making the NFL someday. He was a kind, caring guy who knew his ultimate goal would come true if he worked hard and let everything else fall into place.
Jackson made his first NFL appearance in 2007 for the Buffalo Bills after being undrafted in 2003. Additionally, he played for one year in the European Football League. Let’s examine how his career took off from there.
Legend Spotlight: Fred Jackson- The Beginning
Born on February 20, 1981, in Fort Worth, Texas, Jackson went to Lamar High School in Arlington, Texas. There, he was a fine athlete, qualifying for states in the 100 meters and recording a time of 40.78 seconds as a teammate of the Lamar 4x100m relay squad. However, he was also a Vikings Varsity football team member but never got his start in his two-year stint. At 5′ 8″, 160 lbs., the running back was regarded as too small and slow. At the beginning of his senior year, he started as a third-string running back after Justin Faust suffered a knee injury. Shortly after, he was promoted to second-string behind Tommicus Walker.
College Days
Jackson enrolled at Coe College, an NCAA Division III school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was selected to five All-American teams in 2002 and collected 1,702 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns. He was a two-time Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference MVP for the Kohawks and the MVP of the 2003 Stars Bowl. Jackson was very studious, graduating in 2003 with a sociology degree.
Pro Career
Jackson started his professional career by playing indoor football for the Sioux City Bandits because people said he was “too small” to play in the NFL. He enjoyed two successful seasons with the Bandits in the National Indoor Football League (2004) and United Indoor Football (2005). He was named the 2005 UIF co-MVP. In 2006, Jackson played in NFL Europa for the Rhein Fire. He rushed for 731 yards, good for the team lead. Later that year, Bills General Manager Marv Levy invited Jackson to Training Camp.
NFL (Buffalo Bills)
Jackson began his NFL career for the Buffalo Bills in 2007. He made NFL history by becoming the first Division III running back to start an NFL game since December 24, 2000. Eagles running back and former Virginia Ferum player Chris Warren started against the Cincinnati Bengals. On Dec 2, 2007, Jackson made his first career start against the Washington Redskins. He rushed for 82 yards and caught four passes for 69 yards. The Bills won the game 17-16.
The following week, Jackson rushed for 115 yards to top over 100 for the first time in his career. His teammate Marshawn Lynch was a rookie going full beast mode by rushing for 107 yards. This game recognized the first time the Bills had two 100-yard rushers since Thurman Thomas and Darick Holmes did it in 1996. Jackson finished 2007 with 58 carries for 300 rushing yards and 190 receiving yards on 22 receptions in only eight games played.
Legend Spotlight: Fred Jackson- (2008-2015)
In week 17 of 2008, Jackson carried the ball 27 times for 136 yards rushing against the New England Patriots. He ran for a total of 571 yards on 130 carries in a backup role and 37 catches for 317 receiving yards in 16 games and three starts. Before 2009, Jackson signed a four-year contract extension to remain with the Buffalo Bills. In week 2 of the 2009 season, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jackson rushed for 163 yards on 28 carries in the 33-20 victory. Jackson beat out Lynch for the starting running back job after week 12. The star running back rushed for 1,062 yards and two touchdowns, the first time he exceeded the 1,000-yard mark in his career. He also tallied 1,014 return yards, making him the first player in NFL history to collect 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 kickoff return yards.
2010
In 2010, while playing in 16 games and starting in 13, Jackson rushed for 927 yards on 222 carries and five touchdowns, along with 31 receptions for 215 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. In 2011, Jackson excelled at his position. As the team’s celebrated starting running back, Jackson had six 100-yard rushing games in the first ten weeks. During a Week 11 loss to Miami, however, he experienced a fractured fibula. Later in the week, the Bills placed Jackson on injured reserve, and he missed the balance of the season.
2012
On May 5, 2012, Jackson signed a two-year contract extension with the Bills until 2015. In 2012, he completed 115 carries for 437 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns, 34 receptions for 217 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown in ten games and eight starts. Jackson’s best season may have come in 2013. Regardless of being a backup to C.J. Spiller, he totaled 1,283 yards from scrimmage and scored 10 touchdowns.
Jackson experienced a groin injury on October 19, 2014, against the Minnesota Vikings. He came back on November 9, facing the Kansas City Chiefs. Jackson completed the 2014 season with 141 carries for 525 rushing yards, 66 receptions for 501 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown in 14 games and nine starts.
Released from Bills, onto Seattle Seahawks
On August 31, 2015, as part of roster cuts, the Bills let Jackson go. He wound up third on the Bills all-time rushing list. On September 7, 2015, Jackson signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Seahawks, joining him once again with teammate Lynch. He completed 2015 with 100 rushing yards on 26 carries and 32 receptions for 257 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The Seahawks made the playoffs as a Wild Card team, making it Jackson’s first NFL playoff appearance. The Seahawks defeated the Vikings on January 10, 2015 (10-9), giving Jackson his first playoff victory.
The Spring League
After being out of football in 2016, Jackson signed with the Spring League as a comeback attempt. This league was formed from the ashes of the former Fall Experimental Football League for its summer 2017 showcase.
Legend Spotlight: Fred Jackson Retirement
In April 2018, Jackson and the Bills talked about him signing a one-day contract and formally retiring as a Buffalo Bill. Jackson signed the contract and retired on April 18, 2018.
Even today, Jackson continues to share his knowledge of football as he co-hosts a podcast on Spectrum News 1 called Buffalo End Zone, bringing his two senses to today’s Buffalo Bills games.
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