Rashad Jennings
 Jennings (center) with the New York Giants in 2014 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 23, 27 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Running back | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | March 26, 1985 Forest, Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 231 lb (105 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Liberty Christian Academy (Lynchburg, Virginia) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Pittsburgh (2005) Liberty (2006–2008) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2009: 7th round, 250th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Rashad Andre Jennings (born March 26, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Liberty Flames and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL draft. Jennings also played for the Oakland Raiders and the New York Giants.
Early life
[edit]Jennings began his high school career at Jefferson Forest High School in his hometown, Forest, Virginia.[1] As a fifth string running back, he didn't play in a game until the last game of his junior year. As a self-described "270 lb. chubby kid with asthma and glasses", Jennings finally played after the first four running backs ahead of him on the depth chart went down with injuries and after his coach attempted to play a wide receiver at running back. On his first handoff he ran the ball in for a 30-yard touchdown. After a 40-yard rushing touchdown and scoring 2 more touchdowns on defense, Jennings was approached by a scout from the University of Tennessee who had come to see the starting running back. After inquiring about his grades and discovering Jennings had a 0.6 GPA, the scout said "Son, you have potential... Get your grades right!"[2]
After the encouragement, Rashad transferred to Lynchburg Christian Academy.[3] His older brothers began coaching at the school the year before. Once enrolled both brothers used their coaching stipends to help pay the tuition since Rashad could not afford it. At LCA, he would begin to shed some weight and take to learning after having to repeat his junior year. In his junior and senior year, he was a two-time All-VISAA Division II selection while totaling 3,287 yards and 56 touchdowns, including 1,978 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior, while also lettering twice in basketball.[4]
College career
[edit]Jennings began his college career at Pittsburgh in 2005,[5] only the fourth true freshman running back to start there. However, Jennings transferred to the then Division I-FCS Liberty, in spring 2006, to be closer to his family. Though Jennings was suspended for the first two games of the 2007 season due to an internal violation, he set a Big South Conference record with 3,633 yards, 42 touchdowns, and averaged 5.7 yards per carry.[6]
On October 9, 2021, the Liberty Flames retired his number 23.[7]
Professional career
[edit]| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
231 lb (105 kg) |
32 in (0.81 m) |
10+3⁄8 in (0.26 m) |
4.52 s | 1.53 s | 2.62 s | 4.20 s | 6.79 s | 34 in (0.86 m) |
10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) |
29 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[8][9] | ||||||||||||
Jacksonville Jaguars
[edit]After being coached by the Jacksonville Jaguars' staff during the 2009 Senior Bowl, Jennings was selected by Jacksonville in the seventh round (250th overall) of the 2009 NFL draft.[10] He scored his first career touchdown in Week 9 against the Kansas City Chiefs, rushing for 29 yards.[11] Jennings finished his rookie season with 39 carries for 202 yards and one touchdown.[12]
In Week 14 of the 2010 season, Jennings had five carries for 109 yards and a touchdown in a victory over the Raiders.[13] In Week 17, he had 22 carries for 108 yards and a touchdown in the loss to the Texans.[14] In the 2010 season, he appeared in 13 games and made three starts. He finished with 84 carries for 459 yards and four touchdowns to go with 26 receptions for 223 yards.[15]
Jennings's 2011 season was cut short by injuries after suffering a concussion in the Jaguars' first preseason game,[16] and his knee injury two weeks later, Jennings was placed in injured reserve before the regular season began.[17]
Due to a contract holdout by starter Maurice Jones-Drew, Jennings was named the starting running back for the team's 2012 regular season opener against the