Fred Jackson

Frederick George Jackson, born on February 20, 1981, in Fort Worth, Texas, pursued his football aspirations despite not receiving college offers initially. After playing high school football at Arlington-Lamar, he enrolled at Coe College, a Division III school. There, he distinguished himself by earning four All-American team selections in 2002, rushing for 2,702 yards and 29 touchdowns. He was also a two-time Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference MVP for the Kohawks and the MVP of the 2003 Stars Bowl before graduating in 2003 with a sociology degree. His professional journey began in indoor football with the Sioux City Bandits, where he was named the 2005 UIF co-MVP, accumulating 1,770 rushing yards and 53 touchdowns in 18 games. He also played for the Rhein Fire in NFL Europa in 2006, leading the team with 731 rushing yards.

Jackson’s NFL career with the Buffalo Bills began in 2006 after being invited to training camp. He made his first career start in 2007, rushing for 82 yards and catching four passes for 69 yards. By 2009, he established himself as a key player, exceeding 1,000 rushing yards for the first time with 1,062 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to 46 catches for 371 yards and two scores. That same year, he became the first player in NFL history to record 1,000 rushing and 1,000 kick return yards, amassing 2,516 combined yards. He continued to be a productive member of the Bills until 2014, with his best season arguably in 2013, where he tallied 1,283 scrimmage yards and 10 total touchdowns. After being released by the Bills in 2015, he signed with the Seattle Seahawks, enabling him to participate in the postseason for the first time in his career, securing his first playoff win.

Following his NFL retirement in 2018, Jackson has remained active, including signing with The Spring League in 2017 in an attempt to prolong his playing career. He officially retired as a Buffalo Bill, signing a one-day contract in April 2018. Post-football, Jackson has been involved in television as an analyst for “Bills Tonight” on MSG Western New York and “Buffalo End Zone” on Spectrum News One. He also co-operated SEAR, a high-end steakhouse in downtown Buffalo, which closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, he has supported community initiatives, such as teaming up with Codes Socks LLC in October 2018 to create a Signature Series Sock benefiting UB HEALS.