Rashad Andre Jennings (born March 26, 1985) is a former American football running back. He was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL draft. He also played for the Oakland Raiders and the New York Giants. Jennings played college football at Pittsburgh and Liberty.
 Jennings (center) in 2014 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 23, 27 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | March 26, 1985 Forest, Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 231 lb (105 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Liberty Christian Academy (Lynchburg, Virginia) | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Pittsburgh (2005) Liberty (2006–2008) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2009 / round: 7 / pick: 250 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Early life
editJennings 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
editJennings 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
editAfter 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 Minnesota Vikings.[18] Jones-Drew returned to the starting lineup the following week Jennings resumed his role as a backup until a shoulder injury on December 24, 2012, landed him on injured reserve for the second consecutive year.[19] He finished the season with 101 carries for 283 yards and two touchdowns in ten games and six starts.[20]
Oakland Raiders
editJennings was signed by the Oakland Raiders on April 11, 2013.[21] Jennings started the 2013 season backing up starter Darren McFadden. McFadden spent much of the season on the sideline due to injuries, forcing Jennings to start eight games in his place. Jennings, a career backup, exceeded expectations as a starter and saw his best rushing game of the season in Week 11 against the Houston Texans where he rushed 22 times for 150 yards (6.8 ypc) and one touchdown on an 80-yard rush.[22] In Week 15 against the Chiefs, he had 103 scrimmage yards and two rushing touchdowns in the loss.[23] Jennings finished the 2013 season with 733 rushing yards on 163 carries and six touchdowns.[24]
New York Giants
editOn March 12, 2014, Jennings signed a four-year, $14 million contract including $3 million guaranteed with the New York Giants.[25] Jennings quickly took over as starter, starting nine games out of the 11 that he played. In Week 3 against the Texans, he had 34 carries for 176 yards in the win.[26] Jennings rushed for 639 yards on 167 carries and scored four rushing touchdowns.[27]
Jennings started all 16 games in 2015, and set career highs in carries, rushing yards, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. Jennings recorded 863 yards along with three touchdowns on 195 carries, as well as 296 yards and one receiving touchdown on 29 receptions. Jennings played his best football later in the season, besting his previous season highs in both carries and yards in each of his final four games, with 79 carries for 432 yards and 2 touchdowns in that stretch.[28]
Jennings played in 13 games in 2016, rushing for 593 yards, his lowest total since 2013, and scored three touchdowns on 181 carries. He added 35 receptions for 201 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown in 2016.[29]
On February 13, 2017, Jennings was released by the Giants.[30]
On December 8, 2017, Jennings announced his retirement from the NFL.[31]
Fan Controlled Football
editIn early 2022, Jennings was a coach for the Fan Controlled Football Kingpens.[32] On May 21, 2022, Jennings played running back with the Fan Controlled Football Kingpens.[33][34]
NFL career statistics
edit| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2009 | JAX | 15 | 0 | 39 | 202 | 5.2 | 28 | 1 | 16 | 101 | 6.3 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | JAX | 13 | 3 | 84 | 459 | 5.5 | 74 | 4 | 26 | 223 | 8.6 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | JAX | 0 | 0 | did not play due to injury | |||||||||||
| 2012 | JAX | 10 | 6 | 101 | 283 | 2.8 | 21 | 2 | 19 | 130 | 6.8 | 26 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 2013 | OAK | 15 | 8 | 163 | 733 | 4.5 | 80 | 6 | 36 | 292 | 8.1 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | NYG | 11 | 9 | 167 | 639 | 3.8 | 18 | 4 | 30 | 226 | 7.5 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2015 | NYG | 16 | 16 | 195 | 863 | 4.4 | 38 | 3 | 29 | 296 | 10.2 | 51 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 2016 | NYG | 13 | 12 | 181 | 593 | 3.3 | 25 | 3 | 35 | 201 | 5.7 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 93 | 54 | 930 | 3,772 | 4.1 | 80 | 23 | 191 | 1,469 | 7.7 | 51 | 2 | 8 | 4 | |
Dancing with the Stars and Acting
editOn March 1, 2017, Jennings was revealed as one of the contestants who would compete on Season 24 of Dancing with the Stars and was paired with professional dancer Emma Slater.[35] Jennings and Slater went on to win the competition on May 23, 2017.[36] It was Slater's first win on the competition show and Jennings is the fourth NFL player to win the show.
In November 2017, Jennings returned to 25th season in Week eight,[37] to participate in a trio Cha-cha-cha with Drew Scott and his professional partner Emma Slater.[38]
In May 2018, Jennings returned to the ballroom as guest judge for Week 2 of season 26.[39]
Jennings later returned in season 27 as a trio partner once again to DeMarcus Ware and Lindsay Arnold.[40]
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | |||
| Inaba | Goodman | Hough | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "24K Magic" | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Viennese Waltz / "Suffer" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 3 | Samba / "Swalla" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 4 | Contemporary / "Unconditionally" | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | Safe |
| 5 | Foxtrot / "Evermore" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 6 | Tango / "Reach Out I'll Be There" Team Freestyle / "Dancing Machine", "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" & "Best Song Ever" |
9 8 |
9 8 |
101 91 |
9 8 |
Safe |
| 7 | Paso Doble / "O Fortuna" Jive Dance-Off / "Gimme Some Lovin'" |
9 Awarded |
9 2 |
102 Extra |
9 Points |
Safe |
| 8 | Jive / "Shake a Tail Feather" Trio Argentine Tango / "Dreams" |
9 10 |
9 9 |
9 10 |
9 10 |
Last to be called safe |
| 9 Semifinals |
Rumba / "Say You Won't Let Go" Quickstep / "Yes I Can" |
9 10 |
9 9 |
10 10 |
10 10 |
Safe |
| 10 Finals |
Viennese Waltz / "Dark Times" Freestyle / "Let's Go" & "Uptown Funk" Cha-cha-cha & Tango Fusion / "I Don't Like It, I Love It" |
10 10 10 |
10 10 9 |
10 10 10 |
10 10 10 |
Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Score given by guest judge Nick Carter.
2 Score given by guest judge Mandy Moore.
In 2016, Jennings appeared in one episode of the STARZ series, Power, as a guest in the club Truth. Season 3; Episode 10 titled “In My Best Interest”.[41]
In 2017, Jennings appeared as a contestant on Talk Show the Game Show with Guy Branum.[42]
In 2017, Jennings also appeared in one episode of the NBC series Great News as Portia’s fiancé, Carvell.[43]
In January 2019, Rashad appeared as the guest co-host with Nev Schulman in the MTV show Catfish.[44]
In January 2020, Jennings appeared as a contestant on Guy's Grocery Games - Game Day Super Teams with Guy Fieri.[45]
References
edit- ^ "Jennings path to Giants has been a long one". Norwich Bulletin. Associated Press. July 24, 2014. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ LoRe, Michael (February 18, 2020). "Children's Literacy Advocate Rashad Jennings Releases Latest Book In 'The Coin Slot Chronicles' Series". Forbes. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ Hawkins, Benjamin (July 19, 2022). "Rashad Jennings: The Words He Longed to Hear". Focus on the Family. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ "Rashad Jennings' incredible journey to the NFL". Giants.com. February 8, 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ Ganguli, Tania (December 14, 2010). "Jaguars' Rashad Jennings ran on unexplored path to NFL". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ Berman, Mark (November 8, 2008). "Jennings earns attention". Roanoke.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
- ^ Cross, David; Walls, Dave (October 7, 2021). "Rashad Jennings football jersey to be retired by Liberty Flames". WSET. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ "Rashad Jennings Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
- ^ "Rashad Jennings College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
- ^ "2009 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
- ^ "Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars - November 8th, 2009". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ "Rashad Jennings 2009 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ "Oakland Raiders at Jacksonville Jaguars - December 12th, 2010". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ "Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans - January 2nd, 2011". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ "Rashad Jennings 2010 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ Stellino, Vito (August 22, 2011). "Rashad Jennings, Clint Session return to practice after concussions". Jacksonville.com. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
- ^ Ganguli, Tania (September 4, 2011). "Jaguars lose Rashad Jennings for year, deal for cornerback". Jacksonville.com. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
- ^ Godfrey, Steven (August 29, 2012). "Jaguars Name Rashad Jennings Week 1 Starter". SBNation.com. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ Sandritter, Mark (December 24, 2012). "Jaguars place Cecil Shorts, Rashad Jennings on injured reserve". SBNation.com. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
- ^ "Rashad Jennings 2012 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ "Raiders Add RB Rashad Jennings". Raiders.com. April 11, 2013. Archived from the original on April 13, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
- ^ "Oakland Raiders at Houston Texans - November 17th, 2013". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
- ^ "Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders - December 15th, 2013". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ "Rashad Jennings 2013 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
- ^ Rosenthal, Gregg (March 11, 2024). "N.Y. Giants add Rashad Jennings, Schwartz, Schofield". NFL.com. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ "Houston Texans at New York Giants - September 21st, 2014". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ "Rashad Jennings 2014 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ "Rashad Jennings 2015 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ "Rashad Jennings 2016 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ Eisen, Michael (February 13, 2017). "Giants part ways with WR Victor Cruz, RB Rashad Jennings". Giants.com. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ Raanan, Jordan (December 8, 2017). "Jennings retires as a Giant, ends 8-year career". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ Frolo, Caitlyn (February 22, 2023). "WATCH: Former NFL star, Forest native Rashad Jennings shares engagement video". WSET. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ @fcflio (May 21, 2022). "LET'S GOOOOOO @RashadJennings" (Tweet). Retrieved May 21, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ Clemons, Gene (June 3, 2022). "Why the Fan Controlled Football league is having so much fun: Terrell Owens, Rachel Lindsay & HBCU alums". The New York Times. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ "'Dancing With the Stars' 2017: Season 24 celebrity cast and partners revealed on 'GMA'". ABC News. March 1, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
- ^ "Rashad Jennings wins 'Dancing With the Stars'". ABC News. May 24, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ Montgomery, Daniel (November 2, 2017). "'Dancing with the Stars' trio dances will invite back Kelly Monaco, Alfonso Ribeiro, Laurie Hernandez, Corbin Bleu". Gold Derby. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
- ^ Brozyna, Emily (November 2, 2017). "'Dancing with the Stars' trio dances will invite back Kelly Monaco, Alfonso Ribeiro, Laurie Hernandez, Corbin Bleu". J-14.com. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
- ^ Tracy, Brianne (April 30, 2018). "Find Out Which Mirrorball Champ Will Be a Guest Judge on DWTS: Athletes". People. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ Colurso, Mary. "The former NFL star, an Auburn native and standout in college for the Troy Trojans , is making his mark on the ABC reality series". AL.com. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ Neumann, Sam (October 19, 2023). "Former NFL player Rashad Jennings has hilarious 'Wheel of Fortune' fail". Awful Announcing. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ "Talk Show the Game Show". TruTV..com. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ Li, Shirley (October 12, 2017). "'Great News' first look: NFL star Rashad Jennings stops by the newsroom". EW.com. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ Raft, Cait (January 24, 2019). "'Catfish' Recap: Rashad Jennings Gives Some Solid Love Advice". Us Weekly. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ Bahl, Dan (September 28, 2022). "'Nice Ring to It': Inside the Bizarre Post-Football Life of This New York Giant". 104.5 The Team ESPN Radio. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
External links
edit- Career statistics from Pro Football Reference
- Liberty Flames bio