Justin Jackson

BIOGRAPHY

Justin Jackson was born on April 22, 1996, in Carol Stream, Illinois. He is a running back for Los Angeles Chargers in the NFL.

After being one of the most successful high school running backs in Illinois history, Jackson joined the Northwestern Wildcats football team in 2014.

Jackson has also set many records in his collegiate career. In his freshman year, he started five of 12 games which he led the Wildcats in rushing each week, finishing with 1,187 yards and 10 touchdowns on 245 carries (22 catches, 201 yards, one touchdown receiving) to earn honorable mention All-Big Ten notice from league coaches. Jackson was a second-team All-Big Ten pick in 2015, racking up 1,418 yards and five scores on 312 carries (ranked third in the FBS), along with 21 catches and 162 yards as a receiver. In 2016, Jackson still carried the ball 226 times for 1,300 yards and 12 scores – and caught 33 passes for 210 yards – in a second-team all-conference junior season by coaches. He finished off the year with a 224 yard, three-touchdown effort against the Pitt Panthers in the 2016 Pinstripe Bowl where he showed off his quickness, vision, and efficient running style. Jackson became the leading rusher in Northwestern history and became the ninth player in NCAA history to have four years with 1,000 yards. He was a second-team All-Big Ten selection with 287 carries for 1,311 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing along with 44 catches for 276 receiving yards.

Jackson was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the seventh round (251st overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft. He was waived on September 3, 2018 and was signed to the practice squad the next day. He was promoted to the active roster on September 24, 2018. He made his professional debut in Week 4 against the San Francisco 49ers. In a Week 6 game against the Cleveland Browns, he recorded his first three professional carries, which went for four yards. In Week 13, against the Pittsburgh Steelers on NBC Sunday Night Football, he had eight carries for 63 yards and his first professional rushing touchdown. The following week against the Kansas City Chiefs, Jackson made his first career start following injuries to Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler, rushing for 58 yards on 16 carries and scoring a touchdown. Overall, he finished the 2018 season with 206 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to go along with 15 receptions for 135 receiving yards. He made his postseason debut with two carries for five rushing yards in the 23-17 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round. He had three receptions for 22 yards in the 41-28 loss to the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round.