| No. 88 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Tight end | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1965-04-19)April 19, 1965 (age 60) Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 250 lb (113 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Parkview (Little Rock, Arkansas) | ||||||||
| College | Oklahoma (1984–1987) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1988: 1st round, 13th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Keith Jerome Jackson (born April 19, 1965) is an American former professionalfootballtight end who played in theNational Football League (NFL) for thePhiladelphia Eagles (1988–1991),Miami Dolphins (1992–1994), andGreen Bay Packers (1995–1996). He playedcollege football for theOklahoma Sooners.
Jackson was born inLittle Rock, Arkansas. He attended Little RockParkview High School and garnered All-State team honors on offense (tight end) and defense (safety). He was named to the 1983ParadeAll-American Team. In 2011,Parade named Jackson to the TopParade All-America High School Football Players of All Time.[1]
Jackson played for theUniversity of Oklahoma from 1984 to 1987, where he was nicknamed "Boomer Sooner". TheSooners had a 42–5–1 record in his four seasons and won anational championship in 1985. Jackson caught a total of 62 passes for 1,407 yards, at an average of 23.7 yards per catch, and was aCollege Football All-America Team selection in 1985, 1986, and 1987.[2][3][4]
In the1986 Orange Bowl, played for the national championship, Jackson caught a 71-yard pass fromJamelle Holieway for a touchdown, the first of his team's two touchdowns in the Sooners' victory overPenn State.
Jackson was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 2001. He was later voted Offensive Player of the Century at the University of Oklahoma.
He is also a member ofOmega Psi Phi.
Jackson, as well as teammates Holieway andBrian Bosworth all openly admitted to accepting illegal payments during their time at OU. It was one of the main reasons why Jackson chose Oklahoma over his homestateArkansas Razorbacks.
After being drafted 13th overall by thePhiladelphia Eagles in the first round of the1988 NFL draft,[5] Jackson recorded 81 receptions for 869 yards, and 6 touchdowns in his first season, along with seven catches for 142 yards in the Eagles'only playoff game that year, and won the NFC Rookie of the Year award. The Eagles team record of 869 receiving yards in Jackson's rookie season was broken byDeSean Jackson in2008, who also became the first rookie since Keith Jackson to lead the team in receptions.[6] In 1992, Jackson was part of a lawsuit to challenge the "Plan B" form of free agency (filing the suit in federal court), which let each team protect 37 players in a limited form of free agency. When the lawsuit was ruled in favor of the filers, Jackson was declared a free agent immediately.[7]
On September 28, 1992, he signed a four-year, $6 million contract with theMiami Dolphins.[8] Jackson made his Miami Dolphins debut six days later in a 37–10 win versus the eventual AFC champion Buffalo Bills, recording four receptions and 64 receiving yards, including a 24-yard touchdown score.[9]
In his nine seasons, Jackson made thePro Bowl five times (1988–1990, 1992, 1996). On March 29, 1995, he was traded to theGreen Bay Packers for a second round draft pick when Miami signed Eric Green, making Jackson expendable. Initially not happy, he held out until October, creditingReggie White among other things.[10][11][12] In his final season, Jackson made 40 receptions for 505 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns, assisting the Green Bay Packers to a 13–3 record and a win inSuper Bowl XXXI. On March 26, 1997, he announced his retirement, stating that he had noticed his skills were starting to decline but also noting that the win influenced him to retire on top.[13]
Jackson finished his career with 441 receptions for 5,283 yards and 49 touchdowns, with the latter category being 3rd most among tight ends when he retired.
During his career, every time he had a highlight onNFL Primetime,ESPN anchorChris Berman would make reference to his famous name by imitating the voice of sports broadcasterKeith Jackson.
In 2022, theProfessional Football Researchers Association named Jackson to thePFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2022.[14]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won theSuper Bowl | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1988 | PHI | 16 | 15 | 81 | 869 | 10.7 | 41 | 6 |
| 1989 | PHI | 14 | 12 | 63 | 648 | 10.3 | 33 | 3 |
| 1990 | PHI | 14 | 14 | 50 | 670 | 13.4 | 37 | 6 |
| 1991 | PHI | 16 | 16 | 48 | 569 | 11.9 | 73 | 5 |
| 1992 | MIA | 13 | 11 | 48 | 594 | 12.4 | 42 | 5 |
| 1993 | MIA | 15 | 15 | 39 | 613 | 15.7 | 57 | 6 |
| 1994 | MIA | 16 | 16 | 59 | 673 | 11.4 | 35 | 7 |
| 1995 | GB | 9 | 1 | 13 | 142 | 10.9 | 22 | 1 |
| 1996 | GB | 16 | 5 | 40 | 505 | 12.6 | 51 | 10 |
| Career | 129 | 105 | 441 | 5,283 | 12.0 | 73 | 49 | |
Jackson was acolor commentator on radio broadcasts for theArkansas Razorbacks, but is now retired. His eldest son,Keith Jackson Jr., played defensive line at Arkansas and was selected by theSt. Louis Rams in the2007 NFL draft. His younger son, Koilan, played wide receiver at Arkansas; however announced his retirement from college football (due to injuries) on August 25, 2021.
In November 2012, Jackson was named as a 2013 recipient of theNCAASilver Anniversary Award, presented each year to six distinguished former college student-athletes on the 25th anniversary of the completion of their college sports careers.[15]
Jackson is also the founder of P.A.R.K., Positive Atmosphere Reaches Kids, a non-profit organization and an outreach program for inner city youths in Little Rock.